What exactly is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)?

Mental Health First Aid is an internationally-recognised training course that equips people to recognise the early signs of mental ill health and provide first-line support, just as physical first aiders do in the event of an accident.

The two-day MHFA course trains delegates to:

• Offer non-judgmental support
• Identify warning signs
• Signpost colleagues towards professional or internal help
• Promote a mentally healthy culture and break down stigma within the workplace

Why is it important for my workplace?

Mental ill health affects 1 in 4 people in the UK every year. According to Mind, that adds up to 72 million lost working days and costs employers £34.9 billion annually.

Having trained MHFAs in your organisation helps you:

• Meet your legal duty of care to staff
• Reduce stigma and encourage open conversations
• Spot issues early, preventing escalation
• Minimise absenteeism, presenteeism, conflict, and errors
• Improve employee engagement and retention

What does a Mental Health First Aider do?

MHFAs act as a primary point of contact for anyone struggling. They aren’t therapists, but they are trained to:

• Listen non-judgmentally
• Maintain confidentiality
• Spot signs of mental ill health
• Start supportive conversations
• Assess risks of self-harm or suicide
• Encourage professional or internal support
• Respond to crisis situations
• Protect themselves while supporting others

What skills will delegates gain?

By the end of the course, delegates will have:

• Knowledge of how to be an active listener and show empathy towards others
• A deeper understanding of mental health and influencing factors
• Tools to create a positive mental health culture
• The ability to recognise triggers and warning signs
• Confidence to step in, reassure, and support colleagues
• Knowledge of reasonable workplace adjustments for return-to-work scenarios

What are the course details?

• Length: Two full days
• Assessment: Continual throughout the course
• Validity: 3 years (full retraining required afterwards)
• Entry requirements: No prior experience, but delegates must be 18+
• Certification of attendance
• All delegates receive a workbook to support ongoing learning.

Please note this course covers some sensitive topics that some delegates may find distressing.

Topics include stress, crisis management, self-harm, eating disorders, PTSD, OCD, psychosis, bipolar disorder, and relevant mental health legislation.

How can my team access this training?

We offer flexible delivery options:

• Open courses (ideal for individuals or small teams)
  • UK-wide partner venues
• Closed, in-house courses (cost-effective for larger teams)
  • On-site training at your premises or hired venues
  • Virtual delivery via Zoom
  • Our dedicated Gainsborough Training Room

How should we support MHFAs after training?

Embedding the role is key. Best practices include:

• Setting up peer networks and policies around MHFA
• Offering refresher training every 3 years
• Promoting who your MHFAs are (intranet, lanyards, posters)
• Creating clear referral pathways
• Promoting overall mental health literacy

How do we measure the impact?

Track a mix of data and feedback, such as:

• Absence and return-to-work rates
• Uptake of EAP or support services
• Post-training survey results
• Manager confidence levels
• Employee willingness to talk about mental health

At Stallard Kane, we’re committed to helping organisations build healthier, happier, and more resilient teams. Talk to us today about how we can help support your business and team.

Call 01427 420 405

Email training@skaltd.co.uk