First Aid for Mental Health – Supervising (2-Day Course)
First Aid for Mental Health – Supervising (2-Day Course)
Group discounts are available. Please contact us at: [email protected]
This
two-day qualification is designed for supervisors, managers, and team leaders
who have responsibility for staff wellbeing and want the skills, confidence,
and framework to respond appropriately to mental health concerns in the
workplace.
Poor mental health culture carries a significant cost to organisations,
contributing to increased sickness absence, reduced productivity, higher staff
turnover, and avoidable conflict or escalation. This course supports
organisations to move beyond reactive responses by equipping supervisors
with the knowledge and practical tools to recognise concerns early, respond
appropriately, and support staff before issues become crises.
The course provides an understanding of mental health and mental illness,
including how to recognise common conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress-related
illness, substance misuse (drug and alcohol), bipolar disorder,
obsessive–compulsive disorder, psychosis, and mental health crisis situations.
Participants learn how to recognise early warning signs, approach sensitive
conversations with confidence, and offer appropriate first-line support while
maintaining clear professional boundaries.
Training is delivered online by an experienced NHS doctor with extensive
clinical experience in mental health care, including frontline work
supporting people presenting to A&E in suicidal crisis and the daily
management of common mental health conditions in general practice. The course uses
realistic, experience-led scenarios for discussion, drawing on clinical insight
into how mental health concerns present in real life rather than how they
are described in theory. Participants receive practical, evidence-based
guidance on how to begin conversations about mental health, including how to
ask the most difficult questions around self-harm and suicide with clarity,
confidence, and compassion.
The course also explicitly addresses common communication pitfalls and
unintentional harms — such as minimising language (“at least…”, “look on
the bright side”) or dismissive phrases (“it’s all in your head”) — and helps
supervisors develop safer, more supportive ways of responding that reduce
distress rather than amplifying it.
A strong emphasis is placed on the role of supervision and leadership. The
course explores how management practices, workload, communication, and workplace
culture influence mental health, and supports supervisors to balance compassion
with responsibility — protecting both individuals and organisational function.
This qualification is ideal for organisations seeking a proactive,
responsible approach to mental health — supporting staff wellbeing while
reducing business risk and promoting a healthier, more sustainable working
environment.
The course is delivered in association with NUCO Training, is
Ofqual-regulated, HSE-compliant and provides a recognised qualification
in First Aid for Mental Health at Supervising level.
Training is usually delivered online but can also be delivered in person
upon request, either on-site or at a provided venue.