Staff Wellbeing

At Hedon Primary School, we acknowledge that good staff wellbeing is essential for promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and is known to have a positive impact on children’s academic attainment.

With regards to children and young people, high teacher wellbeing is associated with high student wellbeing, and with low levels of student psychological difficulties (Harding et al., 2019).

Good staff wellbeing can help to minimise absence from work, and may help to improve the quality of teacher-pupil relationships by boosting teacher performance and reducing levels of teacher presenteeism (where teachers continue to work despite low levels of wellbeing and poor mental health).

Promoting staff wellbeing is therefore an integral principle of the whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, as it would be difficult to promote children’s well being when staff wellbeing is low, or teachers are experiencing burnout.

Furthermore, while working with children and young people experiencing mental health needs can be rewarding, it also brings considerable challenges, especially if we don’t receive the support we need ourselves.

It’s important to remember the ‘oxygen mask’ principle or analogy – where you have to put your oxygen mask on first before you help anyone else – as the same is true for wellbeing.

As a school, we have signed up to The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter. In line with the charter we aspire to:

• Prioritise staff mental health
• Give staff the support they need to take responsibility for their own and other people’s wellbeing.
• Give managers access to the tools and resources they need to support the wellbeing of those they line manage.
• Establish a clear communication policy.
• Give staff a voice in decision making.
• Drive down unnecessary workload.
• Champion flexible working and diversity.
• Create a good behaviour culture.
• Support staff to progress in their careers.
• Include a sub-strategy for protecting leader wellbeing and mental health.
• Hold ourselves accountable, including by measuring staff wellbeing.

Our comprehensive staff absence insurance allows staff access to the follow services without cost:

• Staff wellbeing clinics.
• Physiotherapy
• Counselling and Mindfulness.
• Weight Management (12 week Slimming World subscription).
• Nurse Support Service.
• Menopause support.
• Whole school and leadership support.
• GP phone and video consultations (24/7).
• Cancer and chronic illness support.
• Private Medical Operations.

Staff can also access the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Live Well, Work Well services including health checks and ongoing one to one support.  These services can be accessed via email:  livewellworkwell@eastriding.gov.uk

Staff can also access the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).  This service, through Vivup, provides a counselling and advice helpline, offering confidential support and advice for staff and their families. This can be accessed by calling: 0330 380 0658.

Our trained Mental Health Lead and Mental Health First Aider operate an open door policy in order to ensure staff can access support in a timely manner.

Further information

• Education support offers a free support service to staff with booklets available covering key issues such as isolation, grief and anxiety. They also have a free helpline number.   http://educationsupport.org.uk
• Hull and East Yorkshire Mind – HEY Mind is a charitable organisation that ensures people with mental health problems have somewhere to turn to for advice and support. They can also signpost you to various organisations in the local area that may be able to support you and your mental health. You can contact them on 01482 240200. http://heymind.org.uk
• Mental Health Advice and Support Line 24/7 (Hull and East Yorkshire). The Mental Health Advice and Support Line is available 24 hours a day for anyone in in the Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire area who requires information, advice and support with their mental health. You can also contact this line if you are worried about family or friends who may be struggling with their mental health.  Freephone: 0800 138 0990
• Cruse – Cruse is a charitable organisation that offers bereavement support in Hull and East Riding. They can be contacted on 01482 565565. cruse.org.uk
• Relate – Relate provides support for people experiencing difficulties in their relationships with others. They provide phone, email, live chat and face-to-face counselling and can be contacted on 01482 329621. Please be aware that this number is for the Hull centre and that there are others in the East Riding. The other contact details and centres can be found on Relate’s website relate.org.uk
• Rape Crisis – Hull Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Service is a service run by women for women. They provide a telephone helpline which can support women anonymously. The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.00pm, and a 24-hour answer machine is available. You can contact them on 01482 329990. hullrapecrisis.org
• Hull DAP – Hull DAP is a group of professionals working to provide a support service for victims/survivors of domestic abuse in Hull. There is a wide range of support available and you can contact them on 01482 318759. hulldap.co.uk
• DVAP – DVAP provides a wide range of support for people experiencing domestic violence and abuse in the East Riding of Yorkshire. You can contact them on 01482 396368 or via their confidential helpline 01482 396330 eastriding.gov.uk/living/crime-and-community-safety/domestic-violence/domestic-violence-adult-services
• SANEline – SANE is a charitable organisation that offers information and support for people struggling with their mental health. Their mental health helpline offers emotional support to anyone affected by mental illness, including families and carers. They can be contacted all year round between the hours of 4.30pm and 10.30pm on 0300 304 7000. sane.org.uk/home
• Samaritans – The Samaritans are available around the clock and are able to talk to you, in a safe place, whenever you like and about whatever is getting to you. The number is FREE from any phone and you do not have to be feeling suicidal to call. You can contact the Samaritans on 116 123. samaritans.org
• Rethink – Rethink is a mental health charity which provides a wide range of support and signposting throughout the UK. They operate an advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927. For more information, please visit rethink.org