Wellbeing Toolkit

Looking After Your Own Wellbeing

Leading a school is both rewarding and demanding. Leaders are required to balance the needs of pupils, families, staff, governors and external agencies whilst managing complex operational and strategic responsibilities. Over time, sustained pressure can affect both physical and psychological wellbeing.

Research in psychology and neuroscience demonstrates that chronic stress can impact memory, concentration, decision-making and emotional regulation. While short periods of pressure can help us perform and respond to challenges, prolonged stress without adequate recovery can increase the risk of burnout, anxiety and poor mental health.

Maintaining wellbeing is therefore not a luxury or a sign of weakness, it is an essential part of effective leadership. Looking after your own wellbeing helps you to make sound decisions, maintain perspective during challenging periods and model healthy behaviours for others.

There are a number of evidence-based actions that can support wellbeing, including:

• Maintaining clear boundaries between work and personal time.

• Prioritising rest, sleep and recovery.

• Building strong professional and personal support networks.

• Taking regular opportunities for reflection.

• Being physically active and maintaining healthy routines.

• Seeking support early when challenges begin to affect wellbeing.

Just as we encourage pupils and staff to seek support when they need it, school leaders should feel able to do the same. Recognising early signs of stress and taking proactive steps to protect wellbeing can help prevent difficulties from escalating and support long-term resilience.

Support is available whether you are looking to maintain your wellbeing, navigate a challenging period, access professional advice, or seek specialist support. The resources listed in this toolkit are available to help Lancashire leaders at different stages of their wellbeing journey.

Professional Reflective Supervision

Leaders regularly support others through complex situations, difficult conversations and significant organisational challenges. Professional Reflective Supervision provides a confidential, independent space to reflect on these experiences, consider their impact, and explore strategies for maintaining wellbeing and resilience.

Unlike appraisal, line management or performance conversations, supervision is non-judgemental and focused on supporting the individual in their role. Many headteachers find it particularly valuable during periods of increased pressure, such as inspections, complaints, staffing challenges or significant change.

Research and experience consistently demonstrate that regular supervision can strengthen resilience, reduce isolation and support effective decision-making. For this reason, headteachers are encouraged to access supervision proactively as part of their ongoing wellbeing arrangements, rather than waiting until difficulties arise. The section below signposts where you can access supervision.

Trauma-Informed Leadership and Difficult Conversations

School leaders regularly work with children, families and colleagues who may be experiencing adversity, trauma or significant stress. A trauma-informed approach reminds us that behaviour and responses are often shaped by experiences and circumstances that may not be immediately visible. This can help leaders to remain curious, compassionate and avoid taking challenging interactions personally.

It is also important to recognise our own responses to stress. During periods of high pressure, leaders may find themselves operating in a heightened emotional or “threat” state, which can affect decision-making, communication and relationships. Learning to recognise these signs in ourselves can help us pause, reflect and respond more effectively.

Developing skills in trauma-informed practice, emotional regulation and managing courageous conversations can strengthen both wellbeing and leadership effectiveness. Lancashire schools can access trauma-informed training and support through the virtual school (contact Vanessa.Nice@lancashire.gov.uk).

Leaders can seek guidance from their School Adviser through professional coaching, reflective supervision, or leadership support conversations. Training and support are also available to help leaders develop confidence in holding constructive, courageous conversations while maintaining positive relationships.

Chair of Governors action: Encourage professional development in trauma-informed practice and ensure the headteacher knows how to access leadership coaching, adviser support and training when required.

Building and Maintaining Your Wellbeing

Wellness Action Plans

Developed by Mind, Wellness Action Plans are practical tools that help individuals identify what keeps them well at work, recognise factors that may affect their wellbeing, and agree supportive actions. They can support meaningful conversations about wellbeing and help establish proactive strategies before difficulties escalate. Wellness Action Plan

NHS Every Mind Matters

Every Mind Matters provides evidence-based advice and practical tools to help manage stress, improve sleep, boost mood and build resilience. The website includes simple self-care steps and personalised wellbeing plans. Every Mind Matters - NHS

Able Futures Mental Health Support Service

This confidential service is available at no charge to any employees with depression, anxiety, stress or other mental health issues affecting their work. Mental health support for people at work | Able Futures Mental Health Support Service 

Self-Help Reading and Resources

A wide range of books, digital resources and wellbeing publications are available through libraries and trusted wellbeing organisations, providing practical strategies and insights for maintaining positive mental health.

