Start-up launches in response to changing requirements
Two mental health professionals have joined together to launch a new care clinic dedicated to providing psychological duty of care support to the film and TV industry.
Founded by psychologist and psychotherapist Charlotte Armitage and consultant psychiatrist, Dr. Mo Qadri, Cast Care Clinic will provide pre-production, production, and post-production support to broadcasters, production and media companies, and on-screen contributors by providing a full range of psychological services to safeguard the welfare of everyone involved in production for the screen industries.
The Leeds-based experts who met working in the NHS, have come together to provide a robust and comprehensive care provision to respond to the changes in requirements surrounding duty of care as stipulated by the Ofcom broadcast code and have already been awarded two contracts to manage psychological duty of care for productions for Sky TV, one being a production with global reach.
Armitage said: “We know over the last few years there has been a welcomed increase in awareness and interest around duty of care in the film and TV industry but along with this needs to be an acknowledgment of the complex dynamics within the workforce and the psychological risks associated with productions.”
“We believe it’s essential that cast are fully supported with appropriately qualified and experienced mental health care professionals. With our professional registrations, level of experience, and insight, we can provide production companies with the assurance and confidence to manage the associated risks in the safest way for their cast and crew, both in front of and behind the camera.”
Armitage has years of experience working in the film and TV industry, as the managing director of the Yorkshire Academy of Film and Television Acting (YAFTA) and YAFTA Talent Agency. She has also managed psychological duty of care processes on high-risk productions for MTV and Netflix and is also a member of the British Psychological Society’s media ethics board and is currently involved in developing guidance relating to duty of care support for production companies and psychologists wanting to work in the field.
Dr. Qadri is a consultant in forensic psychiatry and medical psychotherapy, specialising in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, both in a medical and community setting, with a particular interest and experience in risk assessment, anxiety, and psychotherapy.
He added: “Charlotte and I are both passionate about mental health and ensuring that people are provided with appropriate mental health support in any given situation. The combination of our complementary professions in psychology, psychiatry and psychotherapy, in addition to our joint experience, offers a unique insight into contributor care to offer a robust provision that will facilitate the delivery of Ofcom compliant psychological health care within the production process.”
