A personal report from Jamie McGovern, ASR Greater Mersey Amal
At any one time one worker in six will be experiencing depression, anxiety or issues relating to stress.
Mental ill health costs UK employers £34.9 billion each year - the equivalent of £1,300 for every employee in the UK workforce. This figure consists of £10.6 billion in sickness absence, £21.2 billion in reduced productivity, and £3.1 billion in replacing staff who leave their jobs for mental health-related reasons. 76% of line managers believe they are responsible for employee wellbeing, but only 22% have received training.
The CWU are passionate about putting a stop to this, and embarking on a MHFA training course is the first step. Please contact us today for more information about how we can support your organisation battle one of the greatest health crises of our generation. We want to Help Our people Excel!
HOPE is a light that never goes out
As a result of Motions 64 and 69, carried at General Conference 2018, the CWU has been in the process of developing a Mental Health Strategy, including a joined-up training programme.
In addition to the Mental Health Awareness course we will now be able to offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), as a cohort of 12 CWU MHFA instructors have now been trained. I am hugely proud to be one of those trainers.
We have delivered the first 2 CWU MHFA courses (January 2020) joining up with North Wales & Marches branch to jointly deliver these courses to the many reps & branch members who are keen to receive it.
I do think even though these courses are being delivered from a regional perspective we as a safety community should be able to influence the way (and to who) these courses are delivered.
I would certainly like to train younger worker MHFAs and Female MHFAs to ensure we have the balance right when it comes to available MHFA support.
Our training is a key component for us in our long term Mental Health strategy, Our aim is to try and create a safe, healthy workplace where the mental health and physical health of members & colleagues in workplaces where we have representation are valued equally. I believe that this training will give CWU members the tools to support thier own mental health and that of their colleagues.
If you are reading this and are interested in being trained as an accredited MHFA here is the course content:
MODULES AND AGENDA
DAY ONE
Session 1
MHFA - Introduction
About MH- Recovery and stigma
Depression- What is it and what are the Risk factors
Useful Statistics
Session 2
Suicide- First aid for suicide crisis
Substance misuse- What is it and the risk factors
Sources of help and Information to share
DAY TWO
Session 3
Anxiety Disorders- What is it, Risk factors, First aid
Self-Harm- What is it and first aid
Eating Disorders- What is it, risk factors and first aid
Personality Disorders
Session 4
Psychosis- What is it, risk factors and first aid
Building a mentally Healthy Community
More data and useful information to provide signposting support
On completion of the course participants will leave with a certified qualification from Mental Health First Aid England,
the sole provider of licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training in England.
Research and evaluation shows that taking part in this training session:
* Raises awareness and mental health literacy
* Reduces stigma around mental ill health
* Boosts knowledge and confidence in dealing with mental health issues
* Promotes early intervention which enables recovery
