Jamie McGovern, CWU Health & Safety Policy Assistant, on behalf of The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has welcomed the launch of new Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards from MHFA England, published on Tuesday 6th October, just days before World Mental Health Day on Saturday 10th October.
This year's World Mental Health Day theme is "Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change".
World Mental Health Day is on Saturday 10th October.
The day highlights mental health as a universal human right and the fact that one in eight people live with a mental health condition, often facing stigma, discrimination and inadequate treatment. The CWU says the theme has particular relevance for workplaces, where incidents and traumatic events can happen on any site, any road or in any workplace, with a direct effect on mental health.
Union input shaped the standards
The CWU and other unions contributed to the public consultation on the standards in 2025, hoping they would be a step towards every employee having access to high-quality mental health support, whatever their role or workplace.
The CWU's submission called for three key inclusions, two of which made it into the final document:
- Mental health treated as seriously as physical health: included in Standard 1, covering workplace policies, practice and wider use of risk assessments.
- Reasonable adjustments for employees with diagnosed mental health conditions: included in Standard 8, following person-specific risk assessments.
- Disability Confident employers signing up to the standards: not yet included.
Training and support
The CWU confirmed that its two-day Mental Health First Aid course will be available again in 2027. The course helps learners understand what a traumatic event is, what Crisis First Aid looks like in suchsituations, and which protective factors can support mental health.
An official World Mental Health Day 2026 toolkit is available to download, and anyone seeking help can find their nearest support service through the Mental Health Support Network, provided by Chasing the Stigma, via the Hub of Hope.
The new standards were circulated to branches with Letter To Branches (LTB) 267/26, which can be downloaded by clicking on the image to the left.
There is always hope and for those into Sport, a Toolkit designed to build confidence, knowledge, skills and expertise, helping individuals and organisations understand what works and how to take action.
As can be seen from the Hub of Hope website, the toolkit explains how you can:
- Create safe and supportive environments where people feel able to speak up and support others in distress
- Make suicide prevention part of everyday practice, including policies and ways of working
- Educate those within your organisation, from raising awareness to responding to someone in crisis
- Put clear procedures in place for responding to crisis situations and providing support after a suicide
