Colleague Wellbeing
Our people make a huge difference to our success and we recognise that the wellbeing of our colleagues plays a vital part in ensuring a happy and healthy environment in which to work and learn.
The wellbeing of everyone who works in our Trust is a priority, support is provided in a number of ways, and we strive to cultivate a working environment that brings out the best in everyone.
Red Kite People Board
Our Red Kite People Board is a group made up of around 20 colleagues representing each school and team across our Trust. The group have initially been focusing on Wellbeing. This collaborative work is identifying ideas and actions designed to improve the health and wellbeing of our teams, helping us achieve our ‘We Promote Wellbeing' goal.
Mental Health First Aiders
Our Trust is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues. We are working hard to provide an environment where everyone can talk freely about mental health and seek support when they need it. As part of this commitment, colleagues are encouraged to undertake Mental Health First Aid training. Every colleague has access to dedicated Mental Health First Aiders and can choose to talk to someone in their own setting or someone based elsewhere in our Trust, whichever option they are most comfortable with and suits their needs. We are aiming to have circa 25% of our colleagues trained with representation of roles and demographics across our Trust.
Support Networks
Our Red Kite People Board representatives have been discussing the value of creating Colleague Support Networks. These networks aim to bring colleagues together to share experiences and offer support on a number of areas. In May, we launched our SEND Families Support Network, connecting colleagues, providing support and raising awareness for colleagues with caring or parenting responsibilities for someone with SEND.
Health and Wellbeing Information
Our colleagues have access to a centralised information area called ‘People Online Portal’, or ‘POP’ as we like to call it. This includes an area dedicated to health and wellbeing providing useful guidance and links to support available both within our Trust and via other organisations.
Wellbeing Collaboration
Our People Board members regularly share mental health and wellbeing initiatives embedded in their individual schools, such as book clubs, Zumba classes, yoga, wellbeing days, tea and cake gatherings, niggle clinics, walking challenges and more. Ideas are then fed back and often implemented in other schools and settings. This collaborative approach to how we can support, recognise, and reward our colleagues is really helping to promote wellbeing across our Trust.
Central Wellbeing Hub
Our wonderful HR colleagues have created a Wellbeing Hub in our Central Office, a place all colleagues and visitors can go to find mental health and wellbeing support and advice. We hope to develop this over the next year to create a lovely space for people to come for a little time out when needed. Colleagues in school have been replicating the information in their staff rooms.
