When someone has a cardiac arrest at work, your first aider knows exactly what to do. But what happens when a colleague breaks down in tears, mentions they've been struggling to get out of bed, or discloses that they've had thoughts of harming themselves? For most workplaces in Yorkshire, the honest answer is: nobody really knows.
That's starting to change — and not a moment too soon.
The Scale of the Problem
Mental health is now the leading cause of long-term sickness absence in UK workplaces. Stress, anxiety and depression account for more lost working days than any physical condition. The Health and Safety Executive's latest statistics show that 17.1 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in a single year.
The cost to employers — in sickness absence, reduced productivity, staff turnover and recruitment — is enormous. But beyond the business case, there's a human one: people are struggling, and workplaces have a role to play in supporting them.
What Is Mental Health First Aid?
A Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) is someone trained to recognise the early signs of mental health conditions, have supportive conversations, and connect colleagues with appropriate help — whether that's an Employee Assistance Programme, their GP, or a specialist service.
Crucially, an MHFA is not a therapist. They're not there to diagnose or treat. They're there to be a first point of contact — in the same way that a physical first aider stabilises someone and calls an ambulance, an MHFA provides immediate support and helps the person access the right care.
Is It a Legal Requirement?
Not yet — but the direction of travel is clear. The HSE has been consulting on whether to include mental health explicitly in the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, and several large employers have already adopted MHFAs as a standard part of their health and safety provision. Many experts expect formal requirements to follow.
More importantly, the existing legal duty to protect employee health includes mental health. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess and mitigate all significant workplace risks — and if your risk assessment doesn't include psychosocial risks, it's arguably incomplete.
What Does MHFA Training Involve?
Our Mental Health First Aid course is a two-day accredited programme that covers:
- Understanding mental health and the factors that affect it
- How to spot the early warning signs of common conditions — depression, anxiety, psychosis, eating disorders
- How to approach and have a supportive conversation
- Crisis situations — including suicidal thoughts, self-harm and panic attacks
- Reducing stigma and creating mentally healthy workplace cultures
- Signposting to professional support
The course is delivered over two days and qualifies delegates as a certified Mental Health First Aider — a qualification that's valid for three years.
Who Should Take It?
The honest answer is: anyone. But particularly managers, team leaders, HR professionals and anyone in a supervisory role. These are the people most likely to be the first point of contact when a colleague is struggling — and the people who can have the most positive impact if they know what they're doing.
Many of our clients are now training one MHFA for every 50 employees — mirroring the recommended ratio of physical first aiders. Others are training entire management teams. There's no single right answer, but having nobody trained is increasingly hard to justify.
Book a Course in Yorkshire
We deliver Mental Health First Aid training at our centre in Boroughbridge and onsite at workplaces across North Yorkshire, Leeds, Harrogate, Bradford, Wakefield and beyond. We can also arrange bespoke delivery for larger teams.
If you'd like to talk through what would work best for your organisation — with no obligation — give us a call. We're always happy to help.
📞 Contact Livius Training today to book your Mental Health First Aid course.
