On 6 October 2026, MHFA England published its Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards, setting out what it considers good mental health first aid provision in a workplace. They are aimed at employers across the UK, including Scotland.
They are voluntary, and nobody will inspect you against them. Most of what they cover is about what sits around the people you train, rather than the training itself.
This guide explains what the standards say in plain English, what is worth noticing, and where to start if you are a Scottish employer.
A note on who wrote them
The standards were written and published by MHFA England. Piece of Mind is an independent training provider based in Glasgow, and we had no part in developing them. We’re covering them because employers will be asking about them, and because most of what they cover applies to any organisation with mental health first aiders, whoever delivered the training.
The nine standards at a glance
The standards are grouped into four phases: getting the foundations right, building your first aider network, keeping it working, and embedding it in your culture. Each point is marked either required or recommended.
- Governance and commitment. Treat mental health with the same seriousness as physical health, have a written policy, and name a lead with time to do the job.
- Recruitment and role clarity. Enough first aiders, chosen willingly, with a written role description covering boundaries, escalation, time and confidentiality.
- Training and competency. Accredited, instructor led training, a refresher at least every three years, and managers who understand the role.
- Infrastructure. Protected time, somewhere private to talk, and a clear escalation route, including when to call 999.
- Support and debrief. Regular debriefs and peer support for first aiders, wellbeing check ins, and the freedom to step back without penalty.
- Reporting and evaluation. Anonymous records only, a way for first aiders to feed back, and a regular review of how it is working.
- Visibility and culture. Mental health first aid covered in every staff induction, and everyone told that support is confidential, non clinical and voluntary.
- Wider support. Safety plans when someone discloses thoughts of suicide, reasonable adjustments, and stress risk assessments in line with HSE guidance.
- Customers and suppliers. Clear limits if first aiders support customers or service users.
What is worth noticing
There is now a number. Organisations with 50 or more employees are asked to have at least one mental health first aider for every 50 staff, and to work towards one for every 25. We have always said a ratio on its own tells you very little, and that is still true. Our article on how many mental health first aiders you need explains why trained is not the same as trusted.
Training is only one of nine. Most of the standards are about what happens around your first aiders: who they escalate to, how they are supported after a difficult conversation, whether staff know they exist, and whether anyone checks it is working.
Debriefs are required, not optional. First aiders carry some heavy conversations. The standards ask for regular debriefs and peer support, and for people to be able to step down without pressure. We cover this in our guide to supporting your mental health first aiders.
Suicide prevention is built in. Policies should link mental health first aid to suicide prevention, and safety plans are expected when someone discloses thoughts of suicide. That sits naturally alongside BS 30480, the British Standard on suicide and the workplace published in 2024, which is free guidance on prevention and on responding when the worst happens.
The training is the beginning of the system, not the system itself.
What it means for organisations in Scotland
There is no separate Scottish version, and staff, unions and clients may well ask Scottish employers about them. The good news is that most of what they ask for costs little: a clear policy, a named lead, an escalation route, protected time and regular debriefs.
If you are just starting, these questions are a good test:
- Do our first aiders have a written role description, including what the role is not?
- If someone tells a first aider they are thinking about suicide, does everyone know exactly what happens next?
- When did our first aiders last have a debrief?
- Is mental health first aid covered in every staff induction?
- Do managers understand the difference between their role and the first aider’s role?
- Is anyone due a refresher?
If several of those make you pause, you are not alone. It is far more common to have trained people than to have the system around them.
Before choosing a provider for your first aiders, our free provider checklist sets out ten questions worth asking.
How we can help
Our First Aid for Mental Health courses are credit rated and recognised by Qualifications Scotland, with levels that are equivalent to the RQF in England, and certificates last three years. Alongside the training, we work with organisations on the parts of the standards that sit around it:
- Debrief and supervision sessions for first aiders, so they are supported after difficult conversations.
- Manager training, so managers understand their own role and how to support first aiders.
- Our workplace mental health systems review, which looks at roles, policies, escalation routes, confidentiality and record keeping, and can include a clear support pathway for your organisation.
The standards themselves are published by MHFA England, and you can read them in full on their website.
Questions people ask about the standards
Are the Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards a legal requirement?
No. They are voluntary guidance published by MHFA England in October 2026. The legal duties sit elsewhere: employers must assess and manage the risk of work related stress, and the HSE expects mental health to be considered when assessing first aid needs.
Do the standards apply to organisations in Scotland?
Yes. They are written for employers across the UK and include lighter expectations for small organisations. There is no separate Scottish version, so Scottish employers can choose whether to use them alongside their existing health and safety duties.
How many mental health first aiders do the standards suggest?
For organisations with 50 or more employees, at least one mental health first aider for every 50 staff, with one for every 25 as the recommended goal. Smaller organisations should make sure there is at least one person who is easy to reach.
How often should mental health first aiders refresh their training?
The standards ask for a refresher or full course at least every three years, or sooner if the accrediting body recommends it, with ongoing learning in between.
What is BS 30480?
BS 30480 is the British Standard on suicide and the workplace, published by BSI in 2024 with Samaritans and others. It is free guidance on preventing suicide at work and responding when it happens, and it sits naturally alongside the suicide prevention and safety plan parts of the new standards.
This article is part of our practical guide to workplace mental health training for UK employers.
If your team is in or around Glasgow, we can train them at your workplace or at our training room in Carmyle. See our mental health first aid training in Glasgow.
Talk it through with us
Tell us where you are now and we will help you work out the next sensible step. You can also see all our workplace mental health training.