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Introduction
Education professionals play a vital role in nurturing the mental health and wellbeing of learners and young people, as well as supporting their intellectual growth.
This good practice guide, produced in collaboration with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, provides practical advice on how you can support learners and young people with their mental health and wellbeing, helping you to conform with the EWC’s Code of Professional Conduct and Practice (the Code). This complements our separate guide to supporting your own and colleagues’ mental health and wellbeing.
The Code of Professional Conduct and Practice
As an Education Workforce Council (EWC) registrant, you are committed to upholding the six key principles of the Code:
- Personal and professional responsibility
- Professional integrity
- Collaborative working
- Leadership
- Professional knowledge and understanding
- Professional learning
Under the first key principle (personal and professional responsibility), registrants have a duty of care for the safety, and physical, social, moral, and educational wellbeing of learners and young people. This includes, acting on anything which might put a learner or young person’s safety or welfare at risk, and reporting any safeguarding issue, or any other issue, which may potentially harm a learner or young person’s safety or welfare. In addition, under the second key principle (professional integrity), registrants are required to handle information and data appropriately, applying the necessary protocols to matters relating to confidentiality, sensitivity, and disclosure.
This guide focusses on providing practical advice to help you identify when individuals may need help and to understand how to respond to their needs. It complements specific wellbeing policies that will apply within your place of work, which you should also be familiar with and adhere to.
The current picture
Mind’s 2024 ‘Big Mental Health Report’ identified a 34% increase in the number of children and young people in Wales referred with anxiety between 2015/16 and 2022/23. Related to this, 29% of children in Wales met the threshold for persistent absence in the 2023/24 school year.
Mental health and wellbeing challenges can significantly impact learners and young people, leading to problems with:
- academic performance
- behaviour
- forming and maintaining relationships
- physical health
- self-esteem and confidence
- increased risk of high-risk behaviours
- absenteeism
Mental health risk factors
There are many different factors that contribute to mental health and wellbeing challenges in learners and young people. According to the Anna Freud Mentally Healthy Schools charity, key risks include:
Education-based factors
Academic and exam stress, bullying, concerns about leaving education and future plans, peer pressure, relationships and belonging, absenteeism/exclusion, transitions.
Lifestyle factors
Body image, drugs and alcohol, internet and social media usage, puberty, sleep problems.
Home-based factors
Home environment, parental mental health status, poverty and unemployment, bereavement, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, substance misuse within the household, young carers’ responsibilities.
Vulnerable children
Autism, additional learning needs, neurodiversity, disability and illness, LGBTQ+, gender identity, race and racism, refugee and asylum seeker children, looked-after children, child criminal exploitation.
Certain risk factors are particularly pertinent in Wales, including higher levels of economic inequality than other parts of the UK, and a greater proportion of the population living in rural areas (facing challenges around isolation and access to services). The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has also highlighted the particularly high proportion of adults in Wales (47%) who have suffered at least one adverse childhood experience.
Social media
Learners and young people use social media in a range of different ways, and it can help them to access support, receive reassurance, feel connected and manage social anxiety. However, using social media can also become compulsive, fuelling unhealthy social comparisons with others, and perpetuating feelings of isolation. It can also expose learners and young people to bullying and harassment which can feel relentless given the platforms’ availability 24/7. Effective education in digital literacy is therefore crucial to ensure learners and young people understand how to use social media and the internet healthily and responsibly.
