We are thrilled to share that we have gained accreditation to deliver the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) Violence Prevention and Reduction (VPR) qualifications at RQF Levels 3 and 4! 

These qualifications are designed to help strategic and operational staff develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to identify triggers of violent behaviour and contribute to violence prevention and reduction in healthcare settings and other high-stress (potential risk) environments. 

The pathway consists of three qualifications:

Level 3 Award in VPR for Operational staff

Level 3 Award in VPR for Strategic staff

Level 4 Award in VPR for Strategic staff

We are excited to offer these qualifications, and we believe they will be a valuable asset in any organisation's efforts to provide a public health approach to violence prevention and reduction for their staff.

#RSPH #ViolencePreventionReduction #PublicHealth

What is Workplace Counselling?

Workplace counselling is a confidential, usually short-term intervention paid for by employers and can be provided through a freelance or in-house service.

How does the employee benefit?

Workplace counselling services can help employees to identify and address problems early. They can alleviate the psychological impact of negative personal, social or work situations and help to keep employees working effectively and productively. It is ideal for executive and senior leadership teams where decision-making needs to be clear and effective.

How does the employer benefit?

Studies of the economic benefit of workplace mental health interventions, including a BACP study undertaken by the Institute of Employment Studies (iES, 2018), consistently show positive results. Employees accessing counselling often do not need to take time off from work. When they do need time off, they often return to work quicker. 

Through access to counselling, employees often become more resilient, motivated and loyal to their employer. Despite this, only a third of employees currently receive support to manage workplace stress.

What is the cost of workplace counselling?

A recent report by Deloitte, Mental Health and Employers: Refreshing The Case For Investment (2020), showed a return on investment ratio of 5:1. Meaning that for every £1 an employer invests in mental health interventions, they can expect at least a £5 return.

Freelance workplace counsellors can also offer employers access to additional skills, including mental health education, stress management training, coaching, and mediation.

Shorter waiting times

Employees with access to freelance counselling can usually start treatment within days, compared with the average NHS waiting time of nearly three months. In addition, according to the BACP, workplace counselling has been shown to have a treatment completion rate of around 80% and improvement and recovery rates of 70%.

Get in touch to find out more.

We’ve been delighted to be able to roll out Royal College of Psychiatrists-approved i-act Manager Training for Checkout Ltd over the last 6 months.

We have trained managers in a wide range of global locations from London to Mauritius and have had the pleasure of being able to provide training and discuss mental health in the workplace. It’s been important and educational to speak with managers across the globe and understand the effect they feel that common mental health issues such as depression and anxiety have on both them and their teams.

I-act is an internationally approved course that raises awareness of mental health and well-being issues, but most importantly then provides a set of tools and guidance that managers can use proactively rather than reactively with their teams to help maintain and promote positive well-being.  In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

If you would like to learn more about the i-act Course for Managers or the i-act Course for Employees, please get in touch to discuss the course in more depth.

Mental Health Awareness Week takes place in May each year, and in 2023 it will run from 15-21 May. The official theme for this year is anxiety.

I've personally run many courses on anxiety and stress over the past few years for various organisations. It's also the subject I'm most often contacted about when companies ask me to provide mental health awareness courses.

One of the most effective ways that I know of introducing the subject of stress and anxiety, how to recognise it in ourselves or others, and methods that can be used to manage it, is through attending #courses such as those from MHFA England & i-act.

These well respected courses are approved by the RSPH & Royal College of Psychiatrists respectively, and offer the learners in-depth sound knowledge and tools. They're also our most often asked for courses.

Are you running awareness sessions or courses for your employees this year? Do you want help and advice on what courses might work best for your business or organisation?

 If yes then please do give us a call or drop us an email.

Some very interesting news out of Australia which will benefit many people living with certain long term mental illness.

It will also be good news for the organisations and those people involved in the current clinical trials being carried out in the UK.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced that - from the 1st July 2023 - the medical use of MDMA and Psilocybin will be rescheduled from Schedule 9 (prohibited substances) to Schedule 8 (controlled #medicines) of the Poisons Standard.

