Psychological Health and Safety for School Staff

2. Effective consultation and communication for psychological health and safety

Consultation is a required part of managing OHS risks in the workplace. An environment with effective consultation and communication increases the confidence of staff to raise issues, express views and contribute to decision-making and can lead to better outcomes.

In establishing ways of consulting and communicating with staff, the principal or their delegate may choose to use existing staff consultative structures or establish dedicated channels for consulting on psychological health and safety, depending on what is most appropriate in the school’s circumstances.

Principals or their delegates must consult and communicate with staff about psychosocial risks and controls, including HSRs where elected. This can be achieved through:

• regularly and openly discussing psychological health and safety in staff meetings and promoting channels for communication and action
• role modelling and encouraging staff to report psychosocial hazards and incidents on eduSafe Plus (staff login required), allocating time for staff to make reports and communicating outcomes of reports that have been made
• school leadership being available for confidential discussions when needed
• providing anonymous feedback opportunities, for example, through the School Staff Survey
• using leadership and staff meetings to develop and regularly review the school’s OHS risk register including initiatives that improve psychological health and safety in the workplace
• sharing information about common physical and psychosocial hazards school staff may encounter in their work as captured in the OHS risk register (refer to WorkSafe Victoria’s practical guide for school leaders)
• encouraging, supporting and role modelling school leaders and staff to undertake training or professional development in understanding psychosocial risks and how to prevent them in the workplace
• providing information about existing department resources, supports and strategies (including Employee Wellbeing Support Services) available to staff, as well as local mental health services, and how to access them.

Principals are encouraged to utilise the opportunities provided by the department to give feedback and generate useful data, for example, by completing the Principal Check-In Survey and encouraging all staff to complete the annual School Staff Survey.

Individuals respond to psychosocial hazards differently

Warning signs that a person may be at risk of harm from a psychological hazard can include changes in:

• cognition (thinking) such as difficulty making decisions, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, negative thought patterns
• emotions such as irritability, worry or anxiety, anger, emotional numbness
• behaviour such as decreased work performance, emotional outbursts, frequent or unexpected crying, avoidance, withdrawal, absenteeism
• physical health, such as headaches, fatigue, aches and pains, stomach upsets, high blood pressure.

When these signs are present and exposure to the psychosocial hazard/s continue or become severe, they can result in mental injury or illness, including depression, anxiety, trauma-related, sleep, or substance use disorders. They can also contribute to physical injury or illness, such as cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, immune disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, or musculoskeletal disorders.

Some staff have the potential to be impacted by psychosocial hazards more than others:

• a staff member living with mental illness, trauma or major life stressors may be confronted by certain situations or experience unique triggers
• staff returning from an extended period of leave may experience challenges in the adjustment returning to work
• staff from diverse cultural or linguistic backgrounds may experience difficulties as a result of their background or experience
• First Nations staff may have difficulties accessing cultural and ceremonial leave to attend to Sorry business
• LGBTIQA+ staff may be subject to increased harassment and discriminatory behaviours from students or families
• staff with disability may face difficulty accessing adjustments or supports.

The above examples are not exhaustive and do not account for intersectionality of experience. It is important to recognise that staff will face different challenges and have different experiences in respect of psychosocial hazards as a result of their personal circumstances.

To create an environment where staff feel safe to identify hazards and provide feedback, it is important to:

• communicate clearly and transparently to keep staff informed about issues that relate to their psychological health and safety
• encourage choice, collaboration, and involvement of staff wherever possible
• build trust and rapport so staff feel confident opening up
• follow up after conversations to ensure staff feel heard and valued
• actively listen in conversations, through noticing words, tone and body language
• allow for open-ended questions
• respect individuals’ privacy and communicate any limits to confidentiality
• avoid assumptions and judgement
• show empathy and understanding.

As well as the principal and their delegate/s, it is important to involve other roles that may manage staff or who provide psychological support to staff, such as wellbeing co-ordinators, business managers, leading teachers, learning specialists, team leaders, or education support managers, and ensure they have access to information and resources to support them to do so. This is especially important in larger schools, where school leadership may be distributed among more staff members. Although primary responsibility will still sit with the principal, by empowering other school leaders to actively reach out to their staff and promote information and resources available to them, schools can:

• contribute to a positive safety culture
• enhance the support provided to staff
• increase opportunities for supporting psychological health and safety
• create a more sustainable and comprehensive support system in the school.

The OHS Consultation and Communication policy supports schools to set up effective communication channels that can be tailored to the school environment.

Referring staff to proactive supports

Managing mental health in the workplace can be complex. Principals are not responsible for managing factors outside of the workplace impacting on staff mental health. However, it is important to recognise that external stressors may make certain individuals more susceptible to psychological harm from factors within the workplace.

There are a range of supports school leaders can refer or provide to staff experiencing psychological distress from work-related or personal matters, including:

• Employee Wellbeing Support Services (EWSS)
• Conflict Resolution Support Service
• flexible working arrangements
• leave entitlements
• further expert health, safety and wellbeing supports.

Supports for principals and people managers

Manager Support is a dedicated coaching support service for all people managers, including principal-class, business managers, leading teachers, and anyone who has responsibility for managing staff on:

• staff wellbeing matters
• having difficult conversations
• developing leadership competencies
• leading through change
• any other people management matters.

Call 1300 291 071 to book a session, or refer to the Employee Wellbeing Support Services page for more information and options for making an appointment.

Principals should also refer to the Managing Conduct and Unsatisfactory Performance in the Teaching Service policy when addressing conflict, conduct, or performance matters in the workplace. Under Part 1 of that policy, certain conduct must be reported to the Conduct and Integrity Division, including sexual harassment.

There are also dedicated services available to support principal-class employees including Proactive Wellbeing Support, Principal Mentoring Program, Principal Health Check Program and the Early Intervention Program. Refer to the Principal Health and Wellbeing page.