Our children are being well looked after on their return to school but who is looking after the teachers and their support staff?
While our children return to school after the summer holidays, there has been lots of talk around how we secure their safety, wellbeing and positive mental health after what has been a really tough 18 months for them.
But who is securing the wellbeing and mental health of the people we are charging with that task?
Who is looking after the teachers and support staff at our schools?
It was great to facilitate and encourage some support for those very people on a visit to Loughborough High School, a private school for girls, the other day.
The pandemic seems to have gone on for so long, it is easy to forget how much fun face-to-face delivery can be and it was really good to interact with so many people, both teachers, assistants, support staff and the senior management team, led by head teacher Fiona Miles.
Hybrid Event
There were still some people isolating from home, however, but they joined in via Zoom for what I am proud to call my second ever hybrid event!
I started the session with some ideas and discussions around how education staff can support the wellbeing needs of their students and learn a little more about particular topics, but the main focus of my session was to offer support and wellbeing tips to the staff.
School staff across the country have had to deal with so many changes on a regular basis during the pandemic, as well as get on with their jobs as question marks have remained over their safety in the classroom.
Some of those fears are naturally still there as Covid continues to spread through society so it is really important that school staff help each other to look after themselves.
Engaged audience
The Loughborough High School team were a really engaged audience and while I delivered some ideas which could benefit them over the coming term and beyond, I also made sure that we discussed the topics in question so different ideas could be shared and put into practical use.
Thanks to everyone who took part and I hope the topics we discussed can provide you all with some help, ideas and support over the coming months.
As within lots of walks of life, it is important that we do what we can to support each other during these testing times.
So, when you are thinking about your own children’s wellbeing at school this term, just spare a thought for the teachers and support staff whose job it is to provide guidance, and calming leadership in the face of a storm. Anything you can do to have a positive effect on their wellbeing, will be very well received I can assure you.
Making the decision to seek help with any personal issues is a sign of strength, though it can feel like a big step. So we want to be clear about what you can expect with Wellbeing Therapy Solutions
Making the decision to seek help with any personal issues is a sign of strength, though can feel like a big step.
That’s why we want to make what you can expect if you make an enquiry about the services we offer at Wellbeing Therapy Solutions as clear as possible.
Every enquiry will be treated confidentially with respect and compassion and without judgement.
We will always explore whether our therapy options are the right approach for you first of all and, if we jointly agree that they are, each individual session with your therapist will be tailored to enable you to find a positive way forward.
We will collaborate to develop practical strategies and both realistic and achievable goals.
We will also enable you to find ways to feel supported outside of our sessions.
As always, if you have any further questions, please get in touch with kate@wellbeingtherapysolutions.co.uk
“Marjolein has got such a lovely warm personality and friendly nature and she is brilliant at engaging with young people as well as adults.”
Wellbeing Therapy Solutions’ new occupational therapist, Marjolein Cleaver is not a ‘lying on the beach’ type of person.
With a two-year-old son, a love of long walks and a passion for travel which has taken her to places like Brazil, New Zealand and the Philippines, that’s a good job too.
Like the rest of us, Marjolein’s life has been forced into a more sedate state by the pandemic but she is hopeful that there are some positives to come out of what we have all been through.
“The pandemic has been a real challenge for everyone, myself included, because we have been taken away from the people we share our lives and our stories with,” she said. “We couldn’t meet for coffees or go the gym or see our friends. That has been really tough for everyone.
Mental health and wellbeing
“But hopefully, the issues that have been raised around mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic have made us more aware of how important it is to us all to look after our mental – as well as our physical health.”
Marjolein is a registered occupational therapist (OT) who has spent 15 years working with young people.
She started out as a youth worker and then found out about OT and knew this was an approach she would love to use.
“I started helping young people and found myself wanting to get more involved and went on to do lots of project work,” she said.
“I am a people’s person and I love being with people. We are all so different and have different make-ups and I find that fascinating. I love going for coffees and sharing stories with people.
Sharing good and bad times
“Life can have its ups and downs and sharing the good and the bad is what we naturally do as people. This is why we have lots of people at parties and weddings because we want to share good times with other people.
