Whole-trust approach to staff mental health and wellbeing: case study
Find out how a 4-school trust developed a trust-wide approach to staff wellbeing, and how you can do it too.
Contents
- In a nutshell
- Make sure your mission or vision underpins your goal
- Implement any ‘quick wins’
- Review what you currently have in place
- The 3-pillar approach
- Build trust to get these pillars to work for you
- Wellbeing initiatives the trust has in place
- Tailor your approach to each school
- Top tips for success
Our thanks to Julie Carson, director of education at Woodland Academy Trust, for her help with this article.
In a nutshell
What’s the approach?
Woodland Academy Trust developed a trust-wide approach to staff wellbeing based on 3 pillars:
- Communication
- Feedback
- Flexibility
Why this approach?
It helped the trust apply consistent initiatives across the trust that were effective and practical.
This approach has had a positive impact on:
- Staff sickness absence
- Retention
- Recruitment
The trust says it has also helped it:
- Make its vision work in practice
- Reduce teacher workload
- Share best practice across the trust
- Keep an open dialogue with staff
- Build trusting relationships with staff
- Tailor the approach to each school
How long did it take?
This approach can work for any trust size – larger trusts may want to take a regional approach. The strength in this approach comes from sharing practice and
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