Stress Management and Wellbeing Policy

STRESS MANAGEMENT AND WELLBEING POLICY

ST PATRICK’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL

"Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 

Rationale 

St Patrick’s Catholic School seeks to maintain a positive and supportive work environment for its entire staff, using our values of love, service, faith and hope as our foundation. 

The purpose of this policy is to

1. To protect the safety, health and wellbeing of the staff of St Patrick’s Catholic School

2. To provide a framework of support to staff members who are undergoing times of stress

Guidelines

1. Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.

2. An employee who suffers stress in the workplace or stress related illnesses should notify their employer as soon as possible.

3. It is both the responsibility of St Patrick’s Catholic School as employer, and the staff of St Patrick’s, to ensure that stress and overall well-being is appropriately managed.

Staff Responsibilities

• Engaging in a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle which includes recovery time outside of school (see Guidelines from the Mental Health Foundation in attached Appendix)

• Ensuring good communication with colleagues, leadership and the Board 

• Fostering good working relationships with colleagues, leadership and the Board 

• Being aware of signs of stress (see attached Appendix) and taking note of their own stress levels to ensure they are working safely to manage their own well-being

• Raising concerns with leadership or the Board at an early stage in order to seek constructive solutions

• Where appropriate, raising issues with colleagues about unsafe onsite work hours (see attached Appendix), safe working habits or other behaviours which might indicate workplace stress

• Raising issues with leadership of the Board  where colleagues (including the principal) are displaying signs of stress related ill health

Leadership and Board Responsibilities

• To consider how personal leadership style can influence the well-being and performance of those for whom they are responsible

• Ensuring clear and effective communication at all times, and particularly at times of organisational or procedural change

• Ensuring roles are properly designed with time limits in mind

• Intervening early in cases of conflict and offering conflict resolution

• Being aware of staff changes in behavior which might signify signs of stress

• Making written information on places to go for help available to staff on a yearly basis

• Ensuring expectations of staff are reasonable

• Ensuring that workplace and external stressors are not too great, do not go on for too long and do not come from too many directions at once

• The Board should be aware of and monitor prolonged pressures on the principal, paying particular attention to additional stressors such as parent complaints, harassment or crisis situations.

• The Board, through the principal, will facilitate a Staff Wellbeing survey once a year

When stress has been reported:

1. Acknowledge and discuss the concerns and attempt to understand the underlying cause of the stress

2. Attempt to understand the resulting behaviours

3. Consider and discuss how the issues can be resolved, minimized or alleviated

4. Develop a plan and document the way forward in a supportive manner. The plan could include leave from work, part-time or reduced hours and/or alleviation of some duties.

5. The employee should be offered assistance from NZEI and workplace counselling if appropriate

6. Seek NZSTA advice if appropriate

7. Ensure that the matters discussed are kept under periodic review to ensure that the situation improves and does not reoccur or escalate

8. Ensure that the staff member is aware of other colleagues or Board of Trustees that they are able to contact / talk to in order to receive support.

9. Ensure that any medically certified absence due to occupational stress is managed with NZEI and NZSTA advice

Managing crisis situation for the principal

The following are crisis situations that can be faced by principals:

• Serious illness of the principal

• Prolonged stress

• Prolonged harassment

• Ongoing parent complaints

• Board of Trustees difficulties

• Difficult or prolonged staff difficulties

• Death of a student

• Personal attacks from staff or parent community

• Threatening behaviour

• Staff or parents seeking to damage the principal’s reputation in the wider community

• Financial and Staffing concerns

• Incidents where Health and Safety procedures are called into question, e.g. injury of a student on camp

• Legal action

1. Principals hold a highly respected position in the community and are often unable to reach out to others for support because of the confidentiality of the position

2. At any stage a board member can check in with the Principal regarding their wellbeing. If the board member continues to have concerns and/or the concern is significant, they will inform the presiding member. The presiding member will use their relationship as captured in the presiding member and principal relationship policy to inquire and discuss appropriate action with the principal. 

3. If the Board and the principal have agreed that the following people can be contacted if the Board has continue to have concerns for the principal's well-being

•  President of the Hamilton Catholic Principals’ Association

• Diocesan Principal Support Officer

4. If further advice or support is needed, the Board could contact any of the following:

·       NZSTA

·       NZEI

·       MoE Traumatic Incident Team 0800 84 8326

Ratified: 26 June 2019 

Reviewed: 1 June 2022

Appendix to “Stress Management and Well-being” Policy

Signs and Symptoms of Stress

Psychological Symptoms

• Sleep disturbances

• Difficulty concentrating

• Lack of confidence

• Depression

• Difficulty relaxing

• Difficulty with decision making

• Irritability

Physical Symptoms

• Muscle tension and pain

• Low energy

• Headaches

• Changes in appetite

• Decreased sexual function

• Shortness of breath

Medical Conditions that can occur as a result of long-term stress

• Alopecia

• Heart palpitations

• Hyperventilation

• Gastrointestinal problems (indigestion, heartburn, IBS)

• Skin conditions (dermatitis, eczema)

• High blood pressure

• Recurrent colds

Onsite Work Hours

• St Patrick’s Catholic School encourages staff to keep reasonable on-site work hours. Expected minimum on-site hours of work are 8am – 4pm.

• The Board of Trustees discourages working on-site alone after hours and during weekends

• It is acknowledged that staff can be flexible with their weekly work hours outside of the school day and that they can expect to work additional hours as a result, however safe practices should be followed when working alone, i.e. advise someone you are on-site, sign in and out at the office, lock yourself into the area you are working and keep your mobile phone with you

• It is recommended that school work should be completed on-site, during work hours and not taken home in most instances. It is acknowledged that there will be times of higher workload expectations and that this is part of the role and should be teamed with times of lower workload expectations.

• Teachers are advised not to give personal contact details to parents or students and will not be expected to respond to work emails / text messages outside of work hours

Guidelines from the Mental Health Foundation

Give

• Your time

• Your words

• Your presence

Be active

• Do what you can

• Enjoy what you do

Move Your Mood

• Learning

• Embrace new experiences

• Seize opportunities

• Surprise yourself

Connect

• Talk and listen

• Be there

• Feel connected

Take Notice

• Remember the simple things that give you joy