This will enable authorised psychiatrists to prescribe these substances for treatment-resistant depression and treatment resistant post-traumatic stress disorder.

You can read the Australian Governments full announcement in the link below.

The Refresher course which needs to be taken every 3 years, is a key part of MHFA England’s vision to ensure mental health is treated equally to physical health. 

The course will allow anyone who has successfully completed MHFA England's Two Day or One Day courses to keep their skills up-to-date.  It aims to ensure participants keep their awareness of mental health supports current; update their knowledge of mental health and what influences it; and practice applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan. 

Book your refresher course by following this link ...

A new law requiring businesses to offer mental health first aid training has been presented to parliament.

Tory MP Dean Russell told the Commons the move will lead to more people spotting the early signs of mental health issues in the workplace.

Many businesses already offer mental health training to first aiders, but it is not a legal requirement.

Mr Russell told MPs that requiring mental health first aid training in the workplace would save lives.

"People do not always wear bandages to show where they have anxiety and depression," he told MPs.

"This Bill will simply mean that workers have a person to signpost them to the help and support they need, when they need it."

It seems like every other day we receive a call after working hours from a person seeking mental health support. 

Often the person is in crisis (they say it in the message). Often the messages are garbled, and often it sounds like there may be alcohol or other substances involved.

It’s heart breaking picking up these voicemails at the start of the working day.  But even if we had of been there to answer their call, there would have been little that we could have done other than signpost.

What I can do right now though is provide some information for anyone who might also find themselves needing to reach out day or night, but not knowing where to turn to, or who to call. 

Please think about these options:

✅ NHS 111 is a free number to call. They can direct you to your local crisis support services, and offer health advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

✅ If you just need to talk to someone right now, then the Samaritans are there for you. You can call them free on 116 123. They will answer and they will listen to you.

✅ If you can’t wait, and feel that you want to harm yourself then visit your local A&E. A mental health emergency is just as important as a physical one.

✅ In the morning, call your GP and arrange an appointment. Let their receptionist know that you can’t wait and that it’s an emergency. When you speak with your GP be open & honest with them.

I don’t know why we’re receiving so many calls right now; other than perhaps people know who we are as a business and see us as a safe organisation to turn to.  But I hope that whatever their reasons for calling us, they find the right help and support that they need to get them through whatever is causing their distress.

Tom

WHO will work with partners to launch a campaign around the theme of Making Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority.  This will be an opportunity for people with mental health conditions, advocates, governments, employers, employees and other stakeholders to come together to recognize progress in this field and to be vocal about what we need to do to ensure Mental Health & Well-Being becomes a Global Priority for all.

We are delighted to have gained accreditation to be approved as an RSPH Training Centre.  

Gaining accreditation with the UK's leading OFQUAL regulated Qualifications Awarding Organisation in the field of Public Health, highlights our commitment to providing the highest standards of training for our clients and their employees. 

On the 23rd May Tom was invited to spend the day at the Chelsea Flower Show in London supporting SSAFA the Armed Forces charity.

Such a lively friendly vibe, and all because of nature!

Over the duration of the show many celebrities will view the sanctuary garden created for SSAFA by multi-award-winning garden designer Amanda Waring.

After its display at the RHS Chelsea Flower show the garden will be taken down and rebuilt at SSAFA’s Norton House, Stanford Hall where it will be the official sanctuary garden for those staying there whilst loved ones convalesce at the nearby Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre.

If you haven’t yet joined the 30 Day Challenge for April we are encouraging you to pick one action each for your Physical, Mental and Emotional Wellbeing to carry out every day.

It takes 30 days to turn actions into habits, which is why this is a month-long programme.  The 30-day challenge will maximise your chances of turning useful knowledge and techniques into positive behavioural change.

Click below to gain the access to free resources specifically created for Stress Awareness Month.  You can download the 30 Day Challenge, a Daily De-Stressing Planner, a Stress Guide, 7 Steps Achievement Plan, useful infographics on stress and much more!

