Sorca Clarke
Ceist:65. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the supports and or supervision that are available for teachers who are dealing with trauma and traumatised students on a regular basis. [58416/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 24 November 2022
Ceisteanna (65)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department’s Wellbeing Policy and Framework for practice has given recognition to the importance of promoting wellbeing in education. The approach set out in the Wellbeing Policy is a whole school and preventative approach. The Wellbeing Policy contains a number of high level actions including an action to promote the wellbeing of school staff. The policy recognises the importance of the relationships between all members of the school community and ongoing professional development of teachers.
My Department offers an Employee Assistance Service (EAS) for all school staff in recognised primary and post primary schools. This free service includes a wide range of supports including a confidential 24/7 helpline, short-term counselling, a wellbeing portal and webinars. It also provides advice and support to managers to help them deal with health and wellbeing issues in the workplace. The total annual utilization rate for Employee Assistance Service 2021 is 3.4%, which represents 3,293 school employees engaging with this free service.
The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) also provide training for teachers to support wellbeing. Supports are also available for school leaders which includes helping school leaders to prioritise and structure their considerations and actions and promoting sustainable and crisis management approaches to leadership. The training includes specific references to self-care. Modules such as time management, dealing with conflict, understanding school culture and specific inputs on wellbeing are included in all of these programmes. The PDST online portal for school leaders provides frameworks and templates for Leading school Wellbeing and Supporting themselves and staff .
A key wellbeing objective of all current PDST leadership supports is to reduce isolation and to provide assuring professional networks. Facilitating further connectivity has been provided through the setting up of local networking groups for leaders. The Centre for School Leadership (CSL) provides mentoring for newly appointed Principals and bespoke mentoring for Principals experiencing professional challenge. CSL mentoring is a vital source of support and covers wellbeing aspects.
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) are the frontline responders on behalf of the Department of Education who support schools in the aftermath of a critical incident. Given the unexpected nature of critical incidents, NEPS has produced guidelines and resource materials for schools to enable them to prepare for and respond to traumatic events which can adversely affect pupils and school staff. The publication "Responding to Critical Incidents: NEPS Guidelines and Resource Materials for Schools’ outlines how schools can plan for crises.
The publication provides practical step-by-step guidelines for teachers and principals on how to respond when a tragedy occurs and helps schools to be as prepared as possible for a potentially overwhelming tragic event.
Training in critical incident planning is part of the service provided by NEPS to schools. In order to increase the reach of critical incident training to all schools, NEPS has developed an eLearning course ‘Responding to Critical Incidents in Schools – eLearning Course’ to accompany "Responding to Critical Incidents: NEPS Guidelines and Resource Materials for Schools’.
Individual casework service by NEPS involves a high level of psychologist collaboration with teachers and parents, often also working directly with the child/young person. NEPS may become involved with supporting individual students where the school’s SET team or Student Support Team (in post-primary) feels that the involvement of the psychologist is needed. Through this work NEPS psychologists consult with staff who are supporting children who have experienced trauma and also advise in relation to appropriate therapeutic interventions to be delivered in the school setting.
NEPS has also developed training for school staff on the promotion of wellbeing and resilience in schools which includes upskilling school staff on the use and implementation of therapeutically-informed approaches in schools. These include trauma-informed approaches, approaches based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy, and attachment-aware approaches.
NEPS has led on the overall approach to supporting the wellbeing of children and young people from Ukraine enrolling in schools in Ireland, taking a psychosocial approach, in line with international research and best practice. A psychosocial approach means that children/young people and their families need to be given time to adapt and adjust to their new environment, new home, new school, and to be given access to practical supports, clear information and assistance to settle in and make friends. The Hobfoll Principles are key evidence-based principles known to help people regain a sense of normalcy and wellbeing in the aftermath of emergencies/traumatic events.
NEPS has developed a number of resources to support the wellbeing of children and young people from Ukraine including.
- Supporting the Wellbeing of Children from Ukraine in your School
- Supporting Children and Young People in a time of War
- Guidance for Parents and Carers from Ukraine on Supporting the Wellbeing of their Children
- The response to stress: a guide for post-primary staff
- Normalising thoughts, feelings and behaviours: a guide for post-primary staff
- Managing stress and anxiety: a guide for post-primary staff
- Look, Listen & Link - A model of Psychological First Aid (PFA) to help teachers support students
NEPS in collaboration with Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI) delivered Primary and Post primary webinars on Welcoming Children to Our Schools.
NEPS works closely with the HSE and its agencies to ensure those who may require the provision of therapy or counselling are referred on to the appropriate clinical services for intervention and support.
Questions Nos. 66 and 67 answered orally.