School staff given mental health support due to Covid pressures

School staff will be offered mental health support to help manage pressures because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Barnardo’s Scotland and counselling charity Place2Be will be on hand to help workers after the October break.

The support has been made available as part of a £1.5m Scottish Government funding package.

Education secretary John Swinney said: “Supporting the health and wellbeing of teachers and other staff is of paramount importance.

“This was true before Covid-19, but it is of crucial importance as school staff support our children and young people to recover from the pandemic.”

Plans are also in place for Education Scotland and the General Teaching Council for Scotland to offer professional learning opportunities for post-probation teachers, as well as coaching and mentoring for some teachers.

Gillian Hamilton, strategic director at Education Scotland, said: “Ensuring school staff feel well supported, particularly at this time, is essential.

“This new support package, designed collaboratively with partners in the Education Recovery Group, provides direct access to a range of focused supports including coaching, reflective supervision and opportunities for school staff to learn together through the challenges presented by Covid-19.”