The Cabot Learning Federation has appointed its first Wellbeing Coordinator – who takes up her post with the ambition of helping the CLF to lead the education sector in its wellbeing and mental health support.
The trust – which runs 22 schools across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset – has named wellbeing of staff and students as one of seven key pillars in its strategic ambitions between now and 2030.
That emphasis on staff and student health includes pledges to offer day-to-day support, while also making help available for people who may be struggling with their physical or mental health. That has led to the creation of a new role to oversee the trust’s offering and guide staff to the help which is available.
Helen Hetherington is based at Uphill Village Academy in Weston-super-Mare, where she juggles a number of roles including HLTA, learning mentor, parent support, safeguarding and mental health lead. She has now added another job to the list, after successfully interviewing for the CLF-wide role of Wellbeing Coordinator.
Helen – who has worked in education for nearly 30 years and at Uphill for 18 – is looking forward to getting stuck in to a role which she believes has taken on even greater importance as people’s wellbeing focus has shifted irrevocably in the wake of the pandemic.
Helen said, “Wellbeing has always been at the heart of my ethos for supporting children, young people and colleagues. I passionately believe that we can only achieve and be our best person if we are healthy, both physically and mentally. By taking on this role I will be at the forefront of ensuring that CLF gives the same level of attention to mental health and wellbeing as physical health.
“I want to create a workplace where everyone’s wellbeing matters, where people feel comfortable to be themselves and confident to seek help and support when they need it, where we can all talk freely about our individual wellbeing. My ultimate aim would be for each academy within the Trust to be proficient in providing the highest standard of wellbeing support to staff and children alike.
“I would like to see CLF leading the way in providing wellbeing and mental health support within our trust and the education sector.
“My vision is to see CLF lead the way in providing first-class wellbeing and mental health support, not only internally, but to the wider educational sector and the communities that we support.
“As an instructor I want to share my passion, help people understand what mental health and mental health illness is and discuss openly ways in which we can support each other. I want to ensure that we all have the skills to be supportive and listen, to reassure and make people feel that things are going to be ok and to encourage and signpost people to seek the help that they need.”