A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
Health and Wellbeing
Swansea Virtual School provides signposting for school-based staff, pupils, and distance learners, to mental health support materials from a range of sources.
Staff Wellbeing
As education staff manage a huge number of tasks and demands, it is important that they are given the right emotional and practical support so that they can, in turn, support their pupils.
Pupils in School
A whole school approach to health and wellbeing can be an essential part of building resilient communities. It’s not just mindfulness, it’s a skillset for navigating life – and it can begin in school.
Distance Learners
We provide signposting to numerous digital tools specifically designed to support young people with their own mental health and wellbeing needs while online at home or beyond.
Resources for Schools
We have a practical guide to support materials that may be beneficial for school leaders in supporting both their staff and young people across their school and wider community.
Self Care
Intentional actions and practices you can take to maintain your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Self-care is essential for managing stress, preventing burnout, and improving overall quality of life.
Training
Equipping you with the knowledge and skills you desire, to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. You can be empowered to take proactive steps towards a balanced and fulfilling life.
Life Trauma
Understanding and coping with emotional, psychological, and physical effects of trauma may help you heal and regain a sense of control. Each journey after experiencing trauma is unique.
Further support for school staff
Ieuan Williams
“Hello, it’s great to be the Stress Management Advisor & Counsellor supporting school staff in Swansea.
I’m really looking forward to working with you all. I’m from Pembrey originally and after leaving school I worked in Bynea as an engineer before joining the British Army.
Officially, I was always an engineer, but after advanced medical training – I went on secondments to assist the NHS, crewing emergency response vehicles and then further training and deployments all over the world.”
My experiences highlighted the need to gain skills in mental health and with British Army approval I trained in advanced hypnotherapy, person centred and psychodynamic counselling and Thought Field Therapy.
After this, I studied Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Restorative Justice, Eye Motion Desensitisation & Reprocessing and much more.
Initially to support soldiers, their children and families, but anyone really, and I often delivered training to help inform and educate everyone too.
More recently I've helped staff and their clients in a large charity and teachers in HM Young Offender Institutions to keep safe, be supported and get the help and support they needed - helping them find realistic solutions to difficult problems, often in challenging situations.
I am currently a clinical supervisor of counsellors and therapists with a speciality in, crisis, trauma and multiple disorders. I'm here to help, always happy to help, and really look forward to working with you all.
Promoting Wellbeing for everyone
We Are All Wellbeing Champions
Anyone who welcomes new children and staff to a school will be kind and helpful, promote peace, happiness, fairness, and good health. Anyone who promotes a sense of belonging, connection and inclusion, to help develop positive person to person relationships with everyone around them, is already a wellbeing champion.
As individuals, we may already have a passion for health and wellbeing, may already be promoting it, raising awareness of initiatives by sharing information to help everyone and do wonderful work as, “good practice.” We may be well placed in our work area to recognise challenges or changes and offer help and support. We may have already transformed what we can of our surrounding environment to have comfortable, safe, relaxing spaces for people to enjoy when they can.
Each of us recognise, wellbeing in the workplace is not a, “want to have or nice to have.” It is a must have – now and always. With stress, mental health, anxiety and depression causing the majority of sickness absence from work. Showing that we all care and want to help each other really does make a difference. Wellbeing is about the culture we create that makes people feel valued, trusted and supported. It has to be worked on by everyone for everyone, so let’s make that difference together.
Why not have a chat with Ieuan about the things you are doing, and consider what he might help you with. So together, we can all focus on what needs to happen to for the benefit of everyone’s health and wellbeing. Ieuan is also available to join you on meetings related to wellbeing.
Helping Hands
Helping Hands is coordinated and delivered by a team of trained volunteers and is managed by the Stress Management Advice and Counselling team.
Helping Hands offer employees support, information and guidance, by providing a confidential telephone support service, a range of wellbeing workshops and a drop-in service.
Walk & Talk
There are a number of walking groups across the city and county of Swansea – some focused on the physical health benefits and others on the mental health benefits.
Ray’s Walk & Talk takes place on the second Sunday of every month, as part of the Helping Hands service for staff in schools and across the wider local authority.
Therapy Gardens
Gardening is known to be good for the body and mind; it can open new and heal existing connections to other people too.
Therapy Gardens at Singleton Park, a part of the Helping Hands service for staff in schools and across the wider local authority, is a green space to chat while enjoying the gardens and if you wish – engaging in some of the gardening activities.
Accessing Counselling services for Staff
Self Referral Access
School-based staff can now complete a self referral form to access six sessions of counselling support from the dedicated stress-management and counselling service. In order to access this service, please complete the referral form return it to:
- [email protected]
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Stress Management Advice and Counselling Service,
Room 151, Guildhall, Swansea, SA1 4PE
The team endeavour to make contact within three working days of receiving your form, while counselling sessions generally begin four to six weeks following a referral.
