Become a workplace hero with a mental health first aid course

Now more than ever, mental health has become a cultural priority. Whether it be at home, school, or in the workplace, awareness and compassion have come to the fore as true priorities, and rightly so. Today we’ll be focusing on mental health in the workplace.

The pressures of meeting deadlines, juggling commitments, and adapting to an increasingly complex work environment contribute to a rising tide of stress, anxiety, and burnout. In fact, recent reports show that a huge proportion of UK workers report serious symptoms of work-related stress.

And while awareness is certainly growing, too many people still feel isolated when mental health issues do arise, not knowing where to turn or worrying that they’ll be judged. That’s where mental health first aiders come in.

A Mental Health First Aider is not a therapist or clinician – instead, they are a trained, compassionate first responder. They recognise warning signs, offer initial support, and help guide someone in distress toward the help they need.

With that in mind, we offer a Level 2 Award in Introduction to First Aid for Mental Health, equipping people at any level of an organisation with the tools to make a significant, positive difference. By training mental-health-aware first responders across your workplace, you’re actively building a culture of care, trust, and resilience.

The business case for a mental health first aid course

You might be wondering: is this course really necessary? The answer is a resounding yes, and here’s why.

Wellbeing and productivity

Mental health deeply affects how people feel, think, and perform. When colleagues feel supported and understood, they’re more engaged and motivated.

Training mental health first aiders helps normalise conversations about mental illness, reduces stigma, and encourages early intervention. That, in turn, can improve morale and foster a more compassionate, supportive environment.

Reducing absences

Poor mental health is a major cause of workplace absence and turnover. According to industry insights, investing in mental health training can lead to a strong return on investment, with some estimating around £5 back for every £1 spent.

By helping staff feel heard and supported, organisations can reduce the risk of long-term absence or resignations due to burnout or stress.

But the benefits stretch far beyond simply reducing sick days. When absences drop, productivity naturally rises. Teams spend less time covering for missing colleagues, workflows become more consistent, and projects stay on track. This stability helps protect service levels, customer satisfaction, and overall team morale.

A workplace that proactively addresses mental wellbeing ultimately becomes a more efficient one. It’s one where members of staff are healthier and more present which, in turn, allows them to perform at their absolute best.

Resilience and culture building

A mental health first aid course supports proactive, preventative care in addition to crisis response. First aiders act as early-warning systems, as they can spot signs of distress in colleagues before issues escalate. With a network of trained individuals, businesses can embed wellbeing into their everyday culture.

This investment also builds long-term organisational resilience. When staff members feel supported, they are better equipped to handle pressure and maintain steadily strong performance, even during the challenging periods that every workplace occasionally endures.

Over time, this creates a culture in which wellbeing is not treated as a tick-box exercise to make the business look good. Rather, it’s seen as a shared responsibility and a core value that sits at the core of the business.

A strong wellbeing culture also improves collaboration and trust. Teams feel safer and more confident raising concerns, and communication becomes more open and honest. These sturdy cultural foundations strengthen a business from the inside out, as they result in a workplace where people thrive rather than cope.

The economic factor

From a national perspective, the cost of poor mental health is enormous. Reports suggest that the UK could lose hundreds of thousands of workers if better health support isn’t embedded in workplaces.

Thus, it transcends being a social issue and becomes an economic one, too. Investing in a mental health first aid course is an investment in both your people and your bottom line.

For individual businesses, the economic implications are even more immediate. High turnover, repeated absences, low morale, and lacking performance all come with real financial consequences.

In the current economic climate, where many businesses are operating within the tightest of margins and certainty is scarce, poor mental health can directly affect a company’s ability to remain stable and competitive. By prioritising mental health support now, businesses can reduce preventable costs, protect their staff, and weather such challenges.

What does our mental health first aid course offer?

Our Level 2 Award in Introduction to First Aid for Mental Health course is carefully designed to give participants practical, actionable skills to support mental wellbeing at work. Here’s what you can expect to learn during the two-day course:

• Principles of mental health first aid: You will learn the foundational knowledge of what first aid for mental health really means. As with physical first aid, this qualification is about being the first responder – not a clinician.
• Recognising signs of mental distress: The course teaches you how to identify mental ill-health in yourself and others, whether that’s anxiety, depression, stress, or other issues.
• Supporting wellbeing in the workplace: You’ll gain a practical understanding of how to support colleagues in a non-judgmental, empathetic way. That includes using listening skills and first-response techniques.
• Promoting a culture of wellness: Beyond individual interventions, the course helps you play a role in fostering a positive mental health environment in your organisation. That means helping shape policies, culture, and conversations around wellbeing.
• Resilience and self-care for first aiders: Importantly, first aiders themselves need support. The course dedicates time to building resilience, understanding boundaries, and maintaining self-care.

