Maritime Charities Group (MSG) Launch Mental Health and Wellbeing Training Standard

Press Release

8 July 2020

London.UK. The Maritime Charities Group (MCG)  a coalition of 10 major maritime charities, has joined forces with the Merchant Navy Training Board to publish a good practice guide to designing a training course for seafarers on mental health and wellbeing awareness.

Written by experts from the maritime and education sectors in response to the growing mental health crisis amongst seafarers, the new Seafarers’ Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training Standard was launched on Tuesday 7 July 2020 during Seafarers Awareness Week, with widespread endorsement from key stakeholder groups.

Aimed at prospective buyers of training courses as well as potential participants, the Standard sets a benchmark for training that aims to develop a keen awareness and appreciation of mental health and wellbeing amongst all types of seafarers, as well as those with an interest in seafaring. It includes course content, delivery and the qualification requirements of course facilitators.

MCG member the Seafarers Hospital Society took a leading role in the work. They were concerned about the proliferation of mental health awareness training courses of varying quality that did not address the specific issues faced by seafarers due to the nature of their work. The Society approached the MCG for help in bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to agree a way forward and the Standard was the result.

The Standard is being published by MNTB and is available from maritime publishers Witherbys for a nominal £10 fee. To buy a copy go to https://www.witherbyseamanship.com/a-standard-for-seafarers-mental-health-and-wellbeing-training-ebook.html

ABOUT MCG

The MCG fosters collaboration across the maritime charity sector. It does this by sharing information, commissioning research, supporting the education and welfare of seafarers and their families and by the promotion of best practice within the maritime charity sector. Our vision is for a maritime charity sector that works collaboratively to achieve the greatest impact for seafarers and their families.

For more information go to www.seafarers.uk/about-us/partners/maritime-charities-group/

ENDS.