With more and more employers recognising the importance of mental health, we hear from Peter Williamson of Knights Brown on how their new campaign seeks to address this issue and the reasons why.

1. 1 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Why Knights Brown have started taking mental health &
wellbeing much more seriously
No Longer All In The Mind

2. 2 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Business Systems Director at Knights Brown Construction Ltd
Peter Williamson
• Ex-Hanson
• Switched to the Dark side – Twice!
• IQ Council Member & sometime technical consultant
• Passionate about helping people to fulfil their potential
• Here to talk about the work Knights Brown are doing to promote
mental health awareness within its workforce

3. 3 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Formally Raymond Brown Construction Ltd
KNIGHTS BROWN
• Privately owned, regional construction business with specialist
energy sector capability delivered nationwide and in the ROI.

4. 4 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Why now? Why change our approach to Mental Health Awareness?
Mental Health Awareness
• Knights Brown has it’s own ethos: A code of practice we call Right Works
• Right Works promotes continuous improvement and, as a practical guide,
helps our teams to run and deliver successful projects they can be proud of.

5. 5 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
The unforgettable stats...that we immediately forget
Mental Health Awareness
• According to the HSE in 2015/16, 488,000 people in England & Wales
reported work-related stress at a level they believed was making them ill
• 1 in 4 people will experience stress/ mental health issues that require
help or intervention.
• On average, each person who was suffering from work-related stress took
an estimated 23.9 days off in 2015/16 this compares to 16 days for
musculoskeletal disorders.
• An estimated 11.7 million working days in 2015/16 were lost in total due
to work-related stress, depression or anxiety.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death in men and women aged between 20
and 35

6. 6 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
The unforgettable stats...that we immediately forget
Mental Health Awareness
• Cost to employers: £30bn a year through lost production,
recruitment and absence.
• Mental ill health is the single largest cause of disability in the UK.
It’s estimated that the total annual cost to the UK economy,
public services and society is £105bn, or:
17
750

7. 7 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
2017 – Mental Health awareness becomes trendy?
Mental Health Awareness
• Yes & No. Increasingly, we live in a World where everybody
shares everything!

8. 8 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
The Trigger:
Mental Health Awareness

9. 9 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Stop. Make a Change
Mental Health Awareness
• An event organised by the Civil Engineering Contractors
Association (CECA)
• Sites had a two Hour Stand down on the 18th of April and talked
about issues relating to :
• Promotion of positive mental health
• Boosting plant safety
• Tackling Lung Disease
• Preventing Fatigue

10. 10 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Stop. Make a Change – Knights Brown Strategy
Mental Health Awareness
• If we commit to this event, how do we ensure that we get the
best out of it?
• March Toolbox talks on site focused on plant safety, respiratory
issues and fatigue. Discussion notes were prepared and
distributed to all site managers
• In groups no larger than eight at a time, every employee
attended an 90 minute Stress & Mental Health presentation.
Delivered by Darren, one of our HSQE Advisors...

11. 11 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Setting your mind at ease....Darren:
Mental Health Awareness

12. 12 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Awareness Training
Mental Health Awareness
• Warning signs to look out for in team members & in self. Including chronic
stress symptoms
• Typical causes, both at home and at work
• Construction industry stigmas. Why it is rarely reported
• Basic do’s and don’ts when talking to someone
• During the training, most people listened attentively, but were reluctant to
interact
• After the training, Darren had several people come to him privately to talk
about their experiences and to thank him for the sensitivity and humour in
his delivery

13. 13 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Stand down day
Mental Health Awareness
• Six Questions posed to all teams:
1. What do you think is meant by mental health?
2. What do you think are the possible causes of stress and
mental health?
3. What issues do you think there are with stress and mental
health in the construction industry
4. What do you think we could be doing more of to help with
stress and mental health issues
5. What would encourage you to feel comfortable talking
about stress/mental health
6. Explain why you might not feel comfortable asking for help
if feeling stressed

14. 14 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Stand down day – What our teams told us
Mental Health Awareness
• Reduce uncertainty. Ineffective planning/programming of work activities
contribute to high levels of stress on site
• Reduce time spent on the road
• Reduce the email burden
• Have access to a trained person when we need to talk to someone
• Guaranteed confidentiality
• Macho environment. Fear of stigma, fear of being considered “weak” fear of
being ridiculed
• Not wanting to make a fuss

15. 15 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Tackling what we can manage. Offering support where we can’t
Mental Health Awareness
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) introduced and promoted however and
wherever possible (two individuals have already received face to face
counselling)
• Skype for Business being used for meetings, 100K miles already saved!
• Investment in project programming software & training. Uncertainty is reduced,
we’re also delivering leaner and smarter
As well as being a better place to work, we’ve seen direct business efficiencies
• Next few months...
• Considering Mental Health First Aiders
• “Think before you CC”...

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Mental Health Awareness
Why I CC’ed you into this email...

17. 17 | KNIGHTSBROWN.CO.UK
Q. Why Knights Brown have started taking mental health & wellbeing
much more seriously
Mental Health Awareness
• Not because it’s trendy
• Not because we need to be seen to be discharging our duty of care in case of
litigation
• Because, it’s the right thing to do.
• For our employees
• For our bottom line