Linsey’s story: meeting with a Staff Wellbeing Advisor led to a ripple effect of positive impacts for our school

It was the Whole School Approach to Emotional and Mental Wellbeing which led to a recommendation to Education Support’s Staff Wellbeing Service last year. Our deputy head/wellbeing lead, met with a Staff Wellbeing Advisor and we’ve noticed a ripple effect of positive impacts for our school since then.

For us as a school, since coming back after Covid, prioritising staff mental health and wellbeing has been massive. We are also a school that is split over three sites, and even though we’re a well-established team, it’s been important to us that we make time to re-connect following that period of isolation.

When I was appointed in my role as a head teacher, I wanted to ensure we kept focusing on staff mental health and wellbeing and kept the momentum going. Remembering there are other challenges from outside the classroom; curriculum changes, inspections, redundancies, staff changes and so much more.

I would say to anyone thinking about signing up for a meeting with a Staff Wellbeing Advisor, just having a new person to speak with about staff wellbeing at your school and bounce ideas off is really powerful. The Staff Wellbeing Advisors have so many ideas of ways to support you and they can break it down in easy to manage chunks.

One simple suggestion was to put their free helpline posters on the back of doors in our staff loo’s, which was really effective. Or sign up for their newsletter which sign posts to funded wellbeing workshops, webinars and resources for staff in Wales, which I share with staff and encourage them to attend.  

We have also implemented specific times throughout the year to talk and reflect with staff, which came off the back of myself and my deputy taking part in funded professional supervision. I also found this service invaluable as a new head teacher with inspections and staff changes to deal with this year. It was fantastic to have someone to check in with regularly, who has that experience of the sector but is also impartial.

Put staff mental health and wellbeing at the heart of your school culture! Sign up to the Wellbeing Advisory Service in Wales now and find out how you can access funded expert advice from a Regional Staff Wellbeing Advisor.