Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 11 to 17 May 2026. Organised by the Mental Health Foundation, it is one of the most widely observed public health campaigns in the UK, bringing together workplaces, schools, communities and media to focus attention on something that affects us all. This year's theme is ACTION.

The theme is well chosen. Awareness, while important, is only part of the picture. What makes a genuine difference is what happens next: the small, consistent actions that create environments where people feel supported, seen, and able to do their best work.

That principle sits at the heart of how CLEAN operates. Whether our teams are working alongside yours on a hospital ward, in a care home, or across a facilities contract, the quality and consistency of what they deliver depends on how they are supported day to day.

Around one in five adults in the UK lives with a common mental health condition. Poor mental health is one of the leading causes of workplace absence. The teams who support your operations are not immune to those pressures, and neither are yours.

What CLEAN does to support its people

Across all our sites, and for our Central Team colleagues, CLEAN has trained Mental Health First Aiders. They are not counsellors, but they are something equally valuable: colleagues who know how to spot the signs that someone is struggling, who can start a calm,non-judgmental conversation, and who can point people towards the right professional support when needed.

That network matters because mental health does not follow a timetable. Problems do not wait for annual reviews or scheduled check-ins. Having a familiar, trusted face available at any time makes it easier for people to come forward before things become unmanageable.

Alongside this, CLEAN offers all colleagues access to Wisdom, our Employee Assistance Programme. Wisdom provides round-the-clock, confidential support on a wide range of issues, from workplace stress and financial concerns to family matters and personal challenges. It is staffed by qualified counsellors and advisors and operates completely independently of CLEAN. What our people share stays private.

Why this matters to the people we work with

The organisations CLEAN partners with, both customers and suppliers, as well as wider stakeholders, are under real pressure. Maintaining safe environments, managing tight schedules, and doing more with finite resources are daily realities for the teams we work alongside. In that context, reliability is not a bonus feature. It is the foundation on which everything else is built.

A workforce that feels supported is more consistent, more engaged, and better placed to maintain the standards your operations depend on. Investing in our people's wellbeing is not separate from the quality of the service we provide. It is part of it.

Getting involved this week

Mental Health Awareness Week is an opportunity to pause and reflect, both personally and as organisations. The Mental Health Foundation is encouraging everyone to identify one action they can take for their own wellbeing this week. That might be a conversation, a proper break, or simply acknowledging that things have been difficult lately.

You are welcome to wear something green on Thursday 14 May as part of Wear it Green Day, a simple, visible way of showing solidarity with the cause.

Further resources, practical guides, and information on this year's theme are available at mentalhealth.org.uk.

If you would like to talk to us about how CLEAN supports workforce wellbeing as part of the services we deliver, please do get in touch with your CLEAN account manager.