Mental Health Skills for Managers

In-person · Online · Half-day · Up to 16 people

Mental Health First Aid England created this half-day course for busy managers who need practical skills and confidence to have conversations about mental health. It equips them to recognise the signs of poor mental health within their team, respond effectively and signpost people to the right support.

The relationship between managers and their team members is key for the health and wellbeing of the whole organisation. Yet research reveals that only 45% of managers have received training on how to have mental health conversations.  Many worry about saying or doing the wrong thing, especially on top of an already demanding workload with no training to fall back on.

Managers aren’t expected to be mental health experts or untrained therapists. However, they are expected to notice when a team member may be experiencing poor mental health.

Stress, depression and anxiety account for 62% of working days lost to work-related ill health (Health and Safety Executive). Giving managers the skills to notice and respond early can help protect team performance and reduce the risk of prolonged staff absence.

For managers who:

  • are new or experienced managers who haven’t had practical training in workplace mental health
  • encounter stress or mental health concerns within their team and want to feel better equipped to respond
  • want to have more effective conversations about mental health
  • want greater clarity around their role, responsibilities and boundaries

The benefits

  • increases managers’ knowledge and confidence around mental health
  • gives managers the confidence to act early, rather than avoid the conversation
  • increases mental health awareness and literacy across the organisation
  • helps managers know when and where to signpost for further support

What’s covered

  • Stress and mental health: mental health and the impact of stress on employees in the workplace
  • Recognising poor mental health: identifying when a team member may be experiencing poor mental health
  • Confident conversations: having confident conversations about mental health at work
  • Responding empathetically: responding empathetically to mental health situations in the workplace
  • Signposting to support: signposting your team members to appropriate professional support and other resources

Beyond training

After training, we offer additional mentoring and upskilling to support managers and other mental health trained staff in their role.

  • Skills practice and upskilling: for your managers, Mental Health First Aiders or wellbeing networks

  • best practice surgeries: skills and best practice surgeries

Duration

4 hrs
maximum

Cost

£160 p/p or £2600 in-house

A safe environment

“The trainer created a really safe environment to discuss a difficult subject. Esther is very knowledgeable and reassuring. It’s a great course and inspires empathy and confidence…”​

Our Sessions