Top screen sector companies adopt mental-health toolkit
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An increasing number of screen sector companies is using the Film & TV Charity’s Whole Picture Toolkit following its launch a year ago, with more than 70 productions having adopted it over the last 12 months.
The free-to-use toolkit supports the charity’s vision for improved mental health and wellbeing in the production industry, with organisations including Banijay, BBC, Channel 4, Sky and ITV all having utilised it.
The toolkit is now being rolled out across every new commission from Banijay UK, specialist factual commissions at BBC Content, cross-genre productions at Sky, and is also shortly to be trialled on daytime factual and features commissions at Channel 4.
Various productions made by ITV Studios are already using the toolkit, and ITV's media and entertainment division has embedded it into the commissioning process, with all third-party producers offered a toolkit introduction or workshop.
Anna Mishcon, Whole Picture Toolkit executive at the Film and TV Charity, said: “There couldn’t be a more important time for broadcasters and producers to come together to tackle the mental health crisis that exists across our industry. The Whole Picture Toolkit’s online platform is full of a wealth of resources, a one stop shop that puts mental health and wellbeing at the heart of your production. Its aim is simple - to make sure every individual on every production is supported and heard.”
Bella Lambourne, director of human resources and operations at Banijay UK, added: “We are so grateful to the Film and TV Charity for designing this Toolkit, which has been a truly collaborative effort, and are proud that Banijay UK is the first production group to embed it across our productions.
"The precedents, tips, and advice that are provided through the Whole Picture Toolkit, as well the support provided by the Film and TV Charity team to help with implementation throughout a production, is a game changer. Working in tandem with our own training and our mental health first aiders across the business, we have many more tools to ensure the wellbeing our teams in what can be a fast-paced and demanding environment.”
After successfully using the toolkit on seven productions in a variety of genres, with five more currently in production, Sky’s head of production operations, Claire Fone, said of the resource: “The Whole Picture Toolkit has proven invaluable in encouraging open conversation around the mental health-related challenges that can be faced on productions.
“The guidance it offers has resulted in a shift in the collective approach, ensuring everyone working on production has the correct support and resource available. We have encouraged feedback from our production teams who have trialled the Toolkit and are proactively looking to implement it further within our commissioning process moving forward.”
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