In the first of our ‘in conversation’ videos, Education Support’s CEO Sinéad Mc Brearty speaks with Nick Juba, CEO of Greater Brighton Metropolitan College about his perspective on staff wellbeing issues in further education.
Below is a summary of the interview with video timings for each section:
Colleges are about people, and how people feel about their work and their wellbeing is a fundamental issue.
In the further education sector staff take on a complex role in having a deep understanding of their professional / vocational context and combining this with engaging students in teaching and learning of that subject matter. Other issues include:
Greater Brighton Metropolitan College had a good starting point as we moved to remote working during lockdown, as it had invested in technology. This made the transition easier, however in a subsequent staff survey a number of challenges were raised:
All staff across the entire College are facing challenges, whilst there are some common themes and some slightly different issues for different groups of staff, none are more profound or difficult than others. Overall, the response from staff has been thoughtful, creative and adaptable.
Another aspect is understanding boundary issues, both in the sense of establishing a new work life balance working from home, but also for teaching staff with their students.
It is important to acknowledge that we do not yet understand what the longer term impact on staff will be.
Establishing realistic expectations amongst staff is a key factor, people are working very hard to deliver as much as possible at the moment, but there is a need to be clear that how much can be achieved in the current climate. The sense of duty and commitment being shown is fantastic but there is a risk of burnout and people need to try not to be too tough on themselves.
There is a high level of anxiety about the implications of lockdown being lifted, what this means for individuals, what safety measures there will be, what the arrangements for enabling social distancing will be – these will all be important to address.
Doing something to allow people to re-engage socially is seen as being important, a BBQ or coffee mornings, so that there isn’t that sense of ‘right we are back let’s just get on with it’.
Another theme that comes up a lot is the question of what working practices will look like in the future, and it is important to think about harnessing the positive things that have come from lockdown, as well as stopping the less helpful practices. It should be incumbent on leaders to start conversations about how things might be one the restrictions are lifted.
This will differ between institutions, although staff wellbeing will be a key issue for all leaders in the sector. From a GB Met perspective, the following sources of support are in place:
The support available to all education staff via Education Support’s free 24/7 helpline, as well as its financial grants service was also noted.
There is recognition that things will not go back to exactly the way they were, and there are positives to take from this. Mental health and wellbeing has been de-politicised and is being talked about in a much more sophisticated way, and with much less stigma attached. It is hoped that this sort of dialogue will inform how we think about workplace culture, how we manage expectations and work together, in a much more concrete way in the future, putting mental health on the same footing as physical health.
Teachers and education staff, in schools, colleges and universities, who are feeling stressed or anxious during these uncertain times can get confidential emotional support from our free and confidential helpline: 08000 562561.
If you’re in a position to help others in these extraordinary times, please consider making a donation so that we can continue to answer the increasing number of desperate calls and grants applications we are receiving. Thank you so much.
Another expectation is that the current crisis will be shining a light on the creativity and professionalism of all those working in education, and that the issue around the status, especially of those working in further education, will be brought into ba