Mental Health Awareness for Managers

The Mental Health Awareness for Managers course helps leaders, supervisors and managers develop the knowledge and confidence to support employee wellbeing and create a healthier workplace culture.

Delivered by the British Red Cross, this CPD-accredited course explores how mental health affects individuals and teams and helps managers recognise the signs of mental health challenges and respond appropriately.

Participants will gain practical strategies for managing workplace stress, supporting colleagues who may be struggling, and building resilient teams that can perform effectively even in demanding environments.

This course is suitable for managers across a wide range of sectors including construction, utilities, telecommunications, retail, financial services and public sector organisations.

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for:

• Managers and team leaders responsible for employee wellbeing

• Supervisors supporting teams in challenging or high-pressure environments

• HR professionals involved in workplace wellbeing

• Leaders who want to build stronger and more resilient teams

The course is suitable for organisations looking to improve employee wellbeing, reduce stress-related absence and create a supportive workplace culture.

What the Course Covers

The course introduces key mental health awareness topics relevant to leadership roles. Managers will develop a better understanding of mental health, workplace stress and how to respond effectively when someone may be experiencing difficulties.

Across four learning modules, the course explores how leaders can recognise signs of mental health problems, support individuals appropriately and create an environment where wellbeing and resilience are prioritised.

Course Modules

Mental Health Awareness

This module explores how mental health challenges can affect individuals and teams in the workplace.

Topics covered include:

• how people can be affected by mental health problems

• understanding and supporting anxiety and depression

• recognising unusual or challenging behaviours

• suicide and self-harm risk factors and signs of intent

• having safe conversations around suicide

• using the CALMER framework to support someone experiencing mental health difficulties

Team Resilience

This module focuses on the role leadership plays in creating resilient teams and managing challenges effectively.

Topics include:

• understanding what makes a resilient team and how leadership can influence it

• recognising the qualities of effective leadership

• developing skills and knowledge for leading a team

• implementing strategies and tools for dealing with challenges successfully

• using the CALMER framework to help lead a resilient team

Stress Awareness

This module helps managers understand workplace stress and how to support employees experiencing pressure or challenging circumstances.

Topics covered include:

• recognising stress and understanding its causes

• understanding the impact of stress and trauma

• building a trauma-informed workplace using the CALMER framework

• supporting employees to manage stress and develop resilience

• using mindfulness techniques to improve wellbeing

• strategies and tools for managing stress within your team

• developing effective team resilience and support

Wellbeing Support

This module focuses on supporting individuals who may be experiencing emotionally challenging situations.

Topics include:

• understanding different reactions to difficult situations

• recognising powerful emotions, feelings and ambiguous loss

• using the Red Cross CALMER framework in emotionally challenging situations

• developing effective communication and active listening skills

• identifying the needs of others and responding appropriately

• recognising available resources and support strategies

• building resilience and improving wellbeing

Delivery Options

This course is delivered through trainer-led sessions and can be arranged to suit your organisation.

On-site training

The course can be delivered at your workplace anywhere in the UK. This option allows teams to learn together and apply discussions directly to their working environment.

In-person sessions include group discussions, visual learning activities and real-life scenarios designed to make the course engaging and practical.

Virtual classroom training

Virtual training is delivered as a live trainer-led session, providing the same core course content and discussions as an in-person course.

Interactive elements are adapted for online delivery so participants can still take part in discussions and practical exercises.

Virtual learning can be particularly useful for organisations with teams located across different regions or operating hybrid working arrangements.