Debar to prioritise mental health

With shocking statistics highlighting that the construction industry witnesses more than three times the national average in suicides, bi-fold hardware manufacturer and supplier, Debar, is pledging a commitment to prioritise mental health within the workplace.

Debar has joined forces with men’s suicide prevention charity, Andy’s Man Club, to help end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and to highlight how support is available within the workplace.

As well as inviting members of the Andy’s Man Club to its headquarters in Bradford, to meet with the team and deliver bespoke training sessions, Debar has also donated £1,000 to the national charity.

Rachel Mortimer, HR manager at Debar, said: “It’s shocking to learn that so many people working within the construction industry experience mental ill-health and so we want to do what we can to reassure our team that support is available whenever they need it.

“Ultimately, the mental health of our staff is a number one priority, and we hope that by adding provisions in our workplace we’ll be helping to beat the negative stigma surrounding mental health.

“We’ve chosen to partner with Andy’s Man Club for this initiative because we believe the work they do across the country is incredible. Not only do we want to continue working closely with their team, but we also want to donate to this amazing cause when we can.”

Following on from the sessions that Andy’s Man Club has delivered, Debar has also been training a selection of its own staff to become Mental Health First Aiders. This means, specific team members will have the knowledge and skills to identify people experiencing poor mental health and have the confidence to start conversations and signpost to additional support.

“Prioritising mental health in the workplace is incredibly important to us and introducing our own Mental Health First Aiders seemed like the natural next step on this journey,” added Rachel.