Mental Health is a big topic with lots of different layers but the bottom line remains the same, Managers have a responsibility to support all of their employees while at work. According to cpdonline, mental health is the leading cause of sickness days in the UK with an estimated 70 million working days lost.
If an employee has a physical accident at work requiring first aid, there is trained help on hand to deliver the correct treatment, the same should be considered for mental health. The Health & Safety Executive updated guidance in 2018 so that employers consider covering Mental Health First Aid training as well as First Aid. Whilst this isn’t a legal requirement it is recommended more businesses consider mental health first aiders at work.
St Johns Ambulance offer a Mental Health Workplace First Aider 2 day course for around £300 excluding VAT.
Some useful Q&A’s from: www.sja.org
What is mental health first aid?
A dedicated person:
- To spot the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues
- To provide non-judgemental support and reassurance
- To guide a person to seek professional support.
How many Mental Health First Aiders do I need?
We recommend that employers should try to have as many first aiders for mental health as first aiders for physical health.
What is the impact of poor mental health in the workplace?
Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental illness each year. In 2016, 15.8 million UK work days were lost due to mental illness.
The largest causes of sickness absence for our country’s workforce are depression, stress, and anxiety. Mental illness costs UK businesses around £35 billion every year. This equates to:
- £10.6 billion lost to sickness absence,
- £21.2 billion in reduced productivity,
- £3.1 billion in substituting employees members who vacate their roles due to mental illness.
What are the benefits of training employees to hold Mental Health First Aid certification?
Independent research and evaluation shows that taking part in a Mental Health First Aid course:
- raises awareness of mental illnesses,
- encourages early intervention to aid recovery,
- increases confidence in dealing with mental illnesses
- reduces stigma around mental health issues.
Research conducted by the Centre for Mental Health suggests improving UK workplace mental health management could reduce employers’ losses attributed to mental illness by 30%, collectively saving £8 billion a year.