STAFF at a Taunton firm are being offered mental health first aid and support.

Claims Consortium Group is calling on other businesses in the town to care for workers who could be suffering from work-related stress, depression or other mental health problems.

The company, which has a 270-strong workforce, appointed Carly Eggar as its first mental health first aider after MPs backed a motion to bring in regulations to put mental and physical first aid on equal ground.

Claims Consortium now plans to train a further 40 mental health first aiders over the next year.

Ms Eggar will act as a first port of call for staff experiencing issues, as well as leading proactive initiatives for a healthy workplace.

Additionally she’ll train other first aiders both around the business and externally, through the company’s training business Foundations.

She said: "Studies show that around 60 per cent of UK employees have experienced a mental health issue due to work or where work was a factor. Yet few employers take their responsibilities in this area seriously.

"Mostly this is because there is still a stigma around mental health, and a huge lack of knowledge and understanding.

"We want to lift the lid on mental health in the workplace and bring it out in the open."

Claims Consortium is holding a free breakfast seminar on the theme of creating a healthy breakfast on June 5 - to register go to foundations-hr-seminar.eventbrite.co.uk - and running its first mental health first aid training course next month for details visit foundations-hr-seminar.eventbrite.co.uk