Your role as a registered professional
To foster a positive learning environment, in which the mental health and wellbeing of learners and young people, is properly supported, you should ensure that you are familiar with, and adhere to key policies and procedures relevant to your workplace. These might include:
- your employer’s policies on mental health and wellbeing, bullying and harassment, domestic abuse, crisis intervention etc
- confidentiality, safeguarding, and reporting procedures
- the roles of designated health and wellbeing staff, safeguarding leads, and pastoral staff
- established support services for learners and young people (and also for you as a member of staff)
- the approach to health and wellbeing outlined within the Curriculum for Wales
- Welsh Government’s Framework on embedding a whole-school approach to emotional and mental wellbeing and NEST Framework[1]
Recognising a learner or young person who needs support
Education professionals need to be able to recognise the signs that a learner or young person is struggling, and understand that it may be difficult for them to seek help. The NSPCC has highlighted the following common warning signs of mental health and wellbeing issues:
- sudden mood and behaviour changes
- withdrawal from activities or relationships
- sudden poor academic behaviour or performance
- changes in social habits, such as withdrawal or avoiding friends and family
- an increase in absences
- changes in sleep patterns or eating habits
- unexplained physical changes, such as weight loss or gain
- self-harming behaviours
Responding to a learner or young person who needs support
If you are concerned that someone is struggling, you should try to talk to them. These conversations may be hard to initiate but NSPCC advises that the following can help.
Using the right language
Use language that is age-appropriate. Avoid technical language which the learner or young person may find unfamiliar or confusing. Reflect their vocabulary in your own, to help ensure they feel listened to, validated, and heard.
Creating an open environment
It is important to create an open and safe environment where learners and young people are comfortable speaking about their mental health. Ensure they know who they can talk to and try to make this pool of people as wide as possible.
Maintaining an open dialogue
Mental health can change quickly or gradually. Ongoing conversations help maintain trust and ensure consistent support.
In accordance with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), learners should be actively involved in decisions about their care, with views considered based on their age and maturity.
Identifying appropriate support
If a learner or young person confides in you about their mental health, they may ask you to keep what they have said confidential. However, you have a duty of care, and not sharing relevant information could put them, and yourself, at risk. While it’s important to listen with empathy, you should never promise to keep disclosures secret. Instead, reassure them that you will handle their concerns sensitively, and involve the appropriate support to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
The EWC’s Code of Professional Conduct and Practice states that registrants must ‘handle information and data appropriately, applying the necessary protocols to matters relating to confidentiality, sensitivity and disclosure’. If you are concerned about a learner or young person’s safety or welfare, you have a duty to share this information with relevant professionals.
Be guided by your organisation’s policies in identifying the most appropriate way to support the learner or young person after you have spoken to them. You may wish to discuss this with your colleagues or dedicated wellbeing/pastoral/safeguarding lead/officer who will be able to support you.
The importance of ensuring access to appropriate support is further underpinned by Article 24 of the UNCRC, which recognises the right of every child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, and to access facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. This includes support for mental health, not just physical health. As education professionals, helping to identify and facilitate access to appropriate mental health support is a vital part of upholding this right.
There are various types of support available for people experiencing mental health and wellbeing issues. These include, but are not limited to:
- developing a personal wellbeing plan in collaboration with the learner/young person and others if appropriate (like parents, guardians, or organisational wellbeing officers)
- making reasonable adjustments to support the learner/young person
- using wellbeing resources and tools to help the learner/young person to express themselves
- referring to or liaising with external agencies
- exploring opportunities for community-based support, including youth or playwork projects, community groups and charities, and sport and leisure opportunities
If specialist support is needed, a range of services are available to help learners and young people with their mental health and wellbeing. These include counselling services, helplines, one-to-one counselling sessions, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Local authorities across Wales provide school and community-based counselling services for young people from year 6 through to the age of 18, which can be accessed directly by young people self-referring, as well as via teachers or other trusted adults. NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) play a crucial role in supporting young people with mental health difficulties. Additionally, learners and young people may choose to speak with their GP, who can assess their mental health, provide guidance on next steps, refer them for counselling, and prescribe medication if appropriate.
