Introduction

This guidance is designed to give you a framework or overview of the different areas of training you could consider or include when putting together a holistic mental health training plan for your staff.

The guidance bears in mind the specific concerns and needs of the company. It also looks at factors beyond traditional mental health training which might be important to consider.

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Guidance Statistics Icon
0%
Of adults (24.5 million in England) think that they have had a diagnosable mental health condition at some point in their life.
Guidance Statistics Icon
0 Million
1 in 6 people, report experiencing symptoms for common mental health problems, like anxiety and depression, in any given week in England.

Source: Mental Health Statistics

A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO WELLBEING

Break down the barriers to effective mental health support at work

As well as raising awareness of mental health issues, it is important to understand and address certain factors which are specific to the sector, so you can equip people with the resources they need to develop and implement safe working practices.

To achieve this, you must consider a holistic approach to mental health training and provide access to ongoing development.

Through an industry working group, the following guidance has been curated to help employers and freelance managers understand what factors to consider and to support everyone they work with, including senior leaders, managers, employees and freelancers.

Following this guidance, employers and those with line-management responsibilities will feel empowered to put together immediate and longer-term training plans for themselves and the people who work with them.

As well as raising awareness of mental health issues, it is important to understand and address certain factors which are specific to the sector, so you can equip people with the resources they need to develop and implement safe working practices.

To achieve this, you must consider a holistic approach to mental health training and provide access to ongoing development.

Through an industry working group, the following guidance has been curated to help employers and freelance managers understand what factors to consider and to support everyone they work with, including senior leaders, managers, employees and freelancers.

Following this guidance, employers and those with line-management responsibilities will feel empowered to put together immediate and longer-term training plans for themselves and the people who work with them.

Mental Health Guidance

A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO WELLBEING

Why should employers invest in mental health?

Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure the physical and psychological safety of the people who work for them. This includes employees, freelancers, contractors, visitors and members of the public.

But it will also impact your bottom line. Every £1.00 investment in mental health training returns more than £5.00 in reduced staff absence, reduction in presenteeism and reduced staff turnover.

A safer and happier environment means higher employee loyalty and retention, avoiding unnecessary recruitment costs, and enables you to attract the best talent.

You must ensure that training to support good mental health is made available to all. By supporting all of your workers, you can develop a more resilient, diverse, productive and financially stable industry.

By working together to develop trusted training programmes, you reduce the pressure on those in need of support and provide a safer working environment.

Talk To Us About How We Can Help You With Mental Health Guidance.

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry or fear that can be associated with something that has happened, about to happen or happen in the future.

Everyone feels anxiety in their life, be it before starting a new business or sitting an exam, however, some can find it very hard to control their worries.

Anxiety can become a mental health problem when someone’s worries are very powerful or long lasting, or if they affect their day to day life.

People with anxiety problems may also avoid certain situations or find it hard to control their worries.

Depression causes people to experience a long lasting low mood that can heavily impact day to day life.

Anyone can experience depression. People with depression might feel down, hopeless or numb and may have diffculty sleeping, or sleep too much. Some people may think about taking their own life.

Depression can be caused by a number of different events in a person’s life. It can occur after a physical illness, a bereavement, unemployment, family problems even pregnancy. But not everyone who experiences depression will identify a particular cause.

Everyone has their own individual personality that makes them who they are. Situations, different people and other factors will change the way we act, think and feel.

If someone has a personality disorder, they may think, feel, behave or relate to others in ways that can cause problems in their relationships and affect how they cope with everyday life.

Some people welcome the diagnosis of personality disorder, but others find it stigmatising and unhelpful. It’s important to be sensitive to how someone feels about their diagnosis and to focus on what support they need.

A phobia is an extreme fear or anxiety which can be triggered by a number of factors, including a particular situation (being in crowds), or an object (germs), even when these factors don’t present a real danger.

Someone who has a phobia may even start to feel anxiety by just thinking or talking about it.

Everyone experiences fear but it becomes a phobia when that fear is out of proportion to the danger or if it has a significant impact on how someone lives their day to day life.