Implementing Mental Health First Aiders guide for employers

How to confidentially log support conversations We recommend asking your Mental Health First Aiders to log the support conversations they have with colleagues. This will allow you to see how much the support is being used and spot any patterns in areas of the business. Here is an example of how organisations gather useful but anonymous information: Create a clear policy and role document

Time commitments Create clear guidelines on how much time your Mental Health First Aiders should commit to the role and any additional commitments such as meetings and refresher training (see ‘Expected time commitments for Mental Health First Aiders’ on page 9 for more information). Be clear that they should only make themselves contactable during work hours and should not give out personal contact details. If you have an out-of-hours EAP service, make sure this is promoted throughout the organisation. Otherwise, advertise national out-of- hours support should this be needed, such as the Mind urgent help pages and contact details for Samaritans , SANEline , Shout , o r an EAP helpline. Links to other relevant policies For example if you have an organisational policy on responding to crisis situations, signpost to where the policy can be found and give guidance on the circumstances in which it should be used by your Mental Health First Aiders. Links Being a Mental Health First Aider – this can form the basis of your organisation’s policy and role document Mental Health First Aider Support app – provides secure conversation logging, signposting, and data-driven insights Legal FAQ – employers’ legal responsibilities around the provision of Mental Health First Aid

Date of conversation: Department/team: Theme of conversation: (e.g. work-related or personal life) Signposting recommendations given: Length of conversation:

Another way to do this is through the Mental Health First Aider Support app , which allows Mental Health First Aiders to log their conversations and outcomes securely and confidentially. How to handle immediate danger Remind Mental Health First Aiders that confidentiality never applies when a person becomes a danger to themselves or others. Include details of any actions they should take alongside their MHFA England training if they come across a situation at work where someone is in immediate danger. For example, is there someone in the organisation that should be contacted as well as the emergency services?

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