Mental health first-aid
All Royal Mail first-aiders are to be offered mental health training in an initiative aimed at ensuring that colleagues in every workplace have access to this support, advice and assistance.
As part of a five-year strategy developed jointly between the CWU and the business, some 5,000 workplace first-aiders will be invited to take the accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course, as will the union’s 150 area health and safety reps.
CWU national health, safety and environment officer Dave Joyce, who negotiated the agreement with Royal Mail Group, said: ‘We’re pleased at this significant step forward in recognising the importance of mental health wellbeing of our members in the workplace.’
The training will be provided by in-house, accredited and licensed MHFA instructors and the courses are scheduled to be launched later this year.
Hazel Darlington, chair of the National Postal First Aid Association (PoFAS) said: ‘I very much welcome this agreement. We medical/physical first-aiders are on the front line and we see stress, depression and anxiety amongst postal workers first-hand.
‘First-aiders across the country will welcome the opportunity to expand their range of skills to help fellow workers in distress in whichever way they can, whether it’s dealing with a physical injury needing attention or a helping a colleague with mental health problems, needing that initial conversation, offering support and guidance.’
‘A mental health first aider is a volunteer person in the workplace or organisation who has been trained to identify, understand and help someone who may be in distress and experiencing a mental health issue,’ added Dave Joyce.
‘They are not a counsellor, therapist, psychiatrist or clinician, she/he is someone who is able to listen non-judgmentally, converse, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening, using the basic skills they will learn on these courses to support someone and then signpost them to professional help and support.’