We're extremely pleased to announce that we have been selected as a finalist for Wellbeing Consultancy Of The Year, in this years InsideOut Awards!

"The pandemic has elevated mental health and wellbeing up the priority list for most organisations, and we are seeing true excellence from many employers and individuals, all contributing to creating mentally healthier workplaces.

The awards celebrate individuals & companies that have inspired positive change, true commitment and courageousness, to enable real change within their field towards creating mentally healthier workplaces during the past year."

It’s Time to Talk Day on Thursday 3 February 2022!

Led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation.

Join the conversation - download or order a free resource pack.

Or if you would like us to run an awareness session or event for you then get in touch at sales@thoughtify.co.uk

Remember that every day is time to talk day. Conversations have the power to change lives - helping to create supportive communities where we can talk openly about mental health and feel empowered to seek help when we need it. 

However you start your conversation, let everyone know on social media with #TimeToTalk #ThoughtifyLtd

Research determines that IT-enabled remote working will help save the planet – but in my experience, there is a cost to people in the form of mental health.

For some, seeing our immediate family more offers liberation from the nine-to-five, but for many, dramatic change represents isolation and challenges mental wellbeing.

The United Nations has designated 3 December 2021 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in order to raise awareness about disability issues and mobilise support for greater equality. This day is a great opportunity to take action toward making our world more inclusive for everyone.

Purple Light Up 2021 is focused on Leader-To-Leader conversations where we’re inviting every disability ERG/Network Leader around the world to have 2-3 minute conversations with their CEOs sharing these through social media on 3 December 2021.

Follow the link for your free Purple Light Up resources ...

#IDPwD 

Thoughtify Ltd is proud to be the first company in the Workplace Mental Health sector to be accepted as a member of the Good Business Charter.

It has never been more important for businesses to build trust and show they care about more than just profit. Especially when we're dealing with the subject of peoples mental health & wellbeing.

At a time when people are caring more about who they work for and who they buy from, the Good Business Charter, which is supported by both the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) and the Trades Union Congress , offers an accreditation which recognises organisations which prioritise and care for their employees, the environment, customers and suppliers, whilst also paying their taxes according to the spirit of the law.  

The GBC and its members seek to inspire many other businesses to follow suit.

We're over the moon to have received a Platinum creative award for our podcast series Mentally Healthy Leaders!

Taking over 5,000 entries from all over the world the competition has demonstrated itself to be one of the leading programs in honoring excellent individuals in the creative and design fields.

The awards programs stay true to their objective of honoring professionals in both creative and design spaces, promoting the entrants’ excellent works in spite of the changing times wrought by the pandemic

Older People are often the most isolated in our society. They can become socially isolated for a variety of reasons, such as getting older or weaker, no longer being the hub of their family, leaving the workplace, the deaths of spouses and friends, or through disability or illness.

Spend some time with your older family member. Ask them about their life.

And if they are feeling lonely, (as many older people are), they will reap health benefits, and you'll find you will as well. Evidence suggests giving your time in this way could be as valuable to you as the person you support.

So much important family history has been lost already. We can learn much from our own family history and it’s far too valuable to let slip away.

I'm honoured to have been asked to deliver mental health awareness training to the The Football Association Leadership Academy (FALA).

FALA is The FA National Youth Council’s (FANYC) opportunity to upskill the very best Youth Leaders within football. The #FANYC has a vision of ensuring that ‘all young people have meaningful opportunities to develop themselves and positively impact their football community.’

Research carried out by the charity Mind exploring six sports, including football, has shown that sports clubs, governing bodies and player associations are starting to recognise that mental health is as important as physical health. Several high profile retired football players including Stan Collymore, Neil Lennon, and Clarke Carlisle have spoken of experiencing mental health problems in their playing days. 

It is crucial for people to be mental health aware in sport as in any other profession, and when we speak of diversity & inclusion we must consider mental health as a key element of any individuals ability to be their true & best self.

Tom Fox.  MD, Thoughtify

During the last COVID lockdown, Thoughtify were invited to produce a series aimed at supporting Armed Forces families with their mental and emotional wellbeing during what was a massively stressful period for all, and with many serving parent's deploying in support of the National COVID emergence.

