Staff Well Being Policy

This policy links to the health and safety – general policy, Healthy workplace policy, Menopause policy, Absence management procedure, Supervision policy, Safeguarding children and child protection policy and Prevent duty and radicalisation policy.

At Winston’s Place Day Nursery, we promote the good health and well-being of all our staff. As a nursery, we endeavour to support staff well-being, not only to ensure that children receive high quality care, but also to ensure our employees feel supported and cared for, as part of a team. (EYFS 3.14: Staff well-being underpins high-quality care and learning).

Mental ill-health is usually caused by a combination of work and non-work-related factors. There is a myriad of reasons for mental ill-health, from the pressure of ongoing change at work to longer or more intense hours exacerbated by financial pressures at home, or relationship problems and greater caring responsibilities. We recognise that mental health can fluctuate and that early support is key to prevention.

We are committed to constantly upskilling ourselves so that we know about how to create and maintain conditions that support and encourage good mental health, as well as recognise the signs of mental ill health and provide appropriate support. Managers and leaders receive guidance and training to enable them to identify concerns early and respond appropriately.

We recognise the importance of safeguarding the mental health of all of our employees, by providing a happy and nurturing working environment. This contributes to staff retention, safe practice, and positive outcomes for children.

Our ethos

We know that the care and education of babies and young children is highly rewarding but also demanding. We acknowledge that external pressures such as family life, financial worries, health concerns, and work-life balance can impact staff well-being. We aim to take a holistic approach, recognising staff as whole individuals.

To support our staff team, the management team has procedures in place that ensure staff well-being remains a key focus of our practice. These procedures are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain effective and relevant.

We aim to provide a safe, inclusive and nurturing working environment that acknowledges staff needs both inside and outside the workplace. This aligns with Equality Act 2010 duties and inclusive employment practices.

Becky Gambell is the named member of staff who leads our setting’s well-being practice. She offers support on staff well-being and knows where to access appropriate internal and external support services.

Becky Gambell is also committed to keeping her well-being and mental health knowledge up to date, reviewing practice, and supporting the developing knowledge of the whole staff team to ensure effective well-being strategies are embedded across the nursery.

Procedures to minimise work related stress:
• Complete a written stress risk assessment to identify and manage work-related stress in line with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance
• To ensure staff are supported within the setting, new staff will receive a full induction, so they feel competent and capable to carry out their role and responsibilities
• Staff will receive ongoing training, coaching and mentoring to ensure that they are supported to feel confident in their role and to minimise stress within the workplace
• Regular supervisions take place every 12 weeks in which staff well-being is discussed and recorded
• Practitioners are respected and valued in their work, whatever their role. Tasks are shared out appropriately according to their role and level of responsibility, the workload is monitored and reviewed on a regular basis
• Staff are encouraged to have a healthy work-life balance; this is supported by ensuring the workload is monitored so that it is not necessary for staff to work outside of their scheduled hours. All contributions to work are valued and celebrated
• We carefully review our expectations around the amount of paperwork that staff must complete, including observations and assessments of children. We work as a team to ensure all record keeping is meaningful and kept to an appropriate level so as not to add undue pressure to staff members
• We work hard to maintain a reflective culture within the setting that encourages feedback from staff about management procedures and working relationships. This reflective culture supports an environment of teamwork, facilitating the involvement of every member of staff in the practice of our setting
• Staff are encouraged to take their required breaks at appropriate intervals to ensure they have time to rest and recuperate, with time away from busy rooms. In line with the Working Time Regulations 1998
• The nursery manager and well-being representative are available for staff to come and discuss any issues or concerns
• The nursery ensures that confidential conversations take place in private, away from other staff members and children, in line with GDPR requirements
• Refer to external agencies where there are concerns about a staff member’s safety or wellbeing, following safeguarding procedures
• All information remains confidential or on a need-to-know basis to support the facilitation of open and honest conversations. However, where the manager or the well-being representative feels there is a question around the safety of the staff member, they will refer to outside agencies for support and guidance. These measures will be discussed in a sensitive and understanding manner with the staff member, as appropriate
• We actively promote a culture of mutual respect, tolerance and cooperation tolerance, in line with the British values
• Team meetings are facilitated to support with team development, to raise awareness of mental health and well-being by engaging staff in conversations about how the setting maintains a supportive environment
• We promote a culture that supports any staff member who is experiencing a mental health related illness to discuss this, and reasonable adjustments will be made to support any staff experiencing stress and any mental health issues
• If the nursery is made aware of any member of staff who requires support, a plan for more regular support sessions and adjustments to their working day will be discussed and decided in partnership with the staff member. This plan will be reviewed regularly and adapted to ensure it is a relevant and appropriate (see Supporting staff members individually section)
• If adjustments are unable to meet the needs of the member of staff or the nursery, then further advice support will be sought
• Staff well-being and staff self-care information is available within designated staff areas
• Leaders and managers support practitioners in a safe culture where bullying, harassment and discrimination is not tolerated, along with a culture that challenges and deals with any inappropriate behaviour promptly in line with HR and safeguarding expectations

Supporting staff members individually

We include well-being as part of our discussions at staff supervision sessions and appraisals. These discussions allow managers and staff to identify individual needs and agree appropriate support. Records of agreed actions are kept securely and reviewed regularly. Where the manager and staff member feel it is appropriate, they will draw up an individual action plan, including reviewing workload and any stress triggers. With the needs of the nursery also in mind, reasonable adjustments will be made for the member of staff; this could include flexible working agreements, changes in environment, adjustments to jobs role and responsibilities, more frequent breaks, a working buddy, or any other appropriate measure that it is felt could be helpful.

If a member of staff is returning to work after a period of absence, a back to work interview is carried out in line with the Absence management procedure.

We follow statutory guidance on safeguarding the workforce. If there are concerns about a staff member’s safety or wellbeing, the manager will work with the Designated Safeguarding Lead and, where necessary, seek support from appropriate external agencies to ensure safety at all times.