WHSmith upskill staff to become Mental Health First Aiders

"Taking action and seeking help if someone has fainted is second nature to at least a few people in every workplace; they might know to put them in the recovery position and certainly to call 999. But can we say the same when it comes to supporting someone experiencing a mental health issue such as a panic attack?"

This is a point raised by Alison Garbutt, Head of Strategic Projects, WHSmith, who believes firms should have Mental Health First Aiders in the workplace. "At WHSmith, as in all workplaces, we have physical first aiders who are trained to help in emergencies but, since 2016, we have also been working hard to equip our teams with Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders).