Action Team Handbook 2012 [1.9M] [PDF] - KidsMatter

ACTION 

TEAM 

HANDBOOK 

2012

Acknowledgement 

KidsMatter Australian Primary Schools Mental Health Initiative 

has been developed in collaboration with beyondblue, the 

Australian Psychological Society, the Principals Australia 

Institute and, with funding from the Australian Government 

Department of Health and Ageing and beyondblue. 

Disclaimer 

While every care has been taken in preparing this publication, 

Beyond Blue Ltd, The Australian Psychological Society Ltd, 

Principals Australia Institute Inc and the Commonwealth 

of Australia do not, to the extent permitted by law, accept 

any liability for any injury, loss or damage suffered by any 

person arising from the use of, or reliance upon, the content 

of this publication. 

Important Notice 

KidsMatter Australian Primary Schools Mental Health Initiative 

and any other KidsMatter mental health initiatives are not to 

be confused with other businesses, programs or services 

which may also use the name ‘Kidsmatter’. 

Copyright 

© Commonwealth of Australia 2012 

This work is copyright. Provided acknowledgment is made 

to the sources, schools are permitted to copy material freely 

for communication with teachers, staff, students, parents, 

carers or community members. You may reproduce the whole 

or part of this work in unaltered form for your own personal use 

or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your 

organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use 

the reproduction for any commercial purpose and retain this 

copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that 

reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the 

Copyright Act 1968 or allowed by this copyright notice, all 

other rights are reserved and you are not allowed to reproduce 

the whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or 

otherwise) without first being given the specific written 

permission from the Commonwealth to do so. Requests and 

inquiries concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to 

Communications Branch, Department of Health 

and Ageing, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, 

or via e-mail to 

copyright@health.gov.au. 

While the resources are available freely for these purposes, 

to realise the full potential of KidsMatter Primary, it is 

recommended that the resources be used with the 

appropriate training and support under the KidsMatter Initiative. 

Last updated March 2012

CONTENTS 

05 

OVERVIEW: WHAT IS KIDSMATTER PRIMARY? 

PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE31 

06 

ABOUT IMPLEMENTING KIDSMATTER PRIMARY 

IN YOUR SCHOOL 

11 

KIDSMATTER PRIMARY SCHOOL ACTION TEAM: 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

18 

KIDSMATTER PRIMARY IMPLEMENTAION PROCESS 

23 

KIDSMATTER PRIMARY PLANNING TOOLS 

27 

HOW MIGHT KIDSMATTER PRIMARY BUILD 

ON WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING? 

STAFF SURVEYS

4 

Action Team Handbook KidsMatter Primary 

Overview 

What is 

KidsMatter 

Primary? 

KidsMatter Primary is a flexible, whole-school 

approach to children’s mental health and wellbeing 

for primary schools. It works both on its own and 

as an umbrella under which a school’s existing 

programs can comfortably fit. 

FOR MORE 

INFORMATION 

KidsMatter Primary 

provides the proven methods, 

tools and support to help 

schools, parents and carers, 

health services and the wider 

community nurture happy, 

balanced kids. 

Further information about KidsMatter 

Primary can be found on the website, 

including contact details for the KidsMatter 

Primary state and territory coordinators: 

www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary 

For specific enquiries about KidsMatter 

Primary implementation, phone the 

KidsMatter front desk 1800 543 767 

(1800 KIDSMP), or email 

frontdesk@kidsmatter.edu.au. 

KidsMatter Primary is a national initiative that 

aims to contribute to improving student mental 

health and wellbeing, reducing mental health 

difficulties amongst students, and increasing 

support for students experiencing mental 

health difficulties. 

KidsMatter Primary was developed in collaboration 

with beyondblue, the Australian Psychological 

Society, and the Principals Australia Institute, 

and with funding from the Australian Government 

Department of Health and Ageing and beyondblue. 

As a collaboration between education and health, 

KidsMatter Primary encourages joint involvement 

of both education and health sectors. 

Through KidsMatter Primary, schools undertake 

a two-to three-year cyclical process in which 

they plan and take action using a comprehensive 

whole-school approach to mental health 

promotion, prevention and early intervention. 

It allows for flexibility and can be tailored to 

schools’ local needs. In this way, KidsMatter 

Primary builds on the work schools are already 

doing to address the mental health of their 

students through national, state, territory and 

sector-based initiatives and policies. KidsMatter 

Primary provides a range of resources and support 

throughout the journey. 

The purpose 

of this handbook 

This handbook is a companion volume to 

KidsMatter Primary Essential Reading. It provides 

information about the importance of children’s 

mental health and wellbeing, the school’s role 

in working to improve this, and the key elements 

of KidsMatter Primary that have been designed 

to support schools in doing this work. 

This handbook aims to provide useful information 

to the people and teams – known as the Action 

Teams – in schools who lead and drive the 

implementation of KidsMatter Primary. It 

contains the tools necessary to guide them 

along this journey.

Action Team Handbook KidsMatter Primary 5 

About implementing 


Primary in 

your school 

Teachers play a central role in implementing KidsMatter Primary. 

The initiative has been carefully designed to ensure that all school 

staff will feel supported with resources and skills. 

Effective school change requires leadership 

and school community support – it needs 

to connect to core school values and goals. 

Change involves a long-term approach that 

systematically addresses key aspects of 

school structures and processes and these 

are built into the school’s strategic plan as 

part of an ongoing cycle of improvement. 

Action Teams are the key drivers of KidsMatter 

Primary. Using the core activities and tools of the 

KidsMatter Primary Initiative, the school Action 

Team works through a step-by-step process that 

is underpinned by theory and evidence-based 

research, taking the school through a series 

of professional learning components to support 

and inform the change process.

6 


Your school 

KidsMatter Action 

Team is essential 

Implementing KidsMatter Primary 

requires a planned and coordinated 

whole-school approach. It will be 

driven by a strong and enthusiastic 

Action Team and Principal who can 

demonstrate and articulate commitment 

through active engagement in all stages 

of the initiative. 

The Action Team is a vital element to the successful implementation of KidsMatter Primary. To be 

most effective, Action Teams should consist of three or more members who are representative of 

the school community. Members may include teachers, parents and carers, school leadership and 

student wellbeing staff. Action Teams should meet regularly to plan and coordinate the 

implementation of KidsMatter Primary. 

This Action Team Handbook, together with the professional learning, implementation support, 

network meetings and the state and territory KidsMatter Primary staff, provide the essential support 

to schools. The Action Team is expected to meet at least twice per term for a couple of hours over 

the period of the KidsMatter Primary implementation – approximately 18 months to three years. 

Thereafter, schools can tie the KidsMatter Primary process into their cyclical review and strategic 

planning process. 

Aim 

for a continuum of 

improvement across the 

core components 

KidsMatter Primary acknowledges that each 

school is different and that efforts may already be 

underway to address students’ mental health at 

your school. You should therefore aim to identify 

how well your school is currently meeting the 

KidsMatter Primary goals, and set school-specific 

goals addressing each of the four core KidsMatter 

Primary components. Your school is encouraged 

to move forward at a pace that is manageable, no 

matter how small the steps. KidsMatter Primary is 

flexible and can adjust to specific individual school 

circumstances. Ongoing review and renewal are 

promoted throughout the implementation of 

KidsMatter Primary. 

The idea is that KidsMatter Primary is never 

‘finished’. Once one set of goals has been 

achieved in a component, new goals can be 

set and worked on, or past goals can be revisited 

and refreshed. In this manner, KidsMatter Primary 

is continually responding to the changing needs 

of new students, staff and families who enter 

the school community each year. 

CORE COMPONENTS 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Component 1: 

Positive school community 

Component 2: 

Social and emotional 

learning (SEL) for students 

Component 3: 

Working with parents and carers 

Component 4: 

Helping children with 

mental health difficulties


The importance of the 

implementation process 

KidsMatter Primary Briefing 

(for principals and leaders) 

Your school may already be undertaking mental 

health and wellbeing activities and have effective 

planning practices and processes in place. 

KidsMatter Primary provides a process that your 

school can use to assess and evaluate your 

current practice. Where schools would like to 

review their needs comprehensively in relation to 

mental health and wellbeing, KidsMatter Primary 

will systematically guide the planning and 

implementation of a whole-school approach. 

This process prioritises consultation and 

professional learning with all staff so that their 

needs, concerns and participation are central 

to the planning and implementation process. It 

enables your school to identify its specific needs 

and concerns against the KidsMatter Primary 

Target Areas and Goals, which are based on 

evidence and use theoretical frameworks. You 

can then develop strategies that best address 

these concerns and review progress as necessary. 

It is flexible, so that you tailor it to meet the specific 

needs of your school, provide an opportunity for 

reflection, and build on what is already being 

achieved in the area of student mental health and 

wellbeing. In short, it supports the change process. 

Overview of KidsMatter Primary 

(for all interested people) 

Getting Started 

Working with KidsMatter Primary 

(for non-school staff) 

Attend the KidsMatter Primary 

professional learning events 

Change starts with the individual. KidsMatter 

Primary provides a range of free events that inform 

and guide staff through a professional program of 

learning. One aim of the training is to enable one 

or two staff members selected by your Action Team 

to be trained as professional learning facilitators 

in KidsMatter Primary Components 1 through to 4. 

They will conduct professional learning in each of 

the four KidsMatter Primary components with the 

whole staff to improve knowledge of mental health 

and wellbeing. The discussions, learning and 

feedback gained from these professional learning 

sessions all contribute to the change process. 

Nine different professional learning events 

are illustrated on the right of this page. 

(essential for School 

Action Teams) 

Implementation and 

Support Meetings 

(an ongoing series 

for Action Teams) 

Facilitating Components 

1, 2, 3, and 4 

(separate events 

for school facilitators)

8 


Seek external 

supporters and 

critical friends 

Where possible, it is strongly recommended that your school Action Team 

sources external supporters and critical friends who can assist with the 

implementation of KidsMatter Primary. KidsMatter schools have found 

this support helps them stay focused and motivated and brings alternate 

perspectives and resources. External supporters and critical friends, while not 

typically involved in school processes, are often already engaged in the 

school community in some way. External supporters can assist schools 

in professional learning delivery – in fact, this is highly recommended 

for the delivery of Components 3 and 4. 

Critical friends and supporters can be sourced in a variety of different ways. 

They may be: 

• education system personnel – student wellbeing officers, 

school counsellors or school psychologists 

• health and community personnel – mental health promotion 

officers, mental health workers, community health or community 

development officers 

• members of an Action Team from another KidsMatter school 

who are able to share learning from their own experiences 

• parents or carers with specialist skills or knowledge in mental 

health and wellbeing. 

Critical friends and supporters will have knowledge, skills and experience in: 

• mental health and wellbeing 

• parenting 

• working with diverse cultures, or 

• working with school culture change. 

They may have previous experience in implementing KidsMatter Primary.


It is helpful for individuals wishing to support KidsMatter Primary to attend the 

Working with KidsMatter Primary professional learning event which provides 

information about KidsMatter and how they can provide support and contribute 

to the implementation of KidsMatter Primary in schools. 

While the role of critical friend is, by definition, a flexible and supportive role, 

the premise behind it involves the following ideas: 

• providing an alternative perspective for the Action Team to consider 

• supporting the Action Team’s activities, possibly including 

attending meetings and using knowledge of group functioning 

to facilitate group processes 

• using previous knowledge, expertise and experiences to prompt critical 

reflection by the Action Team on ideas, beliefs and practices 

• assisting the Action Team to find information and solutions to problems 

• motivating the Action Team to continue when the initiative seems 

to be slowing 

• inspiring the ActionTeam. 

The critical friend may also support schools by facilitating professional 

learning in some or all of the four components.

10 



Primary 

School Action Team 

Roles and 

responsibilities 

Purpose of the Action Team 

The role of the Action Team is to: 

understand KidsMatter Primary and how it will 

benefit and work for your school community 

plan and lead the implementation of 

KidsMatter Primary within the school. 

Membership 

Each member of your Action Team is there to act as a spokesperson for each of the key 

groups that form your school community. The members of an Action Team vary depending 

on who is a part of your school community and may include: 

• the school principal or a member of leadership staff (strongly recommended) 

• a representative from the wellbeing or welfare team 

• a classroom teacher 

• a parent or carer representative 

• a representative of administration and other support staff 

• a leader of the community who might support a key group in your school, 

for example, a Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island elder, religious or 

cultural leader 

• community service staff who currently support your school, for example, 

school student support officers and other allied health professionals such 

as occupational therapists 

• a student representative, from the student council or other student 

group, who is able to actively contribute to the team. 

Action Teams can also be school teams for other initiatives that are happening 

at your school, who now identify KidsMatter Primary as a specific focus for the group.


Key tasks and 

responsibilities 

of the Action Team 

School principal and leadership staff 

KidsMatter Primary strongly recommends the 

participation of a school principal or member of 

leadership staff on the Action Team. The KidsMatter 

Primary evaluation and other KidsMatter Primary 

school feedback have shown that commitment from 

principals and school leadership staff is a key 

success factor in implementing and sustaining 

KidsMatter Primary in participating schools. 

Action Team Leader 

Every team, in any area of life, benefits from 

a leader who can coordinate what has to be done 

to achieve particular team goals. An Action Team 

leader has the responsibility of coordinating the 

steps and activities that need to happen at your 

school during the KidsMatter Primary journey. 

This can include scheduling meetings for the 

Action Team to discuss KidsMatter Primary, 

scheduling implementing activities such as the 

Staff Survey, and generally monitoring the 

progress of the initiative at your school. Other 

members would have their own responsibilities 

that ideally they have chosen or have appropriate 

skills and resources. The Action Team leader does 

not have to be the principal or leadership staff 

representative on the team. 

Meeting Chair 

The responsibility of meeting chair can be 

shared by Action Team members and doesn’t 

necessarily need to be the Action Team leader. 

This person’s responsibility will be to: 

• guide the meeting according to the 

agenda within the time available 

• ensure items for discussion end 

with a decision, action and outcome. 

In coordinating the initiative across the school, 

the Action Team will undertake the following 

key tasks: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gather relevant existing school data 

coordinate the delivery of the 

KidsMatter Primary staff presentation 

to all staff at the school 

organise and administer the 

Staff Survey to all staff in the school 

coordinate the collation of the 

Staff Survey responses 

analyse the School Mental 

Health Map 

develop and implement a School 

Action Plan for each KidsMatter 

Primary component that is tailored 

to school needs 

liaise with health and community 

supports and agencies to assist 

implementation in the school 

consult and meet with their external 

support personnel (critical friend) 

and attend school support network 

meetings on a regular basis 

provide a record of school progress 

in developing, implementing and 

reviewing the components.

12 


In addition, the Action Team will also play a major 

role in fostering ownership and engagement in the 

school community. 

This will involve: 

• building a shared school vision that 

highlights the contribution schools can 

make to children’s mental health and wellbeing 

• articulating that all staff members have an 

important part to play in promoting student 

mental health and addressing mental health 

concerns across the school 

• enhancing positive, collaborative working relationships with 

school staff so that their needs and concerns are addressed 

and to ensure they feel valued and included in the planning 

and implementation process 

• providing information about the links between 

children’s mental health and school success 

and supporting relationships with mental health 

professionals and community services to foster 

this in the school 

• keeping all school staff and the wider school 

community up-to-date with the progression 

of the initiative 

• guiding, inspiring, motivating and supporting 

the school staff to implement the initiative 

• striving to hear everyone’s voices and foster 

inclusiveness of the whole school population. 

The Action Team 

will have access to data from the 

school community and, accordingly, 

confidentiality will be required. Action 

team members may also become known 

within the school as contact people in 

relation to mental health and wellbeing. 

Members should not feel pressured to 

respond in ways that are outside 

of their usual role within 

the school. 

What makes for a successful school Action Team? 

Well-functioning, effective groups tend to be cohesive, have all members actively contribute (Johnson 

and Johnson, 2003) and have a shared group vision (Akrivou, Boyatzis & McLeod, 2006). In addition, 

successful groups tend to have strong and consistent supportive leadership (Sobeck, Abbey & Agius, 

2006) that results in active involvement in defining priorities, offering incentives, establishing consensus 

and managing the implementation process (Durlak & DuPre, 2008). 

Successful Action Teams typically have a well thought out, coordinated, whole-school approach that is 

driven by a strong and enthusiastic leadership team and a supportive principal who can demonstrate 

and articulate commitment through active engagement in all stages of the initiative. Rather than having 

to seek approval outside of meetings, the presence of a leadership staff member like the school principal 

or deputy principal on the Action Team allows for approval to be given in meetings. 

An effective team also has simple procedures in place to assist with decision-making and problemsolving 

(Speer & Zippay, 2005). This includes having clear agendas, thoroughly documenting meeting 

minutes and progress reports, and matching allocated tasks to the skill-set of individual group members 

so that members’ roles and responsibilities are clearly defined (Armstrong & Priola, 2001).


What has helped other Action Teams 

implement KidsMatter Primary? 

School Action Teams that have participated in 

KidsMatter Primary have found that a number of 

factors contributed to their functioning and success 

in implementing component plans. These have 

included: 

Membership stability 

A high level of staff turnover is often an issue in 

the school context. Staff changes, causing high 

membership instability, can impact upon a group’s 

belief in the continuing ability to achieve its goals. 

Schools may need to make allowances for this by 

having proxy team members attend Action Team 

training or becoming involved in a minor way. This 

is particularly important when it is anticipated that 

staff changes are likely or imminent. 

Representative membership 

• having the principal as a member 

of the team 

• having parents or carers as members 

from the beginning 

• having a cross-section of representatives 

from the school community 

• inviting proxy team members or others 

from the school who could become team 

members if needed. 

Meetings 

• scheduling regular times to meet 

• ensuring release time from teaching 

duties for meetings 

• developing a detailed agenda for each 

meeting to keep track of timelines, plans, 

goals and achievements 

• setting planned review meetings 

• using a data projector so everyone can 

see the component plans 

• sharing food while meeting or providing 

food (especially where staff give up their 

own time). 

School and Action Team members 

• making time to complete tasks 

• making KidsMatter Primary a priority 

in the school including at staff meetings 

– it’s otherwise easy for other issues 

to take over 

• working collaboratively with school staff, 

parents, carers and the wider community 

• encouraging all members to contribute 

actively to the group 

• being committed and enthusiastic 

• taking small steps – whole-school change 

takes time 

• working hard to get all staff on board 

– whole-school collaboration is vital 

for success 

• planning collaboratively – teachers 

modifying strategies for their own classes. 

Planning for sustainability 

• recognising that Action Team membership 

will not remain static 

• actively monitoring and preparing for 

Action Team membership to ensure 

succession planning can be built 

into plans. 

NOTES

14 


Team effectiveness develops over time 

It takes time for a group to develop and work 

effectively. Group development theory 

suggests that groups have a natural cycle 

and go through different stages. Educational 

Psychologist, Bruce Tuckman (1965) 

identified five distinct stages that groups 

typically move through. Groups need to 

experience the initial stages of forming, 

storming, and norming before maximum 

effectiveness is achieved in the performing 

stage. Group developmental theory has an 

underlying assumption that most groups do 

not operate forever and as such, the final 

stage is adjourning, which involves group 

termination. These five stages can be helpful 

in understanding the way in which school 

Action Teams evolve on the road 

to becoming more effective. 

As you can see from the table on the 

following page, conflict (storming) is a 

natural part of group development and 

learning to deal effectively with it is an 

important part of group development. 

