Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) FAQs

Yes! If you are looking to train a group of people, we can come to you wherever you are in England. Give our friendly team a call on 0330 335 1234 to discuss your training options.

We also run all our MHFA courses online! Click here to find out more.

For the full Mental Health First Aid qualification and MHFA Champion (whether classroom-based or online) the maximum number is 16 per course.

For the MHFA Aware and MHFA Refresher courses, you can have up to 25 people.

For Bespoke SkillBase First Aid courses, numbers will be discussed at booking.

Yes, for all our MHFA courses you will receive a certificate from MHFA England once the course is completed. 

All our trainers are quality assured and accredited by the only licensed instructor provider MHFA England which is also accredited by The Royal Society for Public Health. Our trainers then go through a further interview process with SkillBase First Aid to become an Associate Trainer and deliver both the MHFA licensed courses and Bespoke SkillBase certified training. 

We’re glad you are reaching out for support! We are a training organisation, and do not offer mental health support or advice, but there are plenty of organisations who can help you. Please see our list of contacts here.

As the idea of Mental Health First Aid becomes more popular, some other training providers are starting to offer unlicensed ‘mental health first aid’ or ‘first aid for mental health’ instructor training.

We would advise caution when choosing a training provider.

Cheaper, unlicensed training is unlikely to have the evidence base or quality that is associated with an MHFA England trained instructor and therefore programme. The MHFA England trained instructors and courses are part of a global programme which have been running for over ten years in 25 countries.

No, but depending on your organisation it may be a good fit to have both qualifications!

Costs vary depending on which course, the location and whether it is a single place or group booking. Click here to download our full mental health training brochure.

As a guideline example, the recommended price per person as set out by MHFA England for the Adult MHFA Two day course is £300 per person.

When you train to become a Mental Health First Aider, it is your qualification to take with you wherever you go.

MHFA courses have a recommended renewal date of 3 years, similar to the physical first aid training. You do not need to re-do the full course, the MHFA Refresher training is a half-day course to renew your skills and certificate. (Please note you must have attended the full MHFA 2-day course to be eligible for the MHFA Refresher).

No. You must be a qualified MHFA Instructor/trainer to train others.

You will have gained knowledge to help and support others with their mental health but you will not have the correct training to train others.

Your manual is a reference tool for you as a qualified Mental Health First Aider but should not be given to others who have not had the training.

For safety reasons, MHFA England manuals are only given out on courses and can’t be ordered separately. The guidance and training provided by the course instructor will give people the understanding and skills to use the resources in the manual safely and appropriately.

No, anyone can do the course! We tend to advise that you put forward an application process so you train those staff members with an interest in the subject but they do not need to have any prior knowledge or training in mental health. 

Absolutely! We can be extremely flexible with regards to dates for a group course. For example, the full MHFA online course sessions which are split into 4 live training sessions, can be delivered over any 4 days as long as they are completed within 1 month of starting. (We recommend you try to keep it within two weeks so your team members keep momentum and the learning stays fresh in their minds). For classroom-based courses, these would need to be 2 consecutive dates but can be any dates of your choosing! 

Get in touch to find out about all our course lengths and help with choosing your dates.

With the face-to-face, you are with your trainer for the full duration of the course. For online courses, these are a blend between live trainer-led session(s) and carefully planned individual learning between the live sessions, undertaken on the online learning hub. The learning outcomes are the same, it is just the structure that is different. For example, where you might watch a video as a whole group in the face-to-face course followed by a group discussion, for the online course you would watch the video as part of your own individual learning, write down your thoughts and further expand on these in the live session with your trainer and the group. The courses are certificated exactly the same irrespective of whether they are face-to-face or online. 

SkillBase provide ‘train the trainer’ courses in Fundamental Wellbeing. Find out more here!

To provide the MHFA England courses you will need to go directly to MHFA England. 

Our pricing structure is guided by the licensed body, MHFA England.

We already heavily discount our group bookings and we have spent many years cultivating our amazing trainers making sure their fee reflects their work, we also offer a wrap-around service with free consultation for group bookings which is why we typically wouldn’t offer any discounts. 

