NUCO or MHFA England Mental Health First Aid Courses? The NUCO certificate carries a RQF Level 2 or 3 qualification dependant on your course choice. The MHFA England certificate is endorsed by the Royal Society of Public Health. It comes down to preference in your requirements as an individual or organisation. NUCO is an educational body and MHFA England are the driving force in the UK behind mental health first aid awareness. So you would need to make a decision on what suits your organisation best, if you would like to discuss this further complete the contact us form at the bottom of the page. Both can be delivered online or in-person.
Both versions will qualify delegates as recognised Mental Health First Aiders
Mental Health First Aiders have:
An in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support - whether that’s self-help resources, through their employer, the NHS, or a mix
We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn. The course is delivered in four sessions over two days.
Whether you choose NUCO or MHFA England's version by completing your course with Mindmaps Wellbeing you will be invited to our Mindmaps Wellbeing Hub MHFAider edition.
We also provide two online MHFAider peer groups moderated by the instructor team. We also invite those we have trained to an open quarterly online drop-in contact, to ensure those we train as MHFAiders have guidance and support for their new roles.
We recommend that this qualification is updated every two years by attending the refresher course, to remain competent and up to date on best practice. We will keep you updated when this is due.


What will I learn?
Why mental health first aid?
The mental health first aid action plan
What is mental health?
Impact of mental health issues
Stigma and discrimination
What is depression?
Symptoms of depression
Risk factors for depression
Depression in the workplace
Suicide figures
Alcohol, drugs and mental health
First aid for suicidal crisis
Non-judgemental listening skills
First aid for depression
Treatment and resources for depression
Self-care
What is an anxiety disorder?
First aid for anxiety disorders
Crisis first aid after a traumatic event
Alcohol, drugs and anxiety disorders
Treatment and resources for anxiety disorders
Cognitive distortions and CBT
Personality disorders
Eating disorders
Self-harm
What is psychosis?
Risk factors for psychosis
Alcohol, drugs and psychosis
Schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder
Warning signs of developing psychosis
Crisis first aid for acute psychosis
Treatment and resources for psychosis
Recovery and building resources
Action planning for using MHFA