One in four adults feel unwell with their mental health in any given year. So, approximately a quarter of people who visit salons are navigating tough times. 

To provide salon owners with the tools they need to support their clients, Timely and the Lions Barber Collective have launched a training programme designed to help hairdressers ‘recognise, ask, listen and help’ people with poor mental health

Following two years of development Timely, a business management software brand, has launched the ‘first of its kind Virtual Masterclass’ to increase awareness of mental health support in salons. 

The two-hour training course, which is free for all salon employees to complete, covers four pillars. These educate those behind the chair on how to spot the signs of possible mental health issues, navigate difficult conversations, and direct their clients to the best resources for help. 

The programme has been created alongside Lion Barber Collective’s Tom Chapman, who pioneered a group of international barbers raising awareness for suicide prevention. His expertise, along with the technological capabilities of Timely and its client reach, means that the short films are set to educate beauty professionals across the UK. 

Speaking exclusively to the British Beauty Council Tamara Reid, Global Head of Strategic Partnerships at Timely, said: ‘We feel it’s our duty as a brand who facilitates those appointments through booking software, that we support our customers as best we can by helping them navigate such conversations. Timely has always lived the value of being; more than just software, we are a community, and initiatives like this mental health Masterclass help that vision come to life.’

Providing advice on what questions to ask, why eye contact doesn’t always promote productive conversations, and how to listen properly, the masterclass reframes hairdressing strategies to promote better conversations. 

On the launch, Tom Chapman says: ‘72% of those who take their lives have had no contact with mental health services in the 12 months before they die, but they have probably had a haircut or beauty treatment. The hair, barber and beauty industry infrastructure is incredible, we are on every high street from villages to cities serving the communities. We don’t want to turn them into doctors or therapists, far from it, the idea is that we can bridge the gap between the communities we serve and the resources available.’

The collaborators want to ensure that people making use of the resource are fully aware that the content is not designed to diagnose or prescribe, but instead to create a safer, more understanding environment at work. 

The Mental Health Masterclass is available online to all hair and beauty professionals – Timely customer or not – and can be accessed at: www.gettimely.com/mental-health-masterclass