We are pleased to announce the launch of our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) service on 31 August 2026.
This new provision offers employees access to trained Mental Health First Aiders who can provide a confidential and supportive point of contact for those experiencing mental health concerns, emotional distress, or who may benefit from a listening ear and signposting to appropriate sources of support.
What the MHFA service is and isn’t
- Mental Health First Aiders provide initial support to colleagues
- It is an early intervention support, and signposting service
- They promoting awareness of mental health, with an aim to reduce stigma in the workplace
- They are not qualified counsellors or therapists and do not diagnose, advise, or provide treatment recommendations
How staff can access support
- Once the service is live, details of our MHFA service and contact details for our MHFAs will be uploaded to the Health and Wellbeing page within My Council Works
- Additional health and well-being supportive information and advice can also be accessed via the link above
How confidentiality will work
- We will not retain the name of any employee accessing the service
- We will only retain information for data measuring purposes such as date, MHFA name, location call originated from, employee department, conversation type and what signposting advice was provided
Emergency/safeguarding escalation routes
- Where an MHFA deems that a situation requires escalation, they can do so by contacting one of our four Safeguarding Leads, getting in touch with our Employee Assistance Programme, contacting the employees GP (with permission), or contacting Emergency Services.
Get in touch with your nearest MHFA
