17TH SEPTEMBER 2026


THE LONDON BUSINESS GUIDE AN ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE DISTRIBUTED WITH


What can 20 minutes do?


Most HR directors will say their people have access to mental health support. But how many of them actually use it? That question quietens a room


Work-related stress, depression and anxiety accounted for 22.1 million lost working days in Great Britain in 2024/25, a record high.1 Getting help usually means an


employee putting their hand up fi rst. Ringing a number. Explaining themselves to somebody whose job it is to decide whether they qualify. Working out, before speaking to anybody, whether


things are bad


enough to justify it. T en fi nding an hour away from the desk. Brightloaf was built by a UK GP to


change the order of all that. A session is 20 minutes with a


qualifi ed, professionally registered therapist, about sleep, work, money, relationships — whatever is getting in the way. T ere’s no


referral,


no assessment and no category to place themselves in. T ere’s a short form, but it comes after the booking and goes to the therapist, not to a gatekeeper. It’s not a shortened hour — it’s 20 minutes with the throat- clearing taken out. On video, in the app, wherever they are.


T e Oakwood, a leisure venue


in Esher, off ered Brightloaf to its 100-strong team, many part-time and on shifts, and 28 booked a session in the fi rst eight weeks, against average EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) usage across UK employers of around 12% a year.2


Of those 28, 21 came back. “Someone can have a proper session


with a therapist in their break and be back on the fl oor 20 minutes later,” says Angus Bailey, general manager at T e Oakwood. “I didn’t think that was possible.” Short sessions have research behind


them. Studies comparing shorter and longer sessions fi nd no relationship between length and outcome, and suggest a therapist’s presence matters more than the length of the session.3


Brightloaf ’s therapists are


trained in short-session therapy by Professor Windy Dryden, Britain’s fi rst Professor of Counselling.4 Brightloaf


sits alongside an


employer’s EAP and occupational health provision. Because everybody writes down what they want to deal with beforehand, Brightloaf can show an employer, anonymously, what’s coming up across their workforce. Individual sessions are guaranteed to stay entirely private.


DR NEIL SINGH, BRIGHTLOAF’S FOUNDER AND A PRACTISING GP, AT THE OAKWOOD IN ESHER.


Founding partner programme: a free 90-day pilot for your fi rst 50 people, with an anonymised report at the end. Scan for the details, and 20 minutes with Brightloaf’s founder. brightloaf.com/organisations E: hello@brightloaf.com


1. HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE. WORKING DAYS LOST IN GREAT BRITAIN, 2024/25. HSE.GOV.UK/STATISTICS/DAYSLOST.HTM 2. EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION UK. AVERAGE EAP USAGE AMONG UK EMPLOYERS, REPORTED AT 12%. 3. THERAPY TODAY, BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY, FEBRUARY 2023. REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH ON SESSION LENGTH, INCLUDING TURNER ET AL. COMPARING 30 AND 50 MINUTE SESSIONS. 4. PROFESSOR WINDY DRYDEN, EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC STUDIES, GOLDSMITHS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, AND BRITAIN’S FIRST PROFESSOR OF COUNSELLING (1992). EVERY BRIGHTLOAF THERAPIST HAS COMPLETED TRAINING IN SHORT-SESSION THERAPY.


HR & Recruitment 13


Putting animal welfare fi rst


Vicky Skinner’s drive to raise standards across the pet-care sector


After more than 20 years in animal- related education, running an award- winning canine-assisted intervention service with her dog Hero and training animal licensing offi cers, Vicky has seen the very best of the pet-care industry — and the people who hold it together. She also saw how alone many of


the pet professionals felt: talented, dedicated professionals unsure where to turn for trusted advice, and worried they weren’t ‘doing it right’. T at’s why she founded the Animal


Focused Alliance, a trade association built on lived experience. For pet professionals, it off ers sector updates, assured licensing and legal advice, and a community raising standards together. For pet owners, it’s a mark of quality to look for. Vicky believes progress comes from


working together, not against each other. When knowledge is shared, standards rise and animals’ benefi t. Her mission is simple; to put


welfare fi rst, and to help pet business thrive.


Looking for a dog-walker, groomer or sitter? Scan for The Animal Focused Alliance’s free guide to fi nding pet care you can trust.


E: vicky@animalfocused.co.uk animalfocusedalliance.co.uk


Rent, not profi t


Nova Accountants provides clients with a wide selection of fi nancial and management accounting services across the whole accounting cycle


If you let property in London, the rules change in April 2027. From 6 April 2027, landlords with


gross rental income above £30,000 must keep digital records and report to HMRC four times a year, plus a fi nal declaration. T e annual


self


assessment return ends. T e word that catches people out


is ‘gross’. HMRC counts total rent received before mortgage interest, agent fees, insurance or repairs. Two fl ats at £1,300 per month crosses the line, even where the profi t left is slim. Many London landlords who assume this doesn’t apply to them will be caught out by this. Nova Accountants is a London practice built around landlords.


It


takes on the software, the record keeping and all fi ve submissions for a fi xed monthly fee, all agreed ahead. No surprise bills in January. T e return you fi le this January


determines whether you’re in. Check now, while there’s time to prepare.


Free MTD readiness check for London landlords. Fixed monthly fees. Find out whether April 2027 applies to you.


T: 0208 1591 777 novaaccountants.com


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