Two construction workers in the UK take their own lives every working day.
On World Mental Health Day, Mindflow launches the Mindflow Charter, a new mental health standard for construction companies. The ambition is simple: to make good mental health practice part of how a construction business operates, not something that sits alongside the day job.
Developed with construction and mental health leaders, and backed by a long-term research partnership with the University of Warwick, the Mindflow Charter gives construction businesses, of any size, a practical framework to strengthen mental health support and build it into how they run day to day. This post covers what the Mindflow Charter asks of a construction business, why football sits at the heart of Mindflow’s approach, and how to join.
Find out more about the Mindflow Charter, and see who's already Charter Registered.
A standard built on core principles
The Mindflow Charter sets out core principles covering leadership, culture, communication and support. The first asks every business to name a Mindflow Champion to coordinate the work; the other ten cover areas including:
- A written mental health and wellbeing policy, so the commitment is clear to everyone
- Equal access to mental health support across roles, sites and the supply chain
- Psychological safety, so people can speak up without fear of stigma or blame
- Leadership training, so managers can recognise their influence and respond well
- Engagement with preventive and early-intervention services, before issues escalate
Trevor Steven, CEO of Mindflow, said: “Construction has made significant progress in health and safety because the industry came together, set expectations and made improvements part of everyday working life. We believe mental health deserves that same level of commitment. We know that awareness matters, but awareness alone isn’t enough.”
Football is the way in
Mindflow Match-Ups bring former professional footballers onto construction sites to share their own experiences of adversity and mental health. Those sessions, and the honesty they create, shaped the Mindflow Charter: a framework built from what Mindflow has heard directly from construction workers, not from the boardroom down.
Trevor Steven said: “Through our work on construction sites, we’ve seen how football can bring people together and open the door to conversations that might not otherwise happen. When people hear someone share their own experiences, it can help them feel less alone and more comfortable talking about their own mental health.”
Harry Blight, who has shared his own family’s story of losing his father, Steve, to suicide, is backing the Mindflow Charter’s mission to bring football, construction and mental health together.
In partnership with the University of Warwick
A key part of the Mindflow Charter is its commitment to evidence and accountability. Through a long-term research partnership, the University of Warwick will independently evaluate the Charter’s implementation and impact as participation grows.
The partnership will help build an evidence base around how businesses put the principles into practice, what changes as a result and where further improvements are needed.
For Mindflow, this is an important step towards establishing a shared approach that can be developed, measured and strengthened over time.
Your chance to join
The Mindflow Charter is open to organisations of all sizes across the construction supply chain, recognising that improving mental health requires collective action across the industry.
Trevor Steven said: “Our ambition is to bring the industry together around a shared commitment to better mental health, so that looking after people’s mental health becomes as fundamental as looking after their physical safety.”
If your company is ready to join Balfour Beatty, GRAHAM, Sisk, MCC, VolkerStevin and FCE Projects, start your Mindflow Charter self-assessment here — it takes just ten minutes.
