Introduction of Aims

The initial aim is to look at all the areas of Mental Health and Well-Being that I believe can make the most difference to the staff, pupils and parents throughout the school community. The first task was to get signed confirmation of commitment from the Head Teacher and Chair of School Governor’s, before generating a Vision Statement that reflected the school ethos.  (See attached sheet – Vision and Ethos Statements), that could be shared and disseminated throughout school. Our primary goal throughout this process is to ensure that all stakeholders are able to develop resilience and maintain positive Mental Health and Well-Being, in order to achieve the best possible outcomes in life, at whatever stage, no matter what their personal circumstances are. 

Overview 

To implement the vision, the Head teacher, members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Governors committed to working together towards recognition of WAS Sp (Well-Being Award for Schools). A member of the teaching staff was appointed as a Well-Being Leader and made responsible for promoting the Well-Being and positive Mental Health of all, staff and parents throughout the school community, and securing the award.

Strategic Aims of the Well-Being Lead

  1. To lead on the Well-Being Award for Schools (WAS Sp)
  2. To undertaker training to plan and create and action plan as part of the WAS Sp process.
  3. To evaluate the impact and outcomes, based on the action plan throughout school.
  4. To form and lead a Well-Being Change Team, to promote positive Mental Health and Well-Being across the whole school community
  5. To share an overview of the WAS Sp objectives, how we aim to achieve them and the desired outcomes with the Well-Being Change Team, Head teacher, SLT and Governors and when approved put these objectives into practise.
  6. To source relevant CPD and staff training on Well-Being and Mental Health.
  7. To write and implement a Staff Well-Being Policy, DPS and vision statement.
  8. To work with the Parent Liaison Lead to engage and promote family well-being.
  9. To work with the PSHCE Co-Ordinator to ensure that well-being is prioritised as part of the school’s recovery plan.
  10. To develop a list of local and national support agencies to share with staff and parents.
  11. To look into creating a network sharing good practise in Mental Health and Well-Being with schools in the MAT.

WAS Objectives

Break down of objective

What we need to do to achieve the objective

Outcomes

Objective 1:

The whole school is committed to promoting and protecting emotional wellbeing and mental health by achieving the wellbeing award.

 

8 sub levels

 

 

Provide information about the award to the school community.

 

Introduce the award to all stakeholders. 

 

Gain commitment of the Head Teacher and Chair of Governors. 

 

Enlist a change team to include a variety of staff, pupils and parents across the school community. 

 

Hold documented meetings of the Change Team at regular intervals - half termly.

 

Audit and evaluate where we stand with supporting Well-Being and Mental Health for staff, pupil and parents. 

 

Create an action plan for the process and monitor it at regular stages throughout the academic year

On completion of Objective 1:

 

All staff, pupil and parents within the school community will have a gained a deeper understanding about the WAS process, and will be fully committed to embracing, promoting and developing more positive outcomes to support mental health and well-being in all its contexts.

 

Objective Two

The school has a clear vision and strategy for promoting and protecting emotional wellbeing and mental health, which is communicated to all involved with the process 

 

7 sub levels

Generate and put into place a strategy of how we intend to meet the award objectives 

A vision statement will be created that embeds our desired outcomes 

Include into our action plan any reviews and gaps in provision and address these 

 

Approve the strategy with the SLT team 

 

Share our strategy with the whole school community 

 

Review our provisions and how we currently support wellbeing and mental health – work with the PSHCE co-ordinator as PSHCE and well-being is a focus on the school recovery plan.

 

Look at how staff can recognise the signs of mental health issues for pupils with SEND

 

Create a strategy for emotional wellbeing and mental health 

On competition of Objective 2: 

 

The whole school community will understand the school’s vision and strategy of positive mental health and well-being, and embrace any learning around these areas by committing to the vision strategy 

 

The whole school community will play a part in creating the vision and will be included in the action plan 

 

The school’s provision for supporting wellbeing and mental health will be greatly enhanced 

 

As a special school, all staff have a good understanding of SEND.  Mental health issues can be difficult to distinguish in some instances, through training and support, all staff involved in working face to face with children throughout the school community will have a clearer understanding of how to spot the signs for mental health and well-being for children with SEND. 

Objective 3:

The school has a positive culture which regards the emotional wellbeing and mental health as the responsibility of all.

 

6 sub levels

Understand the importance of emotional mental health, resilience and well-being.

 

Understanding my role in promoting emotional wellbeing and mental health

 

Ensuring that emotional wellbeing and mental health is seen as the responsibility of all.

 

Encouraging people to talk about mental health issues.

 

Ensure that there is no stigma attached to mental health within school.

 

 

 

On competition of objective 3:

 

All stakeholders will have a clearer understanding of what well-being means, and a deeper, more secure knowledge and understanding of the issues surrounding mental health.

 

Staff and parents will be able to recognise emotional health issues and respond appropriately. 

 

School will be able to facilitate learning gaps around mental health and wellbeing by signposting staff and parents to the relevant agencies to support them.

 

An environment will be created where everyone accepts and understands that positive mental health and wellbeing is the responsibility of all 

 

We will have created an environment within school that releases the sigma around mental health.

 

Links will be created within the school community, including throughout the trust, ensuring all stakeholders are involved to drive forward the school’s vision of positive mental health and well-being.

Objective Four: 

The School actively promotes staff emotional wellbeing and mental health.

 

5 sub levels

Supporting staff emotional wellbeing and mental health 

 

The school will create a Wellbeing Policy for staff 

 

Staff will know who to contact for confidential support for well-being and mental health issues.

 

A budget will be generated to support wellbeing throughout school. 

 

Planned wellbeing activities and workshops for staff will be created.

 

Appraisal policies and procedures will consider and support the emotional wellbeing of staff – staff workload reduction.

