NHS Trusts further information

Working together to support NHS Trusts to manage staff mental health

It is estimated over 200,000 NHS workers may need mental health support for post-traumatic distress, high psychological distress and burnout 1

The pandemic is having an untold impact on the mental health of NHS employees. The time to act is now - together we can empower your people to thrive. At MHFA England we are partnering with 60+ NHS Trust leaders to transform attitudes and behaviours around mental health. Since 2009 we have trained over half a million people, in 20,000+ organisations to support workplace wellbeing. We provide an unrivalled expert-led, evidence based mental health training solution to fit the unique context of your organisation. In partnership we can create a lasting positive change in wellbeing within the NHS.

Working together, we can: Improve sustainability 

Reduce costs and liability Build a culture of wellbeing Improve employee experience   

1. Centre for Mental Health: Covid-19 and the nation's mental health: October 2020

The mental health impact

“Here at Portsmouth Hospital University Trust we have been delivering the Mental Health First Aider and Mental Health Aware courses for 18 months and recently started to provide Youth MHFA. Staff who have completed the course have been extremely positive about it recommending it to colleagues, so we were soon fully booked and operate a waiting list. As a Trust, we have 199 Mental Health First Aiders and 165 who are Mental Health Aware. We share Trust-wide who our Mental Health First Aiders are, ensuring they are accessible for all staff. Staff who have attended the training have expressed that they have a greater understanding of mental health, feel better equipped to support their colleagues, patients’ families and friends alike and that all staff should undertake mental health training.” Anita DeHavilland Senior Corporate Educator Portsmouth Hospital University Trust The impact of the pandemic on the nation's mental health is unknown. Prediction modelling estimates 20% of the adult population, a total of 8.58 million people in England, will need mental health support for issues including PTSD, depression and anxiety. 1 Figures are expected to rise as forecasts account for increases observed in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, people in nursing homes who have experienced outbreaks, and those with learning disabilities. An estimated 200,000 NHS employees, both on and off the frontline response to coronavirus, will experience prolonged periods of trauma. Frontline workers are more likely to experience anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. 2 Leaders report staff feel fatigued and many are facing burnout. The impact on your staff will intensify as demand increases for NHS mental health services. 3

An estimated 8.58 million

adults in England will need mental health support for issues including PTSD, depression and anxiety 1

79% of people with a

pre-existing mental illness reported their mental health had got worse or much worse as a result of the pandemic 4

1. Centre for Mental Health: Covid-19 and the nation's mental health: October 2020 2. British Psychological Society Covid19 Staff Wellbeing Group, 2020 3. NHS Reset Report, 2020 4. Rethink Mental Illness COVID-19 briefings, 2020

Working together: a tailored solution Our dedicated NHS team will take a tailored approach to find the best solution for your staff. We will work with you to enhance your existing wellbeing strategy, or help you get started on that journey and support you along the way.

Our approach 1. Committing to a mentally healthy workforce Making a commitment to working towards a mentally healthy workforce creates a platform for successful culture change.

2. Consultation We consult with you to match the right evidence based training offer to suit your needs.

3. Awareness and manager training A training programme is agreed and implementation begins across your teams. Managers and colleagues gain an enhanced awareness around mental health and where to get support. 4. Embedding Mental Health First Aiders To increase access to support we recommend each site has a network of trained Mental Health First Aiders. We can train cohorts of staff as Mental Health First Aiders to suit the needs of your Trust. Or, for a sustainable approach, we can support you to build your own in-house MHFA England instructor community who are qualified to train your staff. 5. Reporting and evaluation Anonymised evaluation will help you build strong return on investment measures to understand the success of the training and identify further development to make your wellbeing strategy a success.

Training opportunities We have a range of flexible training opportunities that are key to an NHS wellbeing strategy.

NHS Awareness session: A one hour introduction to mental health providing an understanding of what good and poor mental health looks like, so that everyone at your Trust can have a base knowledge of mental health.

Mental Health Aware course:

Delivered online or face-to-face, this four hour course is ideal for employees at all levels to increase mental health awareness and tackle stigma.

Training for people managers:

We understand that people managers are cornerstones of the NHS, supporting key workers’ development and wellbeing. We have designed two products specifically to help managers support their teams' mental health: – Mental Health Knowledge for Managers increases the mental health knowledge of managers through bitesize, self-directed learning modules – Mental Health Skills for Managers is an immersive live training session, led by an experienced associate instructor, with an emphasis on developing and practising skills and building confidence Both courses are delivered online, allowing easy access for Trusts with remote working and wide geographical reaches. Online Mental Health First Aid: Train dedicated staff as Mental Health First Aiders, giving them in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing, as well as the practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of a range of mental health issues, along with the confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress. This course takes place through the MHFA England Online Learning Hub as a blend of instructor-led live sessions and individual learning materials.

Instructor Training:

A cost-effective model which has been utilised by 60 larger Trusts across England to train 278 of their own instructors to deliver Mental Health First Aiders and Mental Health Aware courses. Our seven-day Instructor Training programme is accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health. Grounded in research and written by clinical experts, this approach will allow NHS staff to train colleagues in mental health skills on a large and sustainable scale.

Each of our packages can be tailored to meet your needs, whatever your size. The following outlines provide an example of size and scale. Training delivery can be flexible, with online, on-site, and digital learning available, meaning we bring quality mental health training to your staff wherever they are based. Tailored packages

Small trust

Large trust

A cost-efficient model for larger trusts would be to train in-house instructors to deliver courses, supported by people manager digital learning. In this model, a budget of around £140,000 would enable: – The training of six in-house instructors, qualified to deliver both Mental Health First Aider and Mental Health Aware courses – The supply of learner training manuals, workbooks and reference materials – Access to Mental Health Knowledge for Managers digital learning modules – A minimum of 1,000 Mental Health First Aiders trained through the in-house instructors, supporting at least 10,000 staff – Over 5,500 Mental Health Aware staff trained through the in-house instructors – Up to 4,000 people managers trained to support their teams' mental health

For a small trust looking to begin your mental health training journey, you may choose to use our experienced associate instructors to deliver Mental Health Aware and Mental Health First Aider courses at pace. This can be complemented by self-led modular digital learning package, Mental Health Knowledge for Managers. For £50,000 you could train up to 430 staff in awareness and Mental Health First Aider skills plus 250 people managers in managing their own and their teams’ wellbeing.

To find out more, talk to our team:

 [email protected]

0203 928 0760 

As a community interest company and a member of Social Enterprise UK, we exist to improve the mental health of the nation and support the wellbeing of communities. We want to support the NHS as a key pillar of our reinvestment work and in doing so improve wellbeing across the NHS community. As part of this commitment we will be providing a 15% discount across all NHS work. Our dedicated support team is well placed to support the NHS in creating a coordinated and comprehensive response to the mental health impact of the coronavirus pandemic.







