Information for schools

Wellbeing service in Medway

As many schools have faced problems in recruiting and retaining staff, the need for a proactive approach to staff wellbeing has become apparent. Investing in staff health and wellbeing will contribute directly to more efficient organisational performance, improved staff morale and motivation, all of which help drive school improvement.

The aims of Medway Council's wellbeing programme are to:

• promote supportive and well-informed managerial practice, which actively develops healthy workplaces, focusing on organisational progress;
• enable staff, as individuals and in groups, to  manage the pressures they face successfully;
• use a range of evaluation methods to identify strengths and weaknesses;
• measure progress systematically to inform future action;
• provide a means of sharing information and research about best practice.

The wellbeing programme underpins the Workforce Reform agenda, performance management and professional development opportunities for all staff working in schools that buy this service.

Service provision

All employers have duties under the:

• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19993242.htm) to assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities;
• Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1974/cukpga_19740037_en_1) to take measures to control that risk.

The wellbeing programme comprises:

• staff briefings, to outline the programme and benefits;
• a confidential wellbeing risk assessment, based on the Health and Safety Executive standards, for the workforce;
• full analysis and report.

Following the confidential report, the School Workforce Development Team will:

• meet you to discuss the findings of the risk assessment;
• design a bespoke training plan to help address issues;
• deliver or broker appropriate training;
• help establish a wellbeing group, with representatives from the whole workforce.

Further details and costing can be obtained by contacting the council at wellbeing.survey@medway.gov.uk.

The programme:

• takes in to account the opinions of the whole school workforce;
• assures staff that they can contribute to change;
• has confidentiality guaranteed;
• includes questionnaire analysis and support groups for head teachers, senior teachers and support staff;
• is an active strategy to promote wellbeing for all in the workplace, not a defensive one;
• encourages staff to develop their own strategies which promote physical and psychological health;
• makes use of the results of others' research and combines it with what is learnt in Medway;
• can provide a versatile combination of training, guidance and support to meet the specific needs of each school the programme works with;
• links closely with workforce remodelling (www.tda.gov.uk/remodelling);
• integrates with and supports:
  
  
  • the National Healthy Schools Standard;
  • Investors in People (www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/Pages/Home.aspx);
  • recruitment and retention strategies;
  • school self-evaluation strategies;
  • school improvement.

Contact the School Workforce Development Team to get your school involved.

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