Digital learning provider International Workplace is doing its bit to ease the New Year blues by equipping small business with the tools to champion mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
January can be a challenging time of year. The festive period is over, the days are short, wintery weather has set in and it’s a long wait until payday. In 2004, psychologist Cliff Arnall coined the third Monday of the calendar as ‘Blue Monday’, an imprecise calculation of when all these different factors converge. And while it’s important to remember that mental health is a very serious issue that affects everyone throughout the year, it’s a reminder of the pressures people face and why proactive support from managers can make a huge difference.
From this month, International Workplace is delivering the IOSH Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing certificate course to line managers in qualifying SMEs in England, free of charge.
Free courses places are available until 31 March under a special programme funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, delivered in partnership with Reed Learning. The course is available for self-study online, remotely via virtual classroom, or at one of 12 regional venues across England.
If you’d like to find out more and book free course places, you can visit http://www.keepbritainworking.com.
More information
Eligibility
- Must work for an SME in England with 2–249 employees
- Must be a line manager to at least one employee
- Must not have completed the IOSH Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing course in the last three years
Funding
The programme is being delivered between 1 January and 31 March 2026 and is fully funded by Department of Work & Pensions in collaboration with the Department for Health & Social Care, making it completely free for eligible SME line managers. The initiative forms part of the government’s wider ambition to Keep Britain Working, supporting employers to improve workplace health, wellbeing and productivity.
Flexible delivery options
- eLearning (EL): Self-paced online learning (approx. 6 hours)
- Virtual classroom (VC): Live instructor-led sessions delivered via MS Teams (approx. 3.5 hours), supported by eLearning
- Face-to-face (F2F): One-day classroom-based course (approx. 6 hours) delivered at 12 regional venues across England
The IOSH Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing course is designed for managers and supervisors in any sector, equipping them with practical tools and techniques to support employee health and wellbeing. The course helps managers develop the confidence to have effective conversations about health, manage occupational health risks, and promote a positive workplace culture.
On successful completion of the course and final assessment project, delegates are awarded the IOSH Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing Certificate.
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