Building a Safer Space

Mental well-being is something that touches all our lives, whether directly or indirectly. Recently, I completed the two-day Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) course with MHFA England and The Lighthouse Charity, and it was an incredibly insightful and impactful experience. This wasn't just about gaining a qualification; it was about equipping myself with the tools to offer genuine support and understanding.

My decision to become a Mental Health First Aider stems from a deeply personal and professional commitment.

Firstly, as someone working in recruitment, I have the privilege of building long-standing relationships with many of our operatives. We place them on projects time and time again, often over several years. Through these ongoing connections, a natural rapport develops. I wanted to ensure that if any of our operatives ever feel the need to reach out for support, but aren't comfortable speaking to someone directly on site, they know they have a trusted first point of contact in me.

I regularly visit sites and engage with both our candidates and clients. This training has empowered me to confidently approach individuals if I sense something might be amiss, and, crucially, to know how to initiate those conversations correctly and empathetically. My aim is to provide a safe, non-judgmental space for them to speak openly.

It's not just for our external partners either. This extends to my colleagues and the team in the office; I want to be there for them should they ever need to talk or seek support.

This course also resonated with me on a personal level. As someone who lives with anxiety and clinical depression, the emphasis on self-care throughout the training was particularly profound and valuable. It reinforced the critical importance of looking after our own mental well-being, so we can be there for others. As the saying goes - you cannot pour from an empty cup.

One of the most powerful takeaways was the emphasis on the importance of conversation - how to hold these sensitive discussions as an MHFAider, and how to create that vital safe space for sharing. We also have immediate access to the MHFA App, which provides extensive resources. It's an invaluable tool that allows us to quickly search for services by area and specific needs, ensuring we can effectively signpost individuals to professional support when required.

The need for this support is stark, especially within the construction industry. Consider these statistics:

• In 2020, there were 6,749 suicide deaths registered in Great Britan, compared to 1,752 road traffic collision deaths in the UK for the same year. This highlights the hidden, yet profound, crisis of mental health and the impact that isolation and loneliness has on your mental health.
• At any given time, 1 in 6 working age adults have symptoms associated with poor mental health. With 1 in 4 people experiencing poor mental health each year.
• Tragically, the construction industry faces an elevated risk. Statistics show that the suicide rate for male construction workers is four times the national average.
• In 2024, On The Tools found that 73% of the country’s 2.1 million Construction Workers have been affected by mental illness, with a staggering 7,000 having taken their own lives in the last decade.

These figures underscore the vital importance of breaking down stigmas and fostering environments where mental health can be discussed openly, and support is readily available.

Becoming a Mental Health First Aider is a step towards creating a more supportive, understanding, and safer community within and beyond our workplace.