The first executive meeting of the NEU was on January 12th and the morning session involved training for all executive members as January sees the birth of a new union even for experienced executive members. Kevin and Mary gave a joint General Secretary address in which they laid out the priorities for our new union ​(you can download the power point above) and all executive members were elected to one of 6 committees.

The various elections took up most of the first meeting and I have since then become aware that the next executive meeting and the first NEU district sec briefing are both during February half term for Wales which is very disappointing. In future, executive members need to be very diligent when these dates are discussed and ensure that Wales is not sidelined when national dates are decided on​. ​

The results of the online indicative ballot on funding (in England) are in.  
The silver lining for Wales is that much of February’s executive meeting and district secretaries briefing will probably be taken up with talking about the indicative ballot and so we wouldn’t have been involved in that anyway (even though many of us would like to have been involved and campaigning alongside England on funding)

I am in the process of planning (with Gareth and Beth Roberts) a mental health first aid course with Health and safety rep training for 10 members in my district. We will be holding it over 3 Saturdays from end of March and depending on the success of that we plan to roll it out across Wales to other districts – I think it will be a great way to get members active as well as providing much needed CPD

If you would like me to attend your district meetings, please let me know about them and I will do my very best to make it. I will be updating this blog with relevant news regularly – please distribute to your districts as you see fit and follow and share my blog for future posts.

Mairead

 

 

 

 

Dear Ms Canavan,

Thank you for your correspondence dated 13 December, addressed to Kirsty Williams AM, Minister for Education regarding mental health in school in Wales. I have been asked to reply as the School Effectiveness Division has policy responsibility for education workforce issues. There is no doubt that this is a challenging time for the education system in Wales and the Welsh Government wants to support teachers in their work and to raise the esteem in which they are held. Teachers have a pivotal role in raising standards in the classroom and it is important that they are not overburdened and are fully supported in their core role to enable positive teaching and learning. We have already put in place a number of measures to ensure that practitioner views and experiences are fed in to this process – not only with regard to new policies but in relation to existing practices as well. In September 2017, the Welsh Government published our Action Plan for Education in Wales for 2017-21 – ‘Education in Wales – Our National Mission’. It sets out how the school system will move forward over the period, securing implementation of the new curriculum with a focus on leadership, professional learning and excellence and equity within a self improving system. Our national mission reinforces the commitment to reduce unnecessary workload and bureaucracy by providing greater clarity of what is and isn’t required in the classroom; and improving the use of business managers to support school leaders. It also sets our aim of having strong and inclusive schools committed to excellence, equity, and addressing well-being and good mental health. Our national mission is available to download at: http://gov.wales/topics/educationandskills/allsectorpolicies/education-in-wales/?lang=en

The Welsh Government recognises that there is not one single solution to reducing unnecessary teacher workload and it will require a range of different approaches depending on local circumstances. Different issues and priorities have been raised by teachers depending on a variety of factors, including: school phase, locality and rural isolation, deprivation, subject area, individuals’ teaching role, etc., as well as the specific management practices adopted by particular schools and/or local authorities. Consequently, the Welsh Government has adopted a multiple stream approach to address these matters and to engage much more closely with the profession. Teacher wellbeing and mental health is important and we will continue to look for improvement in the education system by working with practitioners, schools, Estyn, regional consortia and local authorities. Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Wales is currently undergoing significant reform to improve the quality and consistency of provision and to ensure all programmes of ITE meet our high expectations. Our new ITE Partnerships will develop approaches to assist aspiring teachers to manage their own wellbeing, as well as their ability to contribute to the wellbeing of the pupils in their care. I would like to assure you that the Welsh Government fully recognises the role that teachers in Wales have, and is fully committed to supporting our entire education workforce. I understand that local authorities in Wales provide a confidential occupational health and counselling service that is open to all employees, including teachers. Those experiencing mental health issues may find it helpful to approach their local authority directly to discuss the provision of these services in their local area. Additionally, the Education Support Partnership, the UK’s only charity provides mental health and wellbeing support services to education staff and organisations. They provide a 24/7 confidential Employee Assistance Programme that is completely confidential, providing support by telephone (Free Helpline 08000 562 561) or online from specialist advisers and counsellors who understand the demands of working in education (www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk). I hope that you find this information helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Lucy Durston

School Effectiveness Division Education Directorate

Welsh Government

Thanks for joining me!

I’m very excited to have been voted onto the National Executive Committee for Wales from January 1st and my plan is to keep Welsh members updated with this blog.

My first task even before I take on my duties on the NEC in January was to write to Kirsty Williams our Education Minister about asking schools to adopt the NEU mental health charter. Having attended a Health and Safety briefing in November, myself, Adele Lewis (Swansea), Anthony Kavanagh(NPT) and Jonathan Catton (Bridgend) drafted the following letter to Kirsty and I sent it to her with the NEU charter-version-3- (1)

I have had no reply as yet., but when I do I will let you know.

Dear Kirsty,

As I am sure you are aware, there is a mental health crisis engulfing schools in Wales. The National Education Union is acutely aware of the detrimental effect this is having on the education of young people in Wales due to the sickness absence of education professionals for this reason and there is also a financial impact on schools.

During a recent NEU health and safety briefing it was pointed out to us that Local Education Authorities in England have been proactive in implementing strategies to address this crisis. It is clear that the good practice in many parts of England is having a positive impact on the wellbeing and absence levels of teachers due to mental health related illness.

As representatives of teachers in Wales we would urge you to facilitate the adoption of the NEU mental health charter, a copy of which is attached. We see this as a real opportunity to make a positive difference to the education environment in Wales

Dymuniadau gorau

Mairead Canavan

NEU Division Secretary for the Vale of Glamorgan

Tel: (07496 329405)

@valeofglamnut

https://www.facebook.com/ValeofGlamorganNationalEducationUnion/

https://local.teachers.org.uk/glamorgan/