Useful links and resources:
Anna Freud classroom wellbeing toolkit
Children’s Commissioner for Wales
Hwb Young person's mental health toolkit
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
Welsh Government Framework on embedding a whole-school approach to emotional and mental well-being
[1] This framework is a planning tool for Welsh Government, Regional Partnership Boards, local authorities, health boards, and the voluntary sector. It aims to deliver a ‘whole system’ approach for developing mental health, wellbeing and support services for babies, children, young people, parents, carers and wider families.
Download our guide for parents.
Introduction
When you send your children to school, college, or a youth service, you put your trust in the staff who work there to keep them safe. In Wales, many of these staff, including teachers, support staff, and youth workers, must be registered with the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales, the Education Workforce Council (EWC).
Just like other regulated professions such as medicine, law, and social care, we regulate in the public interest, working to ensure that education practitioners working in Wales are qualified and competent. We’re here to safeguard learners and young people whilst ensuring the highest standards of conduct and practice are upheld across the sector.
This short guide has been written specifically for parents and guardians. It explains our role, why registration is important, the standards registrants must meet, and what you can do when things go wrong.
This guide had been prepared by the EWC, and has been endorsed by the charity Parentkind.
About the EWC
The Education Workforce Council (EWC) is the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales.
Our core function is to regulate in the public interest. This is important because we all have a significant stake in the education workforce in some way, whether it be as a learner ourselves, or for many later in life, as a parent or guardian. Our work enables us to maintain standards of teaching and quality of learning so everyone, from learners and young people, to you as their parents or guardians, can trust and have confidence in Wales’ education workforce.
In addition to our regulatory work, we also:
- support our registrants to be able to deliver the highest professional standards by providing useful information, resources, and services designed to offer guidance and direction
- seek out opportunities to shape and influence educational policy in Wales
- promote careers in education in Wales through the Educators Wales website and advocacy service
For further information about our role, please visit our website.
What is registration?
In order to regulate the workforce effectively, we maintain a register of education practitioners eligible to practise in schools, further education, youth work, and adult/work-based learning.
Anybody working in one of the roles listed below must be registered with us before they can legally work in Wales:
- school teacher
- independent school teacher
- further education teacher
- principal or senior leader working in further education institutions
- independent special post-16 institution teacher
- adult learning practitioner
- work-based learning practitioner
- youth worker
- school learning support worker
- independent school learning support worker
- further education learning support worker
- independent special post-16 institution learning support worker
- youth support worker
You can check that the staff working with your children are registered with us by using the Register of Education Practitioners. There, you can also see any individuals who have disciplinary orders currently imposed upon their registration.
Being registered with the EWC means that those working with your children have the right skills and knowledge to practice safely and effectively, and that their suitability to be registered has been assessed by us.
Regulation and registration are key to ensuring the safeguarding of every learner and young person, as well as the wider public.
What is the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice
Everyone registered with us must follow the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice (the Code). It’s a key document which sets out the standards expected of a registrant, both in and out of work. It is also a key document for you as a parent or guardian as it details what behaviours you can expect from a registered person.
By following the Code, registrants commit to upholding six key principles:
- Personal and Professional Responsibility
- Professional Integrity
- Collaborative Working
- Leadership
- Professional Knowledge and Understanding
- Professional Learning
Codes of conduct and practice are common across other registered professions including nurses, doctors, dentists, and solicitors.
We have lots of support on offer which helps people to use and understand the Code. This includes free group training and awareness raising sessions, and good practice guides offering helpful hints and tips.
Raising concerns about a registrant
We know that sometimes, things can go wrong. Although we are not a complaints body, as a parent or guardian, you can raise a concern with us about one of our registrants. If you do decide to raise a concern, there are a few important things you need to consider:
- a complaint must be about the alleged unacceptable professional conduct or serious professional incompetence of a registered person
- we can only accept a complaint if exactly the same complaint has already been reported to the registrant’s employer or agent, and you have received a response to that complaint
We have produced clear guidance with all the information you need should you wish to progress a complaint.
Stay informed
We’re here to make sure you can feel confident in the individuals working with your child.