The series, called "Thriving after lockdown" promotes positive conversation around mental wellbeing with children, young people and adults.

Tom Fox, MD of Thoughtify & SSAFA Ambassador, is joined by BACP accredited counsellor (for both children and adults) and family support worker Jo Morton-Brown, who is also a parent.

In each episode Tom and Jo open the conversation around positive wellbeing and explore tools and techniques people can can use to help maintain mental wellbeing.  They also share useful advice and information that can be used by all families & children.

Thoughtify is very pleased to welcome Jo Morton-Brown to the associate team.

Jo works as an Emotional Health Practitioner, she is a BACP accredited Counsellor and provides mental health & wellbeing support for many businesses and organisations.

Jo is also a qualified Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor and travels the country to deliver training to schools, & businesses. Jo believes that early intervention is key and supports many businesses by providing guidance to parents & carers.

Combining her academic knowledge with first-hand experience, Jo has the expertise needed to guide clients through consultation & training, ensuring compliance with professional and organisational standards & practice.

Welcome, Jo.

In This Edition

• Mental Health & Leadership at Facebook
• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses
• Royal College of GP's Webinar
• Managers Mental Health Training For Sky
• Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 (Nature)

Tom delivered an inspiring and informative session to Facebook UK, bringing in NHS Director Kate Davies CBE to discuss mental health and how our internal teams and leadership can learn from the mental health programs being developed and scaled by the NHS to support diverse communities across the UK.

This session enabled our leaders and employees to learn more about managing mental health in the workplace and shared positive practices that we can all use to reduce stress and anxiety and pursue better mental health and fitness.

I would highly recommend Tom and Thoughtify for his excellent delivery, expertise and practical tips to help employees continue to grow and perform through this incredibly challenging period.

Andy Mihalop. Head of EMEA. Facebook

In This Edition:

• Working from home & adverse mental health (RSPH Report)
• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses
• Welcome to our new Associate Instructors
• Mental health calendar dates for March

I'm very proud to have been asked to help write & be the narrator this historical podcast.

Over this six-episode series, you’ll hear the heartrending true stories of UK military veterans who experienced extraordinary events and survived, but not without consequences; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and, for some, substance misuse.

Thankfully, with support from veterans’ mental health charity Combat Stress, these men and women are rebuilding their lives. Combat Stress worked with UK reminiscence charity Age Exchange to travel the length and breadth of the UK recording interviews with veterans who’ve been treated by Combat Stress.

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the charities brought together veterans to tell their powerful stories, often for the first time in public.

Tom.  MD Thoughtify

We are delighted to welcome David Whiting to the team here at Thoughtify Ltd.

David served as an Officer with the London Fire Brigade (LFB) for 31 years and will be joining us as an Associate Mental Health Instructor and Frontline Services Consultant.

During his service David attended and commanded many complex incidents.  He was the Lead Officer for the 7th July London bombing inquiries, and head of the LFB National Interagency Liaison group during the 2011 London riots, and the 2012 London Olympics.  David continues to provide Emergency Preparedness and Response training to the UK Civil Nuclear industry.

Throughout his career with the LFB David took a keen interest in the mental health of his crews, and the extent to which the nature of the work of emergency responders impacted their health and wellbeing, especially post-incident.

Since 2017 David has delivered adult and youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to a huge range of organisations.

David is rewarded by seeing people “open-up” during both face-to-face and online courses.  “The increase in knowledge around mental health reported by the delegates and perhaps more importantly the increase in confidence I see, shows the effectiveness of providing mental health training.”

It's Tme to Talk Day today.

As an organisation, whant can you do to promote the in house services you offer to employees who want to talk about how they're feeling?

Read article here..

We are delighted to welcome Pauline Murry-Knight MBE to the team here at Thoughtify Ltd. Pauline will be joining us as an Associate Mental Health Instructor and Wellbeing Consultant.

Pauline is a well-respected and accomplished trainer and facilitator, with a wide range of experience gained over many years.