What does a mental health first aid course mean for you and your team?

Empowering individuals

Becoming a mental health first aider is a deeply rewarding experience that goes far beyond simply gaining a qualification. After completing the course, individuals often feel significantly more confident in recognising when someone may be struggling, even if the signs are subtle or easily overlooked.

This confidence extends to starting sensitive and sometimes difficult conversations, approaching them with empathy, understanding, and without judgement.

The course also equips participants with the ability to guide colleagues toward appropriate sources of help, whether that involves speaking to HR, accessing counselling services, or directing them toward NHS support.

Importantly, it also helps first aiders understand how to maintain their own wellbeing, ensuring they can support others without risking burnout themselves. Throughout the training, there is a strong emphasis on behaving in a way that protects a person’s dignity and autonomy, reinforcing the importance of compassion and respect.

Many people who undertake the training find that the impact stretches well beyond the workplace. The skills they develop often improve the way they relate to colleagues, friends, and even family members. These aren’t just workplace tools; they are life skills that build confidence, communication, and emotional intelligence.

Strengthening businesses

From a business perspective, investing in a mental health first aid course sends a powerful and positive message: it shows that your business genuinely cares about its people.

Over time, having trained first aiders across the workplace helps to build trust, as employees know there is someone, they can talk to who is equipped to listen, understand, and offer initial support during difficult moments.

This level of openness helps to reduce stigma, gradually making conversations about mental health more normalised and integrated into everyday culture. As mental health becomes something that can be discussed without fear or embarrassment, engagement naturally rises.

Employees who feel seen and understood tend to be more motivated, more satisfied, and ultimately more loyal to the organisation.

In turn, this contributes to better staff retention. When people feel psychologically safe at work, they are far more likely to stay, reducing the cost and disruption associated with frequent turnover. Trained mental health first aiders also encourage greater proactivity within teams.

They can help identify early signs of distress, allowing issues to be addressed before they escalate into more serious problems that affect performance, health, or absence rates.

Why this matters now more than ever

As the workplace continues to evolve, so too do the pressures placed on staff. Increased workloads, hybrid working, and economic turmoil have all contributed to rising levels of stress and mental fatigue.

Against this backdrop, the need for accessible, effective mental health support within businesses has never been clearer. Mental health first aid has changed from something that’s nice to have, to an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to maintaining a healthy, sustainable workforce.

Rising mental health challenges

Burnout and other mental health conditions among working populations are widespread and persistent, affecting employees across all manner of sectors.

As we mentioned earlier, a 2025 study by Reed indicated that an overwhelming 85% of workers report symptoms of burnout or exhaustion, with nearly half of all respondents taking time away from work due to mental health struggles. These aren’t isolated cases; they paint a picture of a workforce that is stretched too thin and struggling to cope.

Long-term cultural shift

Introducing mental health first aiders into the workplace does far more than address immediate concerns – it lays the foundation for lasting cultural change. When organisations openly prioritise mental wellbeing, staff begin to feel more comfortable discussing challenges that would once have been kept hidden.

This shift moves mental health conversations from whispered concerns behind closed doors to open, constructive dialogue embedded in everyday working life.

Over time, this helps cultivate a more empathetic, supportive, and human-centred work environment. Employees feel empowered to speak up early, seek help when they need it, and support one another without fear of judgement or stigma.

This cultural transformation can improve morale, strengthen team cohesion, and foster a sense of belonging, all of which contribute to long-term organisational success.

Put workplace wellbeing first with Penshaw View

Ultimately, being a mental health first aider means becoming a workplace hero – someone who might not wear a cape, but who has the skills, awareness, and compassion to make a meaningful difference.

Their presence helps shape a more supportive, resilient, and emotionally intelligent workplace culture where people genuinely look out for one another.

At Penshaw View, we understand the transformative impact that mental health first aiders can have within any organisation, and our training is designed to equip your teams with practical, actionable skills that make a real difference in the workplace.

We offer flexible training solutions to suit every organisation, whether you’re booking individuals onto one of our open courses or arranging bespoke in-house sessions tailored to your team.

Beyond simply teaching skills, we work with you to embed lasting change, helping your organisation develop an internal network of first aiders who can provide ongoing support, encourage open conversations, and promote a positive wellbeing culture.

By partnering with Penshaw View, you’re investing in a workforce that is confident, compassionate, and resilient. Our courses empower employees to act with empathy, spot early signs of distress, and guide colleagues to appropriate support, all while helping shape a more connected and understanding workplace environment.

Take the next step in prioritising mental health at work. Sign up for our popular mental health first aid course or speak to our team about arranging tailored in-house training. Together, we can create a workplace where wellbeing comes first, and every employee feels supported.