Mental Health First Aid
At least one in four people in the UK are affected by a mental health condition at some point in their life and it is critical for businesses, organisations and individuals to have the ability to spot signs and symptoms in order to guide and support members of your team towards appropriate support available.
We are offering an accredited professional two-day Mental Health First Aid course to enable you to gain the skills to give you a deeper understanding of the issues around mental health and how to offer vital help and support.
What skills will delegates learn?
The course will:
- Give a deeper understanding of the issues that impact on and relate to people’s mental health
- Teach practical skills that can be used every day, including being able to spot the signs and symptoms of mental health issues and feel confident guiding people towards appropriate support, whilst supporting themselves also
- Give delegates confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
- Develop enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
- Build knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to appropriate support
Independent research and evaluation shows that taking part in an MHFA course:
- Raises awareness and mental health literacy
- Reduces stigma around mental ill health and feel confident guiding people towards appropriate support
- Boosts knowledge and confidence in dealing with mental health issues
- Encourages people to start a conversation with a person who may be experiencing a mental health issue
- Promotes early intervention, which enables recovery. MHFA won’t teach you how to be a therapist, but you will be able to say you’re a Mental Health First Aider
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Employer Responsibilities and legal duties
In the event of injury or sudden illness, failure to provide first aid could result in a casualty’s death. Every employer should ensure that an employee who is injured or taken ill at work receives immediate attention. The Health & Safety Executive will prosecute in cases where there is a significant risk, a disregard for established standards or persistent poor compliance with the law. More information can be found in HSE’s Enforcement Policy Statement.
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with less than five employees and to the self-employed.
What is ‘adequate and appropriate’ will depend on the circumstances in the workplace. This includes whether trained first-aiders are needed, what should be included in a first-aid box and if a first-aid room is required. Employers should carry out an assessment of first-aid needs to determine what to provide.
Physical first aid courses teach you the initial help to give an injured person before professional help can be obtained. Its four main aims are to:
- Preserve life
- Prevent further harm
- Promote recovery
- Provide comfort
Similarly, mental health first aid is the help given to someone experiencing a mental health issue before professional help is received.
By the end of this course you will be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental ill health, provide initial help, guide the person towards appropriate professional help and be mindful of your own well-being. We will address the importance of building a mentally healthy workplace and every participant will develop an action plan for using Mental Health First Aid.
What is covered on a two day MHFA course?
Our MHFA instructors deliver training in four manageable chunks, each with a focus on how to apply Mental Health First Aid skills: