Our staff are now trained in mental health first aid

25th July 2017
Our staff are now trained in mental health first aid

Nicola Rich, Stride Treglown’s HR Manager, is now a qualified Mental Health First Aid Trainer and has rolled out training to 14 members of staff.

The course teaches people how to help a person who may be developing, or have, a mental health issue. In the same way people learn physical first aid, Mental Health First Aid teaches people how to recognise the crucial early warning signs and signpost them to appropriate help.

Why is Mental Health First Aid so important?

We asked Nicola why she feels it is so important to be open about Mental Health at work:

“Over the years we have become confused about what mental health is and why it is important. Our society’s portrayal of mental health often leaves people with a warped sense of what it is to have a mental health issue.

To a large extent, people in the UK have felt unable to talk about their mental health for fear of stigma and discrimination. The difficulty is that we know stigma can lead to delays in people seeking the help they need.

According to MentalHealth.gov, Mental Health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, both at home and in work.

Pressure of the construction industry

Anyone working in the construction industry knows only too well the pressures of the work. For example, heavy workloads, long hours, travel, project uncertainty, conflicting deadlines, difficult meetings, budget constraints. Any combination of these factors can lead to mental ill health. It is a fallacy to think successful people do not suffer with mental health issues. We all do from time to time, it’s just few of us speak up about it.

Only last year the Health in Construction Leadership Group, supported by the British Safety Council, announced the launch of Mates in Mind – a sector-wide programme intended to help improve and promote positive mental health across the UK construction industry.

I am often asked by others ‘how did you get Board level buy in?’. I feel inclined to say it was a real struggle, but it wasn’t. The Directors don’t just feel as though they have a legal duty of care to our workforce, but they they have a moral one too, and at the end of the day it just makes good business sense to promote better wellbeing at work.

Help staff engagement

Our staff engagement levels in 2016 were in excess of 80%. Staff felt the company cared about them, not just inside of work, but outside too. This reputation makes a real difference when recruiting and retaining talented staff.

Our clients and suppliers like it too. Over the last month a number have called me to discuss how we might help them adopt a similar approach. I think it is important HR can add this kind of value and feel it’s reassuring for people to know that the next time they see one of our talented staff on a construction-site, or in one of our buildings, it is possible that may be a Mental Health First Aider too!”

Congratulations to our new Mental Health First Aiders:

  • Thomas Sheehan – Associate Architect
  • Richard Jessup – Building Surveyor
  • Charlotte Harries – Office Manager
  • Katherine Hatch – Senior Interior Designer
  • Jennie Butler – Part 2 Architectural Assistant
  • Gareth Brown – Senior Architect
  • Sam Murray – Office Manager
  • Nick Vanier – Technologist
  • Amy Tunney – Office Manager
  • Sarah Lee – Associate Architect
  • Alison Knight – Office Manager
  • Pete Badger – Associate Lead Sustainability Consultant
  • Georgina Sinclair – Office Manager
  • Marie Kille – Office Manager

If you or someone you know would like to become a Mental Health First Aider, or are interested in understanding more about Stride Treglown’s approach to wellbeing, please contact Nicola Rich. She would love to hear from you.

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