Why a strategic view of wellbeing matters
The Governance Handbook says that boards should have "due regard for the wellbeing and mental health of the school leadership team and teaching staff more broadly" (page 98).
But the concept of 'wellbeing' is tough to pin down, made trickier by the need to:
- Approach wellbeing strategically, not operationally
- Be sure steps taken are substantial, not superficial
Your role is to understand what good mental health and wellbeing really means for your school(s), to embed that into your vision and ethos, and then support (and challenge) your senior leadership team (SLT) to put measures in place to make it happen.
Strive to make your school or trust a healthy, happy place to work, and the end result will be a better functioning organisation.
If you want the focus on mental health and wellbeing to be long-lasting and meaningful,