Preparing what to say if they’re not OK

Committed to making sure every employee goes home safe and well at the end of each day, OneFortyOne is giving equal importance to mental health and safety as it does physical health and safety.

As part of the Home Safe and Well commitment, 39 employees have undergone Mental Health First Aid training, to learn the skills needed to identify and assist with mental health problems.

Training Manager Danny Burford, who is a qualified Mental Health First Aid Trainer, said Mental Health First Aid goes a step further than asking if someone is ok, giving people the tools and confidence to have a conversation and assist if someone isn’t ok.

“Training is based around the same premise as physical first aid,” Danny said.

“We are there to provide the immediate support and assistance, until professional help can be obtained.”

When trained, OneFortyOne MHFAiders are able to attach a MHFA identification patch to their work shirts, which assists others to identify who Mental Health First Aid Officers are and can help inspire conversation

“Most people felt significantly more confident in recognising signs and symptoms and how to respond,” Danny said.

“We have more people signing up to do the two day course, and refresher training will be done after three years.”

“It’s about assisting people to feel comfortable and not afraid of asking tough questions, and for people to feel safe enough to start a conversation or open up when they have an issue, knowing that someone is skilled and is ready to help.”