Mental Health Blog

The first ever Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards have just been published, and as an MHFA instructor I’ve read every page so you don’t have to (though I’d love you to). Training people is a brilliant start. What the standards add is a clear picture of what those trained people need around them to make a difference: time, backing, a defined role and somewhere safe to have conversations. How awesome is that? The document sets out nine standards across four phases: Foundations: leadership commitment, policy, a named MHFA lead and clear role descriptions Building your network: accredited training, protected time, confidential spaces and an escalation process Keeping it working: debriefs, wellbeing check-ins for MHFAiders and an annual review Embedding it in culture: visibility, induction, wider support and even a nod to customers and suppliers A few things I particularly like: Each standard is marked as required or recommended, so you can see where to start There are callouts for smaller organisations without a big HR team MHFAiders must be willing participants and can step back from the role at any time without penalty The phases are described as a cycle you keep moving through, with no top rung to reach and tick off The numbers give plenty to think about too. Poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion a year, and the document reports an average return of £4.70 for every £1 spent on staff wellbeing. Whether you run a team of five or five hundred, there’s something in here for you. Pop the kettle on and have a read: workplace-mental-health-first-aid-standards.pdf And don't miss the GUIDE to employers "Implementing First Aiders"

When a workplace talks about neurodiversity, the conversation often starts with what people find hard. I'd like to start somewhere else, because the business case begins with what people do well. What teams often gain Colleagues who spot patterns and details others skim past People who bring unusual angles to a stuck problem Deep focus when a task genuinely interests someone Honest, direct communication that saves everyone guessing Creative thinkers who connect ideas nobody else linked How awesome is it when the person who "thinks differently" turns out to be the one who solves it? Why it matters for your business Better use of the talent you already pay for Staff who feel understood tend to stay Fewer misunderstandings, because expectations are clearer A reputation that helps you recruit Small changes that go a long way Give instructions in writing as well as out loud Offer quieter spaces or flexible working where you can Agree how someone likes to receive feedback Ask what helps, and then listen to the answer Most adjustments cost very little, and plenty of them make life easier for everyone on the team. Where training fits Understanding comes first, and the practical ideas follow naturally. A good session gives managers and colleagues the confidence to have open conversations without worrying about saying the wrong thing.  Curious what this could look like for your team? Get in touch and we'll talk through what would suit you.

The certificate is in the drawer and the manual is on the shelf. So what happens next? This is the bit most people wonder about but rarely ask, so let's talk about it. The first week You'll probably feel a mix of confidence and "what if I get it wrong?" Both are normal. Most first aiders tell me they start noticing things they'd missed before, like a colleague who has gone quiet or someone who seems a bit flat. What you actually do Mostly, you listen. You don't diagnose, fix or have all the answers. Your job is to notice, start a conversation, listen without judgement and point someone towards the right support. That's a very doable thing on a Tuesday afternoon. Keeping it alive Check in with other first aiders in your organisation every so often See about creating a team with a team lead that can make sure the first aiding 'work' is balanced, can share ideas about promoting well-being, can share resources and non-confidential information. Dip into the MHFA England community for ideas or visit the resources page for materials to use at work. Reread your manual when something comes up, because that's what it's for Book a refresher with me after 3 years Looking after yourself Supporting others is rewarding, and it can also be tiring. Know your limits, share the load and keep up the things that recharge you. A first aider who's running on empty can't help anyone. What employers can do Give first aiders protected time to support colleagues Make sure people know who the first aiders are Mention mental health in team meetings so the role feels normal Back them up, because a first aider with no support is a very lonely role Allow them time for first aid. Workloads may need to be adjusted. The bit people forget A course is four mornings of your life; the real change happens in the weeks and months that follow. How awesome is it that a few small conversations can shift the whole feel of a workplace? Want to keep the momentum going? Get in touch and I'll talk you through refresher options and what to put in place after training.

