At Netitude, we’re passionate about creating a caring and nurturing work environment for our staff to thrive. To help us achieve this, we invested in a Wellbeing platform with free access to a wide range of self-help resources. More recently, we’ve introduced Mental Health First Aiders to ensure our employees feel supported and cared for while at work.
Creating a workplace where mental health is discussed openly and employees feel supported is essential. 1 in 6 individuals experience mental health issues while at work, so we need to take action to ensure our employees know they have our full support.
We’re so proud that we can join in the conversation this year by introducing our newly trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs).
Two staff members completed a 2-day course to become certified as Mental Health First Aiders by St. Johns Ambulance, one of the leading providers in mental health training.
Thank you, and well done to all our newly qualified Mental Health First Aiders, Lily Howell and Zoe Read.
The role of a Mental Health First Aider in the workplace is truly invaluable; many people at some point have asked themselves whether they would know how to help someone who was struggling with mental ill health.
We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. Mental ill health can strike at any time and affect everyone, which means it’s highly likely that you or someone you know will be affected by this at some point.
Whereas most of us will be confident that we know how to take care of our physical health and where to turn when something is not right when it comes to mental health, we often find ourselves not knowing where to go for help.
And this is where Mental Health First Aiders come in.
A lot of time is spent at work, and it can be a place where colleagues pick up on the signs that something isn’t quite right, or you might feel comfortable having a more open conversation about how you feel. Having trained Mental Health First Aiders means that Netitude can offer our employees the support they need, giving them somewhere to turn to if they feel like they need help.
The MHFAider training course
Our employees had the opportunity to train as Workplace Mental Health First Aiders with St. John Ambulance.
Assessment and certification
To be awarded the qualification, all delegates must pass two assessments, which are externally marked. After passing both examinations, delegates are awarded the FutureQuals Level 3 Award in Mental Health: Workplace First Aider qualification, valid for three years.
The course covered the skills and knowledge needed to support those at work and in their day-to-day life:
- How to listen to, reassure and respond to someone experiencing a mental health issue, even in a crisis. Equipped with the skills and knowledge to potentially stop a crisis from happening.
- How to empower someone to access the support they might need for recovery or successful management of systems, including self-help books, websites, therapy services, support groups and more.
- How to support positive wellbeing and tackle stigma.
A huge thank you to our MHFAs
We want to say a huge thank you to our Mental Health First Aiders, who will help us to create a supportive and caring environment where everyone feels able to talk openly about their mental health and wellbeing. They will provide invaluable support in our workplace.
Conversations can save lives, and we’re incredibly proud that we now have people equipped with the skills and resources to support you if you need to talk. As our company grows, we’ll expand our MHFAiders to ensure we have adequate coverage. We also plan on enrolling our department heads in St. John Ambulance's Mental Health Manager course.
