Pioneering app to tackle mental health issues in construction launches

A new training solution and app that has been built by and for the construction industry to help tackle its mental ill health issues, launches this week.

Ownminder is the first industry-specific proactive psychological health solution created to help address the sector’s stark mental health situation that sees a suicide rate three times more than the national average. This equates to two people per day in the UK construction industry taking their own lives (ONS).

Founders Dr Vanessa Moulton, a Chartered Psychologist, and Property and Construction Strategic Consultant Tom Storey, created Ownminder based on their supported belief that prevention is just as important – if not more so – than reactive-only mental health strategies. Founding partners include key industry figures Danny Lucas (Lucas UK), Danny Chaney (blu-3 (UK) Ltd), Brian Morrisroe (Morrisroe Group) and David Darsey (The Erith Group), who have combined their knowledge, experience and insights to help develop, build and shape the initiative.

Ownminder enables organisations within the construction industry to provide their employees with a set of accessible tools and strategies to enable them to take a positive, proactive and preventative approach to their psychological health and wellbeing. It provides them with a deeper understanding of the factors underpinning their own psychological health and enables them to take ownership of their mind fitness, which in turn reduces the risk of poor mental health in the future. All this is achieved through senior leadership training and onsite Toolbox Talks content.

An app will be accessible for each worker, offering industry tailored on-demand modules, as well as personalised tools, strategies and techniques that can be easily incorporated into everyday life to help strengthen mind fitness.

Anonymised reports, that will include user engagement levels and regularly updated mental wellbeing scores to validate progress, will give businesses in the industry the evidence required to demonstrate compliance with the various health and safety legislation, public procurement and other ESG factors related to proactive psychological health within the sector.

CEO and Co-founder of Ownminder, Dr Moulton commented: “There has never been a more important time to launch Ownminder to the construction industry, with our sole mission to create a highly targeted solution fit for a digital age. There is a lot of focus on how we respond to mental ill health and not so much on how to prevent it. We can all positively impact our psychological health if we understand how our minds work and are armed with the right tools. Right now, mental health and fitness should be given as much focus and priority as physical health and fitness.” 

Founding partner Danny Chaney, Chairman of blu-3 (UK) Ltd, said: “It’s an honour to be part of Ownminder. Very much driven by my own personal experience, I have been championing mental health and wellbeing in the sector for years. Ownminder is with you 24 hours a day to tap into when you need it. I feel very honoured to be helping Dr Vanessa and Tom, with the end goal being a psychologically healthier, happier and more productive workforce within the construction industry.” 

The advisory panel for the initiative includes David Richmond CBE, Damon Brown (Portfolio Lead for Construction Legal and General), Professor Neil Greenberg (Professor of Defence Mental Health), Paul Flexney-Briscoe (Construction Director of Sellar), Vicky Fairhall (ex-Senior Vice President, Brookfield Properties UK) and Matt Evans (Fund Manager Investec Asset Management).