Jane James's Consultancy Limited

Absolutely.  This has been proven time and again in various research reports in delivering added value to bottom lines, brand reputations and staff retention. It’s more relevant and vital to business operations in the Coronavirus/Covid-19 era.

Of course, you have to ensure you implement the right training otherwise the impact made to your bottom line, brand reputation and staff retention could be negative!

I’ve been working in this field for over a decade now.  I’m often asked what course I would recommend.  See the table below for some key features of three training programmes I deliver.

Feature	i-act	FAA levels 1,2,3	MHFA England
Proactive – designed to prevent mental ill health	Yes	No	No
Specifically designed for the workplace	Yes	No	No
Accredited course for delegates	Yes	Yes	No
Over 50 tools for self- care/building resilience	Yes	No	No
Signposting to professional help	Yes	Yes	Yes
Delivered virtually or classroom	Yes	Yes	Yes
Instructors can deliver nationally	Yes	Yes	No

I’ve been so impressed by i-act’s proactive standpoint of aiming to prevent mental ill health in the workplace, vast array of self-help tools as well as tools to evaluate and develop skills of those delivering first stage support, that after 12 years as a MHFA England Instructor, I will no longer be delivering their products.  

For employers who do like a formal, first aid approach to mental health, the FAA Levels 1, 2 and 3 deliver Ofqual regulated accreditation on the same three adult programmes MHFA England offers – half day awareness, one day champion and two-day first aider.

In this day and age, it’s more important than ever for employers to select the right product for their environment and team.  Having the choice between accredited/non accredited and proactive/reactive training enables them to make this choice confidently and cost effectively.