If you'd like to learn more about the EWC, the Code, or how we support education in Wales, visit the website, follow us on social media, or subscribe to our newsletter.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
Introduction
As an Education Workforce Council (EWC) registrant, you have a responsibility to review and develop your practice in order to help maintain standards and enhance your professionalism. Reflective practice is an important part of professional learning and development, and one of the key drivers of continuous improvement in the education sector. This good practice guide considers the essential elements of reflective practice, outlines its benefits, and offers practical tips for using it effectively.
The Code
All EWC registrants are subject to the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice (the Code), which sets out the key principles of good conduct and practice for registrants.
The principles and expectations in the Code which refer to ensuring and maintaining suitable competency in your practice are:
- Professional knowledge and understanding
Registrants:
5.1 know and meet the professional standards relevant to their particular profession/sector in education throughout their career
5.2 know, understand, and comply with current policies, procedures, and guidelines which are relevant to their practice
- Professional Learning
Registrants:
6.1 demonstrate a shared commitment to their continuing professional learning by reflecting upon, and evaluating, their practice, keeping their professional knowledge and skills up to date and taking steps to improve their practice where necessary
What is reflective practice?
Reflection is a process which helps you to gain insight into your professional practice by thinking about and analysing your actions and experiences.
Effective reflection involves a continuous process of inquiry, critical analysis, evaluation, and subsequent action. It embraces active learning and the ongoing critical assessment of your personal assumptions, beliefs, and implicit theories. It can allow you to develop a deeper understanding of your practice and refine your approach to professional challenges, helping you to become a more agile, adaptive, innovative, and effective practitioner.
Engaging in reflective practice not only deepens your understanding of your work, but also supports your commitment to continuous learning, ensuring you remain responsive to the evolving demands of your profession.
Being a reflective practitioner can enhance your knowledge and understanding of the wider initiatives and educational policy associated with your profession (beyond those within your own organisation) and help you to understand their relevance to your practice.
There are three key stages of reflection which are outlined below:
- Reflection-for-action
- Planning/thinking through before engaging in practice
- Reflection-in-action
- Thinking and drawing on our professional knowledge base while engaged in practice
- Reflection-on-action
- Stepping back and drawing out the learning after having engaged in practice. This should inform the subsequent reflection for action
Thompson and Thompson 2023, cited in Campbell and Ceau, 20231
Reflecting encourages you to critically question established norms and practices, helping you to acknowledge the complexity of your work, and the need to carefully consider and learn from your experiences.
Learning by doing or even learning from doing is insufficient, a more advanced meta-cognitive process of reflecting on thoughts, feelings, assumptions, decisions, and actions is needed to inform professional learning, knowledge, and practice. The central reflective question is not “what did I do?”, but rather “what did I learn during and from this experience?”, “how will this learning inform my future professional practice?”, and “what will I do next?”
Campbell and Ceau 20231
What are the benefits of reflective practice?
There are different types of reflective practice and how you reflect will depend on the nature and scope of your practice, the activity you are reflecting on, and your personal style of learning. Reflection can be flexible, or more structured depending on your preferences, but it is important that you engage with the process continually to maintain and improve your practice. This allows you to target your learning outcomes in a way that is directed to your needs and ensure that your practice remains up to date.
Key benefits of reflective practice:
Learning more about yourself
Reflective practice can provide new insights into your abilities, skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
Enhanced strategies
Reflection can help you to refine your methods and develop improved strategies, based on your experience of what works, and what does not.
Improved decision-making
By critically analysing the outcomes of past actions, you can make more informed and effective decisions.
Supporting professional growth
Continuous reflection encourages lifelong learning and professional development.
Increased wellbeing
Engaging in reflective practice can reduce stress and increase job satisfaction by promoting professional growth and reinforcing a sense of accomplishment.
Creating a culture of improvement
Reflective practice can help to foster a culture of continuous improvement in your setting, with you and your colleagues continually evaluating and refining methods and approaches.
