Supporting Staff Emotional Wellbeing | Dave Smallwood

Dave Smallwood, Principal Team Teach trainer, talks to Clare about supporting staff emotional wellbeing at work. They discuss the importance of focusing on our own needs, as well as the needs of those we support, and reflect on how we can take care of each other as professionals.

They also highlight the correlation between wellbeing and staff retention, and explore sustainable, systematic ways to address different workplace challenges.

Dave has extensive experience of supporting young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities, and has worked in special schools, for both the local authority and the National Autistic Society. As a staff development co-ordinator for the latter, he developed and delivered training in autism, and equality, diversity, and rights.

You can find Dave on LinkedIn.

He also shares three tips during the episode:

• • When staff feel happy, well supported, and valued in their organisation, they are more likely to be productive.

• • Small changes can have a huge impact. For example, an open-door policy enables people to feel supported, and doesn’t cost anything to implement.

• • Good leadership is values-based, flexible, and responsive to the needs of staff members.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Each episode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.