What type of mental health training will benefit your staff?

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of mental health in the workplace. Employers are realising that a mentally healthy workforce is not only vital for the wellbeing of employees, but also for the overall success of their organisation. As a result, growing numbers of companies are now investing in mental health training for staff.

2024 Health and Safety (HSE) guidance introduces the inclusion of mental health considerations within first aid needs assessments to identify additional training requirements. It's important to treat mental health in the workplace as you would with first aid requirements within your organisation, and plan the training your require accordingly.

With a wide range of courses available, it is crucial to identify the type of training that is most beneficial for your staff and your organisation. In this blog, we explore various types of mental health training and highlight the ones that can make a real difference in your workplace.

Popular mental health training

Thousands of employers invest in a wide range of mental health courses every year.

Many of these courses help raise employee awareness of mental health conditions, signs and symptoms. This is valuable for helping people who are already suffering from stress or mental ill-health, providing them with reassurance and guiding them to seek the specialist support they need.

British Red Cross Training courses promote the importance of adopting a proactive approach in putting necessary steps in place to reduce the likelihood of mental health problems from occurring, as opposed to acting reactively should the circumstance arise.

A holistic approach to mental health training for staff

At Red Cross Training, we recognise that a holistic and preventative approach to mental ill-health is key to maintaining employee wellbeing. For this reason, our Mental health at work courses equip employees and managers with the knowledge and ability to nurture their mental health, enhance resilience and cultivate healthier relationships. This leads to happier teams and a more productive organisation.

Our Mental health at work courses are built on our globally recognised CALMER framework and are designed to increase people's awareness of stress in the workplace.

Why is this type of approach important?

• It can help to minimise further distress.
• It ensures a calm and thoughtful approach when dealing with a situation.
• It encourages clear communication with an emphasis on listening to the needs of the individual.
• It helps responders increase awareness of and manage their own emotional needs, managing stress, crises and preventing burnout.

The benefits of Mental health at work training

The preventative approach of Mental health at work training has major benefits for individuals and employers because it results in:

• More engaged and motivated staff.
• Lower absence and associated costs.
• Increased productivity and staff retention.
• Improved employer reputation.

Red Cross Mental health at work training for staff directly supports Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines to protect people from stress in the workplace.

Appeal to people’s underlying motives

Choosing mental health training for staff

A preventative training approach, such as that offered by the Red Cross Training, may be your preference, however it still pays to do some research before choosing a provider.

Key things we recommend looking for in a mental health training provider include:

• Directly employed trainers. We employ trainers directly because it allows us to apply internal quality assurance standards to all our courses.
• Evidence of quality training. Look for courses that align with the HSE’s 6 core standards for managing mental health at work.
• Experience and reach. Long-established providers are more likely to have the experience to tailor courses to your needs. Those with a national reach are better able to offer consistency of training, wherever your staff are based.
• A choice of face-to-face and virtual training. This allows you to offer training to all staff, whether they work at your premises or remotely.

Types of Mental Health at Work courses

Effective mental health training for staff should always suit the needs of the organisation.

This is why the Red Cross has developed a suite of highly effective courses for different people and situations. These are:

• Wellbeing support at work: employees learn to support themselves and others during and after a difficult event.
• Stress awareness at work: to develop strategies for managing stress and building resilience.
• Building team resilience at work: for leaders who want to manage stress and build resilient teams.
• Stress management at work: helps managers to reduce the impact of stress on both individuals and teams.
• Mental health awareness for managers: to gain skills in fostering a supportive work environment, improving wellbeing and optimising team performance and productivity.
• Dealing with distressed callers: Specialist training for call handlers who regularly deal with individuals experiencing emotional distress, enabling them to provide reassurance while reducing the stress they experience at work.

The Red Cross Mental health at work courses have been designed holistically to equip your staff and managers with the skills needed to nurture wellbeing, improve resilience, and stop stress escalating into more severe mental health issues.