NCLT Staff Wellbeing Charter

WHAT IS WELLBEING

Wellbeing is defined by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) as:

“Creating an environment to promote a state of contentment which allows an employee to flourish and achieve their full potential, for the benefit of themselves and their organisation.”

CIPD are the professional body for HR and people development. For more than 100 years, CIPD have been championing better work and working lives by setting professional standards for HR and people development, as well as driving positive change in the world of work

We are committed to ensuring all Trust staff are able to have a good work-life balance and recognise the importance of being able to enjoy the highest possible standard of wellbeing and mental health As a result of this commitment, we have produced a charter to show our unwavering support for the published ‘DfE Education Staff Wellbeing Charter’ and its overarching strategy to improve staff wellbeing

OUR COMMITMENT THE RATIONALE

We are committed to becoming the employer of choice, where recruiting high-quality staff now and in the future will always remain one of our priorities The Trust is also dedicated to developing and retaining talented staff to ensure we remain a leading organisation in an ever-changing environment. It is important to us that staff want to work for the Trust and choose to stay longer-term, due to the care and support they receive, and the career opportunities we offer. We are a values-driven organisation with a compelling narrative and clear vision We will continue to invest heavily into personal and professional growth by staff development and staff wellbeing We are committed to creating an inspiring environment where every staff member can thrive.

THE DFE’S WELLBEING CHARTER AND OUR PLEDGE TO IT:

As a Trust we commit to develop a long-term strategy for improving staff wellbeing, aligned to the DfE charter, that will:

1) PRIORITISE STAFF MENTAL HEALTH

THE TRUST WILL:

• Tackle mental health stigma and promote an open and understanding culture

• Manage staff absence in a supportive manner, giving the same consideration to mental health as physical health.

• Fulfil our legal duty to minimise the risks associated with workrelated stress.

• Ensure staff have access to mental health support via the Health Assured EAP

For further details, please contact HR.

2) PRIORITISE STAFF WELLBEING

THE TRUST WILL:

• Give staff the support they need to take responsibility for their own and other peoples’ wellbeing

• Encourage staff to maintain a healthy work-life balance and promote the benefits of doing so.

• Arrange optional wellbeing activities within the working week for staff to get involved with.

• Send out staff wellbeing pulse surveys, in addition to the annual whole staff survey, to gain feedback at timely occasions throughout the year

• Appoint a staff wellbeing coordinator to promote and organise wellbeing activities. For further details on the above, please contact your direct line manager, a senior leader, HR or

3) ESTABLISH AN ‘OUT OF HOURS’ COMMUNICATION POLICY

THE TRUST WILL:

• Provide clear guidance to all stakeholders on remote and out of hours working, including when it is and isn’t reasonable to expect staff to respond to queries or emails.

• Promote the importance of a work-life balance, but will not prevent staff accessing emails at unsociable hours if it suits them personally

• Arrange meetings within normal working hours, unless a suitable time cannot be allocated. The Trust recognises that meetings may need to take place outside of normal working hours by mutual agreement

The Trust will provide email guidance for staff to follow:

• Always talk instead of type, where possible

For further details, please contact your direct line manager or the Principal/Headteacher

• Leaders and staff should aim to keep use of emails to a minimum

• There is no expectation that staff will respond to emails outside of their working day

• There is no expectation that staff send emails outside of their working day.

• Only in exceptional circumstances should we be sending 'all staff' emails during weekends or during holidays.

• Only copy in people that really need to be copied in.

• Consider whether 'reply' might be better than 'reply all'

• If it works for staff to continue to send/receive emails outside of the working day then we won't prevent staff from doing so.

• H o l d t e r m l y s t a f f v o i c e g r o u p m e e t i n g s w h e r e s t a f f c a n r e q u e s t a g e n d a i t e m s

• R e s p o n d a c c o r d i n g l y t o a n y s t a f f s u g g e s t i o n s , p r o v i d i n g a c l e a r e x p l a n a t i o n o f a n y d e c i s i o n s .

• C a r r y o u t c o m p r e h e n s i v e a n n u a l s t a f f s u r v e y s t o g a u g e s t a f f v i e w s

• W o r k t o w a r d s a T r a d e U n i o n R e c o g n i t i o n A g r e e m e n t , t o e n g a g e w i t h s t a k e h o l d e r s o u t s i d e o f t h e T r u s t

• O p e r a t e a n o p e n - d o o r p o l i c y f o r s t a f f t o m e e t w i t h S e n i o r / T r u s t l e a d e r s a n d d i s c u s s a n y c o n c e r n s , o r s h a r e i d e a s t h a t t h e y m a y h a v e .

• A l w a y s c o n s u l t s t a f f w i t h a n y s i g n i f i c a n t , f u n d a m e n t a l c h a n g e s t o p o l i c i e s , p r o c e d u r e s a n d s t r u c t u r e s

5) DRIVE DOWN UNNECESSARY WORKLOAD

THE TRUST WILL:

• Review practises and procedures to proactively drive down unnecessary workload

• Provide a clear rationale when introducing any new initiatives that may impact negatively on workload.

• Provide CPD to highlight efficient and effective ways of marking in order to reduce workload.

• Regularly review and update the Trust’s Employee Health and Wellbeing policy, that includes a section on reducing staff workload

For further details, please contact your direct line manager, the Senior Leadership Team or HR

For further details, please contact your direct line manager, the Senior Leadership Team or HR.