As well as being a National Trainer, training Instructor’s for Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, Pauline is a Master of NLP, CBT, & EFT, and is experienced in Trauma Risk Management (TRIM) and Trauma Incident Reduction (TIR).

Pauline has delivered mental health training and provided advice & guidance for many organisations including government departments, the construction industry, logistics, I.T, and management companies.

Pauline is a Reservist Army Officer, and in 2020 was mobilised as a COVID Military Planner to the Scottish Government.

Pauline was awarded her MBE for selfless commitment and work towards improving mental health in the military and civilian community.

Unfortunately this year has started with another lockdown, which means more TV and less social interaction for all of us.  

But rather than sitting in your armchair searching through every title in Netflix looking for something new to watch, why not join us on the 13th Jan at 8pm for some stand up comedy in aid of the Veterans Charity?  I'm sure we could all really do with a bit of a laugh right now.

Tickets start at just £5, and as we've sponsored the night, ALL of the proceeds will go to the charity.

We would like to wish all of our friends & customers good health, peace, love, & a very Merry Christmas.

We will be closed for the holiday between 21st December & 4th January, but look forward to working with you all in the New Year.

"I am absolutely humbled to have been invited by the Government to be one of only 26 veterans that officially parade at the Cenotaph this Sunday for Remembrance Day. There would normally be 10,000.

This is a massive honour and to be honest I’m feeling very unworthy. I’ll be representing SSAFA the Armed Forces charity & Cobseo, but more importantly I'll be representing the whole of our Armed Forces & Veteran Community".

Thoughtify Ltd, aiming to destigmatise mental ill health and encourage early diagnosis. Here is his story of living without diagnosis, beginning his path to recovery, and wanting to make a difference and help others.

Ahead of this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th Sept, Thoughtify Ltd has become a member of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance.

The NSPA are an alliance of public, private, voluntary and community organisations in England including the Department of Health, who care about suicide prevention and are willing to take action to reduce suicide and support those affected by suicide.

As an Associate Instructor Member of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, we understand that suicide is preventable, not inevitable. We train people how to spot the signs that someone might be suicidal and also give them the tools that they need to be able to open a conversation with someone they fear may be planning to kill themselves.

We know that the majority of people who feel suicidal do not actually want to die - they just don’t want to live the life they have, and that once someone starts talking they’ve got a better chance of discovering options other than suicide.

It’s our hope that by raising greater awareness, breaking down stigma, encouraging conversation, and dispelling the many myth’s that surround suicide, we can help to reduce the amount of suicides that we see every year.

On his new podcast, Tom talks to business leaders and senior executives about their own battles with mental health. 

He hopes that by hearing people in positions of power discuss their own wellbeing, listeners will be encouraged to be open about their own struggles. 

Speaking with Verity Geere and Richard Hatch on BFBS Radio he said: “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. "If we learn to talk about our mental health ... it may well help us to steer off becoming seriously ill.” 

The Podcast entitled - Mentally Healthy Leaders - focuses on the stories of successful Executives, Entrepreneurs and Senior Management from across the worlds of Technology, Banking, Sport, Forensic Science and Communications, who openly share their stories of breakdown, burnout, depression, bipolar, postnatal depression and anxiety. 

They also share their thoughts and advice for individuals & businesses on maintaining good mental health & supporting mental health in the workplace.

Read this article from our customer Landmarc, to see how we're helping them ensure their people are not feeling isolated during lockdown.

We've been delighted to be able to provide mental health training for City of London based employees of the Global FinTech company Broadridge Financial Solutions during Mental Health Awareness Week.

A blog about Thoughtify by X-Forces for Enterprise.

Landmarc said; One of the biggest challenges we’re all facing during the COVID-19 crisis is staying connected, so we’ve been working with UK Social Enterprise, Thoughtify to create a safe place for employees to meet for a chat, catch up on news, tell a joke, take part in activities and most importantly, to help each other stay mentally healthy during this pandemic.

