Emotional well-being of staff
“Some might see the idea of well-being as a soft area – not a
central focus. We disagree. It brings staff in … retains them
and creates increasingly positive, trusting relationships
between staff. What better environment in which to work and
learn.”
A headteacher

The Well-being Project focuses solely on the adults in an
organisation. It looks in detail at the emotional health
and well-being of staff and how the organisation
supports them.

It is not a management-led project but it must be
management sponsored.

It gives all staff a voice.

It is a solutions-based project whereby all involved have
a shared responsibility for the development of well-being
for staff within the organisation.
The Well-being Project makes use of an audit (OSRM –
Organisational Self-Review Measurement) developed by
Worklife Support with funding provided by the Teachers’
Benevolent Fund. Full account has been taken in developing this
tool of the Health and Safety Executives’ management
standards for work-related stress. The well-being audit provides
a tailor-made risk assessment of work-related stress.
Each school in the project completes a confidential online
survey. Staff answer questions on:
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
culture – are staff consulted about decisions that affect
them? Is communication between people good? As a
result do they take a pride in their work?

demands – is the amount of pressure and challenge
appropriate?

control – do staff have an appropriate say in how things are
run? Are there opportunities to use their knowledge and skills?

relationships – do staff help and support each other?

change – do staff know what the organisation is trying to
achieve? Do they feel part of the process?
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
role – do staff have a clear understanding of their own
and others’ roles and responsibilities?

support – is there adequate training so that staff have
the right skills to do the job?

personal well-being and work/life balance – do staff
have a sense of balance in their lives?
Following completion of the audit, each school receives a
data profile based on the staff views. For each question in
the eight sections there are five possible responses, which
are given values as follows:

strongly disagree – 1

disagree – 2

no feelings – 3

agree – 4

strongly agree – 5.
In the data profile each statement is reported as a mean.
Where scores are about 3 there is a sense of neutrality for
staff. Where a score is at 3.5 or above there is growing
consensus for staff that this is a positive area. Below 3 and
this could be an area for discussion and further exploration.
The data is detailed and comprehensive.
The individual results for a school are fed back by the
co-ordinator to the headteacher and the well-being facilitator.
At this point, they begin to explore where there are strengths
and what developments might be undertaken.
Development does not begin until all staff have received
feedback. This enables staff to open up discussion and debate
about their organisation. Many staff feel that this is a very
positive part of the process as they are able to voice their
thoughts knowing that all comments will be taken positively
and that individuals’ views matter. It raises awareness of the
emotional well-being of groups and individuals. It highlights the
fact that at certain times of the year, staff need to be sensitive
to work loads and look out for each other. Staff are also eager
to engage and take ownership for the developments as they
have resulted from their own responses.
After six months in the project, the co-ordinators discuss how
the programme is going with the headteacher and
facilitator(s). The facilitators are invited to attend meetings to
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share views ideas and successes. Well-being is kept at the
top of the agenda through newsletters.
Schools are encouraged to repeat the audit after a period of
no less than one year and sometimes as long as two years.
This gives them a quantitative progress report. They are able
to celebrate their progress and begin the process of
development again.
The programme supports many of the initiatives that schools
have to face today.
Healthy schools and emotional
health and well-being
Healthy schools need healthy staff. The new requirement to
meet criteria in all four of the core themes includes health and
well-being. To satisfy the requirements of the National Healthy
Schools Status, schools have to address the emotional health of
all its employees as well as providing concrete evidence that can
be used to apply for formal recognition. The audit provides the
evidence. It provides quantitative measurement of progress
through further audit. A culture of well-being is sustained through
constant discussion and review. Staff that work and learn well
together act as good role models for children.
Good leadership and
management practice
Good leaders and managers see the emotional health and
well-being of their staff as key to the success of the school.
The well-being programme provides very reliable and
accurate data about how staff perceive their school. It also
encourages staff to work collaboratively to find solutions to
issues and look for better ways of doing things. It is an
inclusive approach which means that everyone is a part of
the process. Staff well-being is not seen as the sole
responsibility of the headteacher, senior management team
or the leadership team but part of everyone’s contribution to
the school.
School self-evaluation
The process of school self-evaluation has increased the
focus on school leaders’ ability to effectively evaluate the
schools’ performance across a range of aspects. The
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well-being programme can form part of the school’s
self-evaluation, as it gives a clear analysis of the views of
significant groups of stakeholders. It uses data generated
from across the school’s workforce to inform improvements
in staff well-being.
Every child matters
The Every child matters agenda promotes mental and
emotional health. It identifies a “common core of skills and
knowledge for the children’s workforce”. Everyone working
with children and young people should have a set of skills
and knowledge that include:

