Why Connection Comes First: Reimagining Mental Health Support in the Workplace
With NHS mental health services under immense pressure and waiting lists stretching for months, HR professionals and line managers often find themselves on the frontline. They're not clinicians or counsellors - yet they're fielding cries for help, signs of burnout and people quietly struggling. Some are already absent on a long term basis - waiting to be treated. This is a huge challenge. In some workplaces, leaders are thinking about Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) - getting them trained and ready. But even then, the question remains: What difference can the newly trained MHFAs or the HR leaders really make in the moment?
And that’s where I want to start this blog - not with policy or stats, but with a picture of something much more human.
A Message That Spoke Volumes About Leadership
Recently, @Professor Adam Nicholls posted something on LinkedIn that really resonated with me. It was a screenshot of a text exchange between Ange Postecoglou - recently sacked from his position as Tottenham Hotspur manager - and one of his former players, who had just helped win the UEFA Europa League. But it wasn’t about sport. It was about connection.
The words in that message revealed the kind of leader Ange had been. You could feel the depth of their relationship, the warmth, the trust, the mutual respect. It didn’t matter that the manager had moved on. The bond remained.
And I couldn’t help but think - this is exactly what’s missing from some workplace conversations around mental health. Not because people don’t care, but because we sometimes forget that effective support doesn’t start with a checklist. It starts with connection.
The CARE Plan: A Foundation, Not a Manual
When I qualified as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor over 3 years ago, over the course of the training you're introduced and asked to work through CARE plan. It stands for:
C - Check for serious risk of suicide or harm
A - Apply non-judgemental communication skills
R- Reassure and provide information
E - Encourage professional support
One of the very first things it teaches is to assess for risk of serious harm. And that’s absolutely crucial in the right context.
But in real life? Conversations aren’t linear. People don’t unravel their distress in neat stages. And support isn’t always about following a rigid protocol. In fact, many HR leaders express concern about burdening already stretched employees with additional responsibilities, especially if there's no ongoing support or clear guidance from the training provider especially around boundaries (which is for another discussion). There's often a feeling of never quite being prepared enough for the raw, human moments. Some people will think ‘What do I say? How do I react?’
Yet, what if the only initial "ask" was to foster genuine connections?
What if “C” Stood for Connection?
So what if we reframed CARE -not in terms of throwing it out, but reordering it? Because connection doesn’t just help - it’s a prerequisite.
You can’t assess risk if someone doesn’t trust you.
You can’t offer meaningful signposting if you don’t understand what is going on in their lives.
You can’t support someone properly if you feel the protocol must be followed in stages.
You can’t spot the signs of someone quietly going through a mental health crisis if you don’t know, for example, their break or lunchtime habits.
Connection, in this sense, isn’t fluffy.
Leadership, Wellbeing, and Human-Centred HR
The same traits that make Ange Postecoglou a powerful leader are the same traits that make a difference in mental health first aid: being calm under pressure, listening without judgement and offering genuine human connection.
And it’s not just football. You will see it every day in workplaces: the strongest wellbeing cultures don’t rely solely on the off-the-shelf, tick box programmes or posters. They are built on human relationships - in the kitchen, in one-to-ones, in those "are you okay?" moments that happen after meetings or in the car park.
Connection as Culture: Your Role as an HR Leader
If you’re a manager or HR lead, your role in mental health support isn’t to have all the answers. Your role is to make people feel seen. And to create the kind of environment where people don’t have to fall apart before they get help.
This is particularly pertinent during initiatives like Men's Health Week, when we encourage open conversations that break down stigmas. Building a culture of connection is how you facilitate these vital dialogues year-round.
It begins with connection. It’s how we shift from tick-box approaches to something much deeper and more effective - even as NHS services remain stretched. As a leader, your focus can be on creating the framework and encouraging the behaviours that allow these connections to flourish. And that’s precisely where companies like mine can help - an extra set of eyes, at your side, collaborating to find fresh perspectives and new opportunities.
A Call to Connect
As I launch this business and write this first blog, I wanted to start here: not with statistics or polished credentials, but with why this work matters to me. Connection changes lives. And in workplaces, it changes outcomes - for individuals, for teams, for culture.
You don’t need to be a mental health expert to connect, to offer support. You just need to be present, human and kind.
Let’s start there. Want to know more about how to support mental health in your company? Let’s connect!
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