School-HomeSupport
School Home Support is committed to supporting and maximising the positive mental health and wellbeing of all its staff, families and children and young people
Collaborate, Achieve, Respect & Empower.
STAFF WELLBEING PACK
This is central to our core values:
Contents Manager check ins Employee Assistance Programme Mental Health First Aiders Mental Health Training ...................................................................................... Wellbeing Assemblies Mental Health Awareness Week Staff Wellbeing and Mental Health Project Group Mental Health at Work Commitment Perkbox ............................................................................................................................. Opportunities for Feedback Wellness Action Plan User Manual for Me Introduction to Staff Wellbeing at SHS SHS Wellbeing Strategy ........................................................................... SHS Wellbeing Charter .............................................................................. Our Initiatives Your Wellbeing SHS Wellbeing Policies Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 4 Page 5 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 10 Page 11 Page 11 Page 12 Page 12 Page 14
This has many positive benefits not only in terms of a happy and healthy workforce but we believe this will also have a positive impact on our service users.
Introduction to Staff Wellbeing at School-Home Support
We are always learning and seeking to develop and enhance our wellbeing offer. As such, we welcome suggestions for improvements from our staff members. Please contact laila.chaudhary@shs.org.uk if you have ideas or comments to contribute on our wellbeing initiatives.
The Covid 19 pandemic exacerbated mental health issues and brought about new challenges for many of us, both in our personal and working lives. As we move beyond the pandemic, we are left with much more awareness of and need for mental health provision.
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On a daily basis, staff at SHS do highly rewarding, but often stressful work. It is essential that members of the SHS team prioritise their own wellbeing. We want all colleagues to feel supported and valued.
For the most up to date information on our wellbeing initiatives, visit the Wellbeing Intranet page.
Welcome to your Wellbeing Pack! Our staff are our greatest asset; valuing them and their wellbeing and mental health is a top priority for us.
Our strategy has 5 objectives based on the CIPD’s five recognised domains of wellbeing.
Support and maintain an environment that recognises skills and encourages personal development
SHS Wellbeing Strategy
1 2. 3. 4. 5. You can find the full strategy document linked here.
Support and maintain an environment and culture that mirrors organisational values.
Support and maintain a safe and healthy working environment for all staff and ensure that employees recognise the value which the organisation places on their physical and mental wellbeing.
Support and maintain a working environment which promotes staff engagement, performance and achievement.
Prioritise positive relationships and promote an open, collaborative and supportive workplace culture.
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Support employees to have a good work life balance through:
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Build strong team and organisational relationships based on respect, empathy and understanding.
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Give equal consideration to mental health as we give to physical health. Increase support for colleagues whose role has a significant emotional component. Encourage signposting and sensitive pastoral support.
SHS Wellbeing Charter
Create a supportive working culture by giving managers the tools and resources they need to support the wellbeing of those they line manage.
Advance equality of opportunity and champion diversity and inclusion across the organisation
Tackle mental health stigma within the organisation. Promoting regular discussion, encouraging those with mental health issues to share their experiences safely and access the relevant support.
The SHS Wellbeing Charter signals our intent to come together as an organisation with the shared aim of improving wellbeing at every level and placing this at the heart of our decision making
The commitments outlined below are all based on feedback from the staff at School Home Support, as well as the organisation’s strategic wellbeing priorities
setting realistic expectations for workloads; equipping staff with the right tools to do their jobs; ensuring that flexibility is built into how we work, wherever possible.
We will ensure staff feel valued and empowered to have a voice in decision-making. This will be done via regular opportunities to provide feedback and opinion on key organisational developments, plans and priorities. It will also be done via the opportunity to celebrate each other’s achievements.
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Prioritise employee mental health and create an open environment for sharing wellbeing concerns.
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Support staff to grow and develop throughout their time at SHS by providing continuing professional development opportunities that don’t impact their own workload and help them to improve their practice. We will embed wellbeing and mental health within our CPD framework.
In your regular 1 2 1 meetings with your manager you will be invited to share how you are feeling Feel free to share as much or as little as you feel The option of completing a Wellness Action Plan will also be available at any time (see page 12 for more details).
Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme
As an employee at School Home Support you will regularly meet your manager on a 1 2 1 basis. These meetings are usually every fortnight.
