Mental health and wellbeing: shining a spotlight on supply staff

Mental health and wellbeing should be a priority for the entire school community, extending beyond pupils and regular teaching staff to encompass everyone involved in the educational process.

However, we know in practice the valuable contribution of supply staff can be overlooked when time is at a premium and there are multiple priorities to juggle. This may leave supply staff feeling under-appreciated or under-valued, affecting their mental health, levels of motivation or impacting their ability to effectively support pupils.

In this blog we offer suggestions on ways to support supply staff and help them stay mentally well in your school setting. It may be that your school is implementing some of these practices already, but if not, don’t be alarmed - you’re making a start by simply assessing your approach.

Tips for supporting supply staff mental wellbeing:

1. Make psychological safety a priority

Psychological safety is about staff being able to reduce their stress, feel valued, have open and honest discussions, be able to say ‘no’ without fear of retribution and ultimately, do their jobs well. It’s really important in contexts which experience frequent change, where workloads are high, and where good team dynamics can make a huge difference to people’s performance.

Creating a culture of psychological safety involves approaches and activities that involve, reach and impact on, every staff member, including supply staff. Anyone can be a leader in bringing about psychologically safe work environments - it’s about how you act, what sort of relationships you build, and being honest at work. And making it an all-year round priority will benefit the whole school community, including supply staff.[1]

Find out more in our online guide and audit tool about how to build psychological safety in schools.

2. Promote a healthy work-life balance

Supply staff are only human. There is only so much they can do in the time they have. And we know a number of education professionals choose to go into supply work in order to improve their work-life balance.

Has a finish time each day been agreed? Are all staff encouraged to stick to it? What about taking their entire lunch break? The reality is if supply staff are to look after and provide the best learning experience for pupils, they have to spend time refuelling and looking after their health and wellbeing too.

3. Role-model wellbeing behaviour

School leaders and colleagues can support supply staff in maintaining a healthy work-life balance by role-modelling healthy working practices such as leaving work on time, taking allocated breaks and working within their contracted hours. If mental and emotional health become a priority to leaders– and they are able to role-model that behaviour – it can spread throughout the school community. Allowing all staff to learn, work and grow together, which in turn has the potential to improve relationships with pupils and ultimately how they are taught.

4. Take time to check in

Coming into a new environment can be daunting, even for the most experienced education professional. Leaders making time to for checking in with supply staff at the start of the day and letting them know they are there for them, can help ease their mind. Or colleagues simply introducing themselves, and asking about their day can make a difference.

5. Make a point of celebrating achievements

Sharing and celebrating any positive achievements or comments (however big or small!) with supply staff can impact their wellbeing. Knowing they are making a difference in the lives of pupils and that colleagues recognise and appreciate their efforts is important and makes it more likely they will want to return to your school in the future.

6. Sign-post to Education Support

A simple way to show supply staff your school is serious about their mental health is by sign-posting to Education Support as soon as they arrive.

• Education Support helpline:
  Supply staff don’t need to be in crisis to talk with qualified counsellors about anything they are experiencing. They can call for free, 24/7 and get immediate support on 08000 562 561.
• A Wellbeing Toolkit:
  Supply staff in England and Wales can download a Wellbeing Toolkit designed just for them. Download it below. 

Following these steps will not only help better support all colleagues at your school, it will make it more likely great supply staff will return next time cover is needed. It will also impact the reputation of your school in the wider community, potentially making you a more attractive employer to new recruits in the future and giving pupils the best learning experience possible

Sources

• Behaviour that builds psychological safety
• Psychological safety guide
• Role-modelling wellbeing as a busy leader
• Teacher wellbeing: why appreciation matters

[1] Psychological Safety Guide by Education Support