Free mental health training launched to support SMEs

The campaign, titled “Let’s Get On”, offers free access to the IOSH Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing certificate for line managers working in UK-based SMEs with fewer than 250 employees. The initiative will run for a limited three-month window, from 1 January to 31 March 2026, after which the course will revert to its standard cost of up to £249 plus VAT.

The programme has been introduced against a backdrop of growing concern about mental health in the UK workforce, particularly among men under the age of 50, where suicide rates remain alarmingly high. Government research shows that work-related mental health issues are a major contributor to long-term sickness absence and economic inactivity, costing the UK economy an estimated £57.4 billion each year.

According to the DWP, small businesses are especially vulnerable. Many SMEs lack formal occupational health provision or structured wellbeing policies, leaving line managers without the confidence or skills to support staff experiencing mental health challenges, long-term illness or disability.

The fully funded course is designed to address this gap. Delivered by International Workplace, in partnership with Reed Learning, and developed by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the training focuses on practical, people-centred management skills rather than traditional health and safety compliance.

It aims to help line managers identify early signs of poor mental health, hold supportive conversations, make reasonable workplace adjustments and better support employees to stay in, or return to, work.

Minister for Employment Dame Diana Johnson said the programme could play a crucial role in retaining skilled workers and reducing avoidable absences.

“Too often, small businesses lose skilled staff to health issues without the tools to support them - and that doesn’t help anyone,” she said. “This free training gives line managers the confidence to have the right conversations and make the adjustments that could help keep people in work.”

Eligibility is limited to line managers working in UK-based SMEs with between two and 249 employees. Participants must have responsibility for at least one worker and must not have completed the same IOSH course within the last three years. The programme is not open to non-line managers, employees of larger organisations, or those living and working outside the UK.

The initiative builds on recommendations from the Keep Britain Working Final Report, an independent government review that highlighted the critical role employers play in preventing long-term sickness absence. The report found that employees have only a 50% chance of returning to work after being absent for more than a year, underlining the importance of early intervention and supportive management.

Research cited by the campaign shows that only 13% of workers currently feel able to disclose a mental health issue to their line manager, while three in five employees experience mental health problems linked to work. At the same time, fewer than one in three SMEs offer access to occupational health support.

By fully funding the training, the DWP hopes to remove a key barrier that often prevents smaller businesses from investing in development: cost. The course can be completed in three flexible formats, making it easier for busy managers to participate without disrupting day-to-day operations.

The “Let’s Get On” campaign is also supported by a growing network of partners, including trade bodies, professional associations and businesses across priority sectors such as construction, facilities management, care services, hospitality, recruitment, and transport and logistics.

Organisations are being encouraged to promote the initiative within their networks, host briefings, and use campaign resources to raise awareness before the funding window closes at the end of March 2026.

With economic pressures continuing to mount, and workforce wellbeing firmly under the spotlight, the DWP hopes the programme will help SMEs build healthier, more resilient workplaces.