Guidance to Support the Wellbeing of School Communities

We have seen huge progress and developments in Ireland and internationally in the fight against Covid-19 and we continue to adapt on a daily basis to living with Covid. Families and school communities experienced challenges in the run up to Christmas and during the holidays as we grappled with the latest wave of Covid-19 and the implementation of public health measure. As schools reopen we face new challenges but recognise the importance to our children and young people of in-school teaching and learning in a supportive school environment.

Although we may all be feeling a little jaded from Covid-19, people have an inbuilt capacity to adapt. This is what is at the heart of resilience. Most of us have weathered this storm and emerged stronger and with new skills. But for some of us, adapting and managing the challenges is hard. We have taken steps to support our wellbeing during this time and we need to continue to focus on supporting our wellbeing as this journey continues.

Promoting the wellbeing of our school communities is a fundamental element of the Department’s overall plan to support the successful return to school. We all acknowledge the significant national contribution that has been made by schools over these last few years, contributing a sense of calm and stability to families in Ireland. We start this new year, with children and young people and school staff looking forward to reconnecting with each other and settling back into school life again. Naturally some of us may feel apprehensive about going back to school, which is normal and to be expected. The guidance and supports set out here provides information on the overall approach to the continued support of the wellbeing of school communities and can be adapted by schools as they continue on this journey.

Supporting a successful settling back into school after the Christmas break is best achieved when those within the school community feel safe, calm and hopeful, when they feel a sense of belonging and connectedness to their school community and feel that they can manage with the support of their community. Fostering resilience can be helped by using these five key principles:

• promoting a sense of safety – so that people feel that they are safe, and that those around them are safe
• promoting a sense of calm – so that people feel relaxed, composed and grounded (regulated)
• promoting a sense of belonging and connectedness – so that people experience having meaningful relationships with others who understand and support them
• promoting a sense of self-efficacy and community-efficacy – so that people believe that they can manage and do what is needed, and so can their school community
• promoting a sense of hope – so that people believe that things will work out well

Figure 1: Key Goals for the School Community

As schools reopen they will continue to have rules and routines to adhere to keep everyone safe. All schools are different and each school will know how best to support the transition back to school after the holidays within their own school. It is important that schools adopt a whole-school approach to supporting the successful transition back to school.

The Continuum of Support framework supports a whole-school approach to managing the return to school and helps to ensure that staff, students and parents feel welcome, safe and secure. It also recognises that some students will require more targeted intervention and planning to help them reconnect with their school community and re-engage with learning.

Level 1: Universal Response for All Students

At a universal level a whole school response is required to support the wellbeing of all within the school community as we settle back into school. This response encompasses the following elements:

Implementing physical safety measures

Schools have been provided with practical guidance and support around safety measures that need to be in place in order to support safety in school for all. Understanding the importance of the safety measures that need to be in place requires clear messaging and awareness-raising among school staff, parent and students that these measures continue to be in place. Younger children or those with special educational or additional needs may benefit from developmentally appropriate language and visual support to remind them of the rules for staying safe at school. They may also need opportunities to practice the safety measures and routines as they settle back into school.

In addition to students wearing face masks/coverings at post primary, from the 1st of December 2021 NPHET recommended the wearing of face masks/coverings by children in 3rd class and above in primary schools and the Government accepted that recommendation. NEPS has developed advice on supporting children with wearing face coverings in primary schools which includes a sample story-based script about wearing a mask, see here.

Settling Back In

It may take a few days for staff and students to adjust to being back in school and to be ready and available to fully engage with teaching and learning. Time spent on settling the students and getting the students ready for learning before focusing on formal teaching and learning will yield positive outcomes and will likely reduce stress for all . It may also be useful to remember the following:

• routines create a sense of psychological safety by providing predictability. Re-establishing routines or creating new ones will contribute to a safe and calm learning environment and give students a sense of security.
• we will see a variety of responses amongst our students as we return to school, ranging from excitement and happiness to worry and anxiety, which are all normal responses. We can normalise these feelings by communicating that we all continue to deal with the pandemic and that it is normal to feel anxious. This will help to create a safe environment for students.
• remember that adults in the school are important role models for students. Modelling calm responses and coping strategies will help students learn helpful ways of managing their fears and anxieties
• some students may find it difficult to sit, focus and concentrate in the initial return to school. In the first few days shorter learning intervals, followed by safe movement breaks (even standing up and stretching), will help to support increased concentration and focus. Many will benefit from relaxation techniques and calming activities, such as mindfulness, drawing, physical activity, music, and relaxation/ breathing exercises.