Lancashire Emotional Health in Schools and Colleges

Schools should proactively access the offer of training and support from Lancashire Emotional Health in Schools and Colleges (LEHS) available on the website wp.lancs.ac.uk/lehsc/

Practical Support to Help You Thrive

Occupational Health

Where health concerns are affecting work, Occupational Health can provide independent clinical advice and recommendations to support wellbeing and identify appropriate workplace adjustments.

Flexible Working and Work-Life Balance

Maintaining healthy boundaries and achieving a sustainable work-life balance is an important aspect of wellbeing. Flexible working options may help individuals manage competing demands and create space for rest and recovery where operationally possible.

Support for Working Carers

Headteachers who have caring responsibilities outside of work may benefit from specialist advice, flexible working arrangements and access to local support networks. Lancashire County Council and partner organisations offer a range of resources for working carers.

The Lancashire Carers' Service - N-Compass

Home | carers-link-01

Care Network (Blackburn with Darwen) Ltd

MECC Link and Local Wellbeing Services

MECC (Making Every Contact Count) provides simple signposting to health and wellbeing services across Lancashire and South Cumbria, helping people access support for a wide range of physical, emotional and social wellbeing needs.

MECC Link

Remember

Seeking support is a sign of self-awareness and professional strength. Looking after your own wellbeing enables you to continue supporting your staff, pupils, governors and wider school community effectively. Early action, regular reflection and knowing where to access support can make a significant difference to long-term wellbeing and resilience.

Chair of Governors action:
Proactively discuss wellbeing with the headteacher and ensure they are aware of the range of support available. Encourage engagement with appropriate wellbeing and professional support networks and record relevant wellbeing discussions and agreed actions within governing board minutes; and within Headteacher Appraisal Report

Complaints are a normal part of school life and, when handled well, can help schools resolve concerns, strengthen relationships and improve practice. Both the Department for Education and Parentkind encourage concerns to be addressed fairly, transparently and as early as possible.

However, complaints can also be one of the most challenging aspects of school leadership and may have a significant impact on headteacher wellbeing. While many concerns can be resolved through effective communication and strong relationships, some complaints are complex, persistent or highly emotive.

This section provides practical guidance for headteachers and governors on managing complaints fairly and consistently, maintaining appropriate records, and ensuring that school leaders receive appropriate support throughout the process.

Training

While training courses are not wellbeing programmes, they can help reduce uncertainty and build confidence when dealing with some of the most challenging situations school leaders and governors face, including complaints, investigations, staff conduct issues and allegations.

The following Governor Services courses may help governors strengthen their understanding of complaint handling, staff wellbeing and their role in supporting school leaders:

Minimising Complaints Through Effective Governance – explores how governing boards can contribute to a positive school culture, effective oversight and the early resolution of concerns.

Health and Safety Responsibilities for Governors – includes governors' responsibilities for staff health, safety and wellbeing, including the management of work-related stress and workplace risks.

The following training may support school leaders who are managing complex staff, parental or safeguarding issues:

Managing Misconduct – provides practical guidance on investigating and managing staff conduct matters, helping leaders approach challenging situations confidently, fairly and consistently.

Safer Recruitment and Managing Allegations – includes guidance on handling allegations against staff, understanding required processes, and ensuring appropriate support is available throughout what can often be a highly stressful situation.

There are many courses available through the LPDS website, as well as other reputable organisations.

Investigations Guide

This Investigation Guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the School Complaints Procedure at Stage 1, which requires an investigation into a formal complaint by either the Headteacher or a member of the Governing Body (if the complaint is about the actions of the Headteacher).

The advice contained in this document is designed to give assistance on the investigation process. Advice in relation to complaints and investigations can also be obtained from Legal Services and the Schools' HR Team.

Witness statements and investigation records may be disclosed as part of a Subject Access Requests. Interviewees should be advised of this and ensure that statements are factual, professional and limited to matters relevant to the investigation.

