Planned small group and one-to-one sessions based on the principles of clinical supervision and led by a qualified clinician familiar with the content of the St John Ambulance MHFA training.

These sessions will enable the MHFAs to;

• Manage the boundaries of the role
• Reflect and learn from interactions with colleagues
• Explore the impact of the role on themselves and discuss personal concerns
• Manage their own wellbeing
• Network as a small group and provide peer-to-peer support
• Share concerns and learn in a supportive environment
• Share information on valuable sources of help

Whilst St John Ambulance MHFA training includes important guidance on the boundaries and limits of the role, it is important that employers recognise their responsibility to safeguard these employees and manage the risks that could arise due to the nature of the role and the desire of volunteers to help their colleagues in difficulty.

These risks can include:

• Becoming overwhelmed or adversely affected by others’ experiences
• Straying outside the boundaries of their role and taking on too much responsibility for another’s wellbeing
• Feeling isolated and unsupported

The support and supervision of Mental Health First Aiders requires specialist skills, training, and oversight. Rightsteps is a mental health & wellbeing specialist who directly employs all of its clinicians ensuring their practice is managed within a robust clinical governance infrastructure. All clinicians are fully qualified and supervised, and data is held in line with the highest standards. Any arising safeguarding matters are reported and escalated in line with best practices.

Anyone that has attended either the 1 or 2-day St John Ambulance Mental Health First Aid training.

We recommend two planned 1-1 and two planned group sessions per annum.

In addition to the planned support, we also provide ad hoc support which we recommend in the event of a traumatic event or incident.

Planned 1-1 sessions are really important for three reasons:

1. Volunteers don’t always recognise that they are struggling. The impact on their mental health can be cumulative as well as in response to a particular situation. Sometimes the conversation needs to be initiated for the volunteer to realise the need to offload or share something they have been carrying around with them.
2. To enable reflection and explore whether the volunteer is working within the boundaries of their role. Talking through cases and the impact of these cases on the volunteer can quickly identify whether they are working within the guidelines of their training. This is a useful opportunity to reinforce the principles of the training and the support structures available to signpost and refer people appropriately.
3. To explore whether there are any personal issues for the individual which might suggest they should take a break from their MHFA role

There is no minimum requirement

Both the 1-1 and group sessions are confidential. However, attendance reporting and aggregated themes arising can be shared with the business as well as any safeguarding concerns.