Mary’s story: championing the Wellbeing Advisory Service across Powys

I grew up the daughter of two Welsh teachers who met at school, and from the age of 12 I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps. I studied hard and began my teaching career in some challenging schools in London and South Wales.

Eventually, I returned to Powys, where I became a headteacher. Leading a school taught me how demanding the role can be and how vital support structures are for both staff and pupils. That experience inspired me to move into my current role as Lead for Wellbeing and Equity for the Education Team in Powys.

In my current position, I support both pupil and staff wellbeing across Powys schools. I first connected with the Wellbeing Advisory Service, a funded service delivered by Education Support, backed by the Welsh Government. From the start I was struck by how committed the Staff Wellbeing Advisor was. After our initial meeting, they attended all eight of our cluster meetings!

They helped us design bespoke wellbeing plans for each school, guided by insights from staff surveys and tailored to each school’s context. The advice we received ranged from whole-school strategies to specific tools and resources, such as support with menopause, stress management, and workload policies.

As a former headteacher, I understand how isolating leadership can feel. Having a Staff Wellbeing Advisor offer concrete, practical support and follow through with action plans makes a real difference in how leaders perceive their options. It shifts us from feeling overwhelmed to feeling more in control.

Once I started sharing my experience with other schools in Powys, uptake quickly grew and the feedback has been consistently positive. Schools were given clear wellbeing strategies and felt more confident in leading improvements, and have a fresh sense of purpose around staff mental health.

Thanks to Welsh Government funding for the Staff Wellbeing Service in Wales continues to grow and includes Professional Supervision for school leaders and managers in Wales. This service has also proved to be invaluable in Powys.