Prior to the commencement of the investigation, the following conditions should be satisfied:

I.                    the complainant has indicated that it is a formal complaint (raised in person, in writing or by telephone);

II.                  the complaint has been acknowledged in writing within the timescale outlined in the School Complaints Procedure, and clarification sought on the nature of the complaint and the preferred outcome if necessary;

A formal written response to the complaint should be provided within the timescale outlined in the School Complaints Procedure.

If timescales cannot be met, the complainant should be informed and provided with a revised response date.

Within this guide, any reference to the 'investigator' means the person responsible for conducting the investigation. In most cases this will be either the Headteacher or Chair of Governors.

The Role of the Investigator

The investigator’s role is to:

·       be fair and objective in establishing the facts

·       get as much information relating to the case as is reasonable

·       gather information from all relevant parties

·       keep the case confidential

·       produce a report outlining whether or not the complaint is upheld

The investigator should:

• be impartial

• be of an appropriate level of seniority

• have sufficient time to complete the investigation within the required timescales

Where there is not anyone within school who fulfils this, the school may decide to appoint an external investigator.

Right to be accompanied

The Complainant may ask to be accompanied during an investigation meeting by a relative or friend. The Investigator will need to consider whether the request to be accompanied is made due to a disability, as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act. If a school employee is interviewed as part of the investigation, they may request the support of their trade union representative. Requests for accompaniment would not be unreasonably refused. However, there is no right to legal representation under the procedure.

Procedural time limits

Wherever possible, the investigation process should be completed as quickly as possible, but it always needs to be thorough and fair. Some investigations might take longer depending on the case and how many people need to give information.  For example, a simple case might only take a day to gather enough information, whereas a more complicated case could take several weeks.  Any delays should be explained to anyone involved and explained in the investigation report.

The investigation process

Preparation and planning

The Investigator should begin by drawing up a proposed investigation plan, which may include:  

• the scope of the investigation

• details of those that need to be spoken to and in what order (normally this would be complainant first, then respondent and then witnesses)

• any sources of evidence, for example school records, emails etc

• time frames and time limits e.g. school holiday periods

• relevant policies

• ensuring that all parties know the importance of confidentiality

Interviews

Interviews need to be handled in a professional and sensitive way. They should take place in a suitable venue, where confidentiality can be ensured. The situation may be highly charged, and it is important that investigators are objective and fair. The following will assist in this:

·       Plan who will be the note-taker. Notes taken may become an interviewee's witness statement which they will subsequently be asked to sign. It should record the date, time and venue for the interview, the names of those present, an accurate record of the interview – questions and answers, details of any adjournments

·       Plan the initial questions (see Appendix 1 for advice on interview questions)

·       Write to the employee inviting them to the meeting and ensure they have copies of the complaint and the policy

·       Open the meeting by explaining who is present and why, the role of the investigator, the purpose of the meeting, the need for confidentiality, that the interviewee’s witness statement will be part of the investigation report, and who will see the interviewee’s witness statement

·       During the meeting an investigator should ask specific questions to gather the facts of the matter (dates, times, details); probe the interviewee but not in an adversarial manner; explore any differing versions of events; check if there are any witnesses that should be interviewed; record responses/any refusal to respond; seek evidence that may corroborate the information provided; and ensure they fully understand the complainant's preferred outcome.

·       At the end of the meeting an investigator should explain that they may need to be interviewed again and explain that the interviewee will be provided with a copy of their witness statement for them to sign, confirming that it is accurate.

·       After the meeting an investigator should provide the interviewee with a copy of their statement, seeking agreement that it is accurate, consider what the important facts from the meeting were and whether evidence already collected supports or contradicts these, and consider any further evidence that needs to be collected or interviews arranged.

Writing the report

An investigation report should cover all the facts that were established, and whether there were any mitigating circumstances that also require consideration.

There are usually two issues that the investigator is likely to face when concluding any investigation and writing the report:

• Recognising when you have sufficient evidence/information; and

• Drawing conclusions on the balance of probabilities i.e. deciding whether on balance, one version of events could be justifiably preferred to the other and why.  An investigator only needs to decide that on the balance of probabilities an incident is more likely to have occurred than not.