However, if you are a charity or are looking to book a large number of group courses, please give our friendly team a call who can advise! 0330 335 1234

If you attended a Mental Health First Aid course, you will be a qualified Mental Health First Aider. This is accredited by MHFA England. The skills, awareness, and knowledge you would gain on the course will most definitely support you in working within the Mental Health field. However, the course is a short 2-day course, and if you’re looking to become a qualified Mental Health Professional you would need to do a much longer course. You can find more information on the NHS website here.

Yes. In order to be signed off and receive your certification, you must attend every live session with your trainer and complete all your individual learning tasks on the online platform, Enabley.

For the full Adult MHFA qualification as a public course the live sessions are run on 4 consecutive mornings;

(Individual learning – 1 hour) Live session 1| 09:00 – 11:30 |2.5 hours

(Individual learning – 2 hours) Live session 2| 09:00 – 11:30 |2.5 hours

(Individual learning – 2 hours) Live session 3| 09:00 – 11:30 |2.5 hours

(Individual learning – 2 hours) Live session 4| 09:00 – 11:00 |2 hours

For the Youth MHFA version the timings of sessions 3 + 4 are switched round.

For the Adult MHFA Champion as a public course the live sessions are run on 2 consecutive mornings;

Live session 1| 09:00 – 13:00 |4 hours

Live session 2| 09:00 – 13:00 |4 hours

For the MHFA Aware and MHFA Refresher courses;

1 Live Session | 09:00 – 13:00 | 4 hours

For group training, you have the flexibility to choose your own dates and start times.

Live sessions with your trainer will be a mix of teaching, group activities, discussions and mixed media. Your trainer will lead you through the topics in a structured yet inclusive environment. You will be able to write questions to the group or privately to your trainer, with ‘opt-outs’ available for any subject matter that you feel uncomfortable or anxious about.

Every live session includes breaks.

We will send you your learning materials ahead of your training, which consist of a manual and a workbook.

You will also need:

• A computer with a working camera/webcam and a working microphone/speakers to ensure you can be seen and heard throughout the training. (Where possible we recommend using a laptop or computer for trainer rather than a phone or tablet).
• A comfortable and quiet space for your live sessions. Try to minimise background noise and distractions.

Yes. The online version of the MHFA courses are designed to be a replica of the face-to-face courses so will include group discussions. Our trainer will need to be able to see you and have the option of turning on your mic to contribute. This is a safeguarding issue and you will not be able to attend a course if you do not have a camera and mic.

Short answer is no!

You will not be able to record the sessions as other learners will be present and may be sharing potentially sensitive and personal information. As with all our courses, we encourage open and free discussions and want people to feel secure that these are private and protected conversations. There would also be a need for GDPR consent from all participants as well as the protection of MHFA England’s intellectual property.

There are four individual learning modules to complete, including one that needs to be completed before the first live session. Although this can be completed in a minimum of one hour, we aim to get the printed materials to you a week before the first live session so that you have plenty of time to complete the individual learning. Our printed manual and workbook will provide you with invaluable learning and reference materials that are yours to keep.

You will struggle to optimise the live session if you haven’t completed your individual learning prior to attendance at the live session. You will also need to complete all individual learning activities to be marked as complete and issued with a certificate.

You and your Trainer can check your individual learning progress via the Online Learning Hub Enabley, and your Trainer will be monitoring to ensure that you have engaged with the materials. They may also contact you to check whether you need any additional support.

This course has been designed to create a safe learning environment for all delegates, we do everything we can to ensure that you are always supported.

Key safety features of the product that support your learner safety are:

• A group learning agreement 
• Clear opt-out points for learners who do not feel comfortable taking part in a particular activity
• Guidance for how you can ask the instructor for help – prior to, during and after a live session
• Guidance for instructors when a learner asks for help or chooses to leave a live session
• Clear signposting for you to sources of help and advice outside of the course

Yes! These are yours to keep and refer to when needed.

Refer to your ‘Getting Started’ guide attached to your welcome email which contains helpful videos on how to access and use Enabley as well as trouble-shooting for IT difficulties. If you are still unable to log in, contact your trainer for guidance or click here to see the Enabley help guide.

This is to ensure you can begin promptly at the start time of your first live session. Those who have not logged in and completed the activities set before the first live session, hold up those who have and can mean the first live session will not run to time, or you miss out on vital information at the beginning of the course. It also eliminates any technical difficulties that may arise before the first live session. Please make sure to test your IT equipment as in the ‘Getting Started’ guide.