Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) and Wellbeing Champions have become a familiar feature of workplace wellbeing strategies. But as organisations mature in their approach to employee health, a more nuanced question is emerging:
The question I’ve heard people ask is: “Are these roles a strategic asset – or an unintended burden?”
A recent discussion via LinkedIn with the Make a Difference Leaders’ community and our wider network reveals that the answer is far from straightforward. While many organisations see clear value, the impact of these roles depends heavily on how they are designed, supported and embedded into wider workplace systems.
Here are the key insights shared in the LinkedIn discussion that employers need to consider.
Understanding the difference
One of the clearest insights comes from Mental Health First Aid England, where Communications Lead Lydia McIntosh highlights a critical distinction:
MHFAiders and Wellbeing Champions are not interchangeable roles.
Organisations that blur the lines between them often find neither performs effectively.
- MHFAiders are trained to support colleagues experiencing poor mental health and to signpost to appropriate help
- Wellbeing Champions focus on culture, communication and awareness
The discussion suggests that having both roles can be effective – but only with clear differentiation. Used together, they can create a powerful combination of early intervention and prevention. However, duplication and confusion can arise if roles are not clearly defined.
From initiative to integration: evolving the role
Some organisations are moving towards a single, more flexible champion model with specialist areas – reducing complexity while maintaining impact. The Health and Wellbeing Manager of an international bank described how their organisation has evolved its Mental Health First Aider network into a broader Wellbeing Champion model.
Rather than focusing solely on mental health, champions now have sub-specialisms aligned to areas such as:
- Mental health
- Menopause
- Neurodiversity
Their role is not to provide counselling, but to:
- Act as a trusted first point of contact
- Champion wellbeing within teams
- Embed messaging into everyday communications (team meetings, emails, town halls)
- Signpost colleagues to expert support
The results are telling:
- A 5% increase in engagement across wellbeing initiatives year-on-year
- Evidence of a genuine cultural shift, with wellbeing becoming more visible and normalised
The real value: culture, not crisis intervention
Across the discussion, there was strong consensus that the true value of MHFAs and Wellbeing Champions lies not in crisis response – but in culture change.
When positioned well, these roles:
- Encourage early conversations about wellbeing
- Reduce stigma around mental health
- Improve awareness of available support
- Help organisations understand employee needs in real time
As one contributor put it, the shift is from waiting for employees to “reach out” to creating environments where colleagues feel able to “reach in” and support one another.
This aligns with a growing recognition that prevention and early intervention are far more effective than reactive support – as encouraged by the recommendations of the Keep Britain Working review.
ROI: the evidence is growing – but structure matters
Return on investment remains a challenge – but the picture is becoming clearer.
Mental Health First Aid England highlights that:
- Workplace mental health investment delivers £4.70 return for every £1 spent
- 92% of MHFAiders believe they contribute to healthier, more productive workplaces
- 83% actively support organisational mental health
But there is a gap:
- Only 71% feel their impact is recognised
- Just 55% have a formal MHFA network
Furthermore, as others commented, too often, measurement relies on high-level engagement survey questions that offer limited insight. However, where organisations take a more strategic approach, ROI becomes clearer.
More meaningful indicators could include: trends in absence and presenteeism; employee engagement and retention; levels of psychological safety; increased early help-seeking behaviour
The implication is clear: training alone is not enough. The strongest ROI comes when organisations build structure, community and recognition around these roles, and recognise that ROI comes from how MHFAs or champions are integrated into a wider system.
When these roles become a burden
While many organisations report positive outcomes, and that success depends less on these roles and more on the system around them, there was also clear acknowledgment that MHFAs and Wellbeing Champions can become an unintended burden.
This typically happens when:
- There is no clear role definition
- Individuals are expected to handle complex issues without training or support
- Emotional responsibility is placed on them without safeguards
- The roles are used to compensate for poor management or culture
As learning, leadership and culture consultant Davina Jenkins noted, these roles can become problematic when they are introduced as a substitute for:
- Strong line management
- Healthy work design
- Clear organisational accountability
In these cases, they risk becoming an “add-on” initiative rather than a meaningful driver of change.
Protecting the people doing the work
One of the most overlooked – but critical – factors is the wellbeing of the MHFAiders and champions themselves.
As Lydia McIntosh emphasises: These individuals are employees first, not clinicians. They should never carry the weight of a clinical role.
Best practice includes:
- Providing clear boundaries and role definition
- Offering regular check-ins
- Access to supervision or reflective spaces
- Allocating protected time for the role
- Creating peer support networks
- Ensuring visible senior sponsorship
Tools such as MHFA England’s support app have been designed to help individuals log reflections, access resources and stay connected to a wider community.
Without these safeguards, emotional load can quietly accumulate. As one contributor put it, the simplest principle is: “Make them a priority.”
A growing call to upskill everyone – especially managers
One of the most thought-provoking perspectives came from the Head of Occupational Health and Wellbeing of a major utility company, who questioned whether organisations should rely on these roles at all.
Her argument: The responsibility for wellbeing should sit with everyone – especially managers.
There is a risk that:
- Managers delegate wellbeing to MHFAs or champions
- Employees see wellbeing as “someone else’s job”
Instead, organisations should focus on:
- Upskilling managers to have effective, proactive conversations
- Building shared responsibility across teams
- Embedding wellbeing into everyday leadership
This doesn’t negate the value of MHFAs or champions – but it reframes their role as supportive, not substitutive.
Starting with the outcome, not the initiative
A final insight from the discussion is the importance of clarity on outcomes.
Before implementing any programme, organisations should define:
- How they want employees to feel
- How they want them to work together
- What kind of culture they want to create
The gap between the current reality and these aspirations should shape strategy, role design and measurement.
This ensures MHFAs and Wellbeing Champions are aligned with meaningful organisational goals, rather than existing as standalone initiatives.
So, asset or burden?
The answer is clear: they can be either.
Mental Health First Aiders and Wellbeing Champions are a strategic asset when they:
- Are clearly defined and supported
- Sit within a broader wellbeing and leadership strategy
- Focus on prevention and culture, not just crisis
- Are properly supported and recognised
They become a burden when they:
- Lack structure or purpose
- Carry unmanaged emotional responsibility
- Are expected to replace, rather than enhance, leadership accountability
What this means for employers
For employers, the implication is not whether to have MHFAs or Wellbeing Champions – but how to design them well.
The organisations seeing the greatest impact are those that:
- Take a strategic, system-wide approach
- Align roles with business and cultural goals
- Invest in measurement and evaluation
- Prioritise the people delivering the support
As workplace wellbeing continues to evolve, these roles will remain important. But only as part of a much bigger picture.
Because ultimately, sustainable wellbeing is not created by a network of individuals. It is created by how the whole organisation works.
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