Two team members of Howard Civil Engineering became qualified Mental Health First Aiders last week at CECA’s regional office in Leeds.

Pre-Contracts Manager Lucie Jones, also a member of our Senior Management Team, and Health and Safety Advisor Wanda Curtis are now qualified to provide support and advice for mental health ill-health both in our offices and on-site. 

Mental health in the construction industry has been an increasingly hot topic, with 57% of construction workers reporting poor mental health in a study published by Construction News in 2018.

Speaking on the importance of companies taking responsibility for mental health in the workplace, Lucie Jones commented, ‘In an industry that has historically swept mental health under the carpet, it was refreshing to be in a room full of construction professionals, all there of their own volition, keen to learn how to recognise poor mental health and how to offer support and advice.’

Wanda Curtis emphasised how we are going to move forward as a company to break the stigma surrounding mental health in the construction industry: ‘Through attending the training session, we, as Mental Health First Aiders, can now raise awareness and understanding of mental health and mental ill-health within our company, and help our employees to understand how, when and where to get support. It is our hope that over the coming months we can break the silence and stigma surrounding mental ill-health through promotion of positive wellbeing throughout Howards.’