Adapted from Campbell and Ceau 20231, and Newcastle University 20242
Ideas and strategies
It is important to note that, as individuals, we all learn and reflect in different ways. You should think about a method that suits you and will provide the greatest benefit.
Strategies to consider
Set aside time to reflect
It can be difficult to find time to properly reflect. Try to regularly set time aside where you will not be interrupted, in an environment where you feel relaxed and able to think deeply and with clarity about your experience.
Visualise
Use visualisation techniques to explore different ideas and possibilities. Imagine a photograph of ‘my day’ and examine the details of the picture.
Write things down
Written reflection allows you to document and analyse your daily experiences and can help you identify themes, patterns, and areas for improvement.
Working with peers
Talking to peers, sharing insights, and providing feedback to one another can encourage you to question your assumptions and consider different perspectives.
Structured reflection
Engage in regular, structured reflection sessions, such as after-event reviews, where you can reflect on both positive and negative experiences and learn key lessons from them.
Five fundamentals of reflective practice
- Regularly reflect
Make a commitment to yourself to reflect regularly. This can involve reflecting on new learning experiences or on practices that you regularly undertake in your role. A consistent approach ensures that reflective practice becomes an integral part of your daily professional life, underpinning the principles outlined in the Code. - Set yourself goals (and review them)
Set clear, achievable professional development goals. Regularly review and update these goals based on ongoing reflection upon your practice. - Collaborate to gain insights from colleagues
Engage in collaborative reflection and use feedback from others to gain new insights and help you to refine your practice. - Use an approach that suits your own professional style
Find an approach that works for you to embed refection into your daily practice and ensure that reflections and goals are aligned with organisational priorities and objectives. - Use reflective questions, prompts, challenge, and research
Use questions and prompts to guide your reflections. Asking yourself questions such as "What did I learn from this experience?" or "How can I apply this learning to my practice?" can help you glean insight and deepen your reflections.
The Professional Learning Passport (PLP)
Available to all EWC registrants, the PLP is a flexible online e-portfolio designed to support you in capturing, reflecting, sharing, and planning your learning. It is also designed to support the development of enquiry and pedagogic skills. As part of the PLP, registrants have access to EBSCO, the world’s largest full-text research database for education professionals covering all levels of education and specialities including reflective practice.
Recording learning activities
The PLP helps you to record your professional learning activities, including formal training, workshops, conferences, and informal learning experiences such as reading professional literature, or collaborative discussions with peers.
Structured templates
The structured templates built into the PLP can help guide your reflections. You can also get creative and use the PLP's template builder to create a customised document that suits your reflective needs.
Reflective journals
You can keep reflective journals within the PLP to document your thoughts, insights and reflections on your practice, and professional development activities through text, audio, and video.
Goal setting and tracking
The PLP allows you to set your own professional development goals and track your progress over time. This feature can help you stay focused on your objectives, measure your achievements, and continually reflect on your practice.
Collaboration and sharing
The PLP supports collaborative learning by allowing you to share your reflections and professional learning records with colleagues, mentors, and supervisors. This fosters a community of practice and encourages collaborative reflection.
Confidentiality and privacy
The platform ensures that all entries and documents are kept confidential, providing a safe space for you to reflect honestly and openly on your experiences.
Evidence collection
You can upload evidence of your professional learning, such as certificates of attendance, planning notes, feedback, and other relevant documents that showcase your growth and development. The PLP’s ability to collect and store evidence of professional learning provides a visible record of your experiences and professional growth over time. This can be valuable in assessing the benefits of your reflective practice approach, as well as helping you in relation to performance reviews, career advancement, and (where relevant) meeting professional standards.
Useful resources
Find out more about the PLP, the flexible online e-portfolio, available to all EWC registrants.
