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Education helpline reports 35% increase in calls
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Apr 11, 2018By Rachel Lawler
The has reported a 35% increase in the number of teachers calling its confidential helpline in the past year.
The helpline is available free to those working in education in England, Scotland and Wales and offers up to six sessions of over-the-phone counselling. The number of teachers calling increased from 2,321 in April 2016 to 3,136 in March 2017, with the helpline taking a total of 8,668 calls from education staff overall.
Workplace stress
The most common reasons behind the calls were workplace stress, with 2,681 calls related to this, and work performance issues, with 1,029 calls concerning these problems.
Julian Stanley, chief executive at the Education Support Partnership, said: 鈥淭he numbers are high, however put into context, the true scale of the problem is fully revealed. The majority of those accessing our support are doing so at a late stage; once they have reached a crisis level. This can and should be avoided.
"If you are in education and worrying more than usual, finding it hard to enjoy your life outside work or having thoughts and feelings that are difficult to cope with; these are all things that can lead to prolonged poor mental health if not dealt with. I would strongly encourage you to access the support that is available when this occurs, as this provides the best chance of addressing the symptoms before they turn into something more serious."
To contact Education Support Partnership鈥檚 confidential helpline, call 08000 562 561.
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The Alliance Annual Conference will explore the theme 鈥Minds matter protecting the wellbeing of children and practitioners in the early years鈥 this year.