Groups that are not able to deal with conflict 

effectively when it occurs risk staying in the 

storming phase and therefore potentially 

disbanding. It is also important to note that 

groups may regress back to the storming 

stage when issues arise. Moreover, not all 

groups are successful in progressing 

through each of the different stages. 

See the table on the next page for more 

information about Tuckman’s theory of group 

development. You can use this information to 

support the school Action Team’s transition 

through each stage and to assist in reflecting 

on what your role might be. 

As an Action Team, consider: 

How will you know you have reached each 

of the different stages of team functioning? 

NOTES


Forming 

Group tasks 

Getting to know each other 

• Developing trust and openness 

• Sharing and belonging 

• Defining the tasks and how they 

will be accomplished 

How will we know we have reached this stage? 

Group behaviour 

Members may display anxiety or apprehension about what the group is going 

to do but will also be excited about starting something new. There will tend to 

be dependency on the group leader and many questions will be asked. Some 

members may dominate the group and development of sub-groups and 

splitting may occur. 

Storming 

Group tasks 

Defining one’s place in the group 

• Establishing roles and relationships 

• Dealing with conflict over one’s position in 

the group: individual versus group needs 

• Dependence versus independence 

• Deciding whether or not to accept and 

commit to group goals 



Members can display heightened emotions or ambivalence. There may be 

some hostility or resistance towards leaders, or KidsMatter Primary and group 

member focus is generally on difficulties or obstacles. Conflict is common in 

this stage, especially regarding roles in the group and power and control. 

Scapegoating and member drop-outs are also often seen in this stage. 

Norming 

Group tasks 

Development of trust, cohesion and genuine 

support between members 

• Establishment of group norms 

– rules, limits, consequences 


In this stage, development of group spirit, cooperation and support occurs. 

The team is starting to work well together. All members are welcomed and 

accepted in the group. Group members develop a shared ‘can do’ attitude 

and experience freedom of communication. 


Performing 

Group tasks 

Becoming self-sufficient 

• Resolving dependency issues 

• Using own and others’ skills and resources 

• Supporting and challenging each other to 

achieve goals 

• Identifying with the group and feeling a sense 

of solidarity 


Group members are resourceful, goal-oriented, friendly and supportive 

towards one another and highly energised. They experience a sense of 

satisfaction about achievements and the contributions they have made and 

the group achievements to date. Behaviour is less dependent on the leader. 

(Unfortunately not all groups reach this stage.) 

The team has settled its relationships and expectations. 


Adjourning 

Group tasks 

Planning for goal maintenance 

• Completing unfinished business 

• Dealing with feelings about termination 

• Ritual ending or celebration 

• Disengagement 


When the end of the work period is near, the behaviour of some members 

may deteriorate or regress. Behaviours that were seen in the initial two 

phases may resurface due to feelings of sadness, loss, concern or grief for the 

leaving leader or termination of group. This may be shown in many questions 

being asked again. It is important to Identify and celebrate group 

achievements before termination or as part of starting the KidsMatter Primary 

Review process. 

How will we know we have reached this stage?

16 


Get to know 

the resources 

for KidsMatter 

Primary 

implementation 

KidsMatter Primary provides your school’s Action 

Team with the information, resources and support 

they need to have the best chance of effectively 

implementing KidsMatter Primary. This includes: 

State and territory staff 

who provide professional 

learning and support to your 

school, and build partnerships 

with health and education 

sectors. Contact details are 

on the website. 

Professional learning events 

for school and non-school based 

professionals to support your 

school throughout the KidsMatter 

Primary journey. Register on 

the KidsMatter website. 

Website 

www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary 

with a comprehensive and growing 

range of resources, including 

the following: 

Programs Guide: to assist schools in making informed decisions when selecting 

appropriate social, emotional and mental health programs 

Information sheets: for teachers, parents and carers, and health professionals 

Posters: designed to promote the four components and key KidsMatter Primary 

messages for displaying around the school 

Online event calendar: staff register to attend events in their local region 

Online tools: developed to assist schools in planning 

School stories: share strategies and best practice 

E-newsletters: both state-based and national 

Documents: Teaching and learning resources to download, like the KidsMatter 

Primary Essential Reading and this Action Team Handbook



Primary 

Implementation process 

The following flow chart 

outlines the implementation 

process of KidsMatter 

Primary in your school. 