For more detailed insights into reflective practice, read the paper Leading Reflective Practice – Reviewing the Evidence by Professor Carol Campbell and Maeva Ceau, which was commissioned by the EWC, in partnership with the National Academy for Education Leadership (NAEL).
The EWC’s June 2024 masterclass event, Leading reflective practice – from evidence to effective action, led by Professor Carol Campbell, further explores the conditions required for effective reflective practice and the role that it can play in supporting registrants in maintaining their professional competency and enhancing their practice.
1 Campbell, C and Ceau, M (2023): Leading Reflective Practice – Reviewing the Evidence. Paper Commissioned by the Education Workforce Council and National Academy for Education Leadership Wales
2 Newcastle University (2024): Reflective Practice. Build a habit of reflecting on your practice to help you develop as a learner
Introduction
As a registered education professional, your role can be both impactful and rewarding. However, being an educator can also be challenging and can significantly affect your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues. Prioritising your mental health and wellbeing, as well as supporting those around you, is therefore essential.
This guide provides practical advice on how you can support your mental health and wellbeing, and that of your colleagues, in line with the EWC’s Code of Professional Conduct and Practice (the Code). It has been produced in partnership with colleagues from Education Support, and complements our separate guide on supporting learners and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
About Education Support
Education Support is a registered charity that has been supporting the wellbeing of the education workforce for over 148 years. They have a unique combination of expertise in education and mental health. This gives them a fresh perspective that’s entirely focused on your needs, and informed by the real challenges in Welsh schools. Their remit includes working with education practitioners in schools, colleges and universities.
The Code of Professional Conduct and Practice
As an EWC registrant, you are committed to upholding the six key principles of the Code:
- personal and professional responsibility
- professional integrity
- collaborative working
- leadership
- professional knowledge and understanding
- professional learning
Under the first key principle (personal and professional responsibility), it is stated that registrants should ‘manage their health, safety and personal wellbeing’ and be ‘mindful of colleagues’.
This guide should be read alongside the specific wellbeing policies that will apply within your place of work (including those relating to health and safety, mental health and wellbeing and dignity at work), which you should also be familiar with.
Building blocks of good mental health and wellbeing
Evidence highlights a range of practical steps that can help improve your mental health and wellbeing. We have tried to identify some of the core building blocks that can help you to feel happier and healthier. These building blocks are based around the ‘five ways of wellbeing’, identified by the mental health charity Mind.
- Connect - build strong relationships to support yourself and those around you.
- Make healthy lifestyle choices – prioritise work-life balance, diet, exercise, and rest.
- Take notice - be mindful and reflective.
- Learn – engage in lifelong learning to boost self-esteem and resilience.
- Give - support others to create an open and positive environment.
Connect
Building and nurturing connections with family, friends, and colleagues, strengthens your support network. Being open about your own concerns and vulnerabilities will encourage others to do the same. You should never feel afraid to ask for support, and seeking help as early as possible can help prevent mental health challenges from escalating.
For confidential or specialised support, the final pages of this guide provide links to a range of useful resources.
Make healthy lifestyle choices
A healthy lifestyle is essential to mental wellbeing. Key areas to focus on include:
Work-life balance
A career in education can be demanding, requiring resilience and perseverance to manage challenges and competing priorities. To maintain your wellbeing, it is essential to set clear boundaries and make time for activities that you enjoy. Prioritising self-care can help prevent burnout and ensure that you can continue to make a positive impact at work.
Exercise
Regular exercise helps reduce stress, boost self-esteem and improve sleep quality. Being physically active means something different for everyone and could be as simple as a daily walk or rediscovering an activity that you used to enjoy but haven’t done for a while. Exercising with others can also strengthen social connections and help keep you motivated.
If you have a disability or long-term health condition, tailored support is available to help you with getting active.
Eating well
Good nutrition can improve energy levels, boost concentration, and help you to sleep well. A healthy, well-balanced diet can also assist in preventing and easing symptoms of mental illness, as well as improving your physical health.
