Just as we learn physical first aid to help someone with an injury until professional help arrives, Mental Health First Aid equips you with the skills to support someone experiencing poor mental health until they can get appropriate professional help.

The MHFAider® course will give you the confidence to recognise the early warning signs of poor mental health, start a supportive conversation, and guide someone towards appropriate professional or self-help resources. It’s not about diagnosis, counselling, or therapy - it’s about being a steady, informed first point of contact.

First developed in Australia in 2000, MHFA is based on solid research and medical evidence and is now recognised worldwide. On the course, you’ll learn how to:

• Recognise the signs of poor mental health
• Offer first-aid style support and reassurance
• Guide someone towards the right professional help
• Look after your own wellbeing as you support others

You’ll receive a workbook to use during the course (and keep afterwards as a reference), plus access to a digital course manual through the MHFA online learning hub. When you complete the course, you’ll receive your Mental Health First Aider certificate.

Course format:

Two full days (9 am – 5 pm) or Four sessions of up to 4 hours each, spread over two weeks

Ongoing Support for Three Years

When you finish, you’ll have three years of access to:

• The Association of Mental Health First Aiders - England’s first and only membership body for MHFAiders
• 24/7 digital support via the MHFAider Support App® and Online Learning Hub
• A library of toolkits, guidance, animations, and key mental health resources
• The Hub of Hope signposting database to find local and national mental health services
• Quarterly webinars to deepen and refresh your skills

Designed initially for time-poor professionals who still want to make a real difference, the Mental Health Champion course equips you with the skills and confidence to recognise signs of poor mental health, start conversations, and guide people towards appropriate support.

Delivered over one full day or two half-days within two weeks, the course is practical, interactive, and workplace-focused. You will learn to:

• Recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues
• Offer initial help and reassurance to someone in distress
• Signpost individuals to appropriate professional or community support
• Foster a healthier, more open workplace culture
• Protect and maintain your own wellbeing while supporting others

Course resources and certification:

Each participant receives a workbook and manual to use during and after the training. On completion, you will be certified by MHFA England as a Mental Health Champion - ready to take an active role in promoting positive mental health in your workplace or community.

This half-day (four-hour) course offers a practical introduction to mental health for anyone who wants to build awareness, reduce stigma, and feel more confident supporting others. It’s ideal for those with limited time who still want to make a positive impact.

You will learn to:

• Understand what mental health is, and what it isn’t
• Identify factors that can influence mental wellbeing
• Recognise the signs of poor mental health
• Challenge stigma and understand its effects on recovery
• Begin supportive conversations about mental health
• Work more effectively with people experiencing mental health problems
• Look after your own mental wellbeing
• Appreciate the impact of mental health on individuals and organisations

Course resources and certification:

Participants receive a workbook and manual for ongoing reference. All learners completing the course will receive an MHFA England Mental Health Aware certificate of attendance.

Mental health first aid training needs to be kept up to date.

We recommend Mental Health First Aiders take the MHFA Refresher course every three years to:

• Keep your awareness of mental health support current
• Update your knowledge of mental health, what influences it and mental health supports
• Practice applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan

By refreshing your mental health knowledge, awareness, and skills you will continue to have access to: − The Association of Mental Health First Aiders, England’s first and only membership body for Mental Health First Aiders − Our 24/7 digital support package through the MHFAider Support App® and Online Learning Hub − Our resource library of toolkits, guidance, animations, and core mental health concepts to support you in your role as an MHFAider® − The signposting database, through Hub of Hope, to find local and national mental health services for additional support Our exclusive quarterly webinars to embed and broaden your mental health knowledge.

The MHFA Refresher course is a four-hour session with a mix of presentations, discussions, films and group activities.

Everyone attending a course receives a course-specific manual cum workbook to keep and refer to as needed.

Everyone completing the course receives a certificate of attendance, renewing their status for three years.

In addition, within a month of completing the course, each delegate will receive details of how to access the MHFAider Support App® and the MHFAider® community area on the Online Learning Hub, where you will regularly find new content.

By completing your MHFA Refresher, you will also benefit from continuing to be a member of England’s largest community of trained MHFAiders®, the Association of Mental Health First Aiders. Members will be kept up to date with the latest changes, developments, and training in mental health, enabling you to carry out your role effectively.

Our introductory webinar provides the perfect gateway into understanding and supporting neurodiversity.

The aims of this 1- 1.5-hour session are:

• to increase your understanding of neurodiversity
• learn how to support neurodiverse individuals in the workplace properly
• and more importantly, help to unlock their vast potential

The Aware webinar is delivered online only and is a prerequisite for our Champion and Managers’ workshops.

In the Neurodiversity Aware webinar, you will learn:

• Be able to list the main neurodiverse conditions and the set of strengths common to each condition
• Understand the concept of neurodiversity
• Explore the common myths around neurodiversity
• Discover perception stereotypes
• How time at school impacts self-esteem and confidence
• Discover the link between unsupported neurodiverse conditions and mental health disorders
• Gain an understanding of the challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals in terms of communication and socialising
• Be introduced to sensory overload
• Understand why the autism spectrum and neurodiversity spectrum are not a line to put people on
• The positive impact that you make through reasonable adjustments

Changing the way people and employers think about and treat their staff through neurodiversity Training. Understanding and supporting neurodiversity is essential for businesses that truly value their employees.

Neurodivergence describes people who think differently to the majority. It’s often used concerning neurodevelopmental conditions including autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia.

In the past, these conditions were viewed as “problems” that needed fixing. Thankfully, progressive thinking means that we now focus on celebrating and supporting neurodiversity.

Thrive’s Neurodiversity In The Workplace training equips you with the tools to recognise and unlock the potential of neurodiverse talent in your business.

This is a half-day (4 – 4.5 hours) workshop delivered either online or face-to-face. It is a follow-on from the Neurodiversity Aware course.

This workshop is designed for anyone wanting to become a Neurodiversity Champion – someone who wants to educate and change the way that neurodiversity is viewed in your company.

The aims of this workshop are:

• to lead acceptance of neurodiversity across the workplace and beyond
• help facilitate and change the culture in your workplace around neurodiversity and its acceptance.

In the Neurodiversity Champion workshop, you will learn:

• Confidently list the main neurodiverse conditions and the set of strengths common to each condition
• Develop an understanding of how an individual living with each condition may present within the workplace
• Gain a basic understanding of executive functioning
• Understand the concept of neurodiversity in terms of executive functioning within daily life
• Personally experience what it feels like to have an executive functioning challenge.
• Understand why it’s important for diversity and inclusion to include neurodivergent individuals
• The concept of school trauma and the impact this has on learning new skills
• Understand how meltdowns and shutdowns occur and the negative impacts they have
• Discover ways to create a more sensory-safe working environment
• Understand the idea that external factors can cause anxiety
• Be able to recognise anxiety within yourself and others, and learn ways to manage anxiety
• Create a mental health and wellbeing virtual toolbox to support yourself and anyone else experiencing a crisis
• Learn the importance of clear communication and develop an understanding of how complicated communication is
• Start to understand that all behaviour is communication and aim to support rather than judge.
• Unpack that communication errors are faults on all sides and find out how to prevent low morale within a workplace.
• Discover the importance of supporting those who self-identify as neurodivergent
• The positive impact that you can make through reasonable adjustments