Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possible benefits of encouraging good leadership and psychological wellbeing in education, adult and childcare services.

School employers are responsible for the health and wellbeing of their workforce, and it is vital that they have systems in place that promote wellbeing, identify and tackle the cause of any stress in their staff, and provide appropriate support. We know that good leadership, together with high quality teaching, is essential to improving pupil outcomes. We have several initiatives and programmes in place to improve the supply of high quality leaders at all levels and phases, from middle and senior leaders to head teachers and system leaders.

With regard to early years, the Early Years Workforce Strategy (published 3 March 2017) supports the development of a well qualified workforce. We know that graduate leaders with specialist early years training have a positive effect on children’s outcomes. Leadership at graduate level is associated with narrowing the quality gap between settings in deprived and more advantaged areas. The strategy is attached.

We want to expand the graduate early years workforce and are undertaking a feasibility study into developing a programme that specifically seeks to grow the graduate workforce in disadvantaged areas.

With regard to adult social care, the Care Act 2014 promotes people’s wellbeing and is intended to support people to live independently, including supporting them with employment, education and volunteering, that will help them to fulfil their potential.

Wellbeing is a legal duty of councils when carrying out any of their care and support functions in respect of a person.