West Yorkshire housebuilder lays the foundations for mental health discussions in the workplace

Run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation, aimed to encourage friends, families, communities and workplaces to come together to talk, listen and change lives.

A number of members of staff have undergone training in mental health first aid and are now the first port of call for colleagues who are experiencing issues with their mental well-being.

One of the Division’s mental health first aiders is Personal Assistant, Lisa Williams, who said: “I am passionate about helping others and removing the stigma associated with mental health problems not only within our industry but also within the wider community.

“In today’s society, partly due to social media and peer pressure, talking about feelings can easily be seen as a weakness and as such so many are suffering in silence. Talking and showing compassion to each other is more important than ever, and that is why I am very proud to be part of this team, and I hope anyone within our Division would feel comfortable talking to me.

“The challenges that people face daily are unique to each individual. Some struggle with the hours, delivering to timeframes or the manual labour within their role, in addition to external troubles. However, all challenges are related in some way, none can be taken in isolation and all need to be treated with care and respect.”

According to the mental health charity Mind, one in four people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England; with one in six reporting experiencing a common mental health problem, like anxiety and depression, in any given week.

The training was organised by Mental Health First Aid England for the developer’s employees and the group undergoing the training was encouraged to share their own experiences of mental health struggles to aid their learning and understanding.

The construction industry is known for its focus on physical wellbeing with risk assessments and health and safety being a priority to ensure routines run smoothly. With the mental health first aid training offered to employees, Barratt and David Wilson Homes is leading the change to consider the mental health impacts of working within the construction industry and is making a conscious effort to support its employees in this way.

Gavin Birch, Managing Director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Yorkshire West, said: “We are incredibly proud as the UK’s leading housebuilder to offer this mental health first aid training to our employees, and every member that has undertaken the training is a credit to the company.

“Our employees and their mental health are of upmost importance to us and we couldn’t be happier to be leading the change in discussing mental health within construction.”

For information on how to receive support for mental health, visit Mind or Rethink Mental Illness.