Considering personal needs and challenges

Your science colleagues will each have different support needs at different points in their lives and careers. Understanding the short term and long term personal and professional needs of individual teachers can help them succeed in their role. Teachers may have to unexpectedly manage situations or may have ongoing situations that they continually manage. 

There are nine ‘protected characteristics’: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. There are legal requirements to protect these characteristics and your school, academy or local authority will have its own policies on all of these characteristics, which you should be aware of to help support your colleagues. We focus on four areas here: parents and carers, underrepresented groups (women, ethnic minorities and LGBT+ identity), those with disabilities or long-term health conditions and those experiencing transitions in life and career.

The key techniques to support well-being – listening, modelling, signposting and self-care – can be applied to supporting these groups. Understanding their specific challenges can help you, as their science leader, support their well-being at work.

Parenting and caring

Parenting has many joys, but also a range of stresses depending on the ages and needs of the children, which can impact the well-being of their parents or carers. Some teachers have caring responsibilities for someone with a disability or long-term health condition. This could be a child, a spouse, a partner or a parent. Both parenting and caring can add additional stress at the start of a day and throughout the day.

Underrepresented groups

Teachers from underrepresented groups face a range of barriers in life that are sometimes difficult to perceive when you are outside that group, and which may affect their well-being. This section provides a general approach to supporting the well-being of underrepresented groups that you can use to understand the needs of teachers in these groups, followed by some specific issues and signposts.

Women

In STEM subjects women are underrepresented, and there remain unresolved societal issues regarding the equal treatment of women in the workplace. In teaching, misogyny and sexism still exist from students, parents and other members of staff. In addition, women face challenges that are different to men, including greater caring responsibilities, premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy and the menopause, which can impact their personal and work life.

Ethnic minorities

Minoritised ethnic groups face discrimination and racism in everyday life. Different groups within ethnic minorities face different levels of underrepresentation in STEM. They may need your support in school when dealing with the challenges they face. Be aware that different individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity, respond differently to acknowledging and addressing stress and well-being and mental health issues.

LGBT+

People from the LGBT+ community are more likely to suffer mental health issues due to being subjected to homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, discrimination, stigma, not being ‘out’ or being ‘out’ and social isolation. The best way to support a colleague is through listening, understanding and allyship.

Disability

Disability applies to a wide range of conditions and disabled people may have to deal with a range of challenges day-to-day. Disabilities can be visible (eg wheelchair users) or invisible (eg asthma, diabetes, chronic pain and sleep disorders, mental health conditions). Many disabled people will require support, and if someone has recently become disabled they may still be adjusting and need additional support or patience.

Long-term health conditions

Long-term health conditions are often well managed by people who have them, but they can impact well-being. When there is a change in a long-term health condition, this often requires additional attention and support. It is also necessary to understand that some conditions fluctuate, for example, some forms of multiple sclerosis can have periods of remission.

Well-being needs to be considered and discussed when a colleague is returning to work after a long-term physical or mental illness to help them get back to work effectively. Check that the return to work procedures are followed and ensure that the member of staff has discussed a phased return that is regularly reviewed. Discuss with them as to how they are doing, and whether any reasonable adjustments need to be considered.

Life transitions

Life is full of changes, and change can bring challenges to our life and how we work. Staff going through life transitions may need their Science Leader to know about this change, may benefit from signposting and in some cases may require extra support. 

Examples of change include all the big life events such as marriage, pregnancy, a new baby, a relationship break up, separation, divorce and bereavement. Be aware that happy events can also affect well-being; for instance, the time after a wedding and honeymoon can feel flat and cause low mood.