Expert Insight: Mental Health in the Workplace

An interview with Founder and Director of Altruist Enterprises

According to the Mental Health Foundation, almost 15% of the UK workforce experiences mental health problems at work, so it’s reassuring to know that through increased education and awareness as well as new guidelines by ACAS, significant progress is being made in the the field of mental health in the workplace.

We’re continually striving to change the wider organisational perspective when it comes to supporting employees with mental health issues. In an enlightening interview, we had the opportunity to speak to Katie Buckingham, Founder and Director of Altruist Enterprises, a leading workplace mental health training provider in the UK.

Katie has over a decade of experience helping both employers and employees with mental health. Here she offers practical strategies for fostering a positive and inclusive work environment and provides valuable insights into how organisations can effectively navigate this sensitive terrain.

What motivated you to start a mental health training company?

I started experiencing anxiety at the age of 10 and didn’t receive appropriate support until I was 16. During my recovery, I discovered that the lack of mental health awareness and support wasn’t unique to me.

With funding from my local authority, I delivered mental health workshops in schools to ensure that young people got the support they needed earlier without fear of discrimination. I was keen to turn my passion into an organisation that could make a real difference, so I attended the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy to learn entrepreneurship skills.

In 2013, I founded Altruist Enterprises. Since forming, we have partnered with over 500 businesses and schools to help them establish effective wellbeing programmes.

In your experience, is there still a stigma around mental health in the workplace, despite the growing awareness of mental health issues in recent years?

I believe that there is still a taboo around mental health in the workplace, but things are getting better. We’ve seen a real shift in the past 10 years from organisations saying things like ‘we don’t have mental health here’ to actively seeking support from organisations such as Altruist.

Why do you think this negative attitude might exist?

You can’t see mental health. You often hear the analogy that if someone has a broken leg, you can see that they have an injury and know to provide support. When it comes to mental health in the workplace, people can worry that they are going to say the wrong thing.

How can companies address the stigma around mental health in the workplace?

We know that organisations that take a strategic approach to employee wellbeing are more likely to report positive achievements. A good first step is to perform an organisational audit to analyse existing wellbeing data and set objectives for the future. It can be difficult to know where to start so we created a free online mental health audit tool for businesses.

The next step is for organisations to write their wellbeing strategy which, in terms of mental health in the workplace, would typically include plans for prevention, early identification and support.

Organisations find it beneficial to implement a network of Mental Health First Aiders. Similar to a First Aider who is the go-to person for immediate assistance with physical health or illness, a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) is the first port of call for a colleague experiencing a mental health issue. As it’s an extra responsibility, we advise that organisations encourage employees to volunteer for the role and that they come from a range of backgrounds, job roles and departments.

Line managers often lack the skills and the confidence to support their team members with with their mental health. We recommend that managers receive practical training on mental health in the workplace so that they are able to spot signs and intervene early if someone requires support.

To address mental health stigma in the workplace and increase understanding, employers can also implement basic mental health in the workplace awareness training for all employees. This can usually be delivered flexibly through a mix of ‘lunch and learns’, e-learning and more in-depth instructor-led courses.

Altruist provide MHFAider® training, manager training and employee awareness and resilience training to support organisations with their wellbeing training programme.

And finally, communication is key when implementing a wellbeing strategy that addresses mental health in the workplace. Remind people why it matters, what it involves, and what will be different as a result. Having a central resource hub (e.g. intranet) where employees can access relevant wellbeing information is a great way to increase awareness.

What role do managers and leaders play in addressing issues relating to mental health in the workplace, and how can they create a supportive environment for their employees?

Leaders and managers play a pivotal role in supporting wellbeing and mental health in the workplace initiatives, but often lack the skills required. To create a supportive environment, you need the following five things:

At least one ‘Wellbeing Champion’ in the Senior Leadership Team.
Line managers trained in people management (we often find that individuals can be promoted to a management position because they are technical good at their role, but this does not necessarily make them good people managers).
Managers clearly modelling positive wellbeing behaviours, for example: they take time off when they’re ill, don’t work on holiday, don’t overwork.
Managers who can confidently spot the early signs of stress and mental ill-health in themselves and others.
Managers who are equipped with the tools to have mental health conversations and signpost towards appropriate resources.

How do you think technology and digital tools can be used to improve awareness about mental health in the workplace?

Having digital capabilities has always been important in the workplace but has become essential because of the pandemic. Many companies have adopted hybrid working models so support needs to be accessible and inclusive. With any initiative or capability, it’s important that it forms part of a wider wellbeing strategy.

How do the organisations you work with measure the effectiveness of your mental health training programmes?

We measure delegate knowledge and understanding of mental health and confidence in supporting themselves and others before and after the course. We then follow up three months later to understand the support this has cascaded.

Organisations can go a step further and obtain data from leaders and employees to view wellbeing through multiple lenses. It is important that this is done and reviewed regularly to make it effective.

Finally, what are some trends and developments in the field of mental health that you are excited about?

We’re really excited to see that organisations are thinking about and implementing initiatives around topics such as the menopause, men’s health and neurodiversity. Providing support in these areas offers a holistic wellbeing approach for employees.

Thanks for talking with us, Katie.

Download our free Workplace Mental Health Action Plan and toolkit today! It’s downloadable from the free resources section within PeopleStreams.