First Aid at Work Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire is launching a new programme of monthly OPEN Workplace Mental Health (WMH) courses from November, delivered at its Aberdeen training facility.
The 1 day courses will give businesses the opportunity to train individual members of staff without having to arrange a full private course, making them particularly suitable for organisations that may only require one or two people to be trained at a time.
The launch comes as the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures estimate that 61,000 workers in Scotland experience work-related stress, depression or anxiety each year, with around 2.3 million working days lost as a result.
The HSE has long recognised work-related stress as an important workplace health issue and, in 2024, updated its First Aid at Work guidance to emphasise that employers should consider employees' mental health as part of their first aid needs assessment.
Sarah Phillips, owner and trainer at First Aid at Work Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, said: “When we think about First Aid at Work, we naturally think about CPR, defibrillators, bleeding or someone becoming physically unwell. But workplace health isn't only physical.
“Mental health training isn't about turning people into counsellors. It's about giving them the confidence to recognise when someone may be struggling, start a conversation, listen without judgement and know where to signpost them for appropriate help.”
For organisations looking to train a larger team, private training is also available at the client's workplace or at the company's Aberdeen training facility. Options include a half-day Mental Health Awareness course, the one-day Workplace Mental Health course and the two-day Workplace Mental Health & Well-being Ambassador course.
Sarah added: “Mental health is a serious subject, but that doesn't mean the training has to be dull. My aim is always to make training practical, engaging and memorable – and most importantly, give people the confidence to use what they've learned.”
The new monthly OPEN Workplace Mental Health courses begin in November 2026.
For course dates and further information, visit firstaidatworkaberdeen.co.uk.