Prioritising mental health in the workplace – our tips for SEN employers

Article updated 22nd Jan 2024.

Mental health in the workplace is a hot topic. Stress and anxiety are taking their toll on professionals within the education sector and record numbers of UK teachers and education staff have considered leaving teaching due to pressures on their mental health and wellbeing.

According to Education Support’s Teacher Wellbeing Index 2022 :

• 59% of staff have considered leaving the sector in the past academic year due to pressures on their mental health and wellbeing
• 55% of staff have actively sought to change or leave their current jobs
• 68% of staff cited volume of workload as the main reason for thinking about leaving their jobs.

The research revealed that overall, stress levels are increasing and education employees experience higher levels of depression and anxiety than the rest of the general population.

In a survey of over 3,000 education professionals:

• 75% of all staff said they were stressed
• 47% of all staff admitted to always going into work when unwell
• 78% of all staff said they experienced mental health symptoms due to their work.

The findings are highly concerning. In order to provide SEN students with the best possible educational experience, employers need their teachers and other staff to be at the top of their game. They need to feel supported and to approach every day with energy and commitment.

In line with our support of Children's Mental Health week, it's also key to recognise the importance of your own mental health and wellbeing and we here share three steps to promoting positive mental health in the workplace.

1. Conduct a stress audit

Under the Management of Health and Safety and Work Regulations , employers have a statutory duty to identify and assess any risks to the health and safety of its employees – including risks to mental health.

Wellbeing assessments are a recognised way of proactively recognising and addressing the causes of stress at work.

Audits can include:

• Staff questionnaires
• Absence rates and reasons for absence
• Staff turnover rates
• Information from exit interviews

· Discussion with staff representative groups or forums

· Reviews of the working environment (reviewing potential stressors such as cramped space and excessive noise, as well as the provision of facilities for staff)

• Information from any staff grievances.

Findings should then be used to inform a solution-based approach overcoming the risks identified. Employee representatives can be utilised to help design solutions they believe will help SEN staff.

2. Offer support from induction and beyond

Every single SEN professional – no matter now experienced – needs support from their employer. A common mistake is to focus on supporting new recruits and neglect longstanding members of staff.

Induction is vital and employees need training and support to take on a new role, whether they are new to the school or being promoted to a different area of work. Managers should set aside dedicated time during the first three months to regularly catch-up, listen to feedback and provide both professional and pastoral support.

Beyond this though, regular training, appraisals and more informal check-ins are vital. Lack of proper training causes loss of confidence which can contribute to stress levels and if employees don’t feel they have an outlet to air concerns, they’re more likely to bottle them up, which is damaging in the long-term.

Management should always be visible and approachable – your people are your most valuable resource and it pays to ensure they always feel supported. Keep your door open where you can!

3. Boost your benefits

A carefully designed staff benefits programme can go a long way to making SEN employees feel valued and appreciated for the work they do. EAPs (employee assistance programmes) are increasing in popularity as a way of ensuring staff have access to specialist, independent advice on a range of wellbeing issues, such as burn out. Many EAPs can provide a route to counselling support, if required.

Other low-cost initiatives that can promote workplace wellbeing and support with managing stress include offering fitness or relaxation classes and promoting healthy eating. Improving the physical environment can also have a major impact on mental health. Whilst big renovations may be off the agenda due to budget restraints, small changes to the décor, layout or quality of furniture and fittings can improve the mood of both teachers and SEN students.

At Senploy, we understand that albeit rewarding, a job in SEN can be extremely demanding. If your job is no longer working for you, have a look at what else is out there. Senploy has thousands of live vacancies in Special Education available now!

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