Staff mental health and wellbeing
How to be happy: a guide for teachers (and everyone else)
Staff in schools are notoriously vulnerable to poor wellbeing – try these simple psychological tricks to stay positive:
- Don't worry about being happy
- Connect with people
- Value your time
- Be kind to others
Click here for more information
Mindful Employer
Mindful Employer website
Developed, led and supported by employers MINDFUL EMPLOYER® provides businesses and organisations with easier access to information and support for staff who experience stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions.
Help is at Hand from Health Assured
Our new health and wellbeing app provides 24/7 support when and where you need it most. Some of the great content includes:
- tips and advice on how to maintain your work-life balance
- support on keeping good physical and emotional health
- mini health and wellbeing checks
- 4 week wellbeing challenges
- a variety of topical support videos and webinars on demand
Download the app by searching 'Health E-Hub' in Google Play or App Store
Mental Health Awareness
With more and more of us affected by mental health issues, it is vital that all employers are able to identify the main warning signs of mental ill health. St John Ambulance is set to launch courses to enable managers and supervisors to identify, understand and assist those who may be developing, or suffering from a mental health issue. To receive more information, please register your interest here.
The Mindful Employer (TME) website carries a range of publications to help your managers and staff including Keeping Well at Work, Making Work Work and Feeling Stressed, Keeping Well. Why not take a look?
Resources are free to download and many employers have bought printed copies of Line Managers Resource, Keeping Well at Work and general leaflets for their employees. Take a look at the films Working with Anxiety and Let’s Talk – TME can send you the mp3 files if you want to use them on your staff intranet or e-learning sites: they are free so do get in touch.
Chloe Brotheridge knows what it's like to constantly overthink things, to feel nervous about everyday stuff and to let a lack of confidence hold you back from being yourself and being in the moment. Living with anxiety and low self confidence is frustrating at worst, and at best- a living nightmare! (Click on the title/logo above for Chloe's Blog and many more resources)
Teacher's Blog - on the Teacher Network - from the Guardian
22 September 2017 - How my school takes the stress off teachers
- a common approach to lessons gives teachers more control
- have an efficient whole-school behaviour policy
- written feedback is only given where needed
- the homework process is streamlined
- collaboration on the curriculum
- no burdensome written reports
- ongoing coaching helps improve quality of teaching and learning
The purpose of this checklist is to give a consistent and simple to use tool to practitioners who work with victims of domestic abuse in order to help them identify those who are at high risk of harm and whose cases should be referred to a MARAC meeting in order to manage the risk. CLICK ON THE LOGO OR TITLE TO DOWNLOAD.
The Pearson Teaching Awards
The Teaching Awards Trust was established in 1998 by David, Lord Puttnam CBE, as a means of recognising and celebrating excellence in education. The Awards honour outstanding teachers and teaching and highlight just how vital success in education is to the health and wealth of the UK.
The charity’s mission is to celebrate excellence in education, through the annual Pearson Teaching Awards and the Thank a Teacher Campaign
Click here to view the website and find out about nominating outstanding teachers
How can teachers inspire greatness in children if they’ve lost sight of the greatness in themselves? 
Why inspiring greatness in pupils begins with taking care of their teachers
The Workplace Wellbeing Charter - National Award for England
What is the Workplace Wellbeing Charter and how does it work?
The Workplace Wellbeing Charter is a statement of intent, showing your commitment to the health of the people who work for you.
Organisations using the Charter benefit in many ways including:
- The ability to Audit and Benchmark against an established and independent set of standards – identifying what the organisation already has in place and what gaps there may be in the health, safety and wellbeing of your employees.
- Developing strategies and plans – The Charter provides a clear structure that organisations can use to develop health, safety & wellbeing strategies and plans
- National recognition – The Charter award process is robust and evidence based. With over 1,000 organisations across England holding the award, The Workplace Wellbeing Charter is now widely recognised as the business standard for health, safety & wellbeing across England. The award helps to strengthen the organisation's brand & reputation and supports in sales and marketing activities.
The Standards and the supporting toolkit materials and topic guides have been funded by Public Health England, and are free for all organisations to use on the website. The aim is to support local health and wellbeing partnerships and employers to maximise the potential of their staff, and to make small changes that have large impacts on staff health and wellbeing’.
Employers that sign up to any of the Public Health Responsibility Deal pledges concerning Health at Work, can use the Charter standards as a road map to fulfil the commitments made in the pledge. Similarly, employers that are taking action under the Workplace Wellbeing Charter may also wish to sign-up to the Health at Work pledges under the Public Health Responsibility Deal, in order to demonstrate their commitment in this area.
Six ways your school should be showing it takes staff wellbeing seriously
Happy teachers make for happy students and better results, so more schools should be doing these six things, says Mike Lamb. Various pieces of research published over the past years support the suggestion that happy and contented staff produce happy and contented pupils. It's a situation which leads to optimum outcomes, from exam results to mental health. So why are we not better at looking after staff in schools?
It is easy to pay lip service to such initiatives and less easy to tangibly improve staff welfare at a time of cuts and shortages. Here are some suggestions to ensure it is taken seriously.
Articles
17/10/17 Rethink Mental Illness - The Importance of Self Care Does anyone else think ‘self-care’ and ‘self-love’ has become a bit of a cliche? Having a bubble bath, getting a massage, repeating positive affirmations ’til you’re blue in the face? Maybe you’re not the bubble bath type (I for one, get bored after about 10 minutes!) Maybe you hate being touched by a stranger and so a massage is a definite no-no. Maybe you’re wondering who has the time (or the money?!) for all that. But ‘self-care’ is important. Super important! Whether you have a mental health issue or you're caring for someone who does - it needs to be a priority for all of us. Here are three important reasons why. (Click on the title to read more).
