Curnow Value Statement - Staff

For our staff we will always prioritise staff wellbeing in a supportive working environment, whilst increasing awareness of the importance of their health and wellbeing

 

At Curnow School we believe that positive mental health starts with the health and wellbeing of our staff.  Mentally Healthy schools ensure staff are given the right emotional and practical support, so that they can, in turn, support the pupils in their care. 

Curnow has developed its program of staff health and wellbeing since 2016.  In 2021, we achieved a Silver certification with the Healthy Workplace Award  with Cornwall County Council.   Over the past few years, we have focused on key training, events and campaigns to ensure our staff gain knowledge, feel supported and empowered to manage their own health and wellbeing. Please take a look around our page. 

Meet the Team

Curnow Health & Well-being Champions are staff members who voluntarily bring their ability to relate to people and their own life experience to transform health and well-being at Curnow school. 

Our aims are:

• To increase awareness and knowledge of a variety of health issues
• To help to improve the health of colleagues
• To signpost colleagues to appropriate support services and information
• To seek the views of staff to identify needs in terms of health and well-being
• To coordinate planned social events and activities
• To identify a range of appropriate support which will help enhance the emotional and physical health and well-being of our colleagues
• To act as an advocate for staff voice and foster a whole school focus on staff well-being
• To liaise with other school health and well-being champions within the Special Partnership Trust to share good practice across settings

Curnow School is committed to promoting the importance of a healthy lifestyle for both pupils and staff.  Our well-being champions promote personal health by running a healthy focus campaign each term to ensure staff have the necessary facts about certain health issues that may affect them now or in the future.

Working with Healthy Workplace Cornwall Curnow staff are offered a virtual lifestyle assessment to support them in making the necessary changes to ensure they remain mentally and physically fit.

We are committed to not only offering training about health choices but also to offer opportunities to attend social events geared around fitness for example our after school yoga sessions.

The Special Partnership Trust Staff Health and Well-being

Curnow School is a member of the Special Partnership Trust a multi academy Trust.  All of our schools across the Trust believe the staff health and well-being is an integral part of any healthy school. 

All schools work together to produce a cohesive MAT wide approach to staff well-being to ensure consistent quality for all staff in all settings.  To further support staff, the Trust  provides a  comprehensive package of benefits including: The Extra Special benefit, which entitles staff  to perks and retail  discounts, The Employee Assistant Program, Simply Health Plan and a range of other benefits.    These provide staff with a range of support services in all aspects of day to day life, such as counselling, medical  and financial support.   

Well-being Initiatives

We focus on a variety of regular initiatives and information sharing events from healthy eating clubs, to charity events, to hydration challenges. We also have weekly yoga and dance exercise classes for staff after school which is a great way to support staff health and well-being. We also promote information sharing around subjects that can be more difficult to talk about, such as; domestic violence, eating disorders, bereavement etc.

Well-being Workshops

As a school we are committed to making time for staff health and well-being training every year. We started with a general half day workshop on a range of well-being areas and from this surveyed staff to find out what they wanted more focus on. We have since covered mental health awareness, bereavement and loss, time management strategies and we will be learning all about sleep solutions this year.

 

Well-being Health and Social Events

An important area of health and well-being is our social events.  We organise one social event per term. 

A particular favourite event for many staff is our Christmas Jumper Competition, which we have developed into a whole school extravaganza over the past few years.  Other organised events include Charity 10 pin bowling evenings, our annual BBQ and meals out as well as team-building challenges and quizzes.  

 

Helpful Links

Mental Health for Employers Toolkit - Business in the Community (bitc.org.uk)

Suicide Prevention Toolkit (bitc.org.uk)

Crisis Management In The Event Of A Suicide: A Postvention Toolkit For Employers - Business in the Community (bitc.org.uk)