
Mental Health First
Aid England
Approved Training Provider

Mental Health First Aid Training
Andy Barker is an approved Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England Instructor Member. We run bespoke MHFA training programmes for organisations and also offer public MHFA training online and face to face in various locations. Whether you’re a larger organisation that requires in house training for many employees, or you’re a smaller business that wishes to train one or two staff members, we will accommodate you.

What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognised training course which teaches people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide help on a first aid basis.
Adult MHFA courses are for everyone aged 16 upwards. Every MHFA course is delivered by a qualified instructor who has attended Mental Health First Aid England's Instructor Training programme accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health, and is trained to keep people safe and supported while they learn.
Supporting good mental health in your organisation
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England training courses teach people to spot the signs of mental health issues, offer initial help and guide a person towards support. We don’t teach people to be therapists, but we do teach people to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis - and even potentially reach out to someone before a crisis happens.
Quality mental health training, underpinned by a robust wellbeing strategy, gives people the tools to keep themselves healthy and support each other. It can also help to:
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Build employees’ confidence to have open conversations around mental health and break the stigma
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Encourage people to access support early when needed, for a faster recovery
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Empower people with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive in work
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Promote a mentally healthy environment, stopping preventable issues and allowing people to thrive and become more productive
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Embed a long term positive culture across the whole organisation, where employees recognise their mental and physical health are supported as equal parts of the whole person

MHFA England Courses
Mental Health First Aid England
Two Day and Online Course Options
The Mental Health First Aid England course qualifies employees as Mental Health First Aiders. Attendees will gain:
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An in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
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Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of a range of mental health issues
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Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress using the Mental Health First Aid action plan
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Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
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Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support - whether through self-help resources, internal support such as EAP, or external sources such as their GP
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Understanding of how to keep themselves safe while performing their duties
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A quick reference card for the Mental Health First Aid action plan
The MHFA England Mental Health First Aid online course is delivered through a mix of 4 online sessions and individual learning spread over a two week period.
MHFA England Champion
One Day and Online Course Options
This mental health awareness and skills course qualifies employees as an MHFA Champion, giving them:
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Knowledge and confidence to provide Mental Health First Aid for the most common mental health issues
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An understanding of how to help build a mentally healthy workplace, challenge stigma and support positive wellbeing
The MHFA England Champion online course is delivered through 2 online sessions spread over a one week.
MHFA England Mental Health Aware
Half Day and Online Course Options
This introductory session raises awareness of mental health. Your employees will gain:
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An understanding of what mental health is and how to challenge stigma
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A basic knowledge of some common mental health issues
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An introduction to looking after their own mental health and maintaining wellbeing
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Confidence to offer support someone in distress or who may be experiencing a mental health issue
The MHFA England Mental Health Aware online course is delivered as a 4-hour session and is licensed to be accessed anywhere in the world.
MHFA England Refresher - Half Day Course
Empower Mental Health First Aiders and MHFA Champions to maintain their skills with regular Refresher training.
The four hour Refresher course will support your Mental Health First Aiders and MHFA Champions by:
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Renewing their skills
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Updating their knowledge of mental health supports
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Giving them the chance to practice applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan
Enabling your Mental Health First Aiders and MHFA Champions to refresh their skills, the same way your physical first aiders do, is a great way to demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to treating mental health and physical health equally. Investing in the course will give you the confidence that your Mental Health First Aiders and MHFA Champions are performing their role safely and effectively.
What to expect
Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities and each session is built around a Mental Health First Aid action plan. We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn.
Everyone who completes the course gets:
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A manual to refer to whenever they need it
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A workbook including a helpful toolkit to support their own mental health
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A certificate of attendance to say they are a Mental Health First Aider (MHFA 2 Day Course)
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A copy of the Line Managers' Resource, an invaluable source of advice on how to support an employee experiencing mental ill health
How will attending an MHFA course help?
Research and evaluation shows that taking part in an MHFA course:
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Raises awareness and mental health literacy
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Reduces stigma around mental ill health
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Boosts knowledge and confidence in dealing with mental health issues
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Promotes early intervention which enables recovery
WHY choose Mental Health First Aid England training?
Licensed
MHFA England is the only provider of licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training in England
Accredited
The MHFA England Instructor Training Programme is accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health
Evidence Based
Grounded in research and rigorously tested, our courses are developed by experts with input from people with lived experience of mental health issues
Global Movement
You'll be joining a community of over 2.6 million MHFA-trained people in 25 countries around the world
10
years
10 years of growth
Our 1,800 qualified instructors have trained over 400,000 people in England to date
Find out more about becoming a Mental Health First Aider