Staff development, health and wellbeing
Wellbeing in schools/colleges starts with the staff; it is part of a positive whole school/college ethos and culture and supported by robust policies and procedures.
Schools/colleges, as the employer, have responsibilities and a duty of care towards staff. This includes ensuring that staff have appropriate CPD/training, so they have the correct skills for job, the workload is manageable and that there is support available when needed.
A culture of open & honest communication, mutual respect & support, and clear signposting to support is part of this. Effective people management is key to establishing and maintaining positive relationships and can include:
- Open conversations.
- Celebrating successes, strengths-based approach.
- Obtaining staff voice, such as using surveys and focus groups and ensuring staff are kept informed as a result of being consulted.
- Safe spaces to have difficult conversations (reflective practice).
- Training to support staff having difficult conversations.
The benefits of good staff wellbeing can be seen throughout the school/college community. When staff are ‘at their best’ it will have a positive impact on children and young people, including improved educational outcomes and better relationships.
Staff will demonstrate increased productivity and there will be reduced absences from work as staff will be better able to manage stress and develop healthier coping strategies. There will be improved job satisfaction and increased staff retention as staff will be feelings valued, supported and invested in.
Understanding our own wellbeing needs
Taking the time for ourselves is essential and building self-awareness, emotion regulation and positive self-care habits in ourselves, is key to supporting children and young people with these skills. It is hard to promote emotional wellbeing in others if you feel uncared for and burnt out. Staff straining in this area could cover:
- The importance of staff looking after their own mental health.
- Evidence-based approaches for supporting their own, staff and pupil or student mental health and resilience, such as trauma informed, counselling, mindfulness and other approaches, and the role these can play as part of a holistic approach.
- Signposting and arranging appropriate support for staff dealing with mental health issues and incidents in the school/college.
Supporting staff
It helps if the school/college ethos accepts the reality of staff stress and makes it safe for staff and leaders (as well as children and young people) to:
- admit their challenges
- seek support for mental health needs without stigma
To help staff build a greater sense of control the school/college can support them to develop key stress reduction skills. These can include building resilience, relaxation and mindfulness.
Staff should also be supported to understand the importance of balance and the positive role stress can play
- Pressure and performance - Mental health awareness at work - eLearning - YouTube
Staff wellbeing and development resources
Staff wellbeing policy template
Wellbeing action plan template
Staff survey examples [101.9 KB] [docx]
Teacher Wellbeing Index: mental health & wellbeing research (educationsupport.org.uk)
Mental Health Leads small group reflective practice - monthly Teams session
