A free conference will take place next month looking at mental health in the workplace.

Organised by Kent Police, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Kent County Council, it will take place on Wednesday, October 10 - World Mental Health Day.

It will be staged at County Hall in Maidstone from 8.30am to noon and business owners, managers and directors are urged to attend.

FSB Kent area leader Deborah Turner said: “With one in four of us expected to suffer some form of mental illness, we want to encourage the conversation about wellbeing amongst Kent’s 140,000 small businesses.

"Business owners present with all the same issues and illnesses as the rest of the population but the difference is that we may have less time to deal with them, which in turn means things can quickly escalate. It can be those who seem to be the most robust or who are putting on the best front that actually need the most support. This conference will show where and how we can get that help and support.”

Kent police and crime commissioner, Matthew Scott, added: “Mental health and wellbeing is everyone's business and I'm really pleased to be working with Kent and Medway's small businesses to improve the support we offer, and raise awareness of the help that is available. There are many issues we need to address, such as stress, anxiety, depression, isolation and other conditions and it is good to be able to come together to listen and learn.”

To register for the Mental Health in the Workplace conference click here.