Government release funding for tackling bullying and improving staff wellbeing
During anti-bullying week the government announced additional funding for organisations to support schools to combat bullying, promote diversity, and improve wellbeing for staff. There are six agencies that will receive funding to support schools:
- Anti-Bullying Alliance – focusing on those most at risk of bullying including SEND
- Diversity Role Models – interventions to ensure staff can create inclusive school cultures
- EqualiTeach – an intensive, evidence-based, anti-bullying programme for 80 schools per year
- Anne Frank Trust - ‘Different But The Same’, an intensive anti-bullying support 3-year project
- The Diana Award – a project empowering young people with skills, tools, confidence and knowledge to transform school culture and support peers
A new mental health support scheme for school leaders will be funded and will run from autumn until March 2023. The scheme, delivered by the charity Education Support, will provide one-to-one counselling and peer support to around 2,000 school leaders, helping those at deputy head level and above with their mental wellbeing. Given the challenges of leading a school through the pandemic, this will be a welcome service.
The government have also updated their Education Staff Wellbeing Charter which sets out commitments from Ofsted, education unions and charities, to promote and protect the mental health of all education staff. There are resources to print and display within schools to show the commitment to all staff. Signing up to the charter is voluntary and is available to all state funded schools and college.
