Progress HR: Claire Bond’s story
Igniting open conversations around workplace wellbeing
Claire Bond, Chartered FCIPD, is an experienced HR Consultant and owner of Progress HR Ltd. After more than 20 years in the profession, she’s seen how workplaces have changed their approach to mental health. But it wasn’t until she completed the Mental Health First Aid course with MHFA England® in September 2024 that she felt ready to lead that change with confidence.
"I have worked in HR for 22 years and in that time I have seen workplaces make the shift from treating mental health issues as a sickness and absence problem to needing to be more proactive and supportive in the way employees are helped."
For Claire, mental health support is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but is a vital part of creating resilient, high-performing teams. She believes training MHFAiders® is essential in building workplace cultures that support wellbeing, productivity, and retention.
"The MHFA® training underpins the fact that there is real value in having appropriately trained people in the workplace who can have an informed conversation about mental wellbeing and signpost those who need help."
While Claire was already familiar with the importance of supporting staff wellbeing, the course gave her a renewed understanding of how to spot signs of poor mental health and offer effective support.
"It was also a great reminder that just like physical or financial health, we all have mental health – but some people are healthier or less healthy than others."
If, like Claire, you’ve realised that Mental Health First Aid isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ but a workplace necessity, the Mental Health First Aid course from MHFA England® can help you take the next step.
Our course gives people the knowledge and skills to spot the signs of a person experiencing poor mental health, the confidence to start a conversation, and the tools to signpost someone to appropriate support. It’s grounded in research, and developed through an inclusive lens, with input from people with lived experience.
Everyone who completes the training becomes an MHFAider® and gets access to ongoing learning, expert support, and the benefits of being part of a national movement for better mental health through joining the Association of Mental Health First Aiders®.
The knowledge and skills Claire gained in the course made an immediate difference. Just a day after completing her training, Claire had a conversation that called on everything she had learned.
"One of the clients I was working with at the time had an employee who mentioned in passing to me that he’d been suicidal for over a year, and I’d arranged to meet with him coincidentally the day after I completed my MHFA training. It allowed me to immediately put my training into practice."
Claire believes that embedding mental health support within an organisation benefits both individuals and business outcomes.
Workplaces that recognise that staff experiencing poor mental wellbeing is no longer a 'them' problem but an 'us' problem are ahead of the curve. They realise that having a healthy and resilient culture supports productivity, employee engagement, and retention of key staff.
With increasing pressures on budgets, Claire knows training is a considered decision but she sees it as essential to long-term success.
"Training budgets are tight at the moment and making an investment in MHFAiders is, rightly, a big consideration. But employers need to reflect on the cost of not doing anything; what are their absence figures like for mental ill health, what is the Management Information saying from their Employee Assistance Programme provider on mental health related calls and counselling, what are your employees telling you in your engagement surveys about stress and burnout, what are leavers saying in their exit interview? The list goes on."
Claire’s story is a powerful example of how training doesn’t just change awareness — it changes action. With the right knowledge and confidence, we can all help shape more supportive, mentally healthy workplaces.
"As a modern manager in today’s world, I strongly believe that all line managers should have a level of MHFA training in their toolkit."
Take the next step in supporting workplace wellbeing
Most people managers want to support their team’s mental health and performance. But many do not feel they have the skills or confidence to do so. According to the CIPD, almost 10 million people in the UK are line managers (1).
For almost 70% of people, their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor – and it’s equal to their partner (2).
Yet, only 45% of managers have had training on how to hold mental health conversations (3).
Our Supporting Team Mental Health and Performance course is designed to equip managers with the confidence and skills to have effective conversations about mental health and performance. With actionable strategies and practical applications, learners will gain the confidence and capability to understand and support their team's mental health whilst driving performance.
Sources:
CIPD. The importance of people management. Available from: https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/2023-pdfs/2023-report-importance-of-people-management-8329-may23.pdf [Accessed on 17 June 2025].
UKG. Managers impact our mental health more than doctors, therapists – and same as spouses. Available from: https://www.ukg.co.uk/about-us/newsroom/workforce-institute-managers-impact-mental-health [Accessed on 17 June 2025].
Mind Foward Alliance. The Leadership Pledge. Available from: https://mindforwardalliance.com/Resources/Leadership-Pledge [Accessed on 17 June 2025].