Mental Health and Wellbeing
Wickersley Partnership Trust believes that the mental health and wellbeing of staff is key to the success and sustainability of the organisation.
It aims to establish, promote and maintain the mental health and wellbeing of all employees through workplace practices, and encourage employees to take responsibility for their own mental health and wellbeing.
The Trust is committed to:
- Developing an ethos that drives positive mental health
- Promoting an open culture around mental health by increasing awareness, challenging stigma and empowering employees as champions and role models
- Increase organisational confidence and capability, through mental health literacy and School based ‘Mental Health Champions’ trained in all aspects of mental health
WPT works in conjunction with Westfield Health, drawing on their expertise and knowledge in improving employee mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
WPT provides all employees with free access to the following services:
- The Big White Wall – confidential, safe online forum
- Doctorline – 24/7 access to a GP
- 24-hour advice and information line
- 1:1 counselling (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy)
Commitment to Work Life Balance
The Trust is committed to improving employees’ work life balance and their well-being;
Unmeasured Working Time
Where employees are contracted to work unmeasured time, for example the Leadership Team, the Trust undertakes to ensure that the schools’ requirements and expectations are reasonable.
Employment Policies and Practice
The Trust undertakes to adopt and apply the appropriate policies in respect of ‘family friendly’ employment, including consideration of part time working, flexible working patterns etc. where this can be implemented without detriment to the operational requirements of the school. This extends to the Trust adopting policies and providing clear guidance on time off for public or Trade Union duties, or for personal reasons.
Individual and Team Workloads
The Trust ensures that school timetables reflect a fair and reasonable balance of work between different employees. The Trust will ensure that new and emerging priorities are discussed with the employees affected and that ways of managing the implications for individual workloads are addressed.
Planning and Policies
The Trust ensures that preparing documentation should be no more elaborate than is necessary and consistent with its purpose
Meetings
The Trust ensures that patterns of meetings are appropriate to the requirements of the whole school, faculties and departments etc. and that they are agreed in advance and that the pattern is adhered to. Leaders convening meetings should specify a target finishing time and adhere to it. Outcomes from meetings will be clear and concise.
Administration
Work has been delegated to appropriate support staff and systems will be regularly reviewed. Requests for information, statistics, policies and similar will be assessed for their importance and benefit to the school and where possible will be collated by support staff.
Individual support and training
Individual support, including confidential counselling through the Westfield Health scheme is made available to employees so that they may raise concerns about problems and difficulties, which affect them either in their work or their family/personal life.
Sharing resources and planning
The Trust encourages employees to share resources and plans, and Schools/Trust facilitate this by making time for teams to meet professionally.