 

Feedback and evaluations will take place regularly to engage the wellbeing needs of staff, 

 

Regular staff wellbeing questionnaires will be completed every 2 years and the results from these analysed. 

On competition of objective 4:

 

Staff will feel more valued and have a greater sense of their own wellbeing in the workplace 

 

An environment will be created where mental health is openly talked about subject, reducing the stigma that can be associated with mental health.

 

Team building will be created through staff wellbeing workshops 

 

Finances through the well-being budget will be set aside for staff wellbeing activities and resources – school will also contribute the free use of school resources included rooms, and staff to lead activity sessions where appropriate.

 

Staff will be provided with a space to explore their emotional wellbeing within the school’s appraisal systems.

 

SLT will be aware of the current level of well-being and mental health of the school  community.

Objective Five 

The school prioritises professional learning and staff development on emotional wellbeing and mental health.

 

 5 sub levels

Promoting professional development and training for emotional wellbeing.

 

Ensuring confidence and capability among staff in addressing emotional wellbeing and mental healthissues.

 

 

 

Staff development on emotional well-being and mental health will become part of the School Improvement Plan.

 

Skills audits will take place and any gaps in knowledge will be filled with mental health training.

 

School will deliver a programme of mental health training for all staff across the school community, this will include SLT, Teachers, HLTS’s Teaching Assistants, office administers and catering team.

 

School will regularly assess the confidence among staff in responding appropriately to well-being and mental health issues and concerns. 

 

Training will be given to all staff of how to complete Cpoms to record all welfare and safeguarding issues including mental health concerns for all pupils and staff. 

On competition of objective 5. 

 

Staff throughout school not only teaching staff, will gain a greater in-depth knowledge around mental health needs and issues and be able to respond appropriately. 

 

SLT will have a clear understanding of staff currently level of training within the area of well-being, resilience and mental health.

 

School will have a procedure for dealing with any mental health or well-being issues and/or concerns for all pupils and staff which is monitored by the Deputy Head and Pastoral Lead, as well as the parent liaison lead (both DSLs) on a daily basis.

Objective Six 

The school understands the different types of emotional and mental health needs across the whole-school community and has systems in place to respond appropriately.

 

8 sub levels

Identifying and acting on mental health issues. 

 

Supporting pupil’ emotional wellbeing and mental health’

 

 

All pupils and staff will complete regular mental health screening questionnaires to raise any concerns and these will be acted upon appropriately in a professional manner.

 

School will continue to develop good practise by continuing to network with any outside agencies or services, ensuring an information sharing process is in place. 

 

School will work towards providing a wide range of emotional health interventions for pupils, parents and staff and regular feedback and evaluations will take place to ensure good practice and positive outcomes are standard

 

A SEMH register will be kept by the Deputy Head and Pastoral Lead.

 

A list will be created for signpost referral services, this will include, social care, NHS and wellbeing services within the local area, and be available to share with class teams and families.

On competition of objective 6. 

 

School will have a clear idea of the emotional needs of its pupils, parents and staff, interventions will facilitate any mental health needs across the school. Impact data will evaluate the process and a referral strategy will be promptly put in place. 

 

School will know who the vulnerable children and adults are in the school environment with regard to additional well-being and mental health issues and support will be in place to support them as necessary.

 

Signpost and agency services will be visual for all stakeholders, these will be made available via e-mails, school notice boards letters home and the school website.

Objective Seven 

The school actively seeks the ongoing participation of the whole-school community in its approach to emotional wellbeing and mental health.

 

 5 sub levels

Engaging the whole school community in emotional wellbeing and mental health issues.

 

 

The views of staff, pupils and parents will take place on regular intervals in order to gain an insight into any ongoing needs for wellbeing and mental health support and or intervention.

Wellbeing ambassador and Mental Health first aiders will be trained and help deliver raising awareness sessions and assemblies to pupils and staff. 

 

School will create a communication system that ensures that regular communications around the issues of well-being and mental health are disseminated in the school environment via a variety of means.

 

Regular feedback questionnaires will take place to evaluate the schools approaches to mental health and wellbeing issues.

On competition of objective 7:

 

School will have a clear understanding

of the emotional needs of its staff, pupils and parents

 

Wellbeing ambassadors and Mental Health first aiders will be the face and driving force to promote positive wellbeing across the whole school community

 

Evaluations will take place by the Well-Beginning change team at regular intervals to ensure school is continuing to work towards creating a positive wellbeing environment for all stakeholders 

Objective Eight 

The school works in partnership with other schools, agencies and available specialist services to support emotional wellbeing and mental health.

 

 5 sub levels

Building links, and working in partnership with other agencies to promote and support well-being and positive mental health.

The school will create networks with other schools to share good practice for delivering and support wellbeing and mental health issues.

 

A directory of agencies and services will be created and shared with staff and parents.

 

When appropriate, school will enlist key staff to represent the school at mental health forums, they will disseminate any information and new learning with the school staff to ensure staff development is continually being upskilled. 

 

The school continue to participate and engage with local commissioning arrangements such as, CAMHs, Educational Psychologists, Public Health services etc.to ensure best practise.

 

 

On competition of objective 8:

 

The school will have a strong network with other schools to share approaches around outstanding mental health and wellbeing support for all stakeholders. 

 

School will have strong links with outside services and agencies to support them in delivering outstanding support to families and staff on issues surrounding well-being and mental health issues

 

Key staff will be continuous trained in the mental health field and will attend any relevant mental health forums to keep up to date with any changes in mental health learning and approaches. This will enable school to provide the most current and up to date mental health and wellbeing support for all members of the school community 

 

School will continuously take part in future commissioning projects and consistently gain feedback from all stakeholders of any needs for future services