Mental Health
First Aid Training

Delivered by leading community arts practitioners that champion the power of creativity to support positive mental health

training@soundcastle.co.uk

Why train in mental health first aid?

1 in 4 people experience a mental health condition each year. Mental ill health costs UK employers up to £56 billion annually in absence, staff turnover and lost productivity. Organisations are increasingly expected to support mental health – but many leaders feel under-equipped.

Awareness of the importance of supporting mental health is growing nationally, so there’s no better time to train with Soundcastle.

We offer:

Accredited, structured training that equips your team to recognise early warning signs of poor mental health both in themselves and others, respond effectively, and take appropriate action
Support in building a culture of psychological safety, stronger internal communication, and leadership confidence
Practical, accessible delivery from experienced facilitators with real-world workplace insight

Our Mental Health First Aid training will:

Raise awareness of mental health within your organisation and beyond
Promote wellbeing in your workplace
Create a positive and supportive environment for your team
Challenge stigma around mental health
Understand factors that can impact mental health
Develop the skills to support the mental health of your organisation and community

The business benefits:

Strengthens internal capacity and confidence
Aligns with duty of care, HR strategy and ESG goals
Delivers ROI – £5 return for every £1 invested (Deloitte UK, 2020)
Creates a healthy working environment to attract the best new recruits
Improves staff retention
Reduces absence and burnout

Soundcastle is an award-winning charity, delivering innovative community arts programmes across the South East, and training and consultancy across the UK.

We deliver accredited Mental Health First Aid training days, inspired by our work as business leaders with a specialism in workplace wellbeing.

We run transformational, embedded music programmes which increase confidence, reduce isolation and enhance wellbeing in communities facing challenges. We support the mental health of people facing social inequality and we use music and singing to support people to be happier and healthier in their everyday lives.

We are:

Sector leaders promoting wellbeing and mental health awareness
Practitioners with lived experience of mental health challenges
Friendly and empathetic trainers
Advocates for positive change and breaking stigma
5 star rated on Google

Training options and costs

For Organisations

Levels 1 & 2

We deliver Mental Health First Aid training in house for your team. Our training is designed to be modular and flexible – you can start with a half day Mental Health First Aid Awareness qualification (Level 1) or a one day Mental Health First Aider qualification (Level 2). We tailor our offer in response to your team’s particular mental health & wellbeing needs.

Costs start at £3,500 per day for groups of up to 10 trainees and can be scaled as needed for the size of your team.

Sessions can be delivered online or in person, at your location, across the UK.

By including senior staff members in the sessions, we can support you to initiate and develop a positive mental health and wellbeing cultural shift within your organisation.

For small to medium charities and not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, and community groups with a turnover under £500,000 we offer up to a 50% discount, from £1,750 per day.

Why train with Soundcastle?

Our highly regarded Mental Health First Aid training attracts leading organisations from across the business, arts, education, charity and voluntary sectors.

We are

business leaders and creative practitioners with a specialism in workplace and community wellbeing.

We are

experts working in community mental health settings so we can help you to help others.

Previous clients include:

Meet the trainers...

This is Hannah:

Hannah Dunster is a Soundcastle Co-Director and leads our Sussex music for mental health recovery programmes. She is a NUCO qualified First Aid Mental Health Trainer and SE Champion of the Culture Health & Wellbeing Alliance. She has a masters in Music Leadership from Guildhall School of Music & Drama and is an EMCC Qualified Coach.

Kate Golledge is a freelance theatre director and NUCO qualified First Aid Mental Health Trainer. She has a degree in Theatre Directing from the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts. She is Head of New Work for the National Youth Music Theatre, and Associate Artist of the Singapore Theatre Company. She is currently working with Disney Music Group to develop a world tour of a brand new entertainment format.

Meet Kate:

This is Gail:

Gail Macleod is a Soundcastle Co-Director and leads our London music for mental health recovery programmes. She is a NUCO qualified First Aid Mental Health Trainer and our Designated Safeguarding Lead. She has a masters in Music Leadership from Guildhall School of Music & Drama and is an EMCC Qualified Coach.

Assessment

Is carried out by one of our friendly trainers at the end of the training. It involves both a practical demonstration of first aid for mental health and a multiple-choice question paper.

Certification

Is awarded upon successful completion of the assessment. Qualifications are valid for three years. The learner will need to complete the full course again to requalify for a further three years.

Accreditation

Is provided by our training partner NUCO Training. NUCO have been training for 25 years and are regulated by Ofqual. Qualifications are recognised by the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SCQF).