Telephone counselling
This is a benefit paid for by SHS and no cost is incurred to employees. The benefits you can access are as follows:
Face to face counselling sessions
It is in these regular meetings that you can seek support from your line manager, for any mental health issues or challenges that you may be experiencing. It is your manager ' s responsibility to ensure that necessary adjustments are made in order for you to be able to do your job safely and to the best of your ability
Occupational health support SHS will make a referral for an occupational health assessment to be completed to help plan the way forward by way of a support plan
Please contact Human Resources for further details about our Employee Assistance Programme SHS will signpost external sources of help and support for employees and managers where appropriate Initiatives
Legal advice
Sometimes the pressures of daily life and work can get to us and they can often be difficult to balance Health Assured provide friendly, caring and un judgemental support to both you and your immediate family.
The My Healthy Advantage app and online portal: a comprehensive library of resources to help you get through life’s challenges (www healthassuredeap com) 24 hour helpline (0800 470 2343)
Meetings with your Manager
4 SHS Wellbeing
Listen and communicate in a non judgmental manner; Provide guidance and support; Encourage the use of professional support where necessary; Encourage the use of other relevant support or services available
A Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) is an unbiased, non judgemental listening ear and support network for you. At School Home Support we have both Adult Mental Health First Aiders (specialising in adult mental health) and Youth Mental Health First Aiders (specialising in youth mental health), you may choose whoever you feel is most relevant, or whomever you are most comfortable with.
Name Position at SHS Contact details Jefferson Nash Practitioner in Eastbourne jefferson nash@shs org uk / 07811 993957
Why I became a Mental Health First Aider
I see the serious toll that the pandemic has had and continues to have on both school staff and students' mental health every day The skills learnt during the Youth MHFA course will allow me to help during the long period of recover that we all face
Youth Mental Health First Aiders
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Mental Health First Aiders
A Mental Health First Aider is trained to:
Assess, approach, and assist a person and/or situation in relation to mental health and wellbeing;
If you would like to find out more about Mental Health First Aiders and whether they can support you, please feel free to get in contact with one of them and have a chat. Please find the bios for our existing Mental Health First Aiders below
Feel free to find out more about Mental Health First Aid via this guidebook.
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Emma Darby Coordinator (North) emma.darby@shs.org.uk / 07811 995107
Adult Mental Health First Aiders
Why I became a Mental Health First Aider
Contact details
Name Position at SHS
Laila Chaudhary Training & Strategic Projects Coordinator laila chaudhary@shs org uk / 07983 623 332
Why I became a Mental Health First Aider
Name Position at SHS
Contact details
Name Position at SHS
Why I became a Mental Health First Aider
I have always felt drawn to work which involves supporting people to improve their educational opportunities and life chances I wanted to become a MHFA because I have witnessed the incredible, intensive support that practitioners provide to families and the pressure that it can often put them under I want to be able to offer my colleagues better support in a wider sense, throughout SHS
Luke Saint Data Analyst luke saint@shs org uk / 07811 994791
Contact details
I have the pleasure of working across various teams within the organisation which allows me to build relationships with my colleagues. Working relationships can be very different to personal ones, but I think it's important to know that you can open up to your colleagues about what's on your mind, whether that is positive or negative Having played and coached rugby for 20 years, I've experienced firsthand being an environment where you ' re not supposed to express how you feel Please, if anyone has something on their mind that they want / need to talk about, I am here
I am passionate about having and normalising conversations around mental health in the workplace and ensuring people feel comfortable to express themselves and ask for support There are times when we may be struggling with our mental health at work and this is part of being human Non judgemental support systems such as the MHFA network are key to reducing stigma and fear around mental health I believe if we can remove these barriers we are all more likely to thrive in our work environments.
SHS Wellbeing Initiatives
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Line Managers
All Staff
how to spot signs and symptoms of poor mental health how to have effective conversations about mental health where to signpost to for support and tips for staying well
SHS managers receive training to effectively manage staff, and we have clear guidelines for managers on managing mental health issues
Mental health has been incorporated into line management training to ensure managers can spot signs of poor mental health in team members, start conversations about mental health and wellbeing and support appropriately.
Mental Health Training
Many self directed training opportunities can be found via the SHS Learning Space e learning library Alternatively, staff can request to attend instructor led training, if approved by line managers.
