Mental Health & Wellbeing

We believe that every member of the Hamwic community should be able to enjoy the highest standard of wellbeing and mental health. Wellbeing is defined as a state of physical and mental health that is characterised by high quality social relationships. We are united in supporting our communities to work in partnership: to offer a safe space where the heart of our efforts are focused on early identification to prevent escalation and where there are clear pathways of support. We will endeavour to promote and enhance the wellbeing and mental health of everyone working within our community. All members of our community: staff, children and wider families are treated as equals.

We support a culture that is free from mental health discrimination.

We recognise that everybody has a role to play in shaping this culture. This charter signals our intent to come together across the Hamwic community with the shared aim of improving wellbeing at every level.

Hamwic Education Trust will aim to:

• Consider approaches to mental health and wellbeing as part of all strategic decision making
• Champion diversity – we will strengthen our efforts to promote diversity, eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and supporting relationships between all stakeholders
• Breakdown the stigma around mental health –we will build wellbeing and mental health into wider communications strategy and ensure all future developments are mindful of our mental health commitments. All stakeholders will be able to contribute without fear of judgement
• Embed wellbeing and training into professional development
• Commit to developing a culture of Trauma Informed schools leading to a Trauma informed community. We acknowledge the impact trauma has on communities and strive to mitigate those effects. We aim to eliminate some of those barriers by fostering connections between stakeholders, bolstering community resilience and promoting a trauma informed approach
• Improving access to mental health and wellbeing resource

In signing this charter, the trust commits to placing wellbeing and mental health at the heart of our decision making. We will support stakeholders to make positive choices for their own wellbeing and encourage a collegiate culture across and between all roles within our settings. Our commitment to developing a long-term strategy for improving wellbeing will:

• Tackle mental health stigma
• Give the same consideration to mental health as physical
• Channel professional development opportunities to build sustainable communities that are focussed on mental health and wellbeing
• Support our schools and communities to take ownership of their mental health and wellbeing provision
• We will work to provide the tools, resources and training to support effective mental health and wellbeing. However, we recognise there is no expectation to provide professional wellbeing support for which stakeholders have no professional training. In these circumstances we will ensure there are clear routes in place to escalate for further support.
• Create effective forums to share stakeholders’ (adults and children) voices to affect decision-making.

Principles that underpin the signatories to this charter:

• Principle 1 A commitment to promoting the importance of good mental health and wellbeing and a knowledge of how to promote these with people who need care and support.
• Principle 2 To deliver a graduated mental health and wellbeing response that is flexible and personalised to reflect the individual’s identity and preferences whilst considering the impact of unconscious bias and how this can be mitigated.
• Principle 3 To support in taking a proactive approach to end mental health stigma, get conversations underway and create an open and inclusive culture where all stakeholders know where and when to ask for support.
• Principle 4 To promote dignity and respect by maintaining integrity and valuing the individual’s own experience and circumstances.
• Principle 5 Ensure equality and legal rights are upheld under the law, especially in relation to the Equality Act 2010 and Mental Capacity Act 2005.
• Principle 6 Maintain safety and safeguarding responsibilities by appropriately assessing risks and supporting where necessary.
• Principle 7 Facilitate informed choice and control by raising awareness and appropriately supporting stakeholders to make well-informed personal and lifestyle decisions to support their mental health and wellbeing.
• Principle 8 Promote inclusion by helping people who are being supported to maintain positive relationships and to maintain connectivity with other stakeholders.