Communicating key messages within the school community

Key messages that will support the wellbeing of the school community at this time include:

• staff are delighted to be back in school and seeing everyone after the Christmas break and really looking forward to helping students re-engage with learning and school activities in the months ahead
• most students will enjoy being back at school and meeting up with friends, teachers and other school staff. Many will feel excited, relieved and happy. Some may feel a little anxious and worried. That’s to be expected and it’s a normal response at a time of transition and change. Most students will settle in quickly, as they reconnect with friends and once again get used to the school safety routines
• our school continues to work hard to make sure that the school building and playground are safe for all of the students, teachers and parents. This will mean sticking to the routines and rules that have kept everyone safe in school so far. We will support you by reminding you about these routines and rules
• school staff know that wellbeing is important and needed for learning to happen. We will continue to prioritise the things that we know will promote wellbeing at this time
• getting back to a school routine, getting enough sleep, eating healthily, taking physical exercise, taking some time to be creative and reconnecting with friends will help everyone to settle back in

Levels 2 and 3: targeted and individualised response for some/few students

Some students and their families may need additional help to settle back into school after the Christmas break. It is important to take notice of and plan to support students who don’t settle after an initial period, despite having had access to universal support.

Students who struggle to settle back into school may require support that is in addition to the universal wellbeing supports being provided for all students. These may include those who:

• are reluctant to attend school
• are absent due to illness or for medical reasons
• were previously identified as having special educational and/or additional needs
• have experienced loss or grief (bereaved/illness/family illness)
• have become or are at risk of becoming disengaged from learning
• whose behaviour seems different or out of character

For some of these students their needs may have emerged during the pandemic, while some others may have had existing needs. These students may find the return to school challenging and require additional support to help them to once again adjust to the school’s routines and rules. Student support plans should be developed in collaboration with parents to identify current strengths and needs and enhance the effectiveness of intervention planning. For those students unable to return to school immediately (e.g. due to health concerns), ongoing distant learning supports will be required.

For students who continue to struggle the following approaches may be helpful:

• adopting a strengths-based approach – using the student’s strengths, interests and abilities to build resilience and foster a sense of belonging
• helping students to cope with worries by using strategies such as deep breathing, relaxation techniques, focusing on positive thoughts, problem-solving by breaking tasks into small, more manageable steps, providing information in accessible format, and using story-telling and other techniques to navigate fears, create solutions and build resilience
• fostering social connections and friendships
• differentiating universal approaches and responses using social stories, schedules, visual approaches etc. Teaching skills to support adapting to new routines when at school, including explicit teaching and support about hygiene requirements using visuals, videos and repetition to reinforce key messages
• using targeted programmes to develop social and emotional competence
• ensuring ongoing collaboration between parents, students and teachers

Further suggestions are available in the Wellbeing Toolkits below.

Schools will continue to be supported by the provision of a range of further guidance and support from DES Support Services and agencies , the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) and HSE Services. These are available on the Item was unpublished or removed webpage.

School staff wellbeing

It is especially important that adults in the school are proactive and look after their own wellbeing. Student wellbeing is influenced by the wellbeing of the adults around them. Students pick up on the stress of others so it is important that adults model positive ways of coping with the return to school.

The Department recognises the need for school staff wellbeing and collective self-care. An Occupational Health Strategy is in place as a supportive resource for staff in schools. The aim of the Occupational Health Strategy is to promote the health and wellbeing of employees in the workplace, with a strong focus on prevention. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises the Employee Assistance Service and the Occupational Health Service. The Employee Assistance Service (EAS) is provided by Spectrum.life. They are providing this support under the banner of ‘Wellbeing Together: Folláinne Le Chéile’.

Under the EAS, employees have a dedicated free-phone confidential helpline 1800 411 057 available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year providing advice on a range of issues such as wellbeing, legal, financial, mediation, management support etc. Where required, short-term counselling is available to employees and their families (over the age of 18 years and living at home). A bespoke wellbeing portal and app which offers access to podcasts and blogs on topics around wellbeing and mental health, family life, exercise and nutrition is also available. In addition online cognitive behavioural therapy is provided. Spectrum.life will also be providing a series of webinars and presentations to promote staff wellbeing in schools during the school year. Additional support for school staff wellbeing is also available from the Department’s support services including the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and the Centre for School Leadership (CSL), as well as by the HSE’s Health Promotion Team.

You may also find the tips and reminders in the following resource developed by NEPS useful:

Within the schools’ setting school staff will benefit from:

• clear messages about the arrangements in place as schools re-open
• access to guidance and resources to build knowledge and awareness of how best to support the wellbeing of students on return to schools after the holidays
• strategies to build collective staff wellness and resilience
• knowing how and where to get support (Item was unpublished or removed)

Parents/carers will benefit from clear messages about:

• the arrangements in place to keep children/young people safe and how the school will support the wellbeing of students
• being invited to share with the school if they have concerns or are worried about their children knowing how and where to get support (Item was unpublished or removed )

It is important to remember to provide ongoing opportunities for the voices of the children/ young people in a school to be heard, and responded to in a meaningful way.