6) CHAMPION FLEXIBLE WORKING AND DIVERSITY

• C o n t i n u e t o r e v i e w a n d i m p l e m e n t o u r p o l i c y o n S p e c i a l L e a v e ( w i t h a n d w i t h o u t p a y ) t o c o n s i d e r h o w t h e T r u s t c a n s u p p o r t o u r s t a f f i n t h o s e s i t u a t i o n s w h e n f l e x i b i l i t y i s n e c e s s a r y .

• F u l l y c o n s i d e r a l l f o r m a l r e q u e s t s f o r f l e x i b l e w o r k i n g h a v i n g r e g a r d f o r b a l a n c i n g t h e p r e f e r e n c e s o f t h e s t a f f m e m b e r a n d t h e n e e d s o f t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n , e n d e a v o u r i n g t o s e e k w o r k a b l e s o l u t i o n s w h e r e v e r p o s s i b l e . I n c l u d i n g a n n u a l p r o m o t i o n o f t h e F l e x i b l e W o r k i n g P o l i c y

• C o n t i n u e t o o f f e r o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r s t a f f t o v o l u n t a r i l y a c c r u e a d d i t i o n a l h o u r s f o r s u p p o r t i n g e v e n t s w h i c h c a n t h e n b e t a k e n b a c k a s t i m e o f f i n l i e u , c r e a t i n g f l e x i b i l i t y t o b o o k t i m e o f f f o r s t a f f w h i c h i s r a r e i n o u r s e t t i n g

• W h e r e a p p r o p r i a t e , a d v e r t i s e f l e x i b l e w o r k i n g i n r e l e v a n t j o b

Champion Diversity

• A s L e a d e r s i n D i v e r s i t y , c o n t i n u e o u r j o u r n e y o f c o n t i n u o u s i m p r o v e m e n t o f e q u a l i t y a n d d i v e r s i t y r e l a t e d i s s u e s , b y p r o g r e s s i n g w i t h t h e a c t i o n s o u t l i n e d i n o u r L e a d e r s i n D i v e r s i t y A c t i o n P l a n a n d r e l a t e d k i t e m a r k s

• C r e a t e a c u l t u r e w h e r e d i v e r s i t y i s o p e n l y t a l k e d a b o u t a n d p r o v i d e s t a f f w i t h r e l e v a n t t r a i n i n g a n d a w a r e n e s s - r a i s i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s / e v e n t s w i t h a v i e w t o i n c r e a s i n g u n d e r s t a n d i n g , e l i m i n a t i n g d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , a d v a n c i n g e q u a l i t y o f o p p o r t u n i t y a n d p r o m o t i n g i n c l u s i o n .

• M o n i t o r t h e d i v e r s i t y o f o u r s t u d e n t a n d s t a f f c o m m u n i t y a n d t a k e a c t i o n t o a d d r e s s a n y u n d e r - r e p r e s e n t a t i o n i n r e l a t i o n t o e n s u r i n g o u r i n t e r n a l T r u s t c o m m u n i t i e s a r e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f t h e e x t e r n a l c o m m u n i t i e s w e s e r v e .

• C o n t i n u e t o t a k e a z e r o - t o l e r a n c e p o l i c y t o a l l a c t s o f d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , e n s u r i n g o u r T r u s t p o l i c i e s a r e i m p l e m e n t e d a s a n a p p r o a c h t o a n y c o n c e r n s r a i s e d a n d t h e b e n e f i t s o f d i v e r s i t y a r e r e g u l a r l y c o m m u n i c a t e d

For further details, please contact HR.

7) SUPPORT STAFF TO PROGRESS IN THEIR CAREERS

THE TRUST WILL:

• Provide opportunities for a variety of professional development through regular organised internal CPD sessions, informal internal coaching, collaboration opportunities, external training courses, Apprenticeships and access to other professional qualifications

• Include targets for professional development in Annual Performance Reviews (APRs), as well as actions towards supporting department/school/college targets.

• Create opportunities for internal promotion and/or additional responsibility positions for staff to choose to apply for in order to further their own development

• Create a culture where staff are encouraged to bring new ideas and suggestions and take calculated risks with a view to improving their own performance For

8) CREATE AN OUTSTANDING BEHAVIOUR CULTURE

THE TRUST WILL:

• Work with staff and students to maintain the highest standards of behaviour via the implementation of a College/Academy-wide behaviour policy.

• Ensure staff and students have a shared understanding of how outstanding behaviour is encouraged and rewarded, including the sanctions that will be imposed if behaviour falls below these expectations.

• Support leaders and teachers to create a learning environment that is calm, safe and inspiring.

For further details, please contact the senior leader responsible for behaviour

HOW WILL WE KNOW IF WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB?

At two points in the year (January and July), each College/Academy, via HR will send out a short Pulse Survey for staff to complete. Staff will get the opportunity to rate how the Trust is doing with regards to the eight sectors on The Wellbeing Charter

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your sense of work-life balance?

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate NCLT’s commitment to your work-life balance?

On a scale of 1-10, how content are you with your overall sense of mental wellbeing at work?

On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to use our Employee Assistant Programs during a time of need?

On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you that your Line Manager will listen to your concerns and take appropriate action with regards to your mental health and wellbeing?

On a scale of 1-10, to what extent do you and your colleagues work together in a supportive and collaborative way?

On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend our organisation to your friends and colleagues due to the culture?

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your control over your career path and progression in both your personal and professional development at NCLT?

On a scale of 1-10, do you believe that your Line Manager values your opinion?

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the day to day decisions made by the SLT to demonstrate that staff mental health and wellbeing are a top priority?