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Construction sector builds on successful mental health pilot

A charitable programme to improve workforce mental health in the UK construction industry is being rolled out this month, after a successful pilot earlier this year.

With so many fleet operators working in or supplying the construction sector, Mates in Mind is a key initiative to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Central to the Mates in Mind framework is providing construction firms with a joined-up approach to mental health, from support to employees, line managers and the organisation, through to a tiered training framework developed in collaboration with organisations such as the British Safety Council, Mind, and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England.

Construction industry business champions for the scheme so far are Balfour Beatty, Careys, Eight2O, Galliford Try, Heathrow, Tarmac, Tideway, Sellafield, Willmott Dixon and Volker Wessels UK.

Mates in Mind is the brainchild of the Health in Construction Leadership Group (HCLG): at a summit last year, construction industry CEOs voted overwhelmingly to improve the mental wellbeing of their workforces.

“For too many years the industry has been shouting about safety but only whispering about health,” says Clive Johnson, chair of HCLG and head of health and safety at Landsec.

“I am extremely proud that Landsec and the HCLG are at the forefront of ensuring that mental health provision within construction is dramatically improved.”

Click the link below for more information on Mates in Mind.

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