Students will benefit from clear messages, communicated in a meaningful and developmentally appropriate way, about:

• the arrangements that continue to be in place to keep children/young people safe and the rationale for these arrangements
• how the school will support their wellbeing
• their own responsibilities in helping to keep the school environment safe
• understanding how they can proactively support their own wellbeing by getting enough sleep, establishing routines, eating healthily, getting physical exercise, taking time for creativity and so on
• hearing that it’s normal to feel anxious or worried during these challenging times
• being invited to share with the school, within a safe forum, if they have concerns or are worried
• as appropriate to their age and stage of development, knowing how and where to get support (Item was unpublished or removed )

The foundation for the provision of a continuum of support in schools is the provision of support for school staff wellbeing, and guidance to help school staff to feel confident and equipped to support the wellbeing of their students. The Department of Education’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) psychologists have developed the following advice and resources for parents, students and school staff. The Department has also worked closely with its broad range of support services and agencies, and with the HSE/HSE-funded services and the Tusla Education Support Service to create an aligned and coherent package of supports and resources to assist schools in this regard.

Primary parent advice is available here.

From the 1st of December 2021 NPHET recommended the wearing of face masks/coverings by children in 3rd class and above in primary schools and the Government accepted that recommendation. NEPS has developed advice on supporting children with wearing face coverings in primary schools which includes a sample story-based script about wearing a mask, see here.

The following information can help you to support your child if they experience difficulty.

Post-primary parent advice is available here.

• Wellbeing Webinars for primary/special/post-primary schools - supporting wellbeing as schools reopen
• Wellbeing Toolkits for Schools 2020 with a range of easily downloadable, user-friendly materials
• Supporting the Wellbeing of Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) Returning to School 2021
• Catalogue of Wellbeing Resources for Primary/Special schools
• Catalogue of Wellbeing Resources for Post Primary Schools
• Directory of Wellbeing Supports & Online Resources for Primary/Special and Post primary school Parents

People have an inbuilt capacity to adapt. This is what is at the heart of resilience. Most children and young people will have weathered this storm and emerged stronger and with new skills. But for some, adapting and managing the challenges has been hard. The links below can take you to wellbeing resources and supports that you may find useful in supporting your students during this school year.

School staff - Primary Schools

From the 1st of December 2021, NPHET recommended the wearing of face masks/coverings by children in 3rd class and above in primary schools and the Government accepted that recommendation. NEPS has developed advice on supporting children with wearing face coverings in primary schools

The following resources will help you to support students for the rest of the school year.

School staff - Post-Primary Schools

There are steps that you can take to support your wellbeing during this time. It will help to:

• Stay active
• Include some physical activity in your day. The government campaign In This Together has lots of great suggestions on physical activity.
• Stay connected
• Social connection is very important at this time. In addition to meeting friends in line with public health guidance, use technology to stay in touch. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, talk to your family and friends or a member of the school staff about your feelings. Sharing thoughts or worries with others really does help. Ask for support from someone you trust.
• If you think you need additional help there are also lots of support services for young people that provide advice and support via text, email and online, see Mental Health and Wellbeing Information Leaflet. It is also important to be able to provide support to others if you can.
• Stay positive and calm
• Notice your feelings. You may have lots of different feelings. You may feel stressed, anxious, sad, afraid, fed up, angry, frustrated or even numb. You may feel nothing at all, that’s ok too. These are all normal and healthy feelings. If your feelings and reactions seem different from those of your friends, that’s ok too. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to feel. The following information can help to support you if you experience any difficulty.

• Identify what it is that helps you to relax. It is different for everybody but it is important to include time to relax each day. It might involve being active or it might involve winding down. It might also include doing some meditation, mindfulness or yoga. Other ideas on how to relax can be found in Relaxation techniques (podcast)
• Do something you enjoy or try something creative every day. Think about things that make you feel good, then make it happen – like listening to music, going for walks, doing an exercise routine, writing, drawing, cooking or watching a funny movie. Remember laughter is good medicine!
• Sleep is good for our health and wellbeing so it’s important to get plenty of sleep - eight to 12 hours is recommended. Try to get to bed at the same time every night. Leaving the phone, laptop and tablet outside the bedroom will help to get a better night’s sleep. More information on what will help is here.
• It’s also important to eat healthily and to drink lots of water. See here for useful information.

