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Albion's mental health first aid commitment

Brighton & Hove Albion have increased their commitment to staff mental health and wellbeing, with more than 70 members of staff undergoing Mental Health First Aid training in the past 12 months.

By Paul Camillin • 10 October 2019

By Paul Hazlewood
Albion have increased their commitment to staff mental health and wellbeing

Working with the Mental Health First Aid charity, the club has introduced mandatory training for all line managers, with the aim of helping them take a proactive approach to managing mental health issues in the workplace.

The two-day course gives management staff a certified qualification as a mental health first aider, and gives them the tools to identify common symptoms of poor mental health and how to act upon them, in order to support staff.

Head of people and culture Rose Read commented, "Supporting the work of Mental Health First Aid is a vital and important part of our employee welfare programme — and alongside this we have a wide range of support services to help staff.

“Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, it can fluctuate at different stages of our lives, but there can be stigma around mental health issues and we want to encourage our people to feel comfortable to talk about how they feel.

“Having a number of qualified Mental Health First Aiders who can spot early warning signs forms a key part of this. It also means we can be proactive in our approach to help staff’s health and wellbeing holistically, and ensure our staff can be properly supported through any issue which might arise.”

Albion have also signed the ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ manifesto, which calls for a working world where mental health is supported and protected. A world where wellbeing is at the heart of all we do.

Please visit www.wheresyourheadat.org or www.mhfaengland.org, where you can sign up to the manifesto, or find more information on both organisations.