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Unions act on education's mental stresses

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Unions act on education's mental stresses

Unions representing workers in education have issued guidance designed to remedy work-related mental health problems in the sector. Education routinely tops the stress league table in TUC's safety reps' surveys. And the sector was highlighted as a high risk area for work-related suicides in a February 2008 report from Hazards magazine (Risks 345). A joint letter to head teachers from the unions GMB, NUT, UNISON and Unite says their new guide 'will, we hope, provide you with valuable information, both on how to prevent the development of mental health conditions and on how to support staff who do fall ill.' It outlines the nature of the problem, the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) stress management standards as a tool for stress reduction and what to do when a member of staff develops a mental health condition, including the support that can be provided by occupational health services and external organisations. A note from the unions to union representatives advises them to arrange to meet with the head teacher to discuss how the guidance might be applied in their school. The unions recommend a joint approach on behalf of both teaching and support staff. They add that placing the guidance on the agenda of the school's safety committee is an effective way to bring the topic into the open and encouraging a debate.

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