Sunderland-based, Riverlutions – a recruitment & training organisation - is now offering Mental Health Awareness training! In a bid to support its customers – many of them young people - to spot the signs of mental illness and manage their own wellbeing.
Philippa Breckon, director at Riverlutions, said she hopes the additional training – which has been warmly welcomed by clients of the firm – will improve the mental and emotional resilience of its learner cohort, not only benefitting their own wellbeing, but ensuring they are well placed to support colleagues who may be suffering with poor mental health.
Philippa said: “With suicide rates at a national high, particularly in males, we are hopeful that this training will not only raise awareness, but also support learners to understand the concepts of mental health, identify signs of illness and take steps to self-manage their own wellbeing.
“We know that poor mental health can not only be hugely damaging to the individual experiencing it, but can have wide-ranging implications for employers, including high levels of absenteeism, poor staff retention and issues with morale and productivity. It makes good sense for employers to support their teams with training like this – something we are now offering as a training programme for businesses that want to deliver it – but until more do, we are committed to supporting our young people to grow their capacity to deal with any challenges.”
Philippa added: “The stigma associated with mental health must stop, and it’s vital that employers and employees alike take responsibility for bringing about that change. That starts with awareness. We hope that by leading the way with this approach, we create a wave of employees who join businesses with the understanding to ensure both they and their colleagues get the right support if they experience any issues with their mental wellbeing.”