How Many Mental Health First Aiders Should a Business Have?

In recent years, mental health has gained significant attention in the workplace. Employers are now recognising the critical role that mental wellbeing plays in productivity, employee engagement, and overall business success. One way businesses are addressing this is by training employees in first aid for mental health courses. But how many mental health first aiders should a business have? We aim to answer this question and provide some guidance on implementing a successful mental health first aid program.

Understanding Mental Health First Aid

Before we delve into the numbers, it’s essential to understand what mental health first aid entails. Similar to physical first aid, mental health first aid is the help provided to someone experiencing a mental health crisis until appropriate professional help is received or until the crisis resolves.

A first aid for mental health course equips individuals with the skills and knowledge to identify signs of mental distress and provide initial support. These trained individuals can offer comfort, prevent the situation from worsening, and guide their colleagues towards professional help when necessary.

The Importance of Mental Health First Aiders in a Business

Mental illness is not uncommon in today’s fast-paced work environments. Stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout are just some of the issues employees may face. Having trained mental health first aiders can make a significant difference in how these challenges are managed within an organisation.

Firstly, they create an environment where employees feel supported and understood. Secondly, they can identify potential problems early on before they escalate into more serious conditions. Lastly, they can direct affected individuals to appropriate resources for further help.

Determining The Number of Mental Health First Aiders Your Business Needs

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question as it depends on several factors such as company size, industry type, and existing support structures within your organisation.

However, as a general guideline:

1. Small Businesses: For smaller businesses with less than 50 employees, having at least two to three trained mental health first aiders would be beneficial or one per department/team.
2. Medium-sized Businesses: For medium-sized businesses with 50-250 employees, consider having at least five trained individuals or at least one per department/team.
3. Large Businesses: For larger organizations with over 250 employees, aim for at least one trained individual per department/team.

Remember that these are just guidelines! You may need more or fewer depending on your specific circumstances.

Implementing A Successful Mental Health First Aid Program

Once you’ve determined how many mental health first aiders your business needs, it’s time to implement your program effectively:

1. Training: Enroll your chosen staff members in a recognized first aid for mental health course. Ensure that this training is refreshed regularly so that their skills remain up-to-date. There are refresher courses once a year or every three years at a minimum.
2. Awareness: Promote awareness about your program within your organisation so that all staff members know who their designated first aider for mental health is and what they do.
3. Support: Provide ongoing support for your trained staff members – being a point of contact for others’ emotional distress can be challenging.
4. Confidentiality: Ensure all conversations between staff members and their designated first aider remain confidential unless there’s immediate risk involved.

Investing in a robust mental health first aid program demonstrates an organisation’s commitment towards its employees’ wellbeing. While there isn’t an exact number of how many trained individuals you should have within your business; ensuring adequate coverage based on company size is crucial. Remember – promoting awareness about the program and providing ongoing support for those involved will ensure its success!

Our First Aid for Mental Health Courses are Ofqual regonised and can be delivered online or in-person at your workplace.