"We'd love to, but we just can't spare the people." I hear this a lot, and it's a fair worry. So let's look at what the time actually buys, because I think the sums come out better than most people expect. What it asks of you Four-hour sessions, so nobody disappears for a whole day Fully qualified instructor to answer all the questions and support any concerns. No travel, no room hire and no lost commute Nothing to prepare beforehand What it can save Every organisation already pays for poor mental health, even when it never appears as a line on a spreadsheet. It shows up as sickness absence, as people who are at work but struggling to function, and as good staff who leave because they did not feel they would be supported. A trained first aider can spot the early signs and start a conversation before things escalate. Early conversations tend to be shorter, cheaper and kinder than the ones that happen in a crisis. The quiet returns Managers who feel more confident handling difficult chats Colleagues who know where to turn Less time lost to awkwardness and avoidance Early engagement leading to smaller adjustments at work Improved work culture and better team cohesion People who feel valued and in which the organisation is willing to invest. A reputation as an employer who actually looks after people How awesome is it that a few hours can shape the working life of an entire team? Making it easy to fit in Book sessions away from your busiest weeks Send people in small groups across different courses so no team is left short Tell colleagues in advance so cover is planned rather than scrambled Treat it as working time, because it is The honest bit Time spent on training always feels like a cost. Time lost to unaddressed mental health difficulties is much harder to see, and usually much bigger. Want to talk it through? Get in touch and I'll help you find dates that work around your team.

Choosing who goes on a mental health first aid course can feel oddly tricky. Send the wrong person and it becomes a tick-box. Send the right mix and it quietly changes how your workplace feels. Here's what I've seen work, and how awesome is it when a team gets this right? Start with volunteers People who put their hand up tend to bring curiosity, and curiosity makes for a far better first aider than obligation does. Be aware that they may already be taking a lot of the strain and also need support. If nobody volunteers, a gentle conversation about what the role involves and the benefits can help. Look for the person colleagues already talk to Every workplace has one. They're the person who gets pulled aside by the kettle or messaged after a tough meeting. Training them gives their natural instinct some structure and confidence. Aim for a mix Different teams, so support doesn't sit in one corner of the business Different levels, so people can approach someone who isn't their line manager Different working patterns, including shifts, part-timers and remote staff Different personalities, because quiet listeners are every bit as valuable as the chatty ones Different ages, backgrounds, religions etc. so there's a variety of different relatable individuals to speak to. Include neurodivergent colleagues Many bring real strengths here, such as noticing small changes in a person, listening without rushing to fill the silence, and being comfortable with honest conversation. Everyone's different, so ask rather than assume. Think about numbers One first aider on a big team can end up carrying a lot. Having several means someone is usually around, and nobody feels like the only one. MHFA England recommends 1 First Aider for every 10 employees. It means that you can build a First Aiding team that can promote ideas and events, who can support each other and share non-confidential information. What to avoid Choosing someone because they're "good with feelings" Sending only HR, who may already be seen as the formal route Picking someone who's already stretched to breaking point Choosing someone who is currently in poor mental health. Those with lived experience are valuable but this is not the right time for them to be training. Ready to choose your group? Get in touch and I'll help you work out the right mix for your team.

Booking a course for your team can feel like a leap when you can't picture the experience. So this is for you. The room (on Zoom, usually!) A group of between 8-12 so everyone gets heard Me on screen right there with you. Access to the chat which means that you can direct message me at any time if you have any concerns and no one needs to know. Your camera is important and I will ask you to keep in on so I can keep everyone safe. However due to the smaller sized groups this is not as intrusive as this sounds and we forget it's there pretty quickly. You can turn up in a suit or in relaxed clothing, I don't mind. Eat, pace, doodle. All fine by me so long as I have your attention and curiosity. The learning Over the four hour sessions: We will use short bursts of teaching, group activities and real-life examples, so nobody sits through a wall of slides You can opt out if you are uncomfortable at any time You don't need to prepare in advance. I will take you through everything and I love questions so feel free to ask away. Common worries, answered "Will I have to share my own story?" No. You share only what you choose to. "Will it be heavy?" Some moments are serious, and we balance them with plenty of laughter and breaks. "What if I'm not a 'people person'?" Quiet listeners often make brilliant first aiders and you might be the ideal support for someone who is similar. What you take away You leave with a manual, a certificate, access to the MHFA England First Aider community and the benefits that your certificate don't show, are the ones people mention most: more confidence, less stigma, and a hand in shaping the place you live and work. Most people tell me they wish they'd done it sooner. Ready to experience it for yourself? Get in touch and I'll talk you through what course is best for you.

