Mental Health Services: Employment
(asked on 9th January 2019) - View Source
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that everyone has access to mental health first aid in the workplace.
Employers are already required under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 to consider mental health alongside physical health when undertaking their first aid needs assessment. On the 21st November 2018 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published guidance, developed with Mental Health First Aid-England, to clarify this point and improve employer understanding.
Findings from recent reviews1, 2 looking at the impact of mental health first aid training in a workplace environment show that there are a number of knowledge gaps which mean it is not possible to say whether it is effective in improving the management of mental health in workplaces, or whether it is the only effective mechanism for support. The findings also highlight several additional prevention and management measures that employers should put in place to supplement the essentially reactive approach of mental health first aid.
Government recognises that mental health first aid training has a role to play in a comprehensive approach to managing mental health in workplaces and anecdotally some individuals report positive benefits. In November 2017, the joint DWP/DHSC Work and Health Unit published “Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability” command paper which describes the range of actions that Government is taking forward, including building support for those experiencing mental ill-health to remain in or enter the workplace. This includes implementing recommendations from the independent Lord Stevenson and Paul Farmer ‘Thriving at Work’ review published in October 2017 that considered how employers can better support the mental health of their employees. Its central recommendation identified the need for employers to adopt a comprehensive set of mental health standards. This comprehensive approach will help employers to encourage an open, transparent and supportive organisational culture and tailor their actions to address varying factors such as their employee needs, type of work and size of company. The Government is working closely with employers of all sizes to help them implement the standards and easily access the right support and guidance.