Clyde & Co make the case for care
The legal professionals at global law firm Clyde & Co are at the top of their game in helping clients navigate risk with confidence. It follows that, as a responsible employer, proactively managing the mental health risks faced by colleagues exposed to traumatic content in their work takes priority. In the high pressure world of commercial law, Clyde & Co’s progressive approach to safeguarding and wellbeing, in partnership with CiC Wellbeing, is raising the bar within the legal profession.
For the past decade, CiC Wellbeing has provided an Employee Assistance Programme to Clyde & Co. That in-depth knowledge and CiC Wellbeing's person-centred approach were instrumental in responding to Clyde & Co’s wish to strengthen the emotional resilience of colleagues working in some of their most high-risk teams.
“The nature of our work often involves supporting clients through extremely challenging situations, and that inevitably brings an emotional dimension for our teams,” notes Partner, Paula Jefferson.
“That’s why we want to ensure colleagues feel informed, supported and confident in managing that aspect of their work, and have invested early in training that builds awareness, resilience and practical coping mechanisms.”
Tailored training
A focus group of Clyde & Co leaders worked alongside CiC Wellbeing to develop a bespoke Vicarious Trauma Training programme. Split into three specific curriculums, the 60-90 minute workshops addressed the specific needs of colleagues, managers, and senior leaders, as Neil Hastings, Clyde & Co’s Senior Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager explains:
CiC Wellbeing's clinical team took time to listen to and understand our specific challenges. The sessions were fully interactive and utilised real case scenarios. Our colleague cohorts learnt about vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout, while managers at Legal Director level had additional guidance on supporting teams exposed to challenging content. Our senior leaders programme looked at shaping workplace culture and policies to prioritise mental health and establish a psychologically safe work space. Attendees fed back that they appreciated the enthusiastic, while empathetic way the sessions were delivered by CiC Wellbeing and the practical suggestions given to proactively support their wellbeing.
The sessions were delivered digitally by CiC Wellbeing, with a maximum of 15 attendees in each group. 250 participants, across 30 sessions, attended between July and September 2024, with sessions now re-run quarterly for new staff. A time recording code is provided to attendees to allocate to wellbeing activity, away from billable client work.
Spreading the word
“The sessions were voluntary to attend and so having senior level support was crucial,” Neil recalls. “The Partners in the working group saw the time and interest CiC Wellbeing took to truly tailor the experience to our needs. CiC Wellbeing also helped with the early positioning and promotion of the programme to encourage attendance from our teams. Their expertise, flexibility, and genuinely caring approach make them fantastic to work with.
“We are very proud of the Vicarious Trauma Training programme. We present it to our clients to show the training our legal teams receive. It has also prompted requests for additional support as managers see its positive impact. We’re thinking next of mental health check-ins and a structured peer support programme.”
