Work/life balance workshop

1. Work/life balance workshop Spring 2006

2. Objectives of today’s event • To introduce and discuss approaches and techniques that schools could employ in assessing and addressing work-life balance needs • To give participants the opportunity to consider approaches and actions for tackling work-life balance within their school • To identify links with the range of activities available within Staffordshire to support the well-being of staff • To identify ways in which adopting effective work-life balance strategies can support the sustainability of the national Agreement and the wider remodelling agenda

3. Introductions and your Expectations from this event • Take a moment to introduce yourselves to each other on your table • At your table over the next 5 mins discuss your expectations of the event • We will note your expectations on a flipchart

4. Stage two Stage one Stage three Setting the scene Making the strategy work Approaching work/life balance in your schools Getting started Identifying the key issues Understanding the challenge Developing strategies Action planning Content of today’s workshop

5. There are some significant early signs of success from remodelling • The 2005 Office of Manpower Economics (OME) survey, published in August, indicates that the contractual changes are beginning to have impact. Primary Schools • the average total hours worked by Headteachers, Deputy Heads and classroom teachers has decreased since 2003 Secondary Schools • the average total hours worked by classroom teachers and Heads of Department has decreased since 2003, though the hours of Headteachers and Deputy Heads has increased Special Schools • the average total hours worked by classroom teachers have decreased since 2003

6. What is meant by work/life balance? • The National Agreement defines work/life balance as being about helping teachers combine work with their personal interests outside work, and cites hours worked and workload as key elements of this • Although the focus of the National Agreement is on teaching staff, schools should ensure that all their staff, both teachers and support staff enjoy a reasonable work/life balance. The provision of reasonable work/life balance to teachers should not be at the cost of appropriate balance for other school staff • The National Agreement gives governors responsibility for headteacher well-being

7. Improving work/life balance in schools is time crucial and critical to the profession Situation Impact School staff still working too many non contracted hours Conflicting priorities High levels of stress Ageing profile of teachers Subject shortfalls Little time for outside interests Work/life balance of increasing importance to the younger workforce High levels of absenteeism Increasing turnover between schools School staff leaving the profession Losing lots of experience High turnover costs High support staff costs It is vital to address whole school work/life balance

8. Hours worked Physical wellbeing support Control Personal fulfilment Emotional care Career development Flexibility Employee ownership Employer attitude In reality, work/life balance means different things to different people

9. Stage one Stage two Setting the scene Approaching work/life balance in your schools Getting started Identifying the key issues Understanding the challenge Developing strategies Action planning Approaching work/life balance in your schools – an overview Stage three Making the strategy work Stage Two is composed of several steps:

10. Stage one Setting the scene First step: Getting started Stage two Stage three Approaching work/life balance in your schools Making the strategy work Getting started Identifying the key issues Understanding the challenge Developing strategies Action planning Objective: • Provide clarity to interested parties, particularly staff, over the objectives and plans for the programme such that all school staff understand what it is seeking to achieve, its potential impact and their involvement in it Approach: • Set the context for addressing work/life balance within the school • Agree the objectives of the programme and how it will operate; how, when, why, what, where. The logistics of a work/life balance programme are best evolved through discussion with all staff, or representatives of all staff groups • Agree how staff representatives or staff groups will be involved and will input to the programme • Ensure that all stakeholders are briefed and that there is a clear line of communication for any concerns or queries

11. Stage one Setting the scene Second step: Identifying the key issues Stage two Stage three Approaching work/life balance in your schools Making the strategy work Identifying the key issues Getting started Understanding the challenge Developing strategies Action planning Objective: • To clarify the issues that most need to be considered within the work/life balance programme Approach: • Card sort – identifying statements or beliefs that most ring true regarding a school or a team’s current attitude towards work/life balance • Day in the Life of (DILO) – consider the way time is currently spent, identifying issues that need to be addressed

12. A Day in the Life of • Consider any aspects of your own working day that you are dissatisfied with. Do you have enough personal time? If not, what is eating into it the most? • Working in small groups, consider your analyses. What are the areas that appear to need addressing? Please consider particularly: • activities that require significant hours outside the normal working day • non teaching activities that require significant hours effort • do any variations between responses indicate different approaches? • are there any low scores for control, flexibility or level of support? – are these worth exploring further • are there any low scores for fulfilment?

