1. Teacher Resilience: An Organisational Perspective A Discussion Paper Tom Cox & Amanda Griffiths Institute of Work, Health & Organisations University of Nottingham

2. Our Background We are occupational health psychologists with a concern for: The way in which the design and management of work and work organisations, and associated law and policy, can determine the health of working people; The ways in which organisations can accommodate people at work and protect and develop their health.

3. Teacher Stress and Resilience We see teacher stress, resilience and teachers’ health as being three intimately linked concepts both theoretically and in reality... We argue that both the experience of stress and the degree of resilience shown by teachers are largely determined by the nature, design and management of their work in the context of the school, the community and the Education Authority ….

4. Teacher Stress & Resilience RESILIENCE STRESS RISK FACTORS Individual Factors: Blame Environmental Factors: Change

5. Environmental Determinants Nature of Teachers’ Work Impact of School and Authority Interaction with Pupils and Parents Professional context Community Context Legal Responsibilities Moral Responsibilities

6. Interventions Individual perspective leads to blame, other explanations, and (weak) interventions focused on (short term) training and counselling Environmental perspective opens up the opportunities for legal interventions and the use of associated non legislative instruments (policy, guidance and organisational procedures) as well as environmental and social interventions (work and organisational development, culture change and social contracts)

7. Legal Background Health and Safety Legislation: – Covers psychosocial and organisational issues – Employer as the generator of risk – Prevention – Management Standards Initiative Disability Discrimination Legislation – Covers (so called) psychological and mental health issues – Accommodation (as well as adaptation) Common Law Duty of Care

8. Social and Moral Background Interaction with pupils is a major source of teacher stress and an obvious risk to their health Pupils share responsibility in this scenario and their attitudes and behaviour often reflect those of their parents and communities “Education as a right” versus “Education as an service or opportunity” ~ social contract ~ health and hospitals ~ exclusion