Recent history has shown that teaching is one of the most highly stressed professions – here’s how you can promote and enhance staff wellbeing and boost retention
CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Hub 4 Leaders
The state-funded school system employs almost one million people. The wellbeing of these people should be supported whenever possible.
Wellbeing is vital for recruitment, retention and high-quality education from staff. The link between low morale and low retention rates is well documented, as are its consequences.
The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter
The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter is a declaration of support for, and set of commitments to, the wellbeing of all types of staff working in an Education setting in England.
It was created using reliable information from a variety of existing resources, and in collaboration between schools, the DfE, charities such as Mind, and multiple education unions.
Signing the charter is entirely voluntary. It will allow schools to effectively create, adapt and publicly stick to their own wellbeing plans. It shows staff that their school understands and strives to promote and protect their wellbeing and mental health.
The charter can be used to open a conversation about mental health, create a wellbeing-focussed culture, and encourage debate and accountability.
Shared responsibility
The responsibility for wellbeing and mental health must be shared across the entire Education sector. It must be a long-term and concerted effort, with everyone fulfilling their responsibilities – many of which are covered by a range of existing frameworks and legislation. These include:
The DfE and its associated non-ministerial departments: The policy environment determined by the DfE and its agencies interacts with local school and college cultures to affect individuals working in Education. Good policies will support employers, leaders and staff to care for themselves and for colleagues.
Governing boards: Governors have a critical role to play in influencing the overall culture of the organisation, ensuring that they help to produce a supportive environment for staff.
Senior leaders: Senior leaders play a critical role in shaping the culture of a school, and can have delegated responsibility for fulfilling the employer’s legal commitments on health, safety and welfare. It is important to note that senior leaders are also employees whose wellbeing and mental health are important.
Cultivating a supportive workplace culture
Staff should be able to voice any concerns they have without fear of judgement or stigma, and school leaders and governing boards should always be ready to take on board and act on any issues that arise.
The working environment
Schools should work towards providing working environments that are positive, transparent, and supportive in order to ensure staff are not stressed, unmotivated, isolated or lacking in confidence.
Providing staff members with a private room
Providing staff members with a comfortable, well-lit and relaxed staff room where they can take time away from their work duties and focus purely on resting and de-stressing is important for their mental and physical wellbeing.
Communication
Professional communication between school leaders and staff members should be streamlined, clear and not too overwhelming. Staff should be clearly informed on school issues that directly concern them and the strategic direction of the school.
Not all staff need to be involved in every decision, but if they are consciously involved in suitable matters, this will help them feel motivated and know that their role is essential.
Workload management
Unmanageable workloads are a big source of stress for staff and are consistently reported as having a negative effect on wellbeing.
School leaders should make staff members’ roles and responsibilities very clear to them, ensuring that integral parts of their role aren’t seen as unexpected requests for work. Leaders should consistently show their commitment to tackling workload issues by consulting staff on how workloads could be streamlined and organised more efficiently.
Tackling stigma and focussed support
Staff may feel uneasy talking about any wellbeing issues they may be experiencing and may be reluctant to ask for help. To help overcome this, school leaders should develop a culture where staff feel comfortable to speak up if they are struggling and ensure staff know they will not be judged or criticised for any concerns they raise about their wellbeing.
Mental health awareness should be imbedded into training and development, making staff more aware that if they are ever struggling, there is always accessible support and compassion available.
It is important that staff feel they can advance their professional standing and that their work is meaningful. Leaders should ensure that staff members are made aware of all CPD opportunities and understand how these can be accessed.
A whole-school approach
Staff wellbeing should be addressed as a whole-school issue, ensuring the needs of all employees are taken into consideration, whether they are teaching or support staff. All staff members should be familiar with the different dimensions of wellbeing, and schools should make sure staff know how to access appropriate guidance, support and tools, and that their use is encouraged throughout the organisation.
For example, streamlining the school’s homework process or the format in which feedback is provided can reduce the quantity of work and admin-like tasks that staff members must carry out.
Similarly, by replacing burdensome weekly and termly written reports with direct conversations with parents, staff members are able to save valuable time, demonstrating how simplifying school’s processes can contribute to a positive workplace culture.
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