Thoughtify is a mental health and wellbeing business led by Veteran and MHFA Mental Health First Aid Instructor, Tom Fox. Tom is also an instructor for the Defence Medical Welfare Service and the British Safety Council and works with the NHS.  His military background means that, like many of our team, he has worked in some of the most high-stress, high-risk environments around the globe.

“We recognised that the restrictions on social contact can be stressful, so Thoughtify are helping us to run a private social media group to help keep everyone connected. Tom’s experience means that he is well placed to support us with helpful hints and tips and his team are available for any of our group to reach out to if they need any additional advice or support, or just need to chat.”

Bored at home during lockdown? 

Why not join us for some mental health info, tips, chat and general humour?

Follow the link below to find our new community group on Facebook.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Experts warn of ‘significant physical and mental wellbeing challenges’ for staff working remotely, and urge employers to recognise their continued responsibility here.

A poll of 500 workers, conducted by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) over the last two weeks, found 50 per cent of respondents were not happy with their current work-life balance, with 48 per cent putting in longer and more irregular hours than they would under normal circumstances.

A third (33 per cent) reported feeling isolated, while increased concerns over matters such as job security and the health of family members were causing sleep loss for 64 per cent of respondents – a problem compounded by irregular hours, according to the IES.

Thoughtify receive a business boost from Retail Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis. 

We were asked by our good friends over at Britains oldest Military Charity SSAFA to produce a few tip's for our Armed Forces Community, around maintaining mental wellbeing during the current pandemic.

Take a look at our tips and the resources.  They're relevant to everybody, not just the Armed Forces community.

Business leaders are facing a new challenge due to the uncertainty around the COVID-19 virus and what steps to take to ensure the wellbeing of their people.

Our advice for leaders (below) is based on that given by Prof Louis Appleby, who is a clinician & Government advisor.

The three issues for leaders to work on over the next few weeks are:

1. Anxiety in the workforce. This could be severe for some. Perhaps remind your people of the service that your EAP or health provider offers (including free access to counselling).  Encourage them to pick up the phone and call counselling if they are worried or directly affected by the illness.

2. Maintaining mental health in anyone isolating (keep connected).  This of course includes all employees that are working remotely if their office has closed.  They will need to feel connected and part of the bigger community, (we're all in this together).

3. Support for people already suffering with their mental health, especially in crisis.  How are your people that are already off due to mental health or physical illness coping?  Have they been contacted and reassured?

It may seem basic, but these three simple measures can be really important.

The words ‘diversity and inclusion’ are often associated with corporate social responsibility.

But creating a business environment that is accessible to everyone and truly embraces the differences that make us all unique is about more than simply doing the right thing

My Whole Self is a new campaign from Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England.

We’re calling on organisations to empower employees to bring their whole self to work. It’s better for everyone’s mental wellbeing and better for business.

Find out more here ..

Our MD Tom was asked to join a panel of speakers at Sky Broadcasting in London today in support of #timetotalk Day.

Sky have already been doing some great work around employee wellbeing (we’ve trained around 160 Mental Health First Aiders there for Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England over the last few months).

Today was a great way of highlighting mental health in the workplace and how by talking, we can break the stigma associated with opening up about how we feel.

#timetotalk #mentalhealth #londonbusiness

Last week we had the pleasure of delivering tailored mental health training for the senior leadership team at Facebook at their New York office.

Mental health and the wellbeing of employees is an area of concern that all senior business leaders should be interested in.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your employees learn to understand and take care of their mental health through education and coaching. 

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthtraining #business

For the past decade, these Awards have recognised some truly inspirational people. They shine a light on the outstanding achievements of current and former service men and women, their families, partners and all those who support the Armed Forces Community.

In a joint statement, Soldiering On Awards Co-chairs Ren Kapur MBE and Tal Lambert MBE, have said:

“The Armed Forces lead the way in demonstrating what it truly means to be a supportive community; both when duty calls and beyond into civilian life. The ethos, values and achievements of each of this year’s Finalists are remarkable and they deserve our hearty congratulations to have reached this position amongst so much worthy competition.”

Read more ......

