A qualitative exploration of contextual factors within schools impacting the introduction of the new statutory 'Framework on Embedding a Whole School Approach to Emotional and Mental Wellbeing' in Wales

Brown, Rachel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4475-1733, Anthony, Rebecca ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9503-9562, Eyre, Olga, Lennon, Jessica, Powell, Vicky, Haslam, Zoe, Rowe, Abbey and Moore, Graham ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6136-3978 2025. A qualitative exploration of contextual factors within schools impacting the introduction of the new statutory 'Framework on Embedding a Whole School Approach to Emotional and Mental Wellbeing' in Wales. School Mental Health 10.1007/s12310-024-09740-z

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Abstract

In 2021, the Welsh Government introduced new statutory guidance for schools titled ‘Framework Guidance on Embedding a Whole School Approach to Emotional and Mental Wellbeing’. This document outlined new responsibilities for educational settings to work towards incorporating a whole school approach, with regard to the Framework in action planning, service delivery and policy in relation to the mental and emotional wellbeing of learners and staff. While there is growing evidence to suggest that whole school approaches can be beneficial to social and emotional wellbeing for pupils, evidence on effective implementation is limited. This paper reports on findings from qualitative group interviews with staff in schools in Wales, conducted as part of a wider, mixed-methods evaluation of the Framework. It focuses on factors in the school context which impacted initial implementation. A number of school level factors were identified as barriers to implementation and staff engagement with the Framework. School staff reported higher levels of pupil mental health challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and an absence of capacity in in-house and external support services to address this. Poor staff wellbeing and significant workload pressures were also reported, driven in part by concurrent implementation of the new Curriculum For Wales. This led staff to feel ill-prepared for the more complex issues being faced, exacerbated by a lack of access to relevant training to be able to support pupil and colleague mental health. This paper concludes with recommendations for policy-makers to support Framework implementation.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education) Psychology Medicine
Publisher:	Springer
ISSN:	1866-2625
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	9 January 2025
Date of Acceptance:	18 December 2024
Last Modified:	09 Jan 2025 14:47
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/175138

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