Centre for Mental Health

Mental health information for employers:
helping you get it right

The work of the Shift Resources Review Panel

Just about every business in England will have staff who experience mental health problems.

Funded by Shift, the Review Panel assessed the quality and impact of materials designed to help employers promote mental wellbeing and manage mental ill health in the workplace. The panel operated independently, but ceased in March 2011, when Shift also came to an end.

If you're an employer, you can use this site to find the best mental health promotion resources for your organisation. Look through the reviews below to find resources that are suitable for your business.

The Resources

BHF's Think Fit, Think Well pack

Download the review of Think Fit, Think Well (40 KB)

The British Heart Foundation produced these resources - an A5 booklet for employees and an A4 spiral bound document for employers - to raise awareness amongst employees about looking after their own mental health and offering practical tips on how to do this; and to provide employers with clear processes that can facilitate the development of a workplace mental wellbeing policy. Details at www.bhf.org.uk/thinkfit

Durham's Mental Health at Work

Download the review of Durham's Mental Health at Work (58 KB)

Durham Dales PCT published this interactive online resource in 2008. It aims to improve awareness of mental heath in the workplace and inform line managers about their obligations and best practice. It is available at: www.mentalhealthatwork.cdd.nhs.uk

Routes to Employment:
Forward Healthy Work/Study Plan

Download the review of Routes to Employment (45 KB)

This is East London Foundation NHS Trust's tool for people with mental illness and their employer or education provider. It aims to help manage and maintain people in employment or education.

Hull's Employer Support Pack

Download the review of Hull's Employer Support Pack (55 KB)

Hull PCT's booklet with accompanying CD-Rom was produced to raise the profile of mental health in the workplace with local employers and support employers in addressing mental health issues in their workplace. For more information or to request copies, please contact: evelyn.krasner@hullpct.nhs.uk.

What Works For You - Mental Health Foundation

Download the review of What Works For You (60 KB)

The Mental Health Foundation produced this pack to provide people at work with the appropriate skills and advice on how to identify and support colleagues experiencing a mental health problem and to signpost where to go for further help and guidance.

Managing for Mental Health:
The Mind employer's resource pack

Download the review of The Mind employer's resource pack (60 KB)

Mind produced this A4 folder with 10 loose leaf inserts on different themes in 2006. It aims to help employers help their business by tackling the issue of mental health.

Staying in employment - Mind

Download the review of Staying in Employment (57 KB)

Mind produced this booklet on staying in employment or returning to work for people with mental health needs.

Mental Health Guidance for Employers -
Northumberland NHS Care Trust

Download the review of Mental Health Guidance (71 KB)

Northumberland NHS Care Trust produced this leaflet and notes for employers to help them manage mental ill health in the workplace.

Stress Management at Work: e-learning for everyone

Download the review of e-learning for everyone (60 KB)

Northumberland Tyne & Wear NHS Trust produced this animated online training resource for all their 10,000 employees to help them manage mental ill health in the workplace and promote workplace mental health.

Stress Management at Work: e-learning for managers

Download the review of e-learning for managers (66 KB)

Northumberland Tyne & Wear NHS Trust produced this animated online training resource for their managers to help them understand why and how to promote a mentally healthy workplace that minimises stress for employees.

The 5 Minute Stress Check for small organisations

Download the review of The 5 Minute Stress Check (54 KB)

Open Mind Consultancy / Business Mentality produced this tool to provide a starting point for identifying and managing workplace stress, aimed at small organisations who currently do not have access to HR resources.

Depression in the Workplace -
Royal College of Psychiatrists

Download the review of Depression in the Workplace (57 KB)

The College produced this online leaflet as part of their 'Defeat Depression' campaign, aimed at health professionals, especially General Practitioners, and the general public.

Shaw Trust's Tackle Mental Health website

Download the review of Tackle Mental Health website (57 KB)

This website - www.tacklementalhealth.org.uk - from the Shaw Trust was developed to help raise awareness of mental health issues in the workplace, deal with the stigma of mental health and help managers to support staff who are dealing with mental health issues.

Shift Line Managers' Resource

Download the review of Shift Line Managers' Resource (51 KB)

Shift, in partnership with the DH, DWP, HSE and Health Work Wellbeing, published this handbook and online resource in 2007. It aimed to support managers to promote good mental health and reduce stigma and discrimination in the workplace and to provide practical guidance on managing staff who have mental health problems.

How's your business feeling?
Positive mental health at work: a practical guide

Download the review of How's your business feeling? (52 KB)

Aimed at employers in Staffordshire, this website and interactive CD-Rom were produced to enable appropriate support to be given to Staffordshire employers in recruiting and retaining staff with mental health needs and to create more mentally healthy workplaces.

Representing & Supporting Members with
Mental Health Problems at Work:
Guidance for trade union representatives

Download the review of Guidance for trade union representatives (48 KB)

This guidance document covered information on how to tackle some workplace problems such as recruitment, disclosure of a mental health problem, reasonable adjustments, sickness absence management, return to work management; and covering the Disability Discrimination Act and employment of people with mental health problems.