Our first Wellbeing Hub opened at Steyning Grammar School in January as part of the three-year grant we provide to schools.
The Hub is led by Wellbeing Lead, Lucy Borthwick, who supports all aspects of young people’s health and wellbeing through dedicated mindfulness activities, one-to-one support and signposting both students and parents to internal or external agencies. Lucy works with the students and the school to implement strategies to improve student mental health, giving them the tools they need to thrive.
We asked Lucy to share her tips on being a Wellbeing Lead, and everything you need to know if you’re applying for our next Wellbeing Hub role.
1. No two days are the same
There’s no such thing as a normal week in the Wellbeing Hub, which is part of the reason I love my job.
I’ve created a loose timetable of activities – whether that’s Friday film club where I’ll show a documentary about mental health, or a weekly ‘Coffee, Cake and Catch up’ session where I encourage the students to come in just to have a chat. But there has to be flexibility to make sure when a student needs support, I can change things around to be available.
In the sixth form, the students have their own timetables so when they come into the Hub varies. Some come in to use the gym equipment, others come in for some time out after a stressful lesson, and some come at lunchtime to sit and eat their lunch at the picnic tables outside.
I compile a timetable of activities that are then shared with students and parents via email, and advertised on the noticeboard. One of the mindfulness activities I set up was pebble painting, but it was so popular the students requested it again, so it’s wonderful to have the flexibility to follow the lead of the students.
2. It’s not just about mental health
It’s a misconception that the Wellbeing Hub is all about mental health, when actually it’s so much more than that. Mental health is just one aspect of wellness, which includes other things such as diet, fitness, managing stress, relationships, financial concerns, sleep and other healthy habits. It’s about making sure the students aren’t just surviving – they’re thriving in all aspects of their lives.
The Wellbeing Hub gives students the opportunity to start off on the right track, and in these in-between years between childhood and adulthood, I think that’s incredibly important. Quite often you’ll see support offered in schools for younger children, but at the 16-18 year old stage, students are expected to fend for themselves. That’s why the Wellbeing Hub is so unique and is such a fantastic safe place to work.
I love the fact the students are mature enough to proactively come to the Hub, or to come and talk to me in person. This age group has a lot going on – whether that’s from exam pressure, preparing for the transition to higher education, or just from the social pressures of being a young adult, we’re here to offer a reassuring hand.
3. You’re part of the team
Even though the Wellbeing Hub sits outside of the usual school curriculum, I have been made to feel so welcome by the other staff members at school.
The Wellbeing Hub is slightly away from the sixth form block, but I also have a desk in the sixth forms head of year’s office so I feel very much part of the team. The sixth forms heads of year also take roles of leading pastoral concerns dependent on students, and individual students will continue to seek support directly from them, which is great. The Wellbeing Hub is really complementary to the pastoral system, offering support to the full cohort in a much broader sense. It helps the students feel supported in a nurturing environment, without the feeling of “going to speak to a teacher” which might make some students hold back.
I do still encourage students to come and speak to me one-to-one though, and I use Google Calendar to make it easy for them to set up an electronic appointment that will send them reminders, which works well.
If you’d like to make an impact at our next Wellbeing Hub please contact us to find out more.