Obviously, evidence from witnesses to the actual incident(s) and or admissions will be of most assistance in reaching a decision.

Determining a conclusion

Once the investigator has determined their view, they need to decide what their decision will be. Their first responsibility is to decide if the complaint is upheld, in full or in part or not at all and if the complaint is upheld, what action could be recommended. In recommending any outcome, the investigator should take into account the views/wishes of the complainant and the seriousness of the incident. The complainant may simply wish to ensure there is no repeat of the incident(s), whereas the investigator may determine that the matter may be too serious to leave with that outcome.

Format of report

The report should be simple and factual, and should include the following:

Background - Brief paragraph(s) to set the scene in terms of individuals involved and the date of receipt of complaint.

Nature of Complaint - Outline details of the complaint(s) with reference to the evidence from the complainant, giving dates, times and specific incidents where possible.

Investigation process - Describe the actions taken and process used to investigate the complaint.

Respondent’s Response - Give details of the respondent’s response/explanation for each of the incident(s).

Supplementary Evidence - Brief details of any witness statements or corroborative evidence (if available).

Findings and Evaluation - Details of whether the complaint can be supported or not – with reasons.

Final Recommendations - The recommendation(s) on any further action should be clearly stated.

Appendices – these may include notes of interviews, witness statements, other documentation that relates to the complaint.

Reporting the findings and follow-up actions

The investigator should provide a written report setting out their findings and any recommendations. Where the investigator is the Headteacher or Chair of Governors, they should communicate the outcome to the complainant in writing and advise them of any further stage of the procedure. Where an independent or external investigator is used, they should submit their report to the Headteacher or Chair of Governors who commissioned the investigation. The Headteacher or Chair of Governors will consider the findings and communicate the school's decision and any next steps to the complainant.

At Stage 2, the Investigator may be required to give evidence at a meeting of the Governing Body Complaints Committee. 

The investigator should also consider whether there are any lessons to be learned by the Headteacher/Governing Body and if so, these should be communicated in the appropriate forum.

Potential Issues

Requests to record the meeting - Usually a notetaker is sufficient and using an audio device is not recommended. Any request to record the meeting should be considered by the Investigator and a decision made depending on the reason for the request. For example, it may be a requested reasonable adjustment due to a disability. It is important to be consistent across the investigation. All those present must give consent to be recorded. Covert recordings are not allowed.

Reluctant witnesses – The Investigator should seek to explore and resolve concerns and provide reassurance. Only in exceptional circumstances where a witness is crucial to establishing facts and has a genuine fear of reprisal should an investigator agree to an anonymised witness statement. Anonymous statements will have more limited weighting as the evidence cannot be challenged or corroborated. If the matter becomes subject to legal proceedings, and it is necessary in the interests of fairness, an employer may be required to disclose the names of any anonymous witnesses.

Disputes regarding the Witness Statements – Minor amendments can be made and then forwarded for signature.  Where substantial requests are made which the Investigator is not in agreement with, the interviewee should be invited to submit their own signed statement, to sit alongside that produced by the Investigator.

Refusal to attend a meeting - The Investigator should try to find out why and resolve any issues. If it relates to availability, attempts should be made to rearrange to an alternative date. If it relates to another reason (such as illness) then the complainant may be asked to produce a written statement. If the complainant continues to refuse to attend the meeting, they should be told that the Investigator will form their conclusions based on the information they have available.

Physical evidence (eg CCTV or computer/phone records) – If physical evidence is collected then the Investigator should consider whether there are less intrusive ways of gathering the evidence, but where there are not, they should record what it is, how it was collected and what it reveals.  It is legitimate to use CCTV for investigatory purposes, unless the school has a CCTV Policy which explicitly prevents this.

Significant numbers of witnesses - where the investigator is asked to speak to a large number of witnesses, they should judge the reasonableness of the request. The investigation needs to be reasonable, but also completed in a timely manner. If many people witnessed the same incident, the investigator should speak to some of witnesses and check whether they are broadly saying the same thing. The investigator does not necessarily have to talk to all witnesses.

