Education Support
Who we are
At Education Support, our mission is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and education staff. We believe that better mental health leads to better education and we are the only UK charity dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the entire education workforce.
Through our nearly 150 years in the education sector, we have developed an understanding of the pressures of working in education and we know it is a unique environment. Our extensive research around the mental health and wellbeing of the education sector, including our Teacher Wellbeing Index (TWIX), tells us that education staff are struggling. 78% of education staff are stressed and 39% of education staff said they have experienced mental health issues in the last academic year*. In addition, our recent Commission on Teacher Retention** revealed that 78 per cent of teachers said they would be likely to leave the profession if they were offered a job in another sector, which promised a better work-life balance.
Education Support delivers services to support education staff and improve mental health and wellbeing. Services designed with the needs of educators at the forefront, with support tailored specifically around the unique challenges presented by working in the education sector. We know that unique challenges require tailored support and our extensive experience allows us to deliver effective services underpinned by the research and quality assurance we undertake. It also ensures we can evolve and iterate our services to meet changing needs.
*Teacher Wellbeing Index 2023
**Commission of Teacher Retention 2023
What we do
Education Support has delivered Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) for over 20 years and is the only EAP focused exclusively on the education workforce. We support over 115,000 people across over 1500 organisations in the UK. The service is available to all staff and adult family members.
Our experience of delivering EAPs, and of supporting educators for nearly 150 years, allows us to develop a service that provides proactive and reactive support. At Education Support, our EAP is there for you when you need emotional support in the moment AND will help you to develop skills and techniques to guide your own wellbeing being.
Our account management team will work with you and your schools to develop a
launch plan outlined in this guide. We work closely with key stakeholders to ensure maximum engagement and use of the service, ensuring a return on investment, and support for staff when needed.
EAP Plus
Our EAP Plus portal gives schools and individual users a package of advice and information designed to help education staff support their own wellbeing, identify issues and access support before they reach crisis point. Developed using our knowledge and expertise across the sector, EAP Plus focuses on three key areas:
- Support for staff wanting to protect and prioritise their wellbeing;
- Support for school leaders on how to stay well, while creating cultures that care
- Support for schools who want to look after their staff.
Resources are regularly added and updated, and the EAP Plus service provides access to non-EAP services at a discounted rate.
Telephone support and counselling
At the heart of our service is our emotional support helpline. It is available 24/7/365 and is the first point of access for people accessing our EAP. Callers always speak to a fully qualified counsellor (BACP accredited) who understands the education sector.
Access to trained counsellors on demand gives staff support to deal with challenges as they arise rather than allowing them to grow and have a bigger impact.
Face to face counselling
The EAP provides access to a series of counselling sessions, available in person, via video conference or telephone. Users will receive an appointment within 10 days of their first call to the EAP.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Our Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (cCBT), In My Hands, provides an alternative to traditional in-person counselling services. It is self-paced and includes weekly involvement from counsellors.
Manager Assist
Line management can be challenging, especially in an education environment, but getting is right is an important part of staff wellbeing. Manager Assist offers support to those in a managerial, team leader or supervisory role, helping to develop skills, support the navigation of challenging conversations and offering impartial and confidential advice and support.
Mindfulness coaching AWARE, our mindfulness programme, helps individuals learn the practice of being mindful to engage in the present moment with focused attention using online technology to deliver the service.
Additional to the services above, staff can access legal and financial advice and our Life Coaching service.
How we help
Education Support is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of education staff and our commitment to improving education is at the heart of everything we do. Our research shows that the sector has been facing pressure and challenges to mental health and wellbeing for a long time and this was been exacerbated by COVID-19.
Every day, our work reduces demand on health and care services. In 2022/23 we gave more than 4000 education staff access to BACP accredited counsellors via our free helpline, reducing demand on the NHS and supporting individuals to continue to deliver high levels of education to young people.
We provide grants to those working in education who are experiencing financial problems including household unemployment or ill health. In 2023/24, we provided financial assistance to more than 550 people.
Our school leader programme provides Headteachers and Deputy Heads across England with vital support to help them to continue to be effective at their jobs - at a time when we need talented leaders to marshal schools through recovery, and we are nearing a staff retention crisis.
All revenue generated through our commercial activity, including the EAP, in reinvested back into our mission to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and education staff in schools, colleges and universities.
Finally, we provide a webinar programme providing support, advice and tips to
teachers and education staff. Hosted every half term, we invite staff to join the discussion with a panel of teachers, leaders and mental health experts. Everyone in education is welcome and we cover a range of wellbeing topics – recent events include webinars on menopause, wellbeing in alternative provision, and exploring the data between teacher and pupil wellbeing. Find out about our latest events at educationsupport.org.uk/events.
