Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training for Seafarers

Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training for Seafarers

The UKSA Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training for Seafarers course aims to develop an awareness and appreciation of mental health and wellbeing, in self and others, set against the particular context of seafaring.

About the course

This industry accredited one-day face to face course provides an introduction to mental health awareness and the importance of promoting individual and crew wellbeing.

This course is delivered within our career training programmes, but can also be booked as a standalone course.  

It’s included in our syllabus for:

We also deliver this course to crews on board boats, so can train your crew in situ.  Contact our welfare team for more information.

The Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training for Seafarers course was created after close collaboration with our wide range of industry partners, including IAMI, Edmiston, Maritime UK, ISWAN and The Seafarers’ Charity, to ensure our graduates have the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to enter the maritime industry in a wide range of crew roles from Workboats, Sailing Yachts to Superyachts.

The course syllabus is recognised by the Merchant Navy Training Board and UKSA is the first youth training provider to deliver an accredited mental health awareness course.

“The UK Chamber of Shipping is delighted to award Course Recognition to UKSA for their one-day Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training course.  Seafarer wellbeing isn’t just a responsibility; it’s the cornerstone of maritime safety.  Prioritising seafarer physical, mental, and emotional health is paramount to sustaining a resilient and thriving industry where our seafarers feel valued and respected. UKSA has successfully created a course that develops an awareness and appreciation of mental health and wellbeing, in self and others whilst at the same time addressing the challenges of being at sea and equipping seafarers with the resources to deal with those challenges”.  Kathryn Neilson, Director Merchant Navy Training Board, Director Maritime Educational Foundation and Maritime Skills Commissioner

Course aims

The course will outline the following:

  • What is Mental Health and why is it important?
  • How can we recognise the changes in behaviour in ourselves and other crew members?
  • How can we avoid judging and stigmatising others?
  • What can we do when we are worried?
  • How do we recognise and utilise measures that promote wellbeing for ourselves and others?

Some of the benefits we have found are that students are more confident to talk about issues such as the importance of wellbeing, the impact and observations of a decline in mental health in self and others and other topics including isolation, fatigue, confidence, self-belief and learning styles.

In being open and honest and encouraging our students to do the same we are giving examples of likely industry issues and supporting students to anticipate, prepare and manage for possible eventualities. In talking in this way, we allow for the creation of a safe space to enable students to be able to talk about any issues that may be impacting on their own mental health and or wellbeing and setting a blueprint for future industry conversations and enhanced understanding on how to support self and crew whilst at sea.

What you will gain

You will gain awareness, knowledge and confidence to respond to situations that you might experience with yourself or wider crew, through presentations, group discussions, individual tasks, and workshop activities.

Our training is specifically focused for seafarers and the content has been taken from the guidance criteria produced by the MNTB and MCG, A Standard for Seafarers Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training (2020). All participants receive a Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training for Seafarers certificate accredited by the Merchant Navy Training Board, UK Chamber of Shipping.

Who is it for?

This introductory course is designed for any seafarer who wants to develop their awareness and understanding of both their own and other crew members mental health and wellbeing. We recommend our other accredited two-day course with Mental Health First Aid England to those who wish to enhance their knowledge further and those within a supervisory role.

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