Mental Health Matters – Belfast City Airport Invests in Training of Mental Health First Aiders

Date: 09 Oct 2021

To mark World Mental Health Day, George Best Belfast City Airport is partnering with QualSafe, one of the UK's largest Ofqual regulated awarding organisations, to upskill three in-house first aid practitioners to become specialist mental health first aiders.

With 1 in 4 people in the UK likely to experience mental health problems each year, there is a clear need for better support and resources, and as a responsible business leader, the airport is committed to ensuring the physical and mental wellbeing of its employees.

The investment in the bespoke training of these on-site mental health first aiders follows the delivery of mental health training to 100% of staff earlier this year.

Stephen Patton, Human Resources and CR Manager at Belfast City Airport, explained:

"Our people are at the heart of everything we do at Belfast City Airport. When they thrive as individuals, we thrive as a business.

"The physical and mental wellbeing of our employees has and always will be of paramount importance and we continually invest in initiatives that promote wellness and balance in the workplace.

"This recent investment will enable us to have a specially qualified mental health first aider on site to confidently support any colleagues or indeed passengers experiencing poor mental health, which further solidifies our position as a responsible business leader and a great place to work."

The mental health first aiders will receive a QA Level 3 Award in Understanding Mental Health in the Workplace (RQF), a regulated and nationally recognised qualification that has been specifically designed to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions in the workplace and how best to offer support and guidance to colleagues.

On completion of the two-day course, the qualified mental health first aiders will then be able to transfer knowledge to other departments across the airport, generating a culture of understanding, support, and openness.

For more information on how Belfast City Airport nurtures its workforce, visit www.belfastcityairport.com/Sustainability

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