What does a successful Mental Health Strategy look like?

Claire Russell, Founder of Mental Health in Business, shares the key components of a successful mental health and wellbeing strategy. Learn how to future‑proof the mental health and wellbeing of employees and create a psychologically safe and healthy workplace culture.

1. Bottom‑up and top‑down approach

Bottom‑up and top‑down approach, with the leadership fully on board and modelling good practices themselves. That’s how a positive mental health culture is established.

2. Training and education

It’s important to look at equipping all Line Managers with the fundamental knowledge and skills to be able to spot the signs that someone is experiencing symptoms of poor mental health. This also helps to provide your employees with good working conditions and ensure they have a healthy work/life balance and opportunities for development.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training is also a good route to equip your senior leaders.

3. Mental Health Champions

Mental Health Champions are there to help sign‑post individuals to key information they may need. Make sure these individuals are supported and people in your business know how to access them.

4. Mental Health and Wellbeing Leadership Team

Make sure your Leadership Team are empowered to follow through on the pledges that the organisation has made.

5. Communications

Consistent internal communications to raise awareness so make sure you have a 12‑month comms plan.

6. Mental Health Philosophy

Make sure it is a lived philosophy, not just a poster on a wall. This is a way of communicating to everyone in the business what the organisational commitment is to mental wellbeing.

7. Organisational policies and processes

ALL people processes: recruitment, maternity, bereavement, sickness absence.