Best Practice

Ideas to protect the mental wellbeing of school staff

Staff wellbeing Mental health
We cannot support the mental health of students if we don’t ensure the mental health of school staff. Jaime Smith looks at how schools can support and build the wellbeing of their employees
Leading the way: Appointing a senior mental health lead is an important step towards building a mentally healthy school - Adobe Stock

One in five children in the UK have a probable mental health disorder (Newlove-Delgado et al, 2023), and the number of children and young people in contact with mental health services has more than doubled since 2018 (NHS Digital, 2018;2024).

These troubling statistics highlight that we urgently need a greater focus on early intervention and prevention, where we don’t just repair mental health problems but take action before they develop or escalate.

Having worked in the sector for more than 20 years, I believe schools have an important role to play in the wellbeing of children and young people. They can provide powerful opportunities to build good mental health by helping students to achieve and thrive, through social and emotional development and instilling a sense of belonging, all of which can protect against mental ill-health.

However, to support children and young people at school we need to give staff wellbeing equal priority. While teaching can be immensely rewarding, it is a physically and emotionally demanding job with competing pressures and often a lack of resources.

If we want to recruit and retain educational staff and enable them to deliver what is asked of them, then we need to make sure that their mental health and wellbeing is effectively supported.

At Anna Freud – a mental health charity for children and young people – we support more than 40,000 education professionals each year and we want to support all schools to be mentally healthy.

This means implementing a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, where relationships are put at the heart of every aspect of school life and everyone feels supported, including staff. Here’s how schools can build the wellbeing of their employees.

 

Embed a senior mental health lead

One person can’t embed a whole-school approach to wellbeing alone but appointing and appropriately training a senior mental health lead is an important step towards building a mentally healthy school.

A mental health lead is responsible for implementing a holistic approach to mental health and wellbeing in their school, and supporting staff should be high on their agenda.

It is vital that the mental health lead has the authority to challenge current ways of working and enact change, so it can be helpful if they are in a leadership position.

Part of a mental health lead’s role is to help staff prioritise their own wellbeing, provide access to resources and training related to wellbeing and, when needed, signpost colleagues to seek further support.

Anna Freud offers mental health lead training to help education professionals develop this sustainable whole-school approach (see further information).

 

Signpost different support effectively

Each staff member will have unique personal and professional wellbeing needs, so identifying a range of services is important. This should include targeted options and support for everyone, such as reflective practice and supervision.

This approach offers staff a structured opportunity to support themselves, their students and each other, providing space to talk about challenges and distressing events, along with voicing concerns and receiving guidance. Staff in some roles, such as pastoral or safeguarding leads, may be offered access to clinical supervision, while other staff can be offered a form of peer reflective practice.

Anna Freud delivers the Schools and Colleges Early Support Service, an online wellbeing programme for the whole school. We work with students aged 11 to 25 with mild-to-moderate mental health issues – the service aims to prevent mental health problems from escalating – along with help for parents, carers and school staff.

For staff, we offer individual consultations with expert practitioners as well as on-demand training and development videos covering topics such as staff wellbeing and emotionally based school avoidance.

As well as universal and targeted support, staff should have access to more specialised options. This includes Employee Assistance Programmes – which offer confidential advice on issues that may impact employee wellbeing, including finance – and access to crisis support. The charity Education Support UK provides a range of useful resources for schools and teaching staff, including an Employee Assistance Programme.

Remember to consistently signpost support to staff through internal communication channels so they have visibility of what is available.

 

Instill an open, positive culture

A mentally healthy school is one that fosters a feeling of belonging, openness and mutual acceptance, particularly when discussing mental wellbeing. Creating an environment where staff feel comfortable talking about wellbeing helps to build a supportive culture for everyone, where there is reduced stigma about mental health and early intervention is encouraged.

A good first step is conversations about mental health as part of everyday school life and across the curriculum. A wellbeing calendar can identify opportunities across the academic year to spotlight mental health – for example, the start and end of the school term and periods before exams can be particularly stressful.

