Why a strategic view of wellbeing matters
The governance guides for maintained schools (section 4.7) and academy trusts (section 5.4) both say that boards must consider the wellbeing and work-life balance of all their staff.
But the concept of wellbeing is tough to pin down, made trickier by your 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, you'll need to