MHiP – New ports Mental Health First Aiders course

With the PSS mental health in ports week now entering its fifth year, PSS are delighted to launch a port-specific Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) course.

In the last five years that PSS has been running this campaign week, talking about mental health has become much more acceptable and acknowledged by employers as an important aspect of health and safety. Mental health challenges, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, are prevalent in high-risk and demanding work environments, and males under 30 – a key demographic in ports – are one of the highest risk group.

“Mental health first aiders are often cited by members as one of the important steps their company has made in supporting staff well-being,” said Debbie Cavaldoro, PSS CEO. “This year, our port happiness survey found that just over half of respondents had received no mental health awareness training in the past five years; two-thirds also felt that they and their colleagues would struggle to identify the early signs of mental health issues.

“By undertaking this course, port workers will be better able to spot the signs of poor mental health and crucially, understand the steps to take to better support each other.”

The new ports MHFA training course is delivered over two days through four engaging sessions. Equipping your team with the skills and confidence to recognise and assist colleagues experiencing a mental health issue. The first course takes place on 27 and 28 May, hosted by Portsmouth International Port.

Chris Hatter, Head of Compliance at Portsmouth said: “Mental health challenges are something that we will all experience, whether through friends, family or ourselves.

“The port sector is no different and we need to keep breaking down the stigma of talking about the issues but also working to maintain positive mental health. At Portsmouth, we’re proud to partner with Port Skills and Safety on another industry wide course and hope that through this collaboration we can get the start breaking down barriers.”

By training mental health first aiders, ports not only enhance staff well-being but also creating a supportive, safe, and proactive work culture. The course will train MHFA to be able to understand and recognise common conditions, as well as developing essential skills including active listening, empathy and crisis management.

The first course takes place on 27 and 28 May and will cost £350 for members. Other courses around the country are also planned for later in the year. To register for this course, or to enquire about future courses, contact info@portskillsandsafety.co.uk.