While each school’s mental health lead has an important role to play in building openness, it requires senior leadership and all staff to create a supportive culture where effective communication and honest feedback are prioritised.

A big part of this is recognising and valuing staff efforts, which can boost morale, job satisfaction and help create a positive atmosphere across the school community. Recognition should be timely, specific, and tailored to individuals, ranging from public acknowledgments and celebrations in newsletters to personal thank you notes.

 

Promote work/life balance

Given the pressures school staff work under, it can be difficult to maintain a good work/life balance, which can have a negative impact on wellbeing. To help staff manage these pressures, consider regular workload reviews and implementing email protocols, such as setting automated responses with working hours.

Implementing protected time for breaks and promoting flexible working arrangements where possible is important. Remember, it is not enough for leadership to talk about doing these things.

Modeling healthy behaviours including regular breaks and not taking work home sets the tone for all staff. Even small, practical measures, like letting staff have parcels delivered to school, can make a huge difference.

Earmarking time for staff to socialise more informally can also help to build a stronger sense of community. For example, weekly coffee mornings, organising staff away days and social events, and providing free or low-cost activities, such as yoga or sports clubs.

 

Build a supportive physical environment

It is important to consider how the physical environment impacts staff wellbeing. Where practically possible, ensure spaces are accessible and cater to staff members’ different needs. Involving staff in decisions about their working environment can help maximise the use of space to promote their wellbeing.

There should at least be a designated reflective space for staff where they can take time away from students.

 

Develop a wellbeing policy

A comprehensive policy for everyone – from staff and students to parents and carers – is a school’s blueprint for their approach to mental health and wellbeing. It is a reference point for staff and leadership that demonstrates a commitment to wellbeing and helps to ensure consistency in approach.

For staff, these policies cover everything from work/life balance and stress management to support mechanisms and procedures for addressing mental health concerns.

It should consider the fact that some staff, including those who are neurodivergent, LGBT+, and from ethnic minority groups may be disproportionately affected by mental wellbeing difficulties.

 

Measure staff wellbeing

To understand the wellbeing of your school community, it can help to monitor and measure wellbeing through a standardised measurement framework. This will highlight the specific needs of the school which can help tailor effective support, including for staff.

This can involve using surveys, focus groups, and other measurement tools to find out more about staff wellbeing needs. For example, the Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC), an Anna Freud project, offers the Wellbeing Measurement for Schools staff survey (see further information).

The resource uses validated tools to understand how staff are feeling about the support systems in school, their own mental wellbeing, and ability to support students. Findings can also be compared with other schools, helping staff to better understand their needs and challenges.

In any wellbeing survey for staff, remember to use consistent questions so results can be tracked and compared over time. Offering anonymity can help ensure honest feedback and giving the survey to staff at a convenient time (e.g. staff meetings) may boost response rates.

 

Offer training and development

With a better understanding of staff wellbeing needs, school leaders can identify the right mental health and wellbeing training. Training and development can help staff support their own needs and those of their students.

Teachers are not mental health professionals and are not expected to be, but with appropriate training they can make a difference to the mental health of their students.

Training can equip staff with skills to understand the role they can play to help embed a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. Starting with mental health awareness for all staff is a good first step, alongside specialised training for specific roles and responsibilities. Checking the credentials of any external provider is key, including that their training is evidence-based.

  • Jaime Smith is director of schools at Anna Freud, a mental health charity which has been supporting children and young people for more than 70 years. Visit www.annafreud.org 

 

Anna Freud

Anna Freud offers a range of resources, training and clinical support to help schools and colleges become mentally healthy. Services and resources referenced in the article above include:

 

Education Support UK

Teachers or education staff feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call the Education Support helpline on 08000 562 561. The number is free, open 24/7 and offers immediate support. You do not have to be in crisis to speak to a qualified counsellor. You can also visit www.educationsupport.org.uk. If you are worried you cannot keep yourself safe right now, call 999 or go to A&E.

 

SecEd Podcast: Staff wellbeing in schools

Three episodes of the SecEd Podcast have focused on how schools and staff themselves can protect wellbeing and mental health:

 

Further information & references

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