Mental Health First Aid England - 2 Day course

MHFA England training is a key component for creating a safe, healthy workplace where the mental health and physical health of employees are valued equally. It gives people the tools to support their own mental health and that of their colleagues and encourages them to access timely support when needed. 

Legislation for Mental Health First Aid provision in the workplace is not yet in place. The Health and Safety Executive says:

“You should consider ways to manage mental ill health in your workplace which are appropriate for your business, such as providing information or training for managers and employees, employing occupational health professionals, appointing mental health trained first aiders and implementing employee support programmes.” 

To demonstrate that your organisation views mental health as equally important to physical health, we recommend that you consider your organisation structure and the demands on the workforce. For some organisations it may be worthwhile aiming to have as many Mental Health First Aiders as physical first aiders. 

Designed for 

Although MHFA England courses are open to all, asking employees to apply for the training will help you to recruit the people within your organisation who are best placed for the role. We recommend that you train: 

• A wide range of individuals – encourage applications to represent the diversity of your workforce, from different seniority levels, locations, genders and ethnic backgrounds. 

• People who want to learn more about mental health to support others, whether or not they have experienced mental ill health themselves. Make sure that all applicants (not just those who have disclosed personal experience) understand what the role will involve and have considered their own wellbeing to decide if now is the right time for them. 

• People who spend the majority of their working hours on site at the workplace for which they are nominated and can be called away from their normal duties at short notice if needed. 

• People who can maintain confidentiality as appropriate and demonstrate an ability to relate well to others. 

• People who can commit to the time required and who have the support from their line manager to fulfil the role once trained. 

Content

• An in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing

• Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues

• Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress

• Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening

• Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support - whether that’s self-help resources, through their employer, the NHS, or a mix

Objectives 

• Raise mental health awareness and tackle stigma throughout the organisation to help create an environment where people feel empowered to contact their Mental Health First Aiders for support.