Scotland's Mental Health First Aid is the backbone, around two thirds of everyone trained. ASIST stands on its own: 204 people trained not just to notice, but to intervene.
Scotland's Mental Health First Aid
Two days. Spot it, support it, signpost it.
678
67%
ASIST
Two days of suicide first aid. Accredited by Livingworks.
204
20%
MHFA England
The England curriculum, delivered under licence.
68
7%
My own course
Groupwork and Facilitation Skills
Designed and written by me. For the people who have to hold the room.
51
5%
My own course
SMHFA What's Next
Designed and written by me. Where first aiders go after the certificate.
7
1%
“
This was far and away the best course of any kind I have been on. It really felt like a safe, supportive space and everybody's safety was the priority.
Participant · SMHFA · Shetland
Where the training landed
Edinburgh to Shetland, and beyond.
Delivered in ten local authorities, with learners travelling in from 26 different home areas. From the heart of Edinburgh to the top of Shetland, and as far as Hong Kong.
City of Edinburgh419
Glasgow City228
Argyll and Bute121
Shetland Islands116
South Lanarkshire37
Leeds37
Online13
North Lanarkshire10
Brighton and Hove10
Aberdeen City9
Peterborough8
Held separately
And 22 in Hong Kong.
Delivered with Sandy Sinn for 21C Learning in November 2025. Counted in, the true figure is 1,030.
Seventy-eight rooms
Every one of them started empty.
Chairs in a circle, workbooks squared off, a blank whiteboard and a kettle on. Then people arrive, and for two days the room does the work.
The whiteboards
Two days of thinking, left on the wall.
Every board starts blank and gets built the same way. Not one of them has ever ended up looking like another.
Who they were
413 organisations. Every kind of workplace.
More than a quarter of everyone trained came through the University of Edinburgh, the single biggest thread. Beyond that, the register reads like a cross-section of Scottish working life: firefighters, lawyers, researchers, carers, council teams.
In their words
What the thousand said about it.
Four of the 815 feedback forms.
It's amazing how these two days have changed my knowledge of suicide intervention. It has given me the tools and confidence in both my life and career. Thank you!
ASIST participant
I have attended a lot of training over the years and this was some of the best delivered training I have attended. As somebody that struggles to pay attention for long periods of time, this training was easy to stay engaged with.
SMHFA participant
Before coming to the ASIST workshop I thought of the subject of suicide as very daunting. I now feel a confidence boost, which is quite important for my growth and ability to help anyone at risk of suicide.
ASIST participant
Chris did an excellent job of making the knowledge practical and instilling confidence in first aiders. He managed the dynamic in the room with sensitivity and care.
