Mental Health First Aiders

A mental health first aider is someone who has been trained to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental ill health. They are not therapists or psychiatrists, but they can provide initial support and signpost people to appropriate professional help.

Not only have they been trained about the different types of mental ill health, the signs and symptoms, and how to have supportive conversations, but they have also been taught how to assess the risk of self-harm and suicide, and when to summon the appropriate emergency services if necessary.

Mental health first aiders play an important role in reducing stigma and promoting mental health awareness. They can help to create a more supportive environment for people who are struggling, and they can provide them with the information and resources they need to get help.

Barclay & Mathieson has established a team of trained mental health first aiders throughout all our depots across the UK.

This team have taken part in appropriate training and has a keen interest in the wellbeing of their colleagues. Like a standard first-aider, we aim to ensure a mental first-aider is always on-site or easily contactable for our work-from-home employees.

Not only are we aiming to support our employees in times of distress but we're also looking to tackle the stigma that is mental health, as a whole. We'll do this by simply talking about it, writing about it and posting about it, just like this news article. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health and we're very keen to continue to support our staff.

Ask for a helpline, come for a coffee, talk it through, let it out and get the right help, you deserve better.

At BM Steel, we are committed to providing our employees and their immediate families with the resources and support they need to thrive. That's why we offer free, 24/7 access to a comprehensive range of programs and services, including:

• Mental health support: Access to a qualified team of mental health practitioners including psychologists and psychotherapists
• GP consultations: Our employees can access GP consultations with a qualified doctor at any time of day or night, without having to wait for an appointment.
• Financial guidance: Expert guidance on a wide range of financial issues including reducing outgoings, budgeting advice and where to access debt management support
• Legal guidance: Specialist guidance from a team of legal experts who can help with divorce, property, consumer disputes and more
• Well-being and healthy living advice: A team of experts can help employees improve their physical and mental health through nutrition, exercise, and stress management programs.

We believe that by providing our employees with access to these essential resources, we can help them create a healthier and more fulfilling life for themselves and their families.

A huge thanks to our current mental health first-aiders: