Teachers’ emotional wellbeing must be supported

Last week, teachers from across Scotland gathered in Glasgow for the Scottish Learning Festival and hot on the agenda was mental health and wellbeing – it’s not difficult to see why.

Three children in every classroom will experience a mental health problem by the age of 16, yet thousands struggle to get help.

Last quarter in Tayside alone, 196 young people had their referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) rejected, while more than 600 are waiting for an assessment from the service.

We must ensure young people grow up knowing how to look after their mental health, but also trust that when they do ask for help, they receive it.

Young people spend a lot of their time in school, so it’s great that the Curriculum for Excellence makes it clear that health and wellbeing is the “responsibility of all” teachers in a school. However, to be meaningful, it should be taught, discussed, and woven through all subject areas – and to deliver this, teachers must be adequately trained.

We spoke to teachers across Scotland and they told us they don’t feel they’ve received sufficient training.

There’s not enough information on what should be delivered and when, and no guidance on what or how to deliver the subject.

So how can teachers be expected to deliver on this responsibility? We’d like to see the Scottish Government create a consistent, national programme to train all school staff in mental health.

In the meantime, we’ve created an online learning resource, designed to equip teachers with skills and the knowledge to recognise and respond to pupils experiencing a mental health problem.

Of course, in order to support pupils with their mental health, teachers have to be well themselves.

Teaching is a rewarding job, but it can also be emotionally challenging, so it’s really important that teachers are supported to look after their wellbeing.

There are lots of things teachers can do themselves to prioritise their wellbeing, but senior managers have a responsibility to create a positive environment, where staff feel respected and able to talk openly.

Our new guide, Supporting the Mental Health and Wellbeing of School Staff, is at samh.org.uk/ documents/School_staff_wellbeing_leaflet_online. pdf

Everyone with a role in a young person’s life should be confident that they can help, so we’re pleased this was prioritised at the Scottish Learning Festival.

Joanne Aitken is children and young people development manager at the Scottish Association for Mental Health.