Register interest 

on KidsMatter 

website 

• Leadership attends KidsMatter Briefing 

• People interested in additional information attend KidsMatter Overview 

and, for non school staff, Working with KidsMatter Primary 

Obtain school 

community 

support 

• Deliver KidsMatter Briefing to staff 

• Complete KidsMatter Statement of Committment 

Establish school 

Action Team to 

drive KidsMatter 

in your school 

• Action Team attends Getting Started 

• Action Team coordinates implementation 

The school Action Team, after having attended Getting Started professional learning, will undertake 

the following, which is detailed in the KidsMatter step-bystep implementation process 

• Seek a ‘critical friend’ to attend Working 

with KidsMatter Primary and to provide 

ongoing support to the Action Team. 

• Conduct Staff Surveys with staff and 

gather other data from the school 

community and assess results. 

• Identify professional learning facilitator(s) 

who attend Facilitating Components 1, 2, 

3, and 4. 

• Send a minimum of one or two members 

to implementation support and network 

meetings. 

• Organise with school leadership for all 

staff to attend four three-to-four-hour 

sessions of KidsMatter component 

professional learning (in-school). 

• Consult with and involve, wherever 

possible, the broader school community 

in the development and implementation 

of the KidsMatter Primary mental health 

and wellbeing component plans. 

• Ensure regular feedback to the 

school leadership and broader school 

community. 

• Place the KidsMatter Primary mental 

health and wellbeing component plans 

together as one document within the 

school’s broader strategic plan and cyclic 

school improvement/review process.

18 


The KidsMatter Primary 

Implementation Process 

Getting started 

Once your school has committed to KidsMatter 

Primary, the first step is to form your Action Team 

and attend the Getting Started event. This session 

provides information about the content of KidsMatter 

Primary, its underpinning mental health concepts, and 

processes and tools for aiding implementation while 

supporting school priorities and strategic planning. 

Schools receive all the resources they require to begin 

KidsMatter Primary. 

Getting started 

Action Team communicates 

with the school community 

Action Team communicates 

with the school community 

It is important that there is ongoing communication 

about KidsMatter Primary between the school 

community and the members of the school Action 

Team. This can be done through ensuring school 

staff and interested community members have seen 

the ‘Introduction to KidsMatter Primary Film’ and been 

provided with introductory information, as well as 

regular updates as the initiative develops. There are 

many ways your school may decide to share 

information with students, staff, parents and the 

broader community. For example, it may include 

newsletter articles, updates at staff meetings, space 

in the staff room and front reception area. Keeping 

your principal regularly briefed about this 

communication is a critical role of the Action Team. 

KidsMatter also regularly develops new tools to assist 

Action Teams, which are available on the website 

www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary.


Action Team distributes the KidsMatter Primary Staff Surveys to all staff 

An essential element of successfully implementing a whole-school initiative such as KidsMatter 

Primary is to ensure that the opinions and concerns of staff are taken into account, together with 

those of students and parents and carers. Teachers and school staff are highly valued and need 

to be included early in the planning process, especially since they will be closely involved in 

implementing KidsMatter Primary. 

The staff consultation process for KidsMatter Primary requires all staff to complete four short 

surveys. The survey asks staff for their perspectives on what they, and the school, are 

currently doing to promote students’ mental health and wellbeing, and their views on the 

school’s current activities. This relates directly to the areas covered by the four components. 

