From the Teacher Support Network, www.teachersupport.info.

MANAGING CHANGE

Strategies for coping / The effects on change / Successful implementation / Training and development / Policies / DCSF guidance

Change in the workplace is inevitable and even more likely for those in the education profession. Often in schools/colleges, many changes happen at once, for example a new curriculum, revamped qualifications or new security powers.

These sorts of changes will have an impact on all involved but unless this is managed effectively it can be a very difficult time. However, it is possible for potentially negative change to be handled well and for there to be a positive outcome.

The threat of change in the workplace can lead to increased levels of stress, so it is essential for your health and wellbeing that you are able to cope effectively and to see the change more as a new opportunity.

Try not to let your work concerns have too great an impact on your personal life. Talk to family and friends about the situation and allow them to help you through it. Undertake any necessary or available training to ensure you are able to respond effectively to change.

It is important to remember that workplace change does not have to create stress and confusion. It can be an opportunity to acquire new skills and as long as you remain flexible and responsive, you should be able to adapt to the new situation and ensure that you make the most of any new opportunities that are presented to you.

Different people will respond in different ways to workplace change, resulting in mixed emotions, one of which may be insecurity. A lack of good communication within the organisation during a period of change can leave employees with a poor understanding of circumstances and this in turn can lead to an unwillingness to embrace or accept the new situation.

The successful implementation of change

There are ways of dealing with change - both for the employer and the employee - designed to encourage a greater acceptance of change and to minimise the negative impact. It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that staff members are provided with effective leadership and support throughout the period of change and to monitor their patterns of behaviour. This will enable them to ensure they are displaying positive coping strategies.

There are some key guidelines which can facilitate this, including:

• Being open and honest with the staff from the outset, explaining exactly what is going to happen and how they, as individuals, will be affected
• Preparing a comprehensive plan to ensure the effective implementation of change.
• Encouraging the staff to voice their own opinions and listening carefully to their discussions.

Do:

• Try to create a culture of continuous improvement
• Think through the implications of planned changes
• Expect, and deal with, resistance to change
• Communicate!
• Encourage staff to contribute and get involved.

Don't

• Stand still
• Underestimate or ignore staff resistance to change
• Ignore the impact on parents and suppliers
• Try to implement too many major changes at once

Through a nationwide wellbeing survey carried out between October and November 2008 we found that out of those people who had stated that their experiences of difficulties, such as stress, were caused by issues in their workplace, 43 per cent stated that it was due to the rapid pace of change.

To reduce the amount of stress and pressure experienced by change there are a number of things that you as a school leader can do:

Colleague health and wellbeing must become an integral part of training and development. All education staff must be trained to look after and work with each other effectively. Modern practices, such as emotional reaction and reflection, would empower more staff to address elements of their job that they find challenging, stressful or frustrating; improving health and wellbeing accordingly. By getting staff to better understand their role and responsibilities they can be better equipped to deal with changes to these things.

Training and development should be reviewed regularly within each school, ensuring that help is given to alleviate the key causes of poor health and wellbeing. Training and development should be tailored to individual staff needs which could include such things as meeting expectations about changes to their roles and those of their colleagues.

An independent body should regulate workplaces to ensure that they meet high standards of health and wellbeing provision for staff , subject to wider workforce consultation and successful piloting. Regulators could feedback best practice into training and development which could include examples of successful change management and how the wellbeing of staff is managed in these circumstances.

Governors must regularly monitor and improve staff health and wellbeing policies, which should be mandatory and well implemented in all workplaces.

The Department for Children's Schools and Families (DCSF) guidance - Common mental health problems: Supporting school staff by taking positive action

The DCSF have produced guidance on how to deal positively with common mental health problems among teachers following a review of teachers' sickness absence.

When a school is going through change this issue may be particularly relevant and as a line manager they recommend the following:

• Recognise the value of good management practice with systems in place to effectively manage staff.
• Foster a supportive work environment.
• Pay attention to any indication of changes in performance or behaviour in staff.
• Encourage sympathetic alertness to staff who develop signs of not coping.
• Refer staff to Occupational Health services where available when there are concerns or absence due to work-related stress and other mental health problems.
• Keep in touch with absent staff which should start after two weeks absence and maintained at fortnightly intervals thereafter.
• Be supportive in any return to work process.

If you would like to view the full guidance document you can download it by clicking here.