HSE Management Standards and Stress Risk Assessment Hertfordshire

HSE Management Standards and Stress Risk Assessment Hertfordshire County Council www. hertsdirect. org

What is Stress? The HSE define stress as: ‘ the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed upon them’ Pressure: ‘which can give a sense of achievement, motivate and drive us’

National Picture • 442 000 individuals experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill • 13. 6% of working individuals thought their job was very or extremely stressful. • Self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for an estimated 13. 5 million lost working days in Britain in 2007/08.

Stress in Education

Why deal with Stress? - Impacts • • Individuals Workforce Management School

Why deal with Stress? - To benefit your school As well as reducing sickness absence tackling stress can have a positive effect : • Overall health and wellbeing • Performance • Retention and morale • Continuity in the classroom • Financial benefits • Image and reputation

‘. . teachers, their well being and the support they receive undoubtedly impacts upon pupil and student wellbeing, student attainment and overall school performance’ Patrick Nash Chief Executive Teacher Support network

Why deal with Stress? - To comply with the law Employer: Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 - a duty for their employees health, safety and welfare in relation to their employment duties Management of Health & Safety Regulations 1999 - a duty to undertake Risk Assessments and introduce appropriate measures to reduce that risk

HSE Management Standards for Work Related Stress The Management Standards are designed to: • Help simplify risk assessments for stress • Encourage employers, employees to work in partnership to address work related stress • Provide a benchmark organisations can use to gauge performance

Overview - 5 steps to risk assessment Step 1 Identify hazards Step 2 Who may be harmed and how Step 3 Evaluate Risks Step 4 Develop Action plan Step 5 Monitor and review The Management Standards Identify problem areas existing data HSE tool / other surveys Linking problems to solutions Real people –Real solutions Developing an Action plan Monitoring your action plan Evaluate effectiveness

Step 1 - Identifying the hazards The HSE Management Standard areas are: * * * Demands Control Support - managerial and peer Relationships Role Change www. thegrid. org. uk/info/healthandsafety/stress. shtml www. hse. gov. uk/stress/standards/index. htm

Demands Standard is that Employees indicate they are able to cope with the demands of their jobs; and Systems are in place locally to respond to individual concerns • Level and nature of workload • Work patterns & environment • Priority setting and time pressures • Excessive hours • Repetitive work • Unrealistic deadlines • Ofsted inspections

Step 2 - HSE Stress Survey Psychosocial questionnaire for staff Demands 3 Different groups at work demand things from me that are hard to combine 6 I have unachievable deadlines 9 I have to work very intensively 12 I have to neglect some tasks because I have too much to do 16 I am unable to take sufficient breaks 18 I am pressured to work long hours 20 I have to work very fast 22 I have unrealistic time pressures

HSE Analysis Tool Demands Average Question 3 Different groups at work demand things from me that are hard to combine I have unachievable deadlines 3. 00 I have to work very intensively 2. 29 I have to neglect some tasks because I have too much to do I am unable to take sufficient breaks 3. 00 18 I am pressured to work long hours 3. 57 20 I have to work very fast 2. 43 22 I have unrealistic time pressures 3. 00 6 9 12 16 3. 29 3. 14 2. 96 Overall

HSE Indicator Tool Summary of Results Your results Suggested Interim Longer term target Demands 2. 96 3. 38 4. 25 Control 3. 83 4. 00 4. 33 Managers' Support 3. 50 4. 00 4. 60 Peer Support 3. 93 4. 25 4. 75 Relationships 4. 43 4. 75 Role 3. 97 4. 60 5. 00 Change 2. 52 3. 33 4. 00 Key Doing very well - need to maintain performance Represents those at, above or close to the 80 th percentile† Good, but need for improvement Represents those better than average but not yet at, above or close to the 80 th percentile† Clear need for improvement Represents those likely to be below average but not below the 20 th percentile Urgent action needed Represents those below the 20 th percentile†

Steps 3 / 4 - Evaluate the risk and take action Are the areas identified as potential stressors correct? Involve staff to investigate the findings of the questionnaire “Real People Real Solutions” Create Action Plan Provide Feedback

Demands : Are you doing enough? • Monitoring team workload • Allocated sufficient resources • Prioritising deadlines • Provided sufficient training • Communication • Working proactively • Work environment

Step 5 - Monitor and Review Monitor against your action plan to ensure the agreed actions are taking place. Evaluate the effectiveness of the solutions you implement. Consider other relevant data Follow-up surveys Long term commitment continuously working with employees to identify and address issues.

Actions to meet duty of care • Obtain commitment • Complete risk assessment • Involve staff in identifying solutions • Create an Action plan • Review

Alternative Approaches “The national well being programme has been developed specifically for schools and is broadly equivalent to the HSE management standards. Participation in the well-being programme will enable schools to demonstrate they have met their duty of care under H&S legislation” (HSE)

Summary Doing nothing is not an option There is no ‘quick fix’ solution Actions need to be proactive having a stress policy is not enough. The HSE are tackling stress in education as a priority. Positive results will benefit both individuals and the school.

‘There cannot be a stressful crisis next week. My schedule is already full. ’ Henry Kissinger