Mental Health First Aiders: FOI Release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Information requested
For the last five years please provide the following information broken down by a) Scottish Government directorates and b) Scottish Government executive non departmental public bodies:
1. How many employees have requested a mental health first aider?
2. How many employees have seen a mental health first aider?
3. How many annual working days have been lost to mental health sickness?
4. Please also provide a copy of the guidance that was produced for the employee well-being hour that was agreed as part of the 2023 pay settlement.
Response
Questions 1&2
Please see attached PDF document titled Mental Health First Aiders.
Please note the data contained within has been suppressed to Director General (DG) level to protect confidential information as the figures relate to a small number of staff. You can view which directorates form each DG here - The Civil Service - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).
While our aim is to provide information wherever possible in this instance we do not have some of the information you have requested. This is because we do not provide Mental Health First Aiders to Scottish Government Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested under part B of your request in relation to questions 1&2.
Question 3
Please see attached excel spreadsheet. As per the explanatory notes included in the spreadsheet, [c] indicates a figure supressed to protect confidential information where a figure relates to a small number of staff.
Question 4
I have attached a PDF copy of the wellbeing hour pilot guidance for staff in the SG Main Bargaining Unit, which was agreed as part of the 2022 supplementary pay award. Please note that the guidance contains some internal links to other parts of the Scottish Government Departmental Intranet.
Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by writing to Nicky Richards, Director of People, at nicola.richards@gov.scot. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made within 40 working days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the review in accordance with FOISA as soon as possible, and not later than 20 working days from the day following the date we receive your review request.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner. More detailed information on your appeal rights is available on the Commissioner's website at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Unhappywiththeresponse /AppealingtoCommissioner.aspx.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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