IMATTER 2017

I MATTER WELLBEING IDEAS FORSTAFF

Welcome from the Head of Wellbeing

‘Fame is fun, money is useful, celebrity can be exciting, but finally life is about optimal well-being and how we achieve that in a dominator culture.’ – bell hooks ‘Balance your time. After a productive day: rest and relax. Allow yourself to feel satisfied. Celebrate your accomplishments. Don’t burn yourself out. Don’t neglect your well-being and health. Don’t neglect your loved ones or your life. Long-term success depends on your ability and diligence to carry a balance.’― Akiroq Brost We do not always view our place of work as somewhere that enhances our sense of wellbeing. The demands, time, deadlines and effort can sometimes feel overwhelming. Although it is undeniable that these challenges exist, the way that we choose to cope with them and approach them will impact our wellbeing. This booklet celebrates all that our school and community offer to support our wellbeing. It returns the importance of your focus back to you – I matter . Challenge yourself to try to embed even just one of the suggestions into your day-to-day routines at school – this could be going out for lunch once a month; walking Bailey the dog; attending a lunchtime concert or treating yourself to a massage. There should be something for all of you to engage with!

Nathalie Coppin Head of Wellbeing

Be active Have an early night Try something new

Looking after yourself (Laugh) Connect with people and animals

Be active

Use your Sports Club Membership Sports Club Membership: All contracted staff plus immediate family can register to use the Sports Club. Details from Sports Centre Reception Activities: There is a timetable of activities and classes on the Sports Club website (www.dcsportsclub.co.uk) which includes three staff only classes per week. Also, why not try out one of the early morning rise and shine classes at 7am on Tuesday and Friday? Staff Class Pass: For just £11.75 per month colleagues can access unlimited exercise classes and activities including three staff-only classes. www.dcsportsclub.co.uk/membership/class-pass-membership/ Therapy: The Sports Club has a team of Wellbeing associates who offer a range of therapeutic assistance. https://www.dcsportsclub.co.uk/wellbeing/ Physiotherapist Tina Nielsen-Talbot is registered with BUPA, so you may be able to claim for her fees under your DC BUPA healthcare package.

Be active

We are part of the Cycle Scheme. More information can be found here www.cyclescheme.co.uk/ and here www.cyclescheme.co.uk/employers/ employer-faqs It is a salary sacrifice scheme for a period of 12 months and savings are made through payroll as less tax and national insurance is paid. The link above provides an example which explains this in monetary terms. You should be aware that after the 12 month period, ownership does not automatically transfer. The Cycle Scheme will contact you with options but an additional cost will be charged in line with the HMRC Market Valuation Clarification. The link above explains this in greater detail. To go ahead and order a bike under the scheme you will need to find a store that participates in the scheme here: www.cyclescheme.co.uk/partners . Go to the store and choose what you want. It is not limited to a bike, under the scheme you can buy a helmet, safety equipment etc. The value of goods is capped at £1000. They will give you a form with the details of what you want. You then need to input the information here www.cyclescheme.co.uk/c52f29 You will need to electronically sign a contract which explains the terms and conditions in greater details, for example it is your responsibility to provide insurance for the bike. The salary sacrifice will continue even if the bike was to become damaged or stolen. Please take the time to read and understand them before completing your request. Once you have submitted the request it comes to the HR department and we deal with the rest. If approved, approximately two weeks later one of us will give you a voucher which you need to give to the shop who will then hand over the goods to you.

Kseniya Dury Email: duryk @ dulwich.org.uk

WALK CYCLE

TO WORK OR

Have an early night

A recent Guardian article stated Sleep is fundamental to good health, both physically and mentally. People who are sleep deprived have less energy, more difficulty focusing on tasks, and will find it harder to maintain optimal physical fitness. They may also find it more tricky to turn new information learned during the day into stable and long-lasting memories’. Our bodies run on a diurnal body clock, meaning in a 24-hour period we have one block of sleep and one block of waking. This body clock is naturally trained by sunlight, but in the modern world it is often retrained to suit the routine of our lifestyle. So if you are finding you have to get up at 6.30am, you need to figure out howmuch sleep you need and adjust your routine. Let’s say you need the typical eight hours, so you need to be asleep by 10.30pm, and should begin your bedtime routine at around 9.30pm. That doesn’t mean getting into bed at 9.30pm, but beginning the process of relaxing (for example, finishing marking and turning off stimulating media). There is an established link between high stress levels and poor sleep and, like the caffeine cycle, this is probably cyclical. The hormone cortisol (nicknamed the stress hormone) is also the hormone responsible for waking us up in the morning – so having high levels of this hormone circulating in your body before bedtime can be incredibly disruptive. In turn, evidence suggests that poor sleep can contribute to us perceiving events as more stressful than we would otherwise. It is difficult to avoid stress but you can try to be mindful of how you deal with it. Make time to do whatever it is you find most effective at de-stressing, whether that’s exercising, chatting with friends or taking a long bath. These things may appear to be indulgent when you have a busy schedule, but they will help you cope with stress in the long run. And finally, prioritise sleep. If you are getting enough sleep, you will be less likely to experience as high levels of stress.’ You could try a sleep app. ‘Live Science’ recommends ‘sleepbot’; ‘Motion X 24/7’; and ‘sleep cycle’.

