Every year on 10 October, World Mental Health Day gives us the chance to pause and recognise the importance of protecting and promoting mental health — in our workplaces, communities and beyond.
The 2025 theme, “Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” is a reminder that mental health support is not just needed in day-to-day life, but is also vital when people face crisis, disruption, or uncertainty.
For employers, this theme carries a clear message: workplaces play a crucial role in ensuring people know that support is available, consistent, and visible — whatever challenges they may be facing.
Here in Leeds, many employers are part of the Leeds Mindful Employer Network, where we share ideas, resources, useful local and national services and practical tips to keep mental health firmly on the workplace agenda.
One way more and more of our Network members are taking a step further to demonstrate their commitment to positive mental health at work is by signing the Mindful Employer Charter.
Signing the Charter is a visible and credible step that shows an organisation takes employee mental health seriously. It’s making a public commitment, gaining access to practical resources, and joining a growing community of employers who want to create healthier, more open workplaces. Employers who take this step aren’t saying they have all the answers and have mental health at work solved; they are declaring that mental health is a priority for their business or organisation.
While signing the Mindful Employer Charter is not mandatory to be part of our Network, we do encourage it as a meaningful step that shows an organisation’s public commitment to supporting mental health at work.
Dynamic Social Support, a care provider in Leeds, proudly show off their Mindful Employer certificate
Many Leeds organisations — from small local businesses to major employers — have already signed. This World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to join them. By becoming a Charter signatory, you show your employees, clients, and partners that mental health matters to your organisation, not only in good times but in times of difficulty too.
To explore what the Charter involves, and what Mindful Employer offers nationally, our Mindful Employer Project Lead, Leigh Staunton, was delighted to get the opportunity to chat with Mark Poole, National Lead for Mindful Employer.
Hi Mark, please can you tell us a little about you and your role at Mindful Employer?
Of course. I’m Mark Poole, and I’m the Lead for Mindful Employer at the national level. What this means is that I guide the overall strategy and direction of the initiative, while overseeing its ongoing development and delivery.
I have a Master’s degree in Occupational Psychology, which has provided me with a strong foundation for understanding how people experience work. Before coming into this role, I had around eight years’ experience working in mental health – including roles as a low-intensity CBT therapist treating people within a primary care setting, and as a mental health consultant for the Department of Work and Pensions.
Can you tell our Network members what the Mindful Employer initiative is?
The Mindful Employer initiative is about encouraging and supporting employers to take a positive and proactive approach to mental health at work, as well as recognising and celebrating those who are already making a difference.
It’s about building a culture where mental health is better understood, normalised, and actively supported in the workplace, by providing managers, HR teams and senior leaders with the information and tools necessary to lead from the front.
At the heart of the initiative is the Mindful Employer Charter — a set of voluntary principles that help organisations show their commitment to creating a workplace where mental health is valued and supported.
What are the benefits of signing the Mindful Employer Charter?
Well, not only does the Charter provide a way for employers to better demonstrate their values, but it also signals to their employees and other stakeholders that mental health is a real priority for the organisation.
On a more practical level, however, our Charter signatories also receive a number of benefits to help them uphold the principles of the Charter. This includes use of the Mindful Employer logo, which they can display on their website and in other communications, access to exclusive publications like our Line Managers Resource Guide, and discounts on our mental health training.
What our members value most about the Charter, however, is the tailored feedback they receive through our review process, as well as its non-prescriptive nature – which allows them the flexibility to work at their own pace.
What is Mindful Employer Plus and how can people join?
Mindful Employer Plus is our offer of a more cost-effective Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). You see, we work with a number of small and medium-sized employers, and what we kept hearing from them was that they wanted to give their teams access to the independent and confidential support an EAP provides – but they found that most EAPs were either too expensive, too complicated, or simply not the right fit for their organisation. This is why we created Mindful Employer Plus – to offer employers a simpler and more affordable alternative which doesn’t compromise on quality.
Through our Mindful Employer Plus programme, we are able to offer employees access to all the core services you’d expect of an EAP, without the unnecessary extras that often push up the cost. This includes access to a 24/7 telephone helpline, as well as up to six sessions of telephone counselling, and an online wellbeing hub.
What makes the service particularly affordable, however, is the way in which it’s set up to leverage the economies of scale. You see, when an employer joins Mindful Employer Plus, they become a part of our wider pool of members. What this means in practice, is that an organisation of 10 people suddenly becomes part of a network of over 20,000 employees, which enables them to benefit from the same cost per-person rates as a much larger organisation would.
To join Mindful Employer Plus, organisations first need to sign the Charter. After that, we simply ask that they apply to join the scheme.
Can you walk us through the review process for employers renewing their Charter Signature?
Certainly. Every two years, we ask our Charter signatories to complete a Charter review. Now, while we do require our signatories to complete their review as part of the renewal process, it is not intended to be an inspection or audit of how well the organisation is upholding the values of the Charter.
Instead, we have designed the review around self-reflection, asking the employer what has worked well over the past two years, as well as the challenges they’ve faced. Not only does this enable our signatories to hold themselves accountable, but it also provides them with an opportunity to receive tailored feedback from a member of our team – highlighting success and what’s working well, as well as offering support and guidance in areas where they might be struggling.
What do you think makes Mindful Employer stand out as an initiative?
What I feel makes Mindful Employer stand out is the fact that it’s not about who has achieved what. Instead, it’s about encouraging honest reflection, sharing best practice, and supporting employers to find what works best for them – something which employers tell us makes the initiative feel more accessible and relevant to their own organisation.
It also helps that we’re NHS-led. Being a service of Devon Partnership NHS Trust gives Mindful Employer a level of credibility and reassurance that many other initiatives don’t have. Employers know we’re not driven by commercial interests – our focus is purely on supporting them to create healthier, more open workplaces.
What are your priorities for Mindful Employer for the next 6 months?
Looking ahead, our focus over the next six months is to continue building on the support we offer employers. For example, we’re launching our new national Mindful Employer Network later this month, which will give employers a space to share ideas, challenges, and best practice with one another.
We’re also planning to roll out a more regular programme of webinars, which we’ll be recording so that employers can access a growing library of on-demand content, while also working on several other behind-the-scenes improvements.
Thanks so much to Mark for contributing to this blog.
Find out more about how to become a Mindful Employer Charter Signatory.
Learn about the Mindful Employer Plus EAP Service.
Become a Leeds Mindful Employer Network member.
