Range of qualifications launched for businesses to support #MentalHealth in the workplace

With one in four adults likely to struggle with mental health at some point in their lives, there is an increasing emphasis on the need for awareness of how employers and businesses can help their staff.

And with that interest has come demand for authoritative qualifications that can provide employees with the knowledge to assist colleagues on matters of mental health.

Highfield Qualifications has launched a range of mental health qualifications so that businesses can support mental health in their workplaces.

The qualifications explore how individuals can recognise their own and others’ mental ill health, how to support mental wellbeing in the workplace, promote a wellness culture, and the importance of resilience and self-care.

The suite is made up of three individual qualifications:

• Level 2 Award in Introduction to Mental Health Awareness
• Level 2 Award in Introduction to First Aid for Mental Health
• Level 3 Award in Understanding Mental Health in the Workplace for Managers

The qualifications are recognised by Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England, and sit on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), the reference system operated by Ofqual.

Chris Sprenger, Highfield Managing Director, said,

‘It is becoming increasingly common for businesses to appoint someone in the workplace who is responsible for first aid for mental health. And while it has not become a regulatory requirement yet in the same way as for physical first aid, there has clearly been a change in the way many businesses approach the issue. These qualifications will help businesses to support their colleagues and, through being regulated by Ofqual, will help them make an informed choice when it comes to choosing the right qualifications for their needs’.

Heather Beach, Managing Director and founder of The Healthy Work Company, one of the organisations that assisted Highfield in the development of the qualifications, said,

‘Companies are realising that happy, well, employees are more productive and engaged. At the same time, we are seeing a rise in the severity of common mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression and burnout. These qualifications aim to provide organisations with regulated, assessed mental health training which supports individuals in understanding themselves better as well as the tools for better conversations about mental health – for managers and peers alike’.

The qualifications can be completed in one or two days through a Highfield approved training centre.