Teacher Health and Wellbeing at Work

Teacher Health and Wellbeing

There is a wide range of resources easily available around the equally wide-reaching topic of teacher health and wellbeing. The choice can be overwhelming, so here we have collected free, quality assured resources, indicating where and when you, as a practitioner, may find them useful. 

In the workplace

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has a range of information, advice and guidance on wellbeing within the workplace:

• 5 ways to improve mental health and wellbeing in your workplace

• TUC Guide to health, safety and wellbeing offers basic information on health, safety and wellbeing at work. This is not official EIS legal advice. If you’re having specific problems in one of these areas, you should seek from your local association or branch secretary in the first instance.

• TUC (2015) Work and Wellbeing guidance sets out the importance of healthy workplaces through preventing injuries and illnesses, and changing the workplace through encouraging better working relationships, greater respect for workers, and improved involvement of unions.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)  has produced HSE Management Standards - a framework (not itself a legal requirement) which can be used by employers to assist in meeting their legal requirements.

The Management Standards implementation process is supported by a workbook which provides tips, advice and guidance from people who have gone through the process. It includes a selection of checklists to allow employers to be sure that each step has been achieved before they move on.  The checklists can also be used by employees as a benchmark of best practice which should apply in all workplaces to reduce stress.

Focusing on self-health and wellbeing

Healthy Working Lives has a wealth of practical resources from health and safety workplace action planning, to stress and work guidance, including the Work Positive Tool.

The Mental Health Foundation offers practical resources around self-help and supporting others.  The Foundation focuses on preventing the onset of mental health problems before they occur and supporting people to stay well.

Headspace.com offers a free, easy to use meditation guide and app.  A quick sign up process is involved, and there are options to download the app, or receive emails.

Citizens Advice Bureau can help with knowing rights and being able to access them around work and private life.

Understanding and dealing with stress

SeeMe has produced a video on how to start the conversation around wellbeing called ‘Are You Ok?’  

The Drama Triangle video outlines relationship dynamics, and how to step out of drama and feel more empowered.

The Black Dog Institute – has a lot of resources, including practical toolkits. The Psychological Toolkit addresses dealing with life changes.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offers a variety of resources aimed at improving health and wellbeing in the workplace. The Talking Toolkit specifically aimed at preventing work-related stress in schools,  designed to help school leaders start conversations, and contains sources of further information which tackle work-related stress.  A separate publication for use in Scotland is being developed.

Mental health focus

Mind offers tips and guides to help with everyday things like money, work, university and more.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) provides advice and guidance for workplace, employers and employees on health and wellbeing in the  form of a booklet and video.

Alcohol Focus Scotland and Scottish Drugs Forum offer advice and support for people facing substance misuse.

Breathing Space is a free, confidential phone service for anyone in Scotland experiencing mental health concerns.

Samaritans is a free, confidential service for anyone experiencing mental health issues.  The service also provides resources specifically for those working with young people.

Activities to share and explore understanding about mental health and wellbeing

I had a black dog; his name was depression – a video produced by the World Health Organisation describing how depression can feel.

See Me has developed a toolkit called What’s on your Mind for teachers and young people.  

Time to Change offers a range of resources for use by those working with young people, particularly in school environments.

Resources specifically for use in primary schools produced by the NHS.

The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) has produced materials with and for teachers to use in the classroom.  Accessing the free resources involves a quick sign up process.

The Mental Health Foundation showcases a pupil peer education project aimed at breaking the stigmas around mental ill health.

Research and further reading resources

Barnardo’s has produced a paper entitled ‘Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of education staff through professional supervision structures’.

Following the 2018 EIS AGM, a report on Mental Health Training was produced by EIS.

Scotland's Teachers: Working Conditions and Wellbeing a report produced in 2017, available via the EIS website outlines the conditions that can cause stress, and measures, such as peer support, that can help alleviate it.  

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has produced a report exploring the costs of mental ill-health for individuals, employers and society at large: OECD Fit Mind, Fit Job. From Evidence to Practice in Mental Health and Work.