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Academic shares expertise for managing stress and wellbeing at Loughborough University and across the higher education sector

As we mark National Stress Awareness Month in April, we want to highlight the work of Professor David Fletcher, who has recently participated in a series of initiatives designed to combat stress and support wellbeing in higher education.

Headshot of David Fletcher

Professor Fletcher has been involved in several projects contributing to the University’s strategic theme, 'Sport, health and wellbeing' and more specifically, the development of “an active and accessible environment that…  benefits the physical and mental wellbeing of our staff, students and partners”. 

Despite having a background in elite sport, David began applying his work in higher education through input into the University’s wellbeing framework. He advised on the development of resilience for performance and wellbeing, including a presentation to colleagues discussing practical strategies to help better manage stress.   

David commented: “Performing under pressure is an essential skill that athletes must train if they are to reach the highest level of sport. There’s lot that can be learnt from the world’s best athletes to help us operate more effectively in the higher education sector. Developing skills to better manage the causes and consequences of stress will help everyone in universities to perform at the best of their abilities.” 

Following feedback from colleagues, Professor Neil Budworth, Director of Health, Safety and Wellbeing subsequently invited David to deliver training for the University’s senior leadership team on health and wellbeing. The training involved group reflection and discussions focused on the leadership behaviours that support leaders’ and colleagues’ wellbeing alongside their performance.   

One of the main messages from the sessions was that “stress doesn’t solely reside in students and staff – it may originate in the environment and culture that they work in. Senior leaders are responsible for creating and shaping the workplace conditions and, as such, they will likely need to learn and develop specialised leadership skills to enable their people to thrive.” 

As word spread of these initiatives, the Universities Safety and Health Association Chair, Vincent King, invited David to deliver a keynote presentation at their 2022 Annual Conference, entitled ‘Creating Psychologically Safe and Healthy Universities’.   

In his presentation, David emphasised that recent surveys suggest that perceptions of the psychosocial safety climate in UK universities (how well they manage psychological health and safety) are typically poor – more so than in studies of other organisations. He emphasised how crucial it is that those in positions of power prioritise this issue and develop a sector-wide strategy that positively impacts staff and students’ lives. 

Most recently, the University’s Organisational Development Hub invited David to act as a subject matter/technical specialist on the Project Expectations Steering Group and for the Development and Performance Workstream. Project Expectations seeks to make clear the new expectations required of staff in the context of the new Strategic Plan, aligning supporting systems, processes, and culture. 

Chief Operating Officer Richard Taylor remarked: “Raising awareness of the causes and cures of stress is an important part of this strategic theme. These initiatives provide examples of how we are attempting to enhance health and wellbeing at an operational level.  

“Over the coming years, I hope to see more of these types of activities that enable our staff and students to thrive across our campuses.” 

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