As a starting point, allow yourself at least ONE early night during theworkingweek.

Try something new

Take time to visit a part of the school that you have not been to before. Find a place in the school that can be your haven of relaxation. The Memorial Garden This garden provides a tranquil space for a quiet moment during the day or an ‘al fresco’ location for break or lunch.

The Quiet Room The Chaplaincy offers morning prayer at 8am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as a said Eucharist at the same time every Thursday, all in the Quiet Room. Dates and times of Chapel services can be found in the diary and on the chaplaincy notice board. For somebody to speak to in confidence, please contact the Chaplain (whitejm @ dulwich.org.uk) . Justin can be found on Ext 218, PH 125, or in the Quiet Room (room 25) on the south side of the Great Hall. The Archives and the Wodehouse Library Take a visit to the past and enjoy the collection of archives. The Archive houses the Fellows’ Library which contains among other treasures: a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio, a Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493, a Mercator’s Atlas and tracts from the English Civil War. We also own the Reading collection of

manuscript music of the eighteenth century, Court Rolls from 1333 and the papers of the Dulwich College Estate from 1619 until recent times. There are also materials connected with Sir Ernest Shackleton and other famous Old Alleynians including manuscripts and letters of PG Wodehouse. Whilst here, why not head to the Wodehouse Library to enjoy some quiet time reading a magazine or borrow a book from the recommendation shelves.

Taking time for lunch Join your colleagues for lunch in the Christison Hall – try to do this at least once a week. Have a tea or coffee in the Common Room, or arrange to have lunch or a coffee in the Village or in West Dulwich.

Perhaps use one of your lunchtimes or a weekend visit to take in the art, exhibitions and culture at Dulwich Picture Gallery - your staff pass will gain you free entry.

Looking after yourself (and your family)

BUPA If you are a permanent member of staff (including if you are on a fixed term contract) you will be able to claim for any health expenses you incur that are covered by the plan. The cover being paid for by the College is Level 1, so you will be able to claim for up to the following amounts in a year:

Dental

£60

Dental injury

£200

Optical (including contact lenses)

£60

Consultations and diagnostics

£200

Hospital

£20 per day/night

(in-patient, day-surgery) maximum of 20 days/nights

Treatments

£150

(physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic, chiropody, acupuncture)

Prescriptions

£25

Health assessment

£100

Looking after yourself (and your family)

You also have access to: An online health assessment.

An employee assistance programme which provides telephone counselling, legal advice, debt counselling, consumer information, family and matrimonial advice, work and career guidance and management guidance. A health line which allows you to speak directly to a qualified nurse by phone 24/7. The scheme provides cover for yourself and up to four children (up to the age of 21) but not for a spouse or partner. There is, however, the option to pay yourself to upgrade your cover to level 2 or 3 or by adding a second adult if you wish and pay for this by monthly direct debit. All pre-existing conditions are covered.

Counselling

Counselling is available FREE to all staff with our in-college counsellor, Janet DeHeger. Janet works Monday-Wednesday from the Medical Centre - you can book an appointment by speaking with her in person, emailing dehegerj @ dulwich.org.uk or by popping into the Medical Centre. This is a confidential service.

Connect with people and animals

Join a group

Common Room Tea Parties Staff Reading Group

We meet at 5pm. We meet once a half term – on a Wednesday, but which Wednesday depends on members’ availability and what else is on the school calendar. Alex Fabian will send out regular emails to you to let you know the date and the book (and reminders too!). The group is open to teaching and operational staff and is very inclusive and friendly! Bailey the dog! Meet Bailey, he is growing fast and always ready to be taken for a walk.

Please contact: Caroline Fairhall

Matron/House Manager Ivyholme & Blew House, Dulwich College, London, SE21 7LD Telephone: 020 8299 9243 Email: fairhallcv @ dulwich.org.uk Sports Staff cricket will run in the summer term.

For those keen on squash we have a great link with Dulwich Squash club where Richard Clancy and Alex Iltchev are members. Watch a match Staff football takes place on themain astro on Friday at 4:15pm. Staff Cricket (Team is called ‘The Dusters’) matches in the summer term, matches take place on Thursday or Friday evenings every week at 6pm on the 1st XI Cricket Square.

DULWICH COLLEGE Dulwich Common, London, SE21 7LD www.dulwich.org.uk Registered Charity No 1150064