THERE are very few of us that manage to go through life without having to deal with personal issues at some stage or another, whether it be money worries, employment issues, dealing with a bereavement, worrying about a family member or friend or exams; it can be any number of things.

Horse Racing Ireland and CARE (www.workinracing.ie) recognise this and have provided an Industry Assistance Programme (IAP) to help take the strain when you need some extra support. The IAP is 100% confidential, 100% free to use, and is open to everyone who works in the racing or equine industry, and its availability extends to family members. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

Employers are encouraged to make details of the service available to staff members, and Patrick Ryan is happy to send out brochures or wallet cards if you email him at workinracing@hri.ie or call him directly on 045 455488. For the first time the services can be accessed via a dedicated app which is called iConnectYou.

It is important to stress that there is no cost to you if you avail of the service, there is no limit to the number of issues you can gain support on, and you can find a full range of the services it supplies by logging on to www.workplaceoptions.com (log-on details below).

If you are worried about a problem then just pick up the telephone and call the IAP.

They may not be able to solve your problem outright there and then, but you will be able to speak to a trained professional who can provide responsible measured advice that will put you on the right path.

Sometimes we can bottle things up inside and talking to someone can shed a different perspective on an issue. As the old saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved. Face to face counselling is also available through the IAP if it is deemed necessary.

Your IAP is staffed by a team of highly-trained and qualified professionals who are experts in fields such as wellbeing, family matters, relationships, workplace issues, consumer rights, and much more. You can be confident that the information you receive is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant to your particular circumstances.

It should also be noted that the IAP is not just for serious personal issues, it can be used as an information service. For instance if you were heading to Rome for a week and wanted to know of all the hotels with professional child minding facilities, the IAP will source that information for you.

If you are self-employed and wanted some information about tax reliefs available to you, the IAP will source that information for you. If you purchased some goods that do not meet your expectations and you want to know your rights, the IAP will source that information for you, freeing you up to concentrate on the things that are important to you.

No problem is too big or too small for the IAP so don’t be afraid to pick up the telephone, or to log on to the website (logon details are above). If you have any queries about the IAP please email them to workinracing@hri.ie

IAP services

Some of the areas covered – and this list is by no means exhaustive – by the IAP are:

PERSONAL

•Emotional wellbeing

•Managing stress

•Anxiety and depression

•Disability and illness

•Substance and alcohol misuse

•Addictions and compulsive behaviours

•Personal development

WORK

•Work/life balance

•Bullying and harassment

•Workplace pressure

•Managing change

•Workplace relationships

•Careers

FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS

•Childcare

•Education

•Elder care

•Juggling work and family life

•Caring for others

•Domestic violence or abuse

DAILY LIVING

•Consumer rights

•Health and wellness

•Relocation

•Community resources

LIFE EVENTS

•Pregnancy and new babies

•Adoption

•Marriage and cohabitation

•Separation and divorce

•Moving home

•Bereavement and loss

•Retirement

CONTACT DETAILS

Website: www.workplaceoptions.com

Username: Seathestars.

Password: member

SMS (for call back): +353 86 838 3998

Freephone:1800 303 588 (Republic Of Ireland) 0800 243 458 (Northern Ireland)

App: iConnectYou: Access Code: 110499 (The App is available to download from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android) and register using the access code above