October is ADHD Awareness Month, so it's a lovely moment to get curious. Why it matters Around 2.6 million people in the UK are thought to live with ADHD, and many are undiagnosed. That means you almost certainly work alongside someone with ADHD, or live with someone who has it. Awareness helps people feel understood sooner. Things worth knowing ADHD looks different from person to person. No two people have the same experience. It isn't only about fidgeting or being distracted. It can also mean intense focus, big ideas and a brilliant sense of fun. Many adults reach adulthood without a diagnosis, so they may have spent years wondering why things felt harder than they looked. Small adjustments often make a huge difference. Clear written instructions, flexible deadlines and a quiet place to think cost very little. Strengths deserve as much attention as struggles. Good teams find what each person does well and build around it. Ways to get involved Wear orange . Orange is the colour linked with ADHD awareness, and wearing it can start conversations. Share what you learn with #adhdawarenessmonth. Look at the ADHD Foundation's Umbrella Project , a UK campaign working to make neurodiversity mainstream. Use the free resources on the official ADHD Awareness Month website. It offers toolkits and printable materials designed for workplaces. Ask a colleague, "What helps you do your best work?" and then really listen to the answer. Book some neurodiversity training for your team, so everyone learns together. A final thought Everyone is doing the best they can with what they're carrying, and we rarely see the full picture. A bit of curiosity goes a long way. How awesome would it be if every workplace in Salisbury felt like somewhere people could be themselves? I'll be sorting out my orange top this month, will you be joining me?

If you're thinking about training for your team, you've probably noticed there are plenty of free mental health courses online. Some are perfectly decent as an introduction. So why would a local business pay for a live course, and how do you pick the right person to run it? Let's walk through it, because the choice makes a bigger difference than most people expect. What you're actually paying for A free online course gives you information. A live course with a real instructor gives you a room full of people who can ask the awkward "but what would I actually say?" questions and get an answer there and then. That matters, because mental health conversations rarely follow a script. Being able to test your worries out loud, hear how colleagues would handle something and have an experienced person guide you is where the confidence comes from. How awesome is that, compared with clicking "next" on a slide? Questions worth asking before you book Are you a certified MHFA England instructor? Ask to see it. Proper certification is the foundation. How big are your groups? Smaller rooms mean more questions, more airtime and more support. I cap mine at 12. What do your reviews say? Look for comments about how safe people felt, which tells you far more than a list of qualifications. Can people ask questions throughout? You want a course where curiosity is welcome, not squeezed in at the end. What happens if someone finds a topic difficult? A good instructor has a calm, kind plan for this and will happily tell you what it is. Do you work with businesses like mine? Experience with big corporates and with small local teams are different things. Online or in person? Both work well, and the right choice depends on your team. If you're based locally, I'm happy to visit your workplace or deliver face to face, which many teams find easier to settle into. If you'd rather keep it flexible, live online courses with a real person in the room (on screen) are every bit as interactive. The bit people forget Training is the start. Your first aiders will feel more confident if they've had the chance to practise, ask and be heard. That support is the investment, and it's the thing a free course can't give you. If you're in Salisbury or the surrounding area and want to talk it through, I'd love to hear from you. I'll even put the kettle on (and there may be cake). My husband still think I just chat to people for a living, which, to be fair, isn't far off!

A few years ago I stood at the top of a waterfall in a wetsuit. The guide told me calmly the way down was to jump. Not climb, not abseil, jump. My brain gave me every reason this was a bad idea in about four seconds. I jumped anyway. It was fine. Ninety seconds later I did it again, because it turned out to be the best part of the day. I've done a fair bit of this over the years: Parachute jumping Scuba diving Whitewater rafting Canyoning I'm not naturally fearless. I do it because I've become fairly convinced that doing things that make you uncomfortable is one of the more reliable ways to learn something true about yourself. Why this matters beyond a wetsuit The discomfort right before you jump is almost never really about the water. It's about the moment just before, where your brain tries to talk you out of something your body can actually handle. That gap, between "I can't do this" and "I just did that", is where the useful information lives. The same gap shows up at wor k Just with less water involved: The conversation you've avoided with a colleague, worried about getting it wrong The question you didn't ask, because you assumed everyone else knew the answer The moment you noticed someone wasn't themselves, and said nothing None of these feel life threatening the way a waterfall does for four seconds. But they run on the same mechanism, a brain protecting you from a risk that's usually smaller than it feels. What I try to bring into a course Permission to sit in that uncomfortable gap rather than rush past it. Practising an awkward conversation out loud, in a room of people you don't know well, is its own small canyon jump. I've watched people do it and come out the other side looking genuinely surprised at themselves.  A personal note My own kids get the same lecture fairly often, usually about something far less dramatic: trying a new food, going to a party where they don't know many people, putting their hand up in class. I'm not sure they always believe me when I say the fear is nearly always bigger than the thing itself. I'll keep saying it anyway, partly because I believe it, and partly because I need the reminder just as much as they do.