Mental Health First Aid at RML

Robinson Manufacturing (RML) takes the wellbeing of its employees extremely seriously, with high profile HSEQ & HR teams continually assessing, training and improving how we work to make sure everyone goes home to their families safely at the end of every working day.

However, the pandemic has had a major impact on mental health across the country. While RML ran a daily staff engagement programme through lockdowns, to make sure our teams still felt supported by and part of the RML family, we know there are people out there who are still suffering from prolonged isolation or anxiety. Mental health has always been a bit of a healthcare Cinderella in the UK too – while businesses are happy to train staff in physical first aid, mental health and wellbeing have tended to be neglected in the workplace, with employees of many businesses fearing for their careers if they admit to experiencing difficulties.

RML’s head of HSEQ Matt Davies, and Head of HR, Anna Kennedy, are set on making sure that the company’s focus on wellbeing incorporates mental as well as physical health, and have both just completed comprehensive training on Mental Health First Aid along with Head of Production Jamie Wilkins.

With 32% of full time employees in the UK having suffered from mental health problems while at work (source: Mental Health Foundation), Matt and Anna have acquired skills that give them the confidence to support a person in distress effectively, becoming points of contact within the business for anyone who is struggling. 

Matt commented: “This course has been really useful; it makes you really look into what mental health is and how to manage it,  helping people who have either identified they’re suffering with it or how to better identify it and, of course, offer help.”

RML’s commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of its staff extends beyond just two members of the senior leadership team, Head of Production Oversight, Darren Cross, is also training and we plan to roll out the course to Production Supervisors across the business.