“While sharing the bad things we may be going through can also help lighten any load that may be weighing on our shoulders.”
Marjolein joins a thriving Wellbeing Therapy Solutions team at a crucial time for the nation’s mental health and says she cannot wait to make a difference.
“I met Kate through our time working together at a hospice and we became friends,” she said. “I saw her business develop and thought to myself: “That would be my dream job”, so I jumped at the chance to join Kate’s team when the opportunity became available.
“This role gives me the chance to support people on a one-to-one basis and work closely with schools using the skills I have learned as an OT to help young people deal with stress and the worries of everyday life.
Positive effect
“That ability to have an immediate and positive effect on people’s lives is what is great about being an OT.”
Wellbeing Therapy Solutions MD Kate Jackson says she is delighted that Marjolein has joined the team.
“I have known her for a long time and I really value her work. She has got such a lovely warm personality and friendly nature and she is brilliant at engaging with young people as well as adults.
“I have always admired the way that she is a real team player and gets stuck in. She has great ideas, is really creative and I am proud that she has accepted my offer to come and join the team.
“She will bring lots of fun, skills, experience and new ideas and they will all really help the clients that we are working with. Having her onboard will enable us to support even more people than we are at the minute.”
Marjolein will specialise in working with young people from nine years upwards but is available for adult consultations too.
For further information or to book an initial consultation, please email marjolein@wellbeingtherapysolutions.co.uk or call (07868) 822928.
The theme for this week’s Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘nature’ – so I have devised five short challenges to get you connected and improve your wellbeing in the process. Are you ready?
Mental Health Awareness Week is run by the Mental Health Foundation and this year’s theme is nature.
The week runs from May 10-16 and, with that in mind, it got me thinking about the small decisions we can take to protect and nurture our own mental health.
I decided to put together a five-day challenge to encourage people to do a small thing each day to look out for their own mental health.
Nature is important for us both physically and psychologically and it can be hard to cultivate your own mental health without that connection to the outside world.
Challenges
And I wanted these small challenges to be something that people can do without it taking up too much of their time.
It’s important to get outside too, especially with so much in-house isolation having been necessary over the past 14 months. So these challenges will be great if you can integrate them into your normal day.
Over the week, I want to encourage you to explore your link with nature and to create healthy habits and routines which people will hopefully feel like doing more of as lockdown restrictions ease and the summer months arrive.
Good luck
Look out for each daily challenge before 9am, live on our Facebook channel and starting on Monday 10 May.
Good luck and please let me know how you get on in the comment below or on pour Facebook page.
See what people say about the services provided by Wellbeing Therapy Solutions
I am always grateful to people who take the time to provide feedback for the services offered by Wellbeing Therapy Solutions.
Their comments and views help me to shape not only what services the business offers but also how we go about doing it too.
It is also a really rewarding part of being an occupational therapist in that you get to genuinely help people in all sorts of ways so it’s lovely to hear back from them with positive outcomes to the work we have done together.
My thanks to everyone who has taken the time to give me the feedback below…
PAUL SPENCER – MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSE ATTENDEE…..
Paul says: “What really made the course for me was Kate’s warm facilitation skills.
“She has just got this way of making everyone feel comfortable and drawing out their views and experiences. And that enriches the programme for everyone attending.
“So, for anyone who is looking to find out more about mental health or to become a an accredited Mental Health First Aider, I can highly recommend this programme with Kate.”
REV DR TOM WILSON – DIRECTOR FOR THE ST PHILLIPS CENTRE IN LEICESTER….
Tom says: “When lockdown started in March 2020, it quickly became clear to me that many people we work with were struggling with their mental health.
“So it has been a real pleasure to work with Kate Jackson over the past few months.
“Kate ran a fantastic Mental Health First Aid course for a range of people across many different faith communities and since then, she has helped us facilitate a number of conversations with different groups and communities.
“Kate’s professionalism is fantastic and she brings a wealth of knowledge with a real gentle approach that allows people to find solutions for themselves.”
EXTRA MATERIAL – WATCH: MINDFULNESS WEBINAR – THE FIRST STEPS….
