ScotRail is encouraging customers and staff across the country to take action to support good mental health as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, with station announcements across the network reminding people that it is ‘OK to talk’.
Throughout the week, audio announcements at stations and messages on customer information screens have been encouraging people to join the conversation around mental health.
The activity forms part of ScotRail’s wider commitment to colleague wellbeing and creating an inclusive, supportive workplace culture.
A key outcome in ScotRail’s Public Sector Equality Duty report is to foster a workplace culture that supports both physical and mental health for all colleagues through increased awareness, targeted wellbeing support, and mental health campaigns.
The train operator delivers this in numerous ways, including a confidential Employee Assistance Programme and a network of trained Mental Health First Aiders across the business.
All ScotRail colleagues have access to a confidential 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, offering support on a wide range of issues including mental health, emotional wellbeing, bereavement, relationships, and financial wellbeing.
The train operator also has a network of 130 trained Mental Health First Aiders across the organisation, providing peer support, a safe space for colleagues to talk, and signposting to further help where needed.
ScotRail plans to expand its network of Mental Health First Aiders later this year as part of its continued work to normalise conversations around mental health and increase visibility of support.
ScotRail also works closely with mental health charities, signposting colleagues and customers to organisations such as the Samaritans and AndysManClub (AMC) for additional support.
The train operator has worked in partnership with AMC since 2022, with the relationship formally established as ScotRail’s first wellbeing partnership in 2024 and recently extended until 2029.
Since the partnership began, AMC has supported ScotRail with presentations on male mental health and suicide prevention, as well as wellbeing and inclusion roadshows across the country.
Jill Loftus, ScotRail head of Wellbeing, Equity & Engagement, said: “ScotRail helps to connect people and communities, and we know that supporting mental health is an important part of creating a safe and inclusive environment for both our customers and colleagues.
“This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’ve been encouraging people across Scotland to take action to support good mental health and to remember that it is ‘OK to talk’.
“This work is part of our wider commitment to ensuring colleagues have access to the support they need to thrive at work, while also helping raise awareness of the support available more broadly across the communities we serve.”
Image credit: ScotRail