Three members of staff at The International Stock Exchange (TISE) have been successfully accredited with the status of Mental Health First Aiders.

CEO Fiona Le Poidevin, Managing Director Mark Nicol and HR Manager Laura Cornelius all completed the two-day Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England course run by Guernsey Mind, which aims to help businesses proactively manage the wellbeing of its staff and minimise the impact of mental ill health on work and life.

Ms Cornelius said: “In the past, organisations have tended to focus on physical health first aid but with mental wellbeing becoming more widely recognised and having worked with Guernsey Mind last year, we realised that it was important for us also to have mental health first aiders. The course was intense, insightful and hugely valuable mental health training that I would highly recommend to other organisations who have not yet considered this as part of their responsibility to employees but who want to embed a long-term positive culture across the whole organisation.”

MHFA England quotes stress, anxiety and depression as the biggest cause of sickness today. Mental ill health is responsible for 91 million working days lost every year which costs UK employers £34.9 billion per annum.

The course provided the three Mental Health First Aiders with an in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing, the practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of a range of mental health issues and the confidence in guiding people towards the appropriate support.

This enhances TISE’s focus on mental wellbeing in the workplace and builds upon existing initiatives, such as supporting Mental Health Awareness Week and Mental Health Awareness Day.

TISE’s charities of choice in the Channel Islands during 2018 were Guernsey Mind and Mind Jersey.