The surveys can be found in the next section: KidsMatter Primary planning tools. Staff can complete the 

surveys online (www.cvent.com/d/vcqlnj) for automatic collation of results. Let your state or territory 

KidsMatter Primary project officer know if you would like to do the survey online so that your school 

can be provided with password access to your results. Alternatively, the surveys can be photocopied 

and distributed to all staff. The Excel Staff Survey Collation Tool, available on the website, can be used 

to hand-enter the data from the survey and create graphs to provide a useful picture of the staff 

response for each question. Either way, once the information has been collated, short 

summary statements should be made on your School Mental Health Map in the space 

provided. These statements should succinctly describe the current situation at your 

school according to the staff perceptions from the survey. 

Gathering initial views is important as your school commences implementation. 

This provides a starting point for collecting evidence and measuring progress from 

this point as your school progresses along the KidsMatter journey. Then each survey 

is conducted again, after each round of training. This will help your school assess change 

by comparing pre and post-training results, ensuring that the views of staff have relevance and 

meaning in informing the changes and improvements the school makes as a result of the Kidsmatter 

Primary Initiative. The completion of all four surveys at the start of the journey, and again after each 

of the four component training sessions, will provide you with substantial information to enable you 

to measure your progress. This information will automatically be collated and transferred onto a 

mental health and wellbeing map focused around the KidsMatter Target Areas for your school, to 

assist you with developing your component plans. It is recommended that schools then survey staff 

annually thereafter to ensure a continued cycle of improvement. This information will form the basis 

of the processes used to recognise your school as a ‘KidsMatter School’ when you complete the 

necessary steps. 

It is recommended 

that all four staff 

surveys are completed 

well before any 

whole-school component 

training begins.

20 


Action Team identifies a facilitator 

to deliver the component training 

The facilitator or facilitators might be sourced 

from staff at your school or an external 

education, health or community agency. The 

state and territory KidsMatter Primary staff 

can help you identify appropriate people to 

facilitate professional learning at your school. 

It is highly recommended that school Action 

Teams work in partnership with appropriate 

mental health and parenting support 

professionals in the delivery of Component 

3, and mental health professionals in the 

delivery of Component 4. 

KidsMatter Primary provides professional 

learning and support for these facilitators. 

They register online on the KidsMatter 

Primary website, and attend one-day 

KidsMatter Primary professional learning 

facilitating sessions for each component. 

Each day familiarises participants with the 

content of the component area and the wholeschool-staff 

processes of the professional 

learning. It also prepares participants to 

deliver the professional learning effectively 

to schools. 

Whole-staff professional learning 

in each component 

When ready, the Action Team arranges for 

all staff, including ancillary staff, to participate 

in the component professional learning. 

KidsMatter recommends you commence with 

Component 1 as this lays the foundation for all 

the other components. Training is usually held 

at the school and can be delivered in one 

three-to-four-hour session, or over a number of 

sessions, depending on what is convenient for 

the school and the facilitator. It is expected that 

over about an 18-month to three-year period all 

staff will attend the professional learning in all 

four components. Schools need to schedule 

the professional learning and work through 

KidsMatter Primary at a pace that suits their 

community. To suit specific school needs, 

options include breaking down whole 

components into smaller after-school sessions. 

Speak to your state or territory KidsMatter 

Primary Project Officer about what might best 

suit your school. 

Accessing a supporter or critical friend, 

and attending implementation support 

and network meetings 

Some schools have greater access to a 

range of support systems, such as KidsMatter 

Primary networks, community, cultural or health 

agencies and student support services. If your 

school has fewer options, think creatively and 

proactively about the different people and forms 

of support available within your community. 

It may be helpful to begin sourcing external 

supporters or critical friends by liaising with your 

existing connections within the community. For 

example, if you have worked successfully with 

a school psychologist in your region, approach 

them to discuss the role and ascertain whether 

they or one of their colleagues would be 

interested in supporting your school. Often 

parents may have specialist expertise or 

experience. It is also strongly recommended 

that you contact your state or territory KidsMatter 

Primary coordinator or project officer to discuss 

the availability of experienced external 

supporters or critical friends in your local area. 

All those interested in supporting KidsMatter 

Primary at any level are strongly encouraged 

to attend Working with KidsMatter Primary 

professional learning, to better