listening and building empathy

summarising and explaining

consultation and negotiation

knowledge of ethics and confidentiality

self-awareness and respect.
Schools that are proactive about staff well-being will have
good communication between employees and develop and
promote these skills and provide excellent models for both
staff and children.
Stress management
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expects
organisations to carry out a suitable risk assessment for
stress and to take action to tackle any problems identified.
Education is one of HSE’s priority sectors. Any school
undertaking a programme incorporating the stress
management standards approach such as the
Hampshire/Worklife Support Well-being Programme and
doing so correctly, will be deemed to have fulfilled their duty
of care in this regard. Research tells us that a successful
strategy for managing stress at work includes:
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
a stepped and comprehensive approach

systematic risk analysis

a focus on the individual and the organisation

a participative approach

senior management support.
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The Well-being Programme incorporates all of these, using a
process of self-evaluation through an anonymous and confidential
survey linked to HSE management standards of work-related
stress. The school can methodically identify potential risks and
then use this information to plan a manageable strategy that will
address those factors that are within the control of the staff in the
school. A participative approach is emphasised throughout as
staff work together to generate ideas and solutions, and then help
to make them happen.
Investors in People
The revised Investors in People standard includes a whole
range of indicators that relate to staff well-being. Many of these
can be evidenced by reference to the outcomes of a well-being
survey and/or the processes that the school uses to address the
issues that arise. One of the key changes to the standard is the
addition of an indicator about involvement and empowerment as
an aspect of the organisation’s culture. This is very much at the
heart of a well-being programme. There is a clear link here –
investing in employees is good for their well-being.
Extended schools
Extended schools will require staff to work with a wider range
of professionals in quite different ways. The Well-being
Programme can help organisations to manage the cultural
changes associated with such development. It will help them
to build new and effective teams of professionals.
SEAL – the Primary Strategy
The SEAL programme identifies five broad social and
emotional aspects of learning:

self-awareness

managing feeling

motivation

empathy

social skills.
It also defines a set of key skills that underpin effective
learning and school improvement. The guidance states that
the use of resources needs to be “embedded within a whole
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school or setting approach and environment that supports
emotional health and well-being”. Essential to this is the work
that the schools do to promote the well-being of all staff. The
Well-being Programme provides a framework for staff to
work together to improve their own and one another’s health
and well-being within a supportive and enabling environment.
Workforce reforms and work/life
balance
Workforce remodelling and the Well-being Programme share
some common principles and practices. Both are about
managing change in a sustainable way so that the school
becomes an organisation that not only embraces change but
welcomes it. This can only be achieved if all staff feel a
sense of control and ownership, and engage with identifying
where changes are needed. They need to be involved in
creating plans for change in “an atmosphere of serious
consensus” (National Remodelling Team).
Recruitment, retention and
reduction of staff absence
Who would not want to work in a school where the welfare
and well-being of staff are seen to be taken seriously and
where everyone works together to address issues and
actively promote staff well-being. By promoting a school as a
well-being school, it will give a very clear message to
potential applicants. By participating in the Well-being
Programme, it will help to create a school where staff enjoy
working.
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