Teach Secondary Issue 14.2

Give burnout the boot Among school staff, DSLs can be particularly susceptible to burnout – Sarah Cook offers some advice on how the role can be made more sustainable D esignated safeguarding leads need to have broad shoulders, carrying as they do many complex responsibilities in a role that seems to get increasingly involved and complex as the years go by. The role (currently, at least) covers oversight of safeguarding, staff training and guidance, alongside the managing of all safeguarding concerns. As every DSL will know, it’s a role that’s demanding ever more vigilance, empathy and capacity for decisionmaking under pressure – and yet, DSLs are only human. The heightened accountability that comes with the role can sometimes get too much, giving way to stress and even burnout. It’s crucial, then, that DSLs – alongside their colleagues and line managers – know how to spot the signs of burnout early on, and can tackle them before they start to present problems (while also adopting longer-term strategies aimed at preventing burnout altogether). ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sarah Cook is a former head of safeguarding at an academy trust with 13 years of experience in safeguarding issues, now safeguarding consultant at Judicium Education; for more information, visit judiciumeducation.co.uk/ safeguarding-service or follow @JudiciumSG 6 steps to prevention When DSLs get the help and support they need, through suitable self-care and supervisionmeasures, they can dramatically reduce their levels of stress and susceptibility to burnout, while improving their standards of decision-making and engagement. Here, then, are six steps for preventing burnout among your DSLs... 1. Know the signs Burnout can present in a range of ways – including fatigue, loss of confidence and the DSL feeling disconnected or withdrawn from their work and colleagues. It can also involve physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomach problems or disturbed sleep. 2. Look after yourself The wellbeing benefits of regular exercise, such as walking or stretching, are obvious, alongside watching what you eat and staying hydrated. Taking lunch breaks away from your desk can also have a surprisingly positive impact. Youmay find that mindfulness and meditation exercises are helpful. Breathing exercises and mindfulness apps can be easily found online – find ones that work for you. There’s also journaling – the practice of recording reflections on your various daily challenges and achievements to paper. 3. Try a fresh approach Prioritising tasks and setting realistic goals will help your time management skills, as can establishing firmer boundaries between work and your personal life. Commit to leaving at a certain time, and speak out if you feel your workload isn’t manageable. Due to the reactive nature of the role, it’s important to build in capacity by ensuring that at least one trained deputy DSL will be available to support you at those crunch points when urgent tasks have to take priority. 4. Get supervision The government’s ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ statutory guidance (see tiny.cc/ts142-DSL1) states that those working in the roles of DSL and headteacher should have opportunities to engage in peer learning, knowledge exchange and group supervision. DSLs will require dedicated time with a trained and trusted colleague to reflect, analyse and strategise about the challenges of individual cases, and the job as a whole. It seems there’s a clear appetite amongst DSLs for more supervision – Judicium ran a survey of DSLs last year, and when asked what they would find most useful in their role, half responded with ‘supervision’. 5. Create a personal wellbeing plan Awritten plan can help to identify stress triggers, and assist with planning daily or weekly self-care activities. It can also help to identify when might be beneficial to ask your line manager for additional support, or identify external resources that you can use. 6. Leaders set the weather It’s down to line managers and leaders to foster a culture of care, promote flexible work environments and prioritise strategies that demonstrate commitment to their team’s wellbeing, in order to foster a healthier, more motivated work environment. This approach might include encouraging the use of break times and mental health days; acknowledging and celebrating the work and resilience of DSLs in meetings or newsletters; and using supervision as a tool to reduce isolation, facilitate reflection and enhance decision-making. 25 teachwire.net/secondary H E A LT H A N D W E L L B E I N G