Training options
Mental Health First Aid and bespoke training include the following:
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Get 15% off Open and In-house 2 Day Adult MHFA courses booked & paid for in March (course can run later). Conditions applyGet 15% off Adult MHFA Training
Get 15% of in-house 2 Day Adult Mental Health First Aid England training courses booked and paid for during March 2022 – courses can take place later (conditions apply).
Ask about our special offer.
conditions apply.
The challenge facing employers
A record number of employees are experiencing stress and poor mental health. Depression has more than doubled and anxiety has increased significantly as has loneliness among younger people. It’s estimated that the yearly cost of poor mental health is equivalent to £1300 per employee in the UK.
Many businesses are now concerned about how best to support their managers and staff but aren’t sure how to have conversations about mental health. Some are worried about getting it wrong, the legal implications and the impact on their reputation and bottom line.
Wellbeing trends
1 in 6 people experiencing poor mental health
3.7 million adults (16+) in GB felt lonely ‘often’ or ‘always’ (ONS, 2021)
19 million adults in GB reported high levels of anxiety (ONS, 2020)
1 in 5 adults experienced depressive symptoms, more than double the level seen before the pandemic (ONS, 2021)
13% of UK adults had had thoughts and feelings about suicide in the previous two weeks (Mental Health Foundation, Feb 21)
during the pandemic, 45% of people had supported a colleague, relative or friend with mental health difficulties; and
35% would like more support from their employer to help them do this (Deloitte’s UK Mental Health Report 2022)
The cost of poor mental health
Poor mental health cost employers an estimated total of £53-56 billion annually, an increase of 25% since 2019. Poor mental health at work is categorised as:
- absenteeism
- presenteeism (attending work while ill resulting in reduced productivity) and
- labour turnover.
Presenteeism continues to be the greatest of these costs. However, the overall increase in the cost of poor mental health is attributed to higher turnover.
Benefits of workplace mental health initiatives
For every £1 spent on mental health employers can expect a return of £5. Initiatives help to:
reduce sickness absence
improve retention of staff and skills
improve performance
build an inclusive culture
- create higher staff satisfaction
- create healthier and more equitable workplaces
Improving workplace wellbeing starts with confident conversations about mental health
The first step to improving workplace mental health is getting comfortable talking about it. It’s time to normalise workplace conversations about the mental health of employees.
Increasingly, employers are empowering their teams and people managers with the knowledge and skills to support themselves and each other.
That’s where I come in…
As a workplace mental health and wellbeing trainer, I help businesses to talk about mental health and turn employee wellbeing into a strategic advantage. My expertise includes mental health first aid, suicide prevention, clinical nutritional therapy, yoga and mindfulness.
In the past 3 years, I’ve trained more than 500 managers and staff from well established organisations such as:
Deloitte, Mind, Allianz, IPSOS MORI, We Transfer, Vonage, BDO UK, McKinsey, ACAS, the NHS and We Transfer.
For an informal chat about how your business can benefit from training, contact me via esther@thriveandwell.co.uk or book a discovery call.
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What others have said…
- “Esther was a supportive, understanding and encouraging coach. The experiences and the guidance she shared made all the difference – it was a pleasure to spend my two training days with her! 10/10 recommend.”
- “I think this is the most important training I’ll ever do! I think the approach is very clear and it will definitely help me and the company I work for to understand how we can most appropriately support people. The skills I’ve learned, particularly around listening and communicating non-judgementally, will be incredibly useful in all spheres of life. I’d recommend this course to anyone – thank you.”
- “I felt the course was well structured and the right length (2 days). The instructor was fantastic, patient and unassuming. The amount of engagement/break-out groups was spot on. Thank you.”
- “The instructor’s timekeeping was impeccable. Her whole demeanor was so claim. Delivery was very precise. All attendees were given the opportunity to interact and contribute. I was so impressed with the manual I received, I could not put it down. Thank you.”
- “This was an intense course that reflected on one of the most important subject areas of our time. I have left this course feeling more confident in using models to support colleagues, students and wider communities in feeling more open to discuss issues. It has also helped me to recognise and understand behaviours to increase my awareness and response to MH.”
- “Esther was brilliant, well informed and set the absolute right tone for the subject matter. Feel really well equipped now!”
- “Just wanted to say thank you for the last few weeks of MHFA training. It has been incredibly useful – feel much more equipped practically, and have more confidence in holding conversations and offering first aid and support. You delivered it all with clarity and at a nice pace!”
- “I really enjoyed the course and learned so much from it. It has confirmed my wanting to train to be an instructor. Thanks Esther for facilitating our group so well – you were so calm and so knowledgeable.”
- “Brilliant instructor, made the course interesting and engaging.”
- “Thoroughly engaging delivery of the course. Knowledgeable and passionate about subject material. Very enjoyable two day course.”
- “I really enjoyed these days. They were informative and gave me good strategies to take away.”
- “Excellent course, very well delivered. Felt like a very safe space to ask questions and Esther has a wealth of knowledge.”
- “I really enjoyed the course. It is one of those practical and applicable life skill that will be of benefit in all facets of life. For the workplace; it’s a great addendum to my mentoring role as a senior staff member. This course will go a long way in helping me to promote a caring culture in my NHS organisation. I work in the field of oncology which can be quite draining for practitioners. MHFA will strengthen and help me to lend a hand to colleagues in those upsetting times.”
- “I really enjoyed the training delivered by Esther at Thrive and Well. Esther is an amazing trainer and facilitator. Her sessions are really interactive and hands-on. She has a talent to get participants to talk about topics that are tough and challenging and often avoided in our daily lives – however Esther manages to bring the best insight out of every participant and facilitate sincere and open discussions. Esther’s sessions helped me to learn and really enhance my active listening skills, understand how to help prevent a suicide, as well as gain the skills of mental health first aider. I highly recommend Esther’s training to any individual or organisation that is thinking of developing these skills for themselves and/or their staff.”