Having a PADI diving instructor as our MD means that we at Thoughtify have a passion for the ocean, and making people aware that that the ocean is critical to the functioning of key planetary systems.

It is a key contributor to the Earth’s atmosphere, distributes heat, regulates climate and is part of a planet-wide ecosystem that supports all life!

We pledge to make our customers more aware of the damage being done to our seas and marine life, and encourage them to change their business practices in order to help protect and preserve our oceans for the future.

Take this free Suicide Prevention Training Course provided by The Zero Suicide Alliance. 

The Alliance is a collaborative of National Health Service trusts, businesses and individuals who are all committed to suicide prevention in the UK and beyond. 

The aims of this training are to: enable people to identify when someone is presenting with suicidal thoughts/behaviour, to be able to speak out in a supportive manner, and to empower them to signpost the individual to the correct services or support.

Just click the link below to start the training course....

“Sometimes it’s not easy to speak to people, there is a feeling of lack of self-worth where you can’t seem to cope anymore. People can feel low, but understand that people do care about you. The worst thing you can do is hold it in.”  Tom Fox

Have you read Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England's best-practice guidance for employers on how to implement Mental Health First Aid in the workplace?

This follows the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) recent enhancement of its First Aid guidance to clarify the existing need to consider mental health alongside physical health when undertaking a ‘needs assessment’.

October is proving to be a seriously busy month for us.

We’re delivering, or have already delivered Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England courses for Facebook, Google, UK Power Networks, Church & Dwight, En Route International, Warner Bro's Entertainment, NHS England, Legal & General Homes, and the UK Home Office.

An amazing month, and great to see so many fantastic companies and organisations creating a supportive culture of openness through employee mental health training.

“How are you?”, is a greeting, not a question. We don’t want to know how people are, we want to hear they are fine, it is a mutual national understanding, a part of British DNA, just as much as our obsession with the weather.

When you ask someone how they are, or even, when someone asks you how you are, we instinctively know the right answer is “yeah fine” or “good thanks”.

So, here’s an idea.  On the 10th, when someone asks you how you are, instead of instinctively “saying yeah fine” just as you usually do, I dare you not to, and tell them just how you really feel.

The British Ex-Forces in Business Awards, is the world's largest celebration of military veterans in second careers!

These unique awards, for which the Armed Forces charity SSAFA is the official charity partner, are all about increasing visibility of business role models for servicemen and women and showcasing the military-gained skills and values that have enabled their success.

The awards ceremony itself, taking place on 20 May 2020 in London, is a very special night celebrating the value our ex-service personnel bring to employers across the country. 

The inspiring evening brings together the UK's veteran, business and military communities to raise awareness of the pool of incredibly talented individuals who leave our Armed Forces each year and educate on the business case of supporting their transition.

No one is expected to be a mental health expert if it is not an area they work in. 

But we can all take responsibility for learning about the factors that can influence mental health and spotting the signs of poor mental health. And there are resources available to enable organisations of all shapes and sizes to understand how to.

We had a great day this week over at Warner Brothers in London, delivering a 1 day Mental Health Champions course to senior managers from across the WB group.

WB, like many other forward thinking companies, are rolling out MHFA training to their staff as part of their mental health and wellbeing programme.

Follow the link below to find out more about this very informative and useful course.

I was delighted to be invited to meet with Sally Boyle & Beth Robotham at Goldman Sachs London last week, to talk about workplace stress & the importance of looking after our mental health.

Modern life is stressful.  We all know that, so it's important that we regularly take the time to do the little things that make us happy and feel relaxed.  But we mistakenly tend to treat taking time out for ourselves as somehow being selfish or lazy!

The truth is that we don't always take into account the serious consequences for our physical health of not taking some time for ourselves.  Too much stress can accelerate the aging process, suppress our immune system, and leave us feeling fatigued and depressed.  We are not invincible.  We burn out.  We get sick.  We are vulnerable.  

Sally & Beth truly get that, and that's why I found meeting these two City leaders so refreshing and energising.

Tom.  MD Thoughtify

We are delighted to announce that Thoughtify Ltd are now an official intermediary provider of LifeWorks unified Total Well-being Solution.

