What is the education staff wellbeing charter, and how can it benefit you?

The education staff wellbeing charter is a declaration of support for, and a set of commitments, to the well-being and mental health of everyone working in education

This charter is for education staff in England, including temporary and support staff. All state-funded schools and colleges are invited to sign up for the charter as a shared commitment to protect, promote and enhance the well-being of their staff; sign-up is voluntary and there is no deadline. It was created by the education sector to highlight staff wellbeing. The charter:

• is a tool for schools and colleges to create, and publicly commit to, their own wellbeing strategies;
• is a declaration to protect, promote and enhance the wellbeing and mental health of everyone working in state education;
• includes commitments on education staff wellbeing by DfE and Ofsted;
• sets out principles of shared understanding on the meaning and importance of wellbeing and everyone’s roles and responsibilities;
• sends a message to everyone working in schools and colleges that their wellbeing and mental health matters;
• aims to improve wellbeing in schools and colleges by encouraging debate and accountability.

The charter can be used to:

• show staff that you take their wellbeing seriously;
• open a conversation with staff about their well-being and mental health;
• create a wellbeing strategy;
• create a wellbeing-focused culture.

Signing up for charter is a public commitment to actively promote mental health and wellbeing through policy and practice. It is a way to show current and prospective staff that your school or college is dedicated to improving and protecting their mental health and wellbeing which is:

• essential for improving morale and productivity;
• critical to recruiting and retaining good staff;
• a legal duty – employers are required by law to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees;
• taken account of as part of Ofsted inspections.

Signing-up for the charter

Signing-up for the charter is voluntary and all state-funded schools and colleges, including maintained nursery schools, school-based nurseries, special schools and pupil referral units, are invited to sign-up to the charter as a shared commitment to protect, promote and enhance the wellbeing of their staff.

The decision to sign-up should be made by your senior leadership team. If you are a local authority or trust, you can sign-up for schools, colleges or academies on their behalf, but you should consult with the senior leadership team of each setting first.

How to sign-up

Obtain consent from your senior leadership team and then email [email protected] with:

• your school unique reference number;
• establishment name;
• postcode;
• confirmation that you have read the privacy notice for education staff wellbeing charter and give permission for your personal data to be used by the department.

There is no expectation for your school or college to sign-up for the charter now – you should do so when it is right for your organisation and when you will get the most benefit from it.