Today marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Week and we are proud to support the Mental Health Foundation in their mission to promote mental well-being for everyone.
Recognising the alarming statistics surrounding mental health in the construction sector, where the suicide rate is three times the national average for male workers, we have taken proactive steps to address this crisis head-on.
At the forefront of our efforts are our Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA). Trained to listen, reassure, and respond to individuals in need, our MHFA serve as beacons of support across our office, site, and home-based locations. To make their presence known, our dedicated individuals proudly display stickers on their hard hats, signalling to colleagues that help is readily available.
Our commitment to mental health is paramount and we are proud to wear our hearts on our hard hats. We believe that everyone deserves to feel supported, especially in environments as demanding as construction.
Yvanna Godwin Company Lead for Mental Health
Our dedication to mental health extends beyond immediate crisis intervention. With a network of over 170 MHFA and the establishment of a wellbeing strategy through the BuildSure group, we are committed to promoting a culture of wellbeing for all our people. This approach aims not only to provide immediate support but also to promote long-term resilience and mental wellness.
We hope, with every hard hat sticker and every trained MHFA, we’re able to reaffirm our commitment to building a safer, healthier future for all.
We are also proud to be involved in research in proactive steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of people experiencing poor mental health.
This work is being done with Mates in Mind, the University of Warwick and the Tier 1 H&S Leadership Group (made up from H&S Directors for the major Tier 1 construction companies) and is supported by the HSE and the Construction Leadership Council.
Whilst there is more research to be done, we are hoping to be able to share more on the output of this work shortly.
The accolades continue for the Trinity Building at Springfield University Hospital, London, which won ‘Project of the Year – New Build UK’ at the 2023 Design in Mental Health Conference Awards.
Graduate Engineer, Katy Hodgson opens up to talk about anxiety, which is the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
The importance of mental health cannot be overstated. As one colleague explains, experiencing poor mental health can be an extremely difficult and lonely experience.
