One of the region’s leading housebuilders is putting the mental health of its staff at the very top of its agenda by enlisting the help of professional mental health training providers who will go on to train two employees in order for them to become dedicated mental health first aiders.

Persimmon Homes North London will hold mental health awareness days within its business and two employees will take part in a national training programme to become fully qualified mental health first aiders.

Paul Curry, Persimmon’s national training manager is a fully qualified mental health first aid trainer and he will be leading the programme in the North London region.

“In the UK we are facing huge mental health challenges at work,” explains Paul. “Mental health covers a wide area and can include our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

“Our new training programme has been developed specifically for our industry and nationally we will train more than 60 mental health first aiders to deliver support to colleagues.”

Many people have been undertaking their own way of assisting mental health, such as using cbd oil manufacturers to obtain a means of relief, but there is more that needs to be done professionally. Research published by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and conducted by the Construction Industry Charity Lighthouse as part of the HBF’s mental health awareness week shows that the construction industry as a whole is one of the worst affected by mental health due to the number of high-risk jobs. The research showed that a high proportion of employees have experienced mental health issues and many of them said that they have hidden the real reasons why they have been absent, illustrating that there is still a stigma around mental health. Some may have taken steps to self-treat themselves with cbd flower to help them remain in control, though this is not yet supported fully in the UK.

Damian Seddon, director-in-charge of Persimmon Homes North London, said: “As a business we take both the physical and mental well-being of our employees extremely seriously.

“This new programme has been welcomed across the business and in the next few months we will be rolling out a further programme of mental health awareness sessions to key employees including managers and supervisors to help them recognise the signs of poor mental health amongst their colleagues.

“There are many ways you can help look after your mental health. From keeping active to eating well or simply starting a conversation – we are determined to demonstrate to our team that there is always help available.”