A SOUTH Cumbrian entrepreneur is offering free online First Aid for Mental Health courses to NHS workers to thank them for all their hard work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Phil Newton, Managing Director of Barrow-based Skills Shop Ltd, says stress and anxiety levels are rising during the pandemic and he wants to help create ‘Wellbeing Champions’ who can support colleagues, friends and family who might be experiencing mental health issues.

Throughout 2021 Phil is waiving the usual £195 plus VAT fee to NHS workers who sign up for his company’s online First Aid for Mental Health Level 2 Award course.

The course covers identifying specific mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and self-harm and understanding the effects of drugs and alcohol and helps people understand how to start a conversation with someone who they believe might be struggling.

The course can be done in stages over a period if preferred.

On completion of an online assessment at the end, they receive an in-house Skills Shop certificate.

If they want the course to be OFQUAL accredited, they pay £15 plus VAT and Skills Shop organises for them to receive an accredited certificate. The certificate is valid for three years.

Any NHS worker who wants to take the free course - or an NHS manager who wants to sign up members of their team - should go to https://skillsshop.co.uk/product/first-aid-for-mental-health/ They should use their NHS work email when checking out and enter NHSTALK21 into the coupon box.