How to become an Accredited First Aid for Mental Health Trainer

How do I become or qualify as the first aid for Mental Health Instructor? The qualifications required to teach accredited mental health for first aid in the workplace awards and become the first aid for mental health trainer have changed over the last couple of years.  You can no longer teach accredited first aid for mental health at work awards, as you need an award that is accepted by any of the UK awarding bodies.

Teaching Qualification

First and foremost if you want to be a trainer you will need to have an entry-level teaching qualification. The PDLSG – Planning and Delivering Learning Sessions to Groups Award or the ETA – Level 3 Award in Education and Training qualification gives the teaching award accepted by all awarding bodies. This course is nationally accredited and by its conclusion will allow the successful candidate to teach any subject they have experience in.

First Aid for Mental Health at Work Qualification

Ok, so you now have a teaching qualification either PDLSG or ETA that proves your competence as a trainer. What’s next is to match it up with some relevant experience. The easiest way to do this is to go on an instructor course that includes the First Aid for Mental Health at Work Level 3 qualification. Holding the teaching qualification and current First Aid for Mental Health at Work will allow you to teach the following courses:

• First Aid for Mental Health at Work Awareness
• First Aid for Mental Health at Work

It’s best to also complete the accredited course in order for you to be able to teach and assess accredited awards and qualifications.

Insurance

Trainers should take out public liability insurance in case a member of the public blames you for causing damage or injury. Alongside professional indemnity insurance in case a member of the public/client accuses you of making a mistake within your work. Both cost about £120 per year.

Equipment

You will need some basic equipment to be able to provide your own courses. The below list of equipment is everything you will need:

• First Aid for Mental Health at Work PowerPoint
• Lesson Plans
• Projector for Powerpoint presentations

First Aid for Mental Health at Work Trainer Courses with Teaching Award

If you don’t have a teaching award one of the cheapest 3 days courses from Abertay provide everything you need just click the link below to become a First Aid for Mental Health at Work Trainer with includes the PDLSG teaching award

1. Teaching Qualification
2. First Aid for Mental Health at Work qualification (or professional exemption)
3. Insurance
4. Equipment

Accredited First Aid for Mental Health at Work Certifications

Once you have all the above, you then need to apply to one of the awarding bodies to apply to become an approved centre so that you can gain accredited first aid for mental health at work certifications for the candidates you then teach. There are many awarding bodies out there but one of the most reasonable for costs is SafeCert Awards. They cost 295 for centre approval with emergency first aid certification at around 10 pounds each.