Employers across D2N2 urged to help shape a campaign to improve mental health support at work

Employers across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are being urged to help shape a campaign to encourage firms to improve mental health support at work.

The Mental Health and Productivity Pilot (MHPP) is recruiting ten companies from across the Midlands to help shape an awareness raising campaign that aims to encourage and support open and honest conversations about mental health at work.

The ten companies chosen will join MHPP’s Campaign Advisory Group, and will help test out MHPP’s proposals before the campaign is launched for all employers in the region.

MHPP is a three-year funded programme led by Coventry University, University of Warwick and mental health charity Mind. It aims to support employers across the Midlands Engine region to improve employee mental health and wellbeing, and by doing so, to understand more about the positive impact that mental health can have on productivity within the workplace.

Professor Guy Daly, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) at Coventry University and MHPP lead, said: “It’s important that this campaign responds to the needs of employers within the Midlands Engine region.

“That’s why we’re working with our partners at Mind to recruit a group of ten employers to help us test proposals for the campaign by giving feedback, ideas and views on what works well and what doesn’t.

“The employers will be helping to develop a mental health campaign that reflects the challenges their staff face, and ensuring it responds to the specific challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The ten selected companies will be able to access valuable resources, materials and internal communications support to get their employees talking about mental health.

“It’s a great chance for employers to make a real difference. Getting involved at this stage will ultimately help lead to better workplace mental health for not only their own employees, but for workers across the Midlands.”