13. Remember, there is a natural emotional curve that will take a dip before the school’s motivation picks up … Getting started Identifying The key issues Understanding The challenge Developing strategies Action planning … and sustain! Confidence +ve • We have a plan to success • We have an answer Emotional State • Made the right decision • We have some news We have a solution • There is a solution • We have some options • It’s difficult • It is not the best news • Not sure how to solve • It looks like this…. -ve

14. Stage one Setting the scene Third step: Understanding the challenge Stage two Stage three Approaching work/life balance in your schools Making the strategy work Under-standing the challenge Objectives • To develop a better understanding of the issues and their root causes, thereby identifying whether there are any ‘hidden’ issues that need resolving • To prioritise those issues or causes that need immediate attention Approach • Five whys – investigating why a particular issue exists and the factors that are leading to the current situation – identifying any ‘hidden’ issues • Prioritisation – once a full understanding of the issues has been reached, a matrix is used to identify the most appropriate prioritisation for addressing them Getting started Identifying the key issues Developing strategies Action planning

15. The Five Whys

16. Stage two Stage three Approaching work/life balance in your schools Making the strategy work Stage one Developing strategies Setting the scene Getting started Identifying the key issues Understanding the challenge Action planning Fourth step: Developing strategies Objectives: • To identify actions that could be undertaken to tackle priority issues • To build consensus and commitment to those actions Approach: • Problem Solving, Team Building (PSTB) – an inclusive, short, sharp and structured way of identifying possible work/life balance solutions, selecting the most appropriate and developing a high-level implementation plan with a defined and agreed timeframe

17. Problem Solving Team Building The process has 7 steps for the team to work through 30 min example Problem Statement 5 mins Background Idea Generation 10 mins Idea Selection Benefits/ Concerns Analysis 10 mins Work Critical Concerns Action Plan 5 mins

18. Fifth step: Action planning Stage one Stage two Stage three Setting the scene Approaching work/life balance in your schools Making the strategy work Objectives: • To bring together the implementation strands in a single and coherent plan that delivers the target benefits within appropriate timeframes • Through this, to demonstrate the technique so that delegates feel confident using it in their own schools Approach: • To work together to develop a brown paper plan, plotting actions within implementation strands, phases and timeframes Action planning Getting started Identifying the key issues Understanding the challenge Developing strategies

19. Using Brown Paper to plan

20. Local work/life balance experience and support • Work/Life Balance workshops • Well-Being Programme • Stress Management – half day programme for headteachers (May 06) • 24 hour helpline for headteachers (Employee Assistance Programme) (from 24th April) • Publication of the Staffordshire C.C. Stress management Policy (April-May 06) + training to follow • More focussed localised working from local authority advisers (information to schools in Summer term 06) • Clearer information about support mechanisms available within the county (April 06 onwards) • “Leading Change” forums (Summer 06)

21. The exercises in the workshop follow the remodelling approach Discover Deepen Develop Deliver Mobilise Prioritisation matrix Problem solving / team building Brown Paper plan Context setting Card sort Week in the life of Five whys Change management tools, techniques and skills Common ground Commitment Clarity Openness Trust Clarity of understanding of work/life balance issues across the school Trust across the school in applying agreed work/life balance principles for the benefit of all Common ground between members of the school change team Openness around work/life balance needs and parameters of solutions Commitment of the whole school to the potential benefits Increased levels of openness and trust

22. Work/life balance is a philosophy, not a “one off” issue • Schools need to commit to work/life balance as a philosophy, embedding the culture within the school. This will mean continuing to re-visit the staff and school needs to ensure that work/life balance approaches are adopted in all the workings of the school as the norm

23. Time for personal reflection Please use the provided template to capture: • three characteristics you would like to see demonstrated within your school that would suggest to you and others that the school has an embedded work/life balance culture • any thoughts around your own work/life balance that today’s activities have sparked