Not just ticking boxes. MHFA England now available.

We have massively upgraded our Mental health first aid training. See why we did it then what we have done about it.......

One of our clients complained about the effectiveness of the one day Mental Health training we delivered to them last year. So very briefly I put this question to AI

Are basic one day mental health first training courses very good? i.e. are they effective? there are many training organisations running these type of courses. Are there any better and more effective courses available?

This was their answer.

✅ What One-Day Mental Health First Aid Courses Do Well:

1. Raise Awareness

   
   

   Employees recognize common signs of mental distress.

2. Promote Empathy

   
   

   Participants often leave with more understanding and willingness to support peers.

3. Provide Basic Frameworks

   
   

   Courses teach simple models as a starting point.

⚠️ Limitations of One-Day MHFA Courses:

1. Superficial Training

   
   

   Lack of deep understanding or sustained skill-building without reinforcement.

2. Doesn’t Change Workplace Systems

   
   

   MHFA tends to focus on individual support, not fixing toxic work cultures, unrealistic demands, or poor leadership—which are often the real drivers of mental ill-health.

3. Role Confusion

   
   

   "Mental health first aider" is not a clinical role. Colleagues might feel pressured or unqualified to handle serious situations.

4. Tokenism & Box-Ticking

   
   

   Some companies use MHFA to appear proactive without making real policy or cultural changes (e.g., reviewing workloads, management styles, or support structures).

✅ More Effective Approaches (or Complementary Alternatives):

1. Multi-Day, Scenario-Based Training

   
   

   Courses that go beyond one day and include case studies, simulations, and role-play build better real-world confidence.

2. Ongoing Peer Support Programs

   
   

   Establishing long-term peer-led support groups (with supervision) is more sustainable than just training individuals.

3. Manager-Specific Mental Health Training

   
   

   Targeted programs for line managers that help create psychologically safe teams.

4. Whole-Organization Interventions

   • Regular staff wellbeing surveys with visible follow-up actions

   • Reviewing job design and workloads

   • Embedding psychological safety and inclusive leadership

   • Providing access to clinical support (EAPs, occupational health)

5. Trauma-Informed Training

   
   

   Goes deeper into how trauma manifests and how to respond appropriately.

🧠 Some Highly Regarded Alternatives or Enhanced Courses:

• MindForward Alliance (UK) – More systemic, workplace-wide programs

• ACAS Mental Health Training (UK) – Practical, management-focused.

• (MHFA England) – Offers extended versions with higher engagement

• Mental Health First Aid International – Blended or Extended Training

• Wellbeing Champions Programs – Internal programs supported by HR &

This was the reason for the installation of our new Mental Health First Aid England course. Mental Health Health England are providers of the gold standard.  Can you join us to see the difference on August  27^th and 28^th. We invite you to send one key decision maker onto this course at half the web listed price, to help your organisation make its mind on how to get the most value out of your training investment. State this blog post when enquiring.

https://www.traintosafety.co.uk/first-aid-and-mental-health