Used by 15 million people and 50,000 companies, LifeWorks Total Well-being Experience includes employee assistance, rewards & recognition, HR communications & community, perks & savings, and personalised wellness.

Click the link to get in touch or find out more.

Burn-out is now included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon.  It is defined as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

We believe that this is a significant step forward on the road to creating parity between physical and mental health in the workplace, and will have future repercussions for companies that fail to manage employee mental health correctly.

To kick off Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 we've been talking with Thoughtify Ltd, a mental health training service for businesses.

Thoughtify provides mental health and wellbeing training to businesses, encouraging them to safeguard employee mental health, understand the effect it has on employees and showing how to support those who may require additional support.

A great article by X-Forces for Enterprise about Thoughtify MD Tom and why mental health is important to business. 

Read about the Soldiering On Awards, and the 3/6/12 initiative that aims to promote the growth of small business through collaberation with big business.

Were delighted that our MD Tom has been invited to manage and curate the @NHS twitter account during mental health awareness week this year.

Tom say's ...

"I'm very pleased to have been asked to manage the @NHS Twitter account from Monday 13th – Friday 17th May as part of this years Mental Health Awareness Week.

I'll be tweeting as curator of @NHS between 8am & 6pm, and each day will be based around a different mental health theme with several topic's throughout the day.  I'd really like you to add your comments about what you think should be the theme and topic's of discussion over that week so please follow the link below and start messaging me with your thoughts."

Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 will take place from Monday 13 to Sunday 19 May 2019. The theme for 2019 is Body Image – how we think and feel about our bodies.

Find out more by following the link below the Mental Health Foundation, where you will find information and free resources to help your business promote Mental Health Awareness Week.

Why not speak to us about delivering a Mental Health Awareness course for your employees?  It only takes a morning, it's fully certificated, and it's a great way of supporting your employees by opening the conversation about mental health in the workplace.

Presenteeism is 4 times more costly to business than absenteeism.  As well as affecting the productivity of those staff who report for work when unwell, sickness presence can adversely affect general staff morale and contribute to longer recovery periods from illness.

"I was physically present but mentally I wasn't doing anything".  "I think I just cleared my inbox every day".

‘Postnatal anxiety hit me like a tonne of bricks and I was convinced my baby was going to die’

We all like too think that we're doing a good job, but it's important that we always keep trying to improve and be better at what we do.  This is why customer feedback is so, so important.

Tom Fox is a former Rifleman who has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He has now trained as a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor, is a plenary speaker for MHFA England on PTSD, and has set up his own business, Thoughtify Ltd, aiming to destigmatise mental ill health and encourage early diagnosis. Here is his story of living without diagnosis, beginning his path to recovery, and wanting to make a difference and help others.

Work-related stress, depression or anxiety is defined by the HSE as a harmful reaction people have to undue pressures and demands placed on them at work.  But what are undue pressures and demands?

There are of course lots of factors that can affect the mental health and wellbeing of employees, but I thought I’d focus on what the HSE have narrowed down as being the four main culprits in the workplace. Workload, lack of support, bullying and change.

Mental health organisations often call on leaders to create mentally healthy workplaces for their employees, but who looks after the bosses?

A former rifleman diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tom Fox is now using his personal experience to help others. With the support of SSAFA, Tom has retrained in Mental Health and set up his own online business, aiming to destigmatise mental ill health and encourage early diagnosis.

"Because of my background I'd always thought of myself as being mentally tough and resilient.  I've been there, seen it, done it, and I know that if it can happen to me then it can happen to anyone.  None of us are immune to mental ill health because it just doesn't discriminate, which is why we all need to speak openly about it at all levels in business".

Tom Brake MP visited veterans’ mental health charity Combat Stress to find out how former servicemen and women are supported to overcome trauma-related mental health problems.

To celebrate the Invictus Games Sydney 2018, Sage has joined forces with 50 inspiring veteran run or owned businesses and leading military nonprofits throughout Australia, UK, US, and Canada,  to launch the inaugural Sage Power 50.