Good mental health at work is crucial not only for employees personal well-being but also for organisational success.
Recent studies have shown that mental health problems were the third most common cause of sick leave. Mental-health-related issues were found to lead to approximately 17.6 million days’ sick leave or 12.7% of the total days taken in the UK.
Behind these statistics are thousands of personal stories, many across the Liverpool City Region, this is why we are encouraging businesses across the region to recognise the importance of our mental health in the workplace.
Here are some of the helpful resources available:
The Zero Suicide Alliance provides free online training that can help you recognise the signs that someone might be struggling, and how to start to help. They also provide more in-depth training and bespoke courses for organisations.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training helps people recognise when a colleague might be struggling. Like conventional first aid, it isn’t about learning to treat or diagnose mental health conditions, but how to offer initial support until professional help is in place or the problem is resolved.
Mental Health First Aid England is a social enterprise and the largest provider of MHFA training in the UK and Europe. It provides a range of paid-for courses, from basic mental health awareness to a First Aider qualification, in person and online.
Discounted MHFA and related courses are available through the Be More’s Skills Brokerage Service. Liverpool City Region residents aged 19 or over can find current available MHFA course at the National Careers Service website. Courses may be free at the point of delivery or subsidised, depending on individual eligibility.
The Hub of Hope is the UK’s leading mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place for the first time.
Mind, the leading mental health charity, provides lots of helpful guidance for the workplace, including on how to take care of yourself and how to take care of your staff. It also provides a range of training courses.
Mind also curates the Mental Health at Work site, with lots more helpful guidance and toolkits. These include the Mental Health at Work Commitment – a simple framework with six good practice standards for how organisations can better support employees’ mental health.
The Life Rooms are a free NHS service that provides a safe a welcoming space in which to find support with a range of issues, including mental health. There are five sites across Liverpool and Sefton.
St. John Ambulance has developed a checklist to help employers track the progress they have made in meeting their duty of care to their employees, focused on mental wellbeing. It also provides Mental Health First Aid training and other courses.
If you feel unable to cope or no longer in control, you can contact Mersey Care for urgent help, including through 24/7 freephone lines.