Health and Safety Aspects of Wellbeing in Schools

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated legislation places a legal responsibility on all employers to ensure that their employees and anyone affected by their work are healthy and safe. This includes considering the risk of violence and aggression in the workplace and having arrangements in place to protect employees.

The county council does not tolerate any form of violence or aggression towards its staff this includes any form of harassment directed towards headteachers and other school employees.

The Health and Safety Team offers a service level agreement (SLA) to all Lancashire schools and academies. For schools that buy into this , more detailed guidance is available on the health and safety website. Schools that do not buy into the health and safety service level agreement are advised to contact their own health and safety provider for advice and guidance.

Model School Work-related Stress Policy

Schools are strongly recommended to have a work-related stress policy, that sets out the school’s commitment to preventing and managing work-related stress, supporting employee’s wellbeing and promoting a healthy and productive working environment. You will find a model policy on the schools portal that you can adapt to meet your needs.

Training

The county council has developed eLearning modules which includes assessing the risks associated with violence and aggression in work, how to minimise the risks to personal safety and reporting procedures.

Headteachers and other staff in schools who may be at risk of act or threats of violence, aggression or harassment are advised to complete the personal safety eLearning

eLearning is also available on 'managing stress in your team' and 'identifying and managing your personal stress' which could be caused by acts or threats of violence, aggression or harassment in the workplace. (See stress section below)

Click here to access all eLearning available on Astute

Reporting

All accidents, incidents and near misses including violence and aggression or harassment from parents and carers, must be reported and investigated to identify the cause. Where necessary enhanced control measures and measures to prevent a recurrence should be put in place. Reporting is also essential in case of any future litigation or claim.

The county council's approved method of reporting is via Oracle Fusion.  Further guidance on accident, incident and near miss reporting is available on the health and safety website

Work-related stress

Where headteachers and others are subject to acts or threats of violence and aggression or harassment from parents and carers, it is important to consider the impact on their physical and mental wellbeing. The individual stress risk assessment process follows the HSE management standards and allows the employee, in consultation with their manager, the opportunity to consider all aspects of their work and personal lives to determine all sources of stress. Further guidance including stress risk assessment templates are available on the health and safety website. 

Dealing with Aggressive or Abusive Phone Calls

The schools portal provides information and advice on dealing with aggressive or abusive phone calls: on challenging phone calls

Managing Aggressive Behaviour on School Premises

The schools portal provides information and advice on dealing with aggressive behaviour on school premises: violence or aggression at work.

•       All staff should know and follow the school’s Behaviour on Premises policy.

•       Do not attempt to physically restrain an aggressive individual unless trained to do so and it is necessary to prevent injury.

•       Use de-escalation techniques: maintain calm body language, avoid direct confrontation, give the individual space, use low, steady tone of voice.

•       Signal for assistance. Ensure all staff know the agreed signal or code for requesting urgent support.

•       If there is an immediate risk to safety, call 999. Do not hesitate.

•       Where headteachers and others are subject to acts or threats of violence and aggression or harassment from parents and carers, it is important to consider the impact on their physical and mental wellbeing. The individual stress risk assessment process follows the HSE management standards and allows the employee in consultation with their manager the opportunity to consider all aspects of their work and personal lives to determine all sources of stress. Further guidance including stress risk assessment templates are available on the health and safety website. 

Recording Bullying and Harassment Incidents

All incidents of bullying, harassment, or violence directed at school staff including the headteacher must be formally recorded using the *Oracle HR system. All incidents must be investigated to determine the cause and identify whether any control measures can be applied to reduce the risk of a recurrence. Reporting is also a statutory requirement under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) for certain categories of incident, where these result in physical harm or an absence form work of over 10 days.

When to Record

*Note: If your school does not use Oracle Fusion, a paper copy of the accident/ incident form must be completed instead, and a copy sent to health.safety@lancashire.gov.uk. 

How to Record on Oracle

•       Log in to Oracle Fusion via the School Portal.

•       Navigate to: Document Records

•       Click on + Add

•       Select Accident Incident Form

•       Complete fields 1 – 16 using factual, objective language avoiding subjective terms or speculation.

