Care & Independence designs and manufactures a wide range of products that aid mobility, independence, and improve daily life for the elderly and less able.

Their company ethos is to ‘Improve Lives’, with their products highly recommended by leading clinical experts including the NHS and Social Services.

However, that ethos doesn’t just touch those who use their products. It’s a value that extends to how the company supports their staff. A value that has been strengthened in the past two years post-pandemic, as James Bennett (the company’s Sales & Marketing Director) explains…

“We had a relatively difficult first lockdown in 2020. A lot of our people were on furlough and the business went through a difficult time commercially.”

“At the time we took a long hard look at the culture we wanted for the business. We came up with a set of values and principles that we wanted to offer our people, over and above a financial package.”

“Mental and physical wellbeing were a large part of this, and our focus on both has really helped us successfully navigate the past two years.”

Reacting to staff feedback

Care & Independence survey their staff on a regular basis, both with pulse surveys and biannual in-depth staff surveys. It was through these surveys that they saw a shift in what staff wanted from the company.

James explains: “our people have increasingly said they want financial wellbeing support because of everything that’s happened and the increasing cost of living. As a senior team we’re very conscious about the price of essentials, like utilities, energy, and food.”

“Living costs are fast-becoming the water cooler topic. In many ways, improving one’s financial health has now overtaken mental and wellbeing conversations.”

Realising the need for a financial wellbeing platform that could support their staff, Care & Independence turned to Bippit.

A holistic approach to financial wellbeing

The company went through a competitive tender process before partnering with Bippit. What attracted them to our platform was a holistic approach to finance, as James describes…

“We have a diverse team and wanted to make sure that everyone, from the MD to those on our shop floor, would get something out of a financial wellbeing platform.”

“Other solutions were very focused on a particular area, like pensions or investments. Their platforms were quite inflexible and were clearly geared towards a certain person in a certain place on their financial journey.”

“In comparison, Bippit captures all our staff’s needs. It covers a really broad range of financial wellbeing concepts. From protection and investments, to planning for holidays or retirement.”

Creating a forward-thinking, and outward-looking, culture

For Care & Independence, it was important that they gave staff a platform that was simple to understand, and intuitive in both look and feel.

“You get an opinion from a qualified and experienced voice, something that’s very reassuring.”

Having spoken to colleagues, James says that Bippit’s ease of use is why the company has already seen a good level of engagement with the platform. “I don’t think we would have got that engagement with another provider,” adds James.

“Partnering with Bippit was very much the result of looking out on the world, seeing what’s influencing our teams, and recognising what our people want from us. Adopting Bippit is a sign to our staff that we’re thinking about them, and giving them the tools they need in their life. Not just at work.”

“Over the past two years our retention rates have been good, and Bippit is part of our strategy for both attracting talent and retaining it. It’s another tool to help us drive our culture forward.”

Adopting Bippit "is just the right thing to do"

Bippit is an entirely independent organisation. We don’t have a hidden agenda to upsell other financial services, meaning all employees get the risk-free and impartial support they deserve. Particularly when they’re talking with their personal financial coach.

“Having quick and direct access to a financial coach is really helpful,” says James. “You get an opinion from a qualified and experienced voice, something that’s very reassuring.”

“Bippit is modern. It keeps the focus on employee wellbeing in a rounded way, and will improve your employee’s financial health so they can feel more secure in their work.”

“With Bippit, our people can leave some of their life concerns at the door and focus on their work. That obviously benefits their stress levels and our productivity levels.”

“But to be honest, adopting Bippit is just the right thing to do. You want to look after your colleagues and friends, and this is a great way to do that”