Well-being

We pride ourselves on being a happy place to work and are keen to support staff's well-being and work life balance. 

The Link Academy Trust acknowledge the potential impact that work has on an individual’s physical and mental health, and that there is a persuasive business case as well as a moral and legal duty for taking steps to promote employee well-being as far as reasonably practicable. The Trust is committed to fostering a culture of cooperation, trust and mutual respect, where all individuals are treated with dignity, and can work at their optimum level.
The Trust recognise that work-related stress has a negative impact on employees’ well-being, and that it can take many forms and so needs to be carefully analysed and addressed at an organisational level.
 
Engaging the whole community to promote wellbeing
 
Mental health is a state of well-being is which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” - World Health Organisation"
 
At the Link Academy Trust, we aim to promote positive mental health for every member of our staff and our pupils. We pursue this using both universal, whole school approaches and specialised, targeted approaches aimed at vulnerable pupils. In addition to promoting positive mental health, we aim to recognise and respond to mental ill health.

By developing and implementing practical, relevant and effective mental health policies and procedures we can promote a safe and stable environment for pupils affected both directly and indirectly by mental health.

With positive mental health we are more likely to be motivated and engaged in our learning, realise and achieve our potential, choose healthier lifestyles, engage in all the world has to offer, shout out when abuse is occurring, seek help when times are tough and recover a sense of well-being and achievement following traumatic experiences.
The Link Academy Trust will promote the well-being of employees by:
  • Creating a working environment where potential work-related stressors as far as practicable are avoided, minimised or mitigated through good management practices, effective Human Resources policies and staff development.
  • Increasing managers’ and employees’ awareness of the causes and effects of stress.
  • Developing a culture that is open and supportive of people experiencing stress or other forms of mental ill-health.
  • Developing the competence of managers, so that they manage staff effectively and fairly.
  • Engaging with staff to create constructive and effective working partnerships both within teams and across the Trust.
  • Establishing working arrangements whereby employees feel they are able to maintain an appropriate work life balance.
  • Encouraging staff to take responsibility for their own health and well-being through effective health promotion programmes and initiatives.
  • Encouraging staff to take responsibility for their own work and effectiveness as a means of reducing their own stress and that of their colleagues.
 
 
The Link Academy Trust are proud to have signed up to the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter 
 

It is our declaration of support for the wellbeing and mental health of everyone working in our Trust and has been created in collaboration with the DfE, Ofsted, mental health charities and education organisations.

Our commitments in the charter include:
  • To prioritise staff mental health
  • Give staff the support they need to take responsibility for their own and other people’s wellbeing
  • Give line managers access to the tools and resources they need to support the wellbeing of those they line manage
  • Establish a clear communications policy
  • Give staff a voice in decision-making
  • Drive down unnecessary workload
  • Champion flexible working and diversity
  • Create a good behaviour culture
  • Support staff to progress in their careers
  • Include a sub-strategy for protecting leader wellbeing and mental health
  • Hold ourselves accountable, including by measuring staff wellbeing