The Tasmanian Government has announced a new School Staff Wellbeing Response Team (SSWRT) will be implemented as part of the 2025-26 Budget spend.
Minister for Education, Jo Palmer said the launch of a new team will provide additional health and wellbeing support to staff in Government schools.
The SSWRT includes a manager with experience in mental health and wellbeing, and three regionally based wellbeing consultants to provide specialist support to school staff and leaders.
“As part of this investment, the establishment of the SSWRT will complement initiatives already underway to support, attract and retain more teachers,” said Minister Palmer.
“We value our amazing teachers and school staff, and we want everyone to feel supported when they come to work.
“Our school staff work in increasingly complex school environments, and we want to ensure they are better equipped to respond to the challenges they face within their role, including responding to critical incidents, while maintaining their health and wellbeing.”
The Minister said the SSWRT will work closely with existing school teams to deliver practical advice and assistance.
The team will initially work with an identified group of schools across the State, which will inform planning for 2026 and beyond, including opportunities to engage additional schools, and develop more proactive wellbeing supports for all our school staff, she said.
$1 million per year is being invested to fund the SSWRT, through the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.
The Tasmanian Government is also working to strengthen wellbeing support for staff through the development of a new model for Staff Wellbeing Support Services, to build upon the existing Employee Assistance Program, which is expected to commence later this year.