•       Attach any supporting evidence (photos, screenshots, written statements).

•       Submit.

•       The form will be routed to your line manager.  For headteachers this is often set up to be routed to the school business manager.

•       Notify your line manager (for headteachers: the Chair of Governors) that a record has been submitted.

•       An email will be received by the line manager asking them if they want to approve the incident report.  Do not click on Approve.

•       Go to the incident report on Oracle Fusion and complete fields 17 – 40 which includes a record of the accident investigation.

•       For headteacher incidents, school business managers must work closely with the chair of governors to conduct a suitable investigation and record the outcome in the investigation section of the form on Oracle Fusion.

Police investigation (incl social media)

Factual language matters. Write what happened, what was said, and the impact observed. Do not record opinion or interpretation. Example: “Parent X raised their voice and stated ‘I will make sure you lose your job’ during a meeting in the school office at 09:15 on [date]”.

Banning Parents or Visitors from Premises

Parents and visitors do not have an automatic right to enter or remain on school premises. Schools control access to their sites and may restrict or withdraw permission for individuals to enter where this is necessary to protect staff, pupils or other visitors.

Schools have the legal authority to ban individuals from entering school premises under common law and, in certain circumstances, the Education Act 1996. The decision to issue a banning notice should be:

• Proportionate to the risk posed.

• Documented with clear reasons.

• Communicated in writing to the individual, including details of any restrictions and how the decision may be reviewed.

• Reviewed periodically to ensure the restrictions remain appropriate and proportionate.

Where there are concerns about violence, aggression, harassment or intimidation, schools should seek appropriate advice from the police and your legal services provider. 

The Media

The Media Team can:

• Help manage negative stories and shape your public response.

• Handle enquiries from journalists and support media interactions.

• Provide advice and draft statements following negative Ofsted reports or other sensitive issues.

• Advise on communications strategy during complex or high-profile situations.

• Support parent, staff and stakeholder communications where there may be reputational risk. 

The Media Team works closely with journalists across Lancashire and will challenge inaccurate or unfair reporting where necessary.

Their role is not always to prevent a story appearing, but to ensure schools are supported, represented fairly and able to respond confidently.

If approached by a journalist, direct them to LCC's Media Team.

Working with Local Media

Building and maintaining positive relationships with local journalists can be beneficial. It helps build trust and understanding and can make difficult conversations easier if issues arise in the future.

Don't just engage with the media when there is a problem. Positive stories help build your school's profile and demonstrate the difference your staff and pupils make every day.

Great school stories are:

• People-focused

• Simply told

• Well illustrated

Social Media

Social media is a powerful communications tool, but it can also be challenging to manage during difficult situations.

• Every school should have a social media policy, which outlines how the school will use social media. A staff social media policy should set out expectations around professional conduct, confidentiality, personal use of social media, and interactions with pupils and families. A parent/carer social media policy should outline expectations for respectful online behaviour, the appropriate use of school social media channels, and the school's approach to managing abusive, defamatory or inappropriate online commentary.

• Every school should have a crisis communication plan.

• Plan ahead for how you will respond if an issue attracts significant attention online.

• Not every comment requires a response.

• Your ability to stop online criticism is often limited.

• Protecting your own wellbeing is an important part of effective leadership.

• Avoid responding when emotions are running high. Take time to assess the situation and seek advice where needed.

• A separate Social Media Policy for School staff is available on the Schools Portal, which sets out the school's position regarding staff use of social networking sites and other forms of social media.

Sometimes the most professional response is no immediate response at all. Focus on the facts, follow your existing plans and seek support where appropriate.

Responding on Social Media (if at all)

• Keep the tone professional and polite.

• Keep responses short and factual.

• Avoid lengthy public debates or arguments.

• Direct concerns to the appropriate contact route.

• Seek advice before responding to complex or sensitive issues.

Responding to a Communications Issue: First Three Steps

1. Pause and assess the situation.

2. Consult your communications plan.

3. Contact the LCC Media Team if there is media interest or reputational risk.

Contact the team if there is media interest or reputational risk.

Media Team

media@lancashire.gov.uk | 01772 535933

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