The Support Guide Certification Scheme will give people in the building materials sector the skills and confidence to support colleagues through difficult times and strengthen workforce resilience.
The Support Yard CIC has developed the Scheme specifically around the challenges faced by people working across the building materials supply chain, and the programme will create a network of trained Support Guides who can provide informed peer support within their workplaces.
The Support Guide Certification is a pioneering, industry-first programme that focuses on mental health support, wellbeing and improving workplace resilience. A Support Guide acts as an approachable first point of contact for someone who may be struggling at work or in their personal life. They are not counsellors or mental health professionals, but people equipped with the confidence and practical skills to recognise when someone might need support, start a safe and appropriate conversation, understand their own boundaries, and signpost colleagues towards further help when needed.
The aim is to create a trusted network of people throughout the building materials sector who can listen without judgement, respond appropriately, and make sure colleagues know they do not have to deal with difficult situations alone.
Becoming a trained Support Guide gives you practical skills and confidence that can stay with you for life. You'll learn how to listen, communicate sensitively, recognise when someone may be struggling and respond appropriately, while understanding your own boundaries and when to signpost someone towards further support. These are skills go far beyond the workplace, they can help you support friends and family, someone in your community, or even a stranger who needs help. If you volunteer, coach a sports team, help with Scouts or Guides, or take part in community groups, these skills can be invaluable.
The first training programme will begin in October, with places limited to 30 attendees. Businesses that want to train a larger number of people together can book a dedicated company training course for a minimum of 20 participants, with dates and delivery arranged around their requirements.
The eight-day certification programme is spread across four months and combines both in-person and online training. It incorporates externally accredited MHFA England and ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) training alongside sector-specific modules delivered by The Support Yard.
Topics covered include BS 30480: Suicide and the Workplace; BS 30416: Menstrual Health and Menopause in the Workplace; role clarity and boundaries; safe conversation skills; suicide awareness and crisis escalation; safeguarding, confidentiality and signposting; lived experience peer support; self-care; and the wider workforce resilience challenges facing the sector.
Samantha Hanks, Founder of The Support Yard, said: "We want to give people across our sector the confidence to recognise when somebody might need support and, just as importantly, know what they can realistically and safely do to help. Our training has been designed specifically for the building materials sector, diving deeper into what a Support Guide can do to help colleagues and improve workforce resilience, and going much further than the statutory training already available.
"Becoming a Support Guide equips people with lifelong skills. Everyone can play a part in creating a workplace where people feel able to speak when they're struggling. I'd encourage as many people as possible to join our inaugural training programme to learn more about how it can help your business."
The programme has been designed to be relevant to people at every level, including directors, managers, trade counter teams, drivers, warehouse employees and office-based colleagues.
Support will continue after the training is complete, with The Support Yard creating an industry-wide network of trained Support Guides who can meet regularly. Monthly check-ins and further upskilling will give participants continued access to support and help make sure those taking on a peer-support role do not feel they have been left to manage difficult situations alone.