Tips for eating well
- Plan your meals
Set aside time each week for meal planning, to ensure you have a variety of quick and easy options available on days when you may feel tired. Preparing food in advance can also help reduce stress, save time, and support healthy eating.
- Stay hydrated
Ensure that you drink regularly throughout the day. The NHS recommends consuming 6-8 glasses or cups of liquid (including water, lower-fat milk, sugar-free drinks, tea, and coffee) every day.
- Eat a balanced diet
A diet that embraces a variety of food groups will boost your nutrition. The UK Government’s Eatwell Guide shows how to achieve a healthy, balanced diet through eating a variety of different foods.
- Eat regularly
Skipping meals can disrupt your blood sugar levels, leading to mood swings, fatigue and cravings. Eating small, balanced meals or healthy snacks throughout the day helps maintain energy levels, and supports overall wellbeing.
- Enjoy eating with others
Use meal times as an opportunity to connect. It doesn’t have to be every day, but sitting down with friends, family or colleagues, even if it’s just once a week, can help boost your mood.
- Seek help if you think you might have a problem with food
If you rely on food, or the control and restriction of food, as a coping mechanism, you may have an eating disorder. If you are concerned, consult your GP for support.
Healthy sleep patterns
The NHS recommends that adults need between 7 and 9 hours’ sleep every night. Our colleagues at Education Support have put together a helpful guide that explains why sleep is so important, and outlines nine practical steps to improve our sleeping patterns.
Take a break
Taking breaks boosts mental health, enhances creativity and reduces stress. Education Support have produced a useful resource on how to re-charge in 3 minutes or less which provides some great ideas on how to use breaks to support your wellbeing.
Take notice
Pay attention to what is going on around you, your surroundings, your responses, and how different experiences impact your wellbeing. Meditation and mindfulness, including techniques such as visualisation, can support you in processing your thoughts and maintaining balance. Education Support have produced a helpful guide outlining a range of meditation techniques.
You may also wish to use your Professional Learning Passport (PLP) to reflect on how your mental health and wellbeing influence your practice and professional learning. This can support deeper self-awareness and contribute to your ongoing development as a reflective practitioner.
Learn
Learning something new, whether professionally or personally, boosts self-esteem, engagement, and resilience. Absorbing fresh information and developing new skills can be empowering, thereby impacting positively on mental health and wellbeing.
Give
Taking time to understand and support the mental health and wellbeing of others is essential in order to create an open, safe, and productive learning environment, where people feel comfortable speaking about their mental health. Be guided by your organisation’s policies in identifying the most appropriate way to support colleagues, including anyone you think may be struggling with their mental health and wellbeing.
Further help is available through Education support
Education Support works with Welsh Government to improve school staff wellbeing across Wales, offering the following services:
Staff wellbeing service: Providing school leaders and wellbeing leads with access to free expert advice on approaches to staff mental health and wellbeing, from a Staff Wellbeing Advisor.
Wellbeing advisory service: Funded for schools across Wales and providing practical resources and expert guidance to help you prioritise staff mental health and wellbeing in your school.
Professional supervision for school leaders: Supervision has a professional focus and is totally confidential. It is time dedicated to your role as an education leader, and will help you to improve your wellbeing.
The Education Support website hosts a wealth of information and helpful advice to support your mental health and wellbeing with useful resources for leaders, including bringing wellbeing into the everyday, and a staff wellbeing audit tool.
If you need to talk…
Education Support also provide a dedicated helpline for staff working in any kind of educational institution in England, Wales, and Scotland, allowing you to talk to a qualified counsellor who can offer you immediate, confidential emotional support. You can call the helpline for free on 08000 562561
Other useful links and resources
Health and Safety Executive - Talking Toolkit. Preventing work-related stress
MindOUT - LGBTQ+ mental health information
Welsh Government - Framework on embedding a whole school approach emotional and mental wellbeing