At this year's Scottish First Aid Awards held last Friday, 31st March, at the Radison Blu in Glasgow, ScotRail was recognised for its work on suicide prevention and mental health when it won Employer of the Year for First Aid Excellence.
After the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, ScotRail recognised that it was important to keep awareness and support of mental health at the forefront of people's minds by continuing its longstanding work in promoting positive mental health.
To enhance this work, Trauma Support Training was introduced by ScotRail for its frontline management team so that they were able to ensure staff who may be involved in or witness a traumatic event could receive the appropriate support.
In October 2021, ScotRail initiated a Travel Safe Team that works closely with British Transport Police in supporting customers and colleagues in promoting a safe railway environment, both on trains and in stations.
A Safeguarding Manager has also been recruited to support the Travel Safe Team in helping to look out for people travelling on the rail network who may be vulnerable.
Further help in ScotRail's approach to mental health has been the recruitment by the company of 60 mental health first aiders across Scotland. They have received extensive training using NHS-accredited material, which has provided them with the necessary skills to identify someone with a mental health issue and guide them to the relevant service.
The Scottish First Aid Awards is now in its tenth year. It is hosted by St Andrew's First Aid to recognise extraordinary people, schools, communities, and employers across Scotland who have gone above-and-beyond their legal responsibilities by delivering outstanding acts of first aid to make their communities safer.
Martine Gravil, ScotRail's Fatigue Manager, said: “We are delighted to receive this recognition for the important work we are doing to promote positive mental health across Scotland's Railway.
“The challenges faced by our staff and those in the communities we serve has been at the forefront of our minds in recent years.
“ScotRail worked tirelessly to ensure people felt safe and confident to travel when being welcomed back to the railway following the pandemic, and we'll continue to promote positive mental health and reach as many people as possible across Scotland in the months and years ahead.”
