Centre for Mental Health

Testimonials

Delivered by accredited mental health professionals, the Centre's Workplace Training quickly raises awareness of the issues and helps leaders identify, speak with and encourage access to treatment for staff with potential mental health problems. Feedback from organisations that have received the training has been very positive.

Rolls-Royce

"Of all the things we have done at Rolls-Royce to improve employee health this is one of the best initiatives in this area"

“Unlike a first aid course, where new skills might never be used, the training gave managers skills that they could use immediately. Previous training in the company has been aimed at recognising mental health problems early. However skills are also required in how a manager reacts to an employee who is presenting with mental health issues in the workplace, e.g. how do you have that first conversation? That’s the benefit of the training: it gives managers the skills to start those conversations.”

“After the initial sessions the managers said the training was so valuable that we decided to extend it throughout the trial business and trained a further 50 managers. If a business is asking for more training then its value is self evident. Of course it’s difficult to quantify the cost saving from reduced sickness absence. The business group that took part in the training has a much higher utilisation rate of the employee assistance programme than businesses who had not received the training. This suggests that employees are coming forward with problems before they get out of hand and lead to sickness absence.”

“The concept of occupational health has changed dramatically over the years. We don’t treat and manage ill health at work, now we try and prevent ill health. You don’t wait until people fall off the precipice and actually become ill- you prevent it.”

“One of the benefits of the training is the knock on effect it has had in reducing stigma around mental health issues. Employees see that mental ill health is taken seriously in the workplace and it’s not taboo - you can talk about it just like any other illness.”

Ian Lawson, Rolls-Royce

Triangulate

"Gives managers confidence to open conversations with staff about mental health"

“Whilst companies may have very good wellbeing policies in place, and may be very supportive on a corporate basis, it’s often the individual line manager who doesn’t feel confident approaching someone in their team who is showing signs of distress which may be as a result of depression or anxiety.”

“My perception is that there are now an increasing number of employers who do understand that mental health problems exist in the workplace and more employers are taking steps to address this. Not only is this vital for individuals but there is also an important business case to be made; the figures show clearly that the impact of mental health problems in the workplaces do cost individual businesses thousands of pounds every year. The training gives managers confidence to open conversations with staff about mental health and to understand that this is an illness like any other physical illness. Everyone came together to share their experiences and concerns and left with the knowledge that they could start to effectively manage the impact of depression on the individual and on their team.”

Bridget Brook, Triangulate

Dr Su Wang, former Group Head of Health, Royal Mail

"If people feel good then they will perform better at work"

“Between 2004 and 2007 Royal Mail reduced absence rates for its 167,000 employees by 25 per cent by improving its policies on employee health well being and absence monitoring. In total, this saved the group £227m. Mental health should not be viewed in isolation but as part of general employee wellbeing. Looking after employee’s mental health is, at its simplest, part of good people management. If people feel good then they will perform better at work.”

“Common mental health problems are evident everywhere but we thought a most effective approach would be to target line managers. In collaboration with the Centre for Mental Health, line managers were given awareness training, and shown how to engage staff with common mental health problems, and how to engage with occupational health services. Evaluation six months after the training from the Centre for Mental Health showed the confidence that managers had to approach staff remained.”

Dr Su Wang, former Group Head of Health, Royal Mail

The Centre for Mental Health Workplace Training programme is based on the beyondblue National Workplace Programme (Australia) and Beyond Blue Limited retains copyright in all materials.