Supporting Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing

Why it Pays to Take Staff Wellbeing Seriously

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.

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 that 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:

For Individuals

• For support with loss, bereavement & trauma, financial support, domestic abuse or alcohol & lifestyle advice, click here to see the help available and contact numbers from GCC Occupational Health;
  
  
• Qwell, an online digital platform, provides any person in Gloucestershire aged 18 years and above access to self-care resources, information, peer support and access to trained counsellors. It is open to anyone experiencing issues with their emotional wellbeing, such as stress or anxiety and there is no need to be referred. This complements a range of existing mental health services supporting those in the county. See a full list of services;
  
  
• Education Support Partnership is the UK's only charity providing mental health and wellbeing support services to all education staff and organisations. If you're struggling, feeling overwhelmed, worried or anxious, as a teacher you can access free, confidential and professional support by calling the Confidential Helpline on 08000 562 561;
  
  

• The Health Assured E-Hub app provides 24/7 health and wellbeing support when and where you need it most - available in

  Google Play or App Store;
  
  

• Need to talk about cancer? Macmillan Telephone Buddies are here to listen. With a weekly call from one of our Telephone Buddies, you don't have to face cancer alone. Find out more and sign up at macmillan.org.uk/telephonebuddies or call our support line on 0800 808 0000 (7 days a week 8am-8pm);
  
  

• Staff Resilience Hub - helping frontline staff to manage your mental health and wellbeing. MindEd and MindEd for Families provide free e-learning about the mental health of children, young people, adults and older people. Download all materials. MindEd is created by a group of organisations and is funded by Health Education England, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education.

• TIC+: Webchat - www.ticplus.org.uk, or call 0800 6525675 (parent support and advice line);

• Samaritans: 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org;

• CrimeStoppers: 0800 555 111 (100% anonymous, always);

• Education Support: 08000 562 561 (Offers immediate, confidential emotional support from a qualified counsellor);

• Gloucestershire Self Harm Helpline: Freephone (5pm to 10pm daily) 0808 801 0606, or text: 07537 410022;

• Glos NHS: https://www.onyourmindglos.nhs.uk/;

• QWELL: https://qwell.io;

• The Door: 01453 756745;

• Winstons Wish: 08088 020021;

• Employee Assistance Programme (for school and college staff): 08448 910359;

• Occupational Health: Phone: 01452 425073 (for contact during office hours) or email: ohu@gloucestershire.gov.uk;

• Police Information: 101;

• CAMHs Professional Advice Line: 01452 894272

For Employers and Workplaces

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. See the list of courses, case-studies, and resources below to help you to support your staff:

• St John Ambulance offers Mental Health First Aid training courses to enable managers and supervisors to identify, understand and assist those who may be developing, or suffering from a mental health issue;

• Developed, led and supported by employers Mindful Employer provides organisations with access to information and support for staff who experience stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions. Resources are free to download. Take a look at 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;

• This Anna Freud Centre booklet offers practical guidance about what school staff and senior leaders can do to support their own and their colleagues' wellbeing;
  
  
• Anna Freud Centre ten steps to school staff wellbeing resource based on a school staff wellbeing consultation which ran in May 2018;
  
  
• Gloucestershire DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking, Harassment and Honour Based Violence) Risk Assessment Form for practitioners who work with victims of domestic abuse to identify those at high risk of harm and whose cases should be referred to a MARAC meeting in order to manage the risk;
  
  
• How one school takes the stress off teachers (Guardian 22/9/2017).
  
  

Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA)

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England has published a best-practice guide on the role of the Mental Health First Aider in the workplace - Being a Mental Health First Aider: Your guide to the role. The best-practice guide:

• Is designed to support and empower anyone qualified in Mental Health First Aid skills to perform their role safely and effectively in the workplace;

• Will support you to understand the boundaries and responsibilities of your role and also gives advice on engaging with your employer;

• Focuses mainly on the Mental Health First Aider role but also covers MHFA Champion and Mental Health Aware roles.

Please note: Your employer may be in the process of creating a bespoke policy so be sure to check in with them before using this guide if you are a Mental Health First Aider or MHFA Champion. 

Implementing Mental Health First Aiders: Guide for employers supports employers in understanding how to effectively implement Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England training in the workplace as part of a 'whole organisation' approach to mental health. 

Organisational Approaches

• Business in the Community: COVID-19 Employee Health and Wellbeing Toolkit;

• Developing and Evaluating Workplace Health Interventions: A toolkit providing guidance for employers to develop their offer of workplace health interventions;

• Mental Health at Work: Resources, Toolkits and Case Studies. Supporting Staff Wellbeing in Schools with a rich repository of information and easily accessible resources including videos and posters;

• Public Health England x Business in the Community Toolkit: Consolidates evidence with the very best employer practice to improve workplace health, with freely available resources that are useful to all employers, wherever they are on their journey;

• Resources for organisations: A library of guides, toolkits, audits, research results, resources, and training videos;

• Workplace Health Needs Assessment Tool: Provides practical advice for employers on workplace health, and a tool for carrying out workplace health needs assessments.