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First came Isca Maritime Security Services; established in July 2019, this is our specialist crewing agency, providing security crew for passenger ships (cruise ships, ferries and yachts). Security training is provided onboard the vessel with a holistic approach and in conjunction with ongoing consultancy. In addition to this, Isca Maritime Security Services have also been involved in several major land-based projects. With backgrounds in both maritime security and the Royal Marines, and over 25 years experience providing security training and consultancy, the wealth of expertise the directors brought to the company has enabled us to diversify and adapt when required.  

 

When Covid-19 hit, everything changed…

When COVID-19 arrived, it was our responsibility to anticipate what the potential security threats would be to a cruise ship in cold lay-up, with hundreds of crew onboard who couldn’t disembark. Although there were many real, physical threats such as increased terrorism and piracy, it soon became clear that one of the biggest threats was from within. 
 

The Real Crisis: Mental Health

It was our belief that the biggest threat to the crew onboard was a potential deterioration in their mental health, and how that might manifest. The isolation, the uncertainty, the fear—these were enormous burdens, especially when many didn’t know when they’d be able to return home to their families. We combed through every report and study available on seafarer mental health, and what we found was troubling: long before COVID, there were clear signs that many crew members were struggling. But there were hardly any proactive services available to shipowners or managers to address the problem in a meaningful, structured way.

So, we built them.

 

Building Something Better

We reached out to two mental health trainers with deep personal and professional connections to maritime, as well as a clinical psychologist who specialises in positive psychology. Together, we designed a proactive mental health solution, starting with a simple but powerful idea: weekly video content to help crew onboard stay mentally well. We teamed up with a BBC Producer and Director, brought in a professional camera crew, and, guided by our experts, launched our Weekly Training & Information Videos. These were initially provided free to our own teams, and then made available to any crew onboard those ships. Today, those videos reach over 15,000 seafarers across every major maritime sector.

 

Growing With the Industry

From there, our services evolved. We developed our flagship 2-Day Seafarer Mental Health Awareness & Wellbeing Course, based on a training standard developed by the Maritime Charities Group and the Merchant Navy Training Board. The course has been recognised by the Bahamas Maritime Authority, endorsed by the UK Chamber of Shipping, and it’s already making a big impact. We’ve also added bespoke consultancy services through Dr. Vikki Barnes, our Clinical Psychologist, helping companies create stronger, more supportive environments onboard.

 

Our Mission is Simple: Happy Seafarers!

We are still at the beginning of our journey, but what a journey it’s been. We’re proud to work in this incredible industry, alongside people from every background and corner of the world. Seafarers face real challenges, and yes, many love what they do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need support from time to time.

If you’re looking for help getting your crew to form healthier habits, or you want your Senior Management Team to feel more confident supporting mental health onboard, we’d love to hear from you.

Because happy seafarers aren’t just good for business, they are essential to the future of our industry.

 

To learn more about Isca Wellbeing, please visit: www.isca-wellbeing.com

To learn more about Isca Maritime Security Services, please visit: 

www.isca-mss.com