Implementing Mental Health First Aid in the workplace MHFA England Guide
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England has this week launched best-practice guidance for employers and employees on implementing Mental Health First Aid in the workplace.
This follows the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) recent recommendation to include ‘mental health trained first aiders’ as part of employers’ first aid needs assessments.
Developed in consultation with leading employers, the new guidance provides information on strategically embedding MHFA England training. It includes advice on the recruitment, promotion and support of staff trained in Mental Health First Aid as part of a whole systems approach to workplace mental health.
Alongside this, strengthened guidance on the role of the person trained in Mental Health First Aid skills has also been published to support employees. This covers the boundaries and responsibilities of those qualified at different levels; as Mental Health First Aiders, Mental Health First Aid Champions and Mental Health Aware.
Together the new guidance documents are designed to support employers of all shapes and sizes in acting on the HSE’s recommendation. According to the regulator, 15.4 million working days are lost due to mental ill health every year, and with its updated guidance, there’s now a need for employers across all sectors to understand how Mental Health First Aid training should be implemented in the workplace.
To date over 15,000 organisations across the country have trained staff in MHFA England courses using it as a way to ensure their first aid provision protects both the mental and physical health of their employees.
Download the new guidance for employers at: mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/resources/for-workplaces/implementing-mhfa-employer-guide
The enhanced guidance for Mental Health First Aiders can be found at: mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/resources/for-workplaces/mhfa-guide-to-your-role