All staff have the opportunity to undertake mental health and wellbeing training. Training aims to build knowledge around mental health and mental health problems covering the following topics:
We integrate mental health into inductions for our staff, destigmatising conversations around mental health and encouraging people to take part in activities around building self awareness
24th April 2023
Offeraspaceforpeopletoconnectwithoneanotherandbuildasenseofcommunity
TheWellbeingAssembliesaimto: Wellbeing Initiatives
Date Time Title Overview
In this first Assembly of the year, join us in practising proactivity in our approach to our wellbeing for the year ahead We will explore self care and stress management plans that will help us to avoid burnout Let's start the new academic year off with our wellbeing at the front and centre
A week full of interactive, engaging and insightful workshops to get you thinking about how you can best support your own and others Mental Wellbeing.
17th January 2023 9:30 11:00
SelfCompassion Cinematic Culture Club
15th May 19th May 2023 Various Mental Health Awareness Week
Most, if not all, of you here at SHS practice compassion for others on a daily basis So why is it that self compassion can feel so challenging? In this Cinematic Culture Club we will watch a fascinating TedX talk by Dr Kristin Neff, researcher and expert on self compassion. You will leave the Assembly with a better understanding of what self compassion is and why it is so important Hopefully you will also feel better equipped and more comfortable with practising self compassion.
Bringstaffmemberstogethertofocusontopicsandthemesthatdon’tgetspokenabout enough
20th September 2022 9:30 11:00
Antidote to Blue Monday
SHS
9:30 11:00
Wellbeing Assemblies
Known as the most depressing day of the year, Blue Monday is one to be wary of We want to combat the blues and spend time together sharing and reflecting on our intentions for the year. Bringing our New Year resolutions to life, we will explore ways that we can live in alignment with our intentions, passions and purpose, every day of the year "You create your thoughts, your thoughts create your intentions, and your intentions create your reality " Wayne W Dyer
Anti-Burnout Workshop
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Offeraspaceforlearningtohappen
End of Year Reflection
11th July 2023 9:30 11:00
Join us as we wind down the academic year 22 23 and pause a while to take stock of all we ' ve achieved, grown and learnt. Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to untangle and sort through experiences and create new meaning With some gratitude mixed in for good measure, let's get you ready for your well deserved summer break!
Check out the full MHAW 2022 report here
Mental Health Awareness Week
We enjoyed a thought provoking and insightful range of events and activities during Mental Health Awareness Week 2022. Here are the headlines from the week.
SHS Wellbeing Initiatives
We look forward to hosting another full and topical Mental Health Awareness Week in May 2023 We welcome your ideas for session topics / themes and we encourage staff members to volunteer to host a session during the week. The Wellbeing team will support you with design and delivery of the session you bring the passion!
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Mental Health and Wellbeing project group
Amanda Chalk (Practitioner)
Emma Darby (FIT)
Laila Chaudhary (Exec Team)
It’s a set of actions that any organisation can follow to improve and support the mental health of their people.
Daniel Newman (HR & Finance)
If you interested in being a member of the project group, please contact lail chaudhary@shs org uk
If you would like to know more about SHS's MHAW Commitment, please contact laila.chaudhary@shs.org.uk.
Mental Health at Work Commitment
The Mental Health at Work Commitment is a simple framework, curated by the mental health charity, Mind The commitment builds on what we know: based on the Thriving at Work standards, pulling from the pledges and standards that are already out there; and using up to date research, from UK employers and mental health experts.
SHS Wellbeing Initiatives
Anna Garlands (Project Lead)
Jaine Stannard (SLT)
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We believe the Mental Health at Work Commitment, and the standards which underpin it, are a roadmap to achieving better mental health outcomes for those working at School Home Support
The Mental Health & Wellbeing working group was set up to look at how we can further prioritise and embed staff wellbeing across all strands of School Home Support work. The group meets on a monthly basis and consists of representatives from across various teams within School Home Support:
Your personal PerkBox account gives you access to hundreds of free perks and discounts, online exercise sessions and mindfulness app, Aura When you join SHS you will be registered for an account by the HR team, and you will receive instructions on how to log in
Annual staff satisfaction survey which feeds into many areas of the organisation
You can give your feedback in the following ways:
a free coffee at Cafe Nero every week; discounts on your food shopping at Asda; and savings on TV and broadband deals
Perkbox
We recommend that you download the Perkbox app, so that you can see and access your perks quickly and easily. Get in touch with HR if you have any questions..
We actively invite all members of staff to feedback on their experience of working at SHS and the ways in which we could improve our service as an employer.
