Written question WQ86107

I have been clear that we can only support pupil wellbeing and deliver high quality teaching, if our workforce also feels supported.

Workforce wellbeing is a key priority and as part of the Whole School Approach to emotional and mental well-being, specific funding to tackle the mental health and well-being of the education workforce across Wales has been made available since 2020/21. This financial year I have trebled this funding to £1.25million, rising to over £3million by 2024-25, so significantly increasing the capacity and reach of the well-being support provided by Welsh Government.

We remain wholly committed to supporting the education workforce across schools in Wales. Welsh Government continue to fund Education Support, a charity with specific expertise in providing support to the teaching profession in relation to mental health and well-being. Education Support provide bespoke, tailored support across Wales for all teachers and support staff, providing events, webinars, telephone support, e-learning modules and an array of supportive content on their dedicated website hub, ‘Taking Care of Teachers’ ,with many resources available bilingually. Their innovative school well-being service has been very well received by schools in particular. The resources we have funded have enabled significant progress to be made and Education Support’s team in Wales has established relationships and trust across individual schools and the middle tier, with their range of resources broadened year on year.

I recognise the inextricable link between workload and wellbeing and reducing workload for the education workforce must be a priority. The Managing Workload and Reducing Bureaucracy Group, comprising of key stakeholders from the education community, has identified, and considered significant issues which impact on workload. The group is soon to sign off on its recommendations, but I am expecting proposals that will make a significant difference, such as ensuring the term ‘mock inspection’ becomes obsolete, clarification around expectations for lesson planning and quality control particularly in primary schools and ensuring all future communication and guidance is streamlined. I will also be establishing a new process within the education department where all policies and reforms must consider the implications of workload.

In the further education sector, the “Well Aware” project is piloting a model of staff well-being representatives in two colleges, and proposals are being developed to extend this further in 2022/23.

We are now looking to widen our scope and reach and we are in discussion with Education Support, stakeholders, trade unions and employers to increase support for the education workforce around mental health and well-being and identify where we can best add value effectively.