Tips and techniques to improve wellbeing

Our sense of wellbeing can be improved by taking time to reflect on some of the following:

Positive emotion:

• what positive/healthy experiences can I plan to do today (e.g. reading, music, food, games, exercise, meditation, learning etc.)
• what can I be grateful for today? (I am grateful for ... list three things)
• what small act of kindness can I do for someone else today?
• how can I help myself to take a moment of calm?

Engagement:

• what gives me enjoyment and makes me laugh?
• how can I use one or more of my strengths today?
• who can I connect with today (over the telephone, online, in reality)?
• in what way can I make a small positive difference to someone else?
• how can I show interest in another person or their work/hobbies?

Meaning:

• what goals can I set for today?

Accomplishment:

• what goals no matter how small can I achieve today?
• what challenge can I take on today?
• what will I do?

Other supports

There are a number of supports available to you both in school and outside of school.

At school there is a Student Support Team which includes the principal or deputy principal, the guidance counsellor the special education needs coordinator. They are available if you need assistance or support.

Additional Supports

There are lots of supports for young people outside of school. The support offered by the agencies listed below, and at this link Mental Health and Wellbeing Information Leaflet are for students who are feeling worried or anxious about various issues.

They include:

Childline (ISPCC)

• Ireland's 24-hour national listening service for young people up to the age of 18
• freephone 1800 666 666 (any time, day or night)
• text 50101 (from 10am to 4pm every day)
• chat online at www.childline.ie (from 10am to 4pm every day)

BeLonG To Youth Services

• BeLonG To provide support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) young people in Ireland.
• text LGBTI+ to 086 1800 280 to chat in confidence with a trained crisis volunteer (anytime day or night, standard SMS rates may apply)
• visit www.belongto.org for more information

Jigsaw

• The Jigsaw Support Line is available for free mental health support and advice to young people aged 12 to 25 years old, and parents or concerned adults in Ireland.
• freephone 1800 544729 (from 1pm to 5pm Monday to Friday)
• text CALL ME to 086 180 3880, giving your preferred day and time for a call (from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
• email help@jigsaw.ie (for responses from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
• visit www.jigsaw.ie or www.jigsawonline.ie for more information.

Barnardos

• Barnardos provide a national telephone support service for parents, in response to the challenges they are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Freephone 1800 910 123 from 10am to 2pm, Monday to Friday.
• Barnardos also provide a children's bereavement helpline service, for members of the public seeking information and support in relation to bereavement. Telephone 01 473 2110 from 10am to 12pm, Monday to Thursday.

SpunOut.ie

• SpunOut.ie provides a wide range of articles and information for young people, on many different topics, including mental health.
• Free-text SPUNOUT to 50808 to chat anonymously to a trained volunteer 24/7
• visit www.spunout.ie for more information

Pieta House

• Pieta provides free therapy to those engaging in self-harm, with suicidal ideation, or bereaved by suicide.
• visit pieta.ie for more information
• call free on 1800 247 247
• text help to 51444

More online supports

• The YourMentalHealth website provides information and signposting on all mental health supports and services that are available nationally and locally provided by the HSE and its funded partners. You can also call the freephone YourMentalHealth Information Line to find supports and services any time, day or night: 1800 111 888.

Online counselling supports

• TURN2ME provides a three-tiered approach to supporting mental wellbeing - self-help, support groups and professional support. Online services include counselling and support groups

www.mymind.org provides access to counselling and psychotherapy, face to face and online

• Free online counselling is available for anyone (18+)
• Call (+353) 818 500 800 (from Ireland); (+353) 1 223 8651 (from outside Ireland); (+44) 20 33 22 44 99 (UK and NI)
• Email hq@mymind.org
• Visit www.mymind.org for more information

For students who have complex mental health needs, access to help continues to be through your GP or health centre or hospital emergency services as detailed below:

GP and health centres

• A GP can offer support for anyone in crisis. If possible, ask someone to come along with you.

Find a service near you

• GP or health centre GP or health centre
• Out of hours GP services Out of hours GP services

Hospital emergency services

• Go to or call the emergency department of your local general hospital

Telephone emergency services

• You can contact emergency services on 999 or 112.

Samaritans

• The Samaritans telephone service is available 24 hours a day.
• For confidential, non-judgmental support
• freephone 116 123
• email jo@samaritans.ie
• visit Samaritans Ireland for details of the nearest branch

Messaging support service

• A mental-health messaging support service is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It provides in-the-moment anonymous support when you need it most.
• This service aims to connect you with a trained volunteer in less than five minutes. They will listen to you and help you think more clearly, enabling you to know that you can take the next step to feeling better.

Wellbeing policy statement and framework for practice

• Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018–2023

Campaigns

• Back to school

Policies

• Education