Beating the Stigma at Work!

Mental ill-health is responsible for 72 million working days lost each year.

It’s a time for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma and its high on the agenda at TwistedPair.

At Twisted, we are working towards a stigma-free environment by encouraging an open platform, a place where people can voice their concerns, feel supported and confide in a trusted colleague.

As part of this year’s wellbeing drive, there has been encouragement and support for willing staff to complete a Mental Health First Aid Training course. This two-day accredited program, as well as developing mental health awareness, teaches a set of skills which allow the participant to offer appropriate support to someone experiencing a mental health condition.

In addition to HR support, TwistedPair now has a qualified Mental Health First Aider on site which works full time. 

“Having a qualified support network amongst the team is critical,” said Sharon Woods, HR Manager at TwistedPair.

She continued,

Mental Health First Aid is internationally recognised and gives members of our team the ability to spot the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions and provide appropriate help in the same way physical first aid training would. At TwistedPair, we actively promote diversity and belonging within the company by offering a safe space for staff to feel celebrated for being themselves. As part of that, we hope to develop this program throughout 2020 and add to the MHFA team two more qualified mental health first aiders.

But how common are mental health problems?

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.

In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health issue (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week. Therefore, at Twisted, as part of our duty of care as an employer, we feel we have a responsibility above taking care of the welfare of our staff. The induction of this program has given our health and wellbeing agenda a new depth. The application of this skill among the team means we now have a safe space and process for our people to come and chat confidentially, with someone who is equipped and qualified.