Opportunities for Feedback
SHS Wellbeing Initiatives
Download the Perkbox app and get discounts and deals on hundreds of items, such as:
Feedback and suggestions form (all submissions are taken to our senior leadership team and discussed).
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Guide for Employers Wellness Action Plan
Guide for Employees Wellness Action Plan
The ‘User Manual For Me’ is a set of prompts that helps individuals to reflect their own personal preferences when it comes to work and working with others. The USer Manual for Me is useful when considering our mental wellbeing too, as it builds a sense of self awareness around what might help us to feel supported and safe in a work environment, and what might trigger us
Below you will find the prompts, and we invite you to jot down your thoughts and reflections against each one If you feel comfortable sharing your reflections with your line manager in your 1 2 1 meetings, or with other members of your team who you work closely with, this may help us to feel supported at work
Here is a guide with some commonly asked questions, which will help to guide you as a manager through this process and support your staff in completing a plan
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Wellness Action Plans Your Wellbeing
User Manual for Me
Please note that completing this and sharing it with anyone in the organisation is entirely at your discretion.
Work from Home Wellness Action Plan
As part of our commitment to prioritising and promoting positive staff wellbeing, all staff are now able to complete a Wellness Action Plan (WAP) with the support of their line manager.
There are 3 guides available which can all be filled in electronically, depending on who instigates the process and what the main reasons are for completing one.
The WAP is not legally binding, but is intended as an agreement between a manager and their team member in order to promote their wellbeing or address any existing mental health needs, including any adjustments they may wish to discuss.
A WAP is a personalised, practical tool which has been developed by the charity, MIND, to help us identify what keeps us well at work, what causes us to become unwell and the support we would like to receive from our manager to boost our wellbeing or support us through a recovery They can be used by anyone, whether they are currently living with a mental health condition or not They are designed to help managers and team members put practical steps in place to ensure you are supported when you aren't feeling great.
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I am at my best when…
User Manual for Me
Great support for me (personally and professionally) looks like
Other things I could do to look after my mental health are...
Workplace triggers that bring on poor mental health or stress for me include…
You will know I need support when…
The things I already do to look after my wellbeing are…
All employees have a responsibility to:
take reasonable care of your own mental health and wellbeing, including physical health; take reasonable care that your actions do not affect the health and safety of others in the workplace; be aware of the signs and symptoms of stress and mental ill health and speak to your manager or HR if you are concerned for yourself or others; co operate with systems and procedures implemented for your protection, including the production of stress risk assessments; undertake training on stress management, mental health and wellbeing when required;
ensure that bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated and are reported through relevant channels; take responsibility for your own health and wellbeing by working healthily, taking regular breaks and holidays and supporting one another
MHFA policy
Stress and Mental Health policy
We have a number of policies that guide the way in which our organisation operates in relation to mental health and wellbeing You can find links to all our mental health and wellbeing policies below
SHS Wellbeing Policies
Staff Welfare Loan policy
Sickness Absence policy
For transparency, the responsibilities of employees, managers and senior leadership are outlined below and on the following page. You can find these points in the Stress and Mental Health policy
Please note that SHS will permit sick leave whilst undergoing treatment, along with reasonable unpaid leave for employees to resolve personal issues or situations affecting them.
Compassionate Leave policy
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The Senior Leadership Team have a responsibility to: provide guidance to managers on stress management, mental health and wellbeing; monitor stress levels within School Home Support; provide training to managers on management practice and employee health and well being
adopt a style of management which allows you to feel confident in approaching them to discuss any issues; provide the appropriate management support for cases of stress and mental health including signposting to EAP’s confidential counselling service and undertaking good return to work practices; set clear objectives, realistic deadlines and monitor workloads and hours; ensure that you are made aware of the Stress and Mental Health policy, receive a copy during your induction and undertake the necessary training; carry out stress risk assessments; be aware of the signs and symptoms of stress and mental health; ensure bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated and are reported through relevant channels; provide appropriate and confidential opportunities in work plan review meetings, annual performance reviews and supervision meetings; provide training and development opportunities so you can enhance your skills and abilities in your role; actively support and contribute to the implementation of this policy, including its goals; manage the implementation and review of this policy.
Managers have a responsibility to:
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SHS Wellbeing Policies
We hope you access and benefit from the initiatives and offerings mentioned in this pack, We welcome your feedback and suggestions.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
School-HomeSupport