Programme
- Day One
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Wednesday 4 June 2025
- 08.55
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Registration
- 09.00
-
Welcome and introduction
Dr Nerys Williams
- 09.10
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UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH AND ITS IMPACT ON WORK
Dr Paul Litchfield
- What do we mean by mental health?
- The key drivers of wellbeing
- The relationship with business performance
- How to “sell” the case for mental health promotion into a business
- 10.25
-
Coffee
- 10.40
-
EVIDENCE REVIEW OF WORKPLACE INTERVENTIONS
Dr John Ballard
- Prevalence of mental health problems
- Effect of COVID-19 on mental health
- Evidence review – what works in:
- The prevention of mental health problems at work
- Recovery, absence and return to work
- What to avoid – what doesn’t work?
- 11.45
-
DEVISING A WORKPLACE STRATEGY
Dr Paul Litchfield
- The changing world of work
- Why the H&S approach doesn’t work
- ‘Mental health policies’ – how effective are they?
- Embracing the new paradigm
- Good practice
- Evaluation and reporting
- 12.45
-
Q&A
Your chance to put your questions to our expert speakers, Dr Paul Litchfield, Dr John Ballard and Dr Nerys Williams - 13.00
-
Lunch
- 14.00
-
RISK ASSESSMENT
Jennifer Webster
- HSE stress management standards
- Evidence base
- Using the standards at organisation and individual level
- Does hybrid working make a difference?
- Case studies – using the standards in practice
- HSE stress management standards
- 14.45
-
Tea
- 15.05
-
ENSURING LEGAL COMPLIANCE
Prof Diana Kloss
Outline of relevant law, including:
- Consent and confidentiality
- Mental capacity
- Employer’s duty of care to prevent psychiatric injury: criminal and civil liability
- Fitness for work, pre-employment and in employment
- Disability discrimination and mental impairment
- Fitness to attend a disciplinary meeting
- (This session covers UK law, and in particular, the law of England of Wales)
- 16.15
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Q&A
- 16.30
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Course assignment
- 16.50
-
Close of day one
***********************
- Day 2
-
Thursday 5 June 2025
- 8.55
-
Registration
- 9.00
-
Introduction to the biopsychosocial model
Dr Nerys Williams
- 9.30
-
The OH consultation: best practice
Dr Sally Coomber
- The management referral
- The consultation itself – including consent and a mental state examination
- Taking notes
- Discussing appropriate disclosure of condition to manager
- Risk of suicide – appropriate response
- Where a danger to others is suspected
- 10.45
-
Coffee
- 11.05
-
ASSESSING FITNESS FOR WORK
Dr Samantha Phillips
- Psychosocial considerations
- Screening questionnaires and other tools
- Safety-critical roles
- Healthcare workers – impact of mental health on their fitness to practice
- Medication
- Liaising with the GP/specialist
- When to refer on
- 12.05
-
ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE – Organisational response
Dr Samantha Phillips
- Substance misuse policies
- Testing in the workplace (and reasons for testing)
- Advising on fitness for work
- 12.45
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Lunch
- 13.45
-
ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE – Supporting the individual
Annika Lindberg
- Understanding substance addiction
- Recognising the signs of alcohol and/or substance misuse
- Screening tools for use in OH
- Advice to managers (including when to refer on)
- Handling difficult conversations
- Intervention principles and outcomes
- 14.40
-
Tea
- 15.00
-
REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS
Dr Nerys Williams- Aims and evidence base for adjustments
- Review, timescales and when to stop
- Agreement and role of clients
- Getting buy-in from line managers
- 15.40
-
RESPONDING TO TRAUMA
Paul Anthony
- Reactions to trauma – the risk factors
- Post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions explained
- Can PTSD be prevented?
- What works?
- OH and organisational responses
- 16.55
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Final questions
- 17.00
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Close of day two
***********************
- Day 3
-
Friday 6 June 2025
- 8.55
-
Registration and coffee
- 9.00
-
HOW SHOULD OH PROFESSIONALS APPROACH CASES?
Prof Marios Adamou and Dr Tim Fullen
A look at the common cases that may present at work – and how OH should respond to them. Issues to be covered include:- Assessing the severity of conditions such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder
- What to expect from the treatments/interventions available for common mental health problems
- Reasonable adjustments in practice for different conditions
- Understanding patterns of recovery
- Timings for return to work
- Likelihood of recurrence
- 13.00
-
Lunch
- 14.00
-
ADHD AND AUTISM IN THE WORKPLACE
Prof Marios Adamou and Dr Tim Fullen
- How to manage these conditions at work
- 15.00
-
Tea
- 15.15
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KEEPING PEOPLE WORKING PRODUCTIVELY AND ENSURING SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO WORK
Dr Sally Coomber
- Creating effective return-to-work plans
- Preparing the report for management
- Appropriate and effective reasonable adjustments including phased return to work; temporary adjustment of duties; working hours or patterns – impact of medication; flexible working; working from home; support with workload/from others
- Wellness and Recovery Action Plans and early warning signs (the ‘relapse signature’)
- 16.00
-
SUMMARY OF LEARNING AND FURTHER USEFUL RESOURCES
Dr Nerys Williams
- 16.10
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Final questions, and queries on the assignment
- 16.20
-
Close of course
Benefits of attending
How will gaining this qualification benefit you and your organisation?
You will gain:
- A comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of different strategies/interventions that organisations can adopt – so that you can review what will work in your workplace
- Detailed knowledge and practical skills to manage specific cases including an in-depth understanding of different conditions
- The ability to assess the severity of a condition and its impact on a person’s job – so that you can recommend the best interventions to put in place for a particular case
- Enhanced skills and knowledge to use during OH consultations and in giving advice to managers
- In-depth understanding of reasonable adjustments in practice
- Advice on tools, resources and action plans
- Guidance on the relevant law
Gaining this qualification will help you to employ the right strategies and interventions to successfully manage mental health in your workplace and create a more engaged and productive workforce.
Who is the course designed for?
The course is designed for OH professionals. Other professionals with responsibility for OH and/or the mental health of employees may also benefit from attending.
We welcome delegates from all over the world (although, please note if you are from overseas, that the legal session on the first day covers UK law, and in particular, the law of England of Wales).
Assignment and certification
Delegates must attend at least 80% of the course. Following the course, students who successfully complete an assignment, demonstrating their understanding of the theory and skills taught in the course, will be awarded the Certificate in Managing Mental Health at Work.
About our expert tutors
Dr Nerys Williams – course director – Nerys is a specialist in occupational medicine and has worked in public and private sector occupational health roles for over 20 years. She is a former deputy director of health and wellbeing at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Dr Paul Litchfield CBE – Paul has practised occupational medicine for 40 years and is currently independent chief medical adviser to both ITV and Compass Group.
Dr John Ballard – John has been researching and writing on OH and disability issues for over 25 years. He edits the Occupational Health [at Work] journal.
Jen Webster – Jen is an occupational psychologist and works for the HSE’s Science and Research Division.
Prof Diana Kloss MBE – Diana is a barrister, former employment judge and honorary senior lecturer in OH law at the University of Manchester.
Dr Sally Coomber – Sally has worked in the NHS and at Public Health England, and is a past president of the Society of Occupational Medicine.
Dr Samantha Phillips – Samantha is an occupational physician and is head of health and wellbeing at Transport for London.
Annika Lindberg – Annika is a chartered counselling psychologist who specialises in gambling addiction and stress management.
Paul Anthony – Paul is a consultant cognitive behavioural psychotherapist at Working Minds UK, and has worked in mental health for 30 years.
Prof Marios Adamou OBE – Marios is a consultant psychiatrist in neurodevelopmental psychiatry (ADHD and ASD) at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Tim Fullen – Tim is a consultant clinical psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
About Brunel University London
This qualification is organised by The At Work Partnership with the support of Brunel University London.
Brunel University London’s College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences runs the NMC accredited Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN) for entry on Part 3 of the NMC register for three pathways namely OH, Health Visiting and School Nursing. Part 3 registration is sought by many OH employers. The College prides itself on delivering high quality professional and public health education in line with the University’s mission “to bring benefit to society through excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer”.
Find out more at:
https://www.brunel.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/Specialist-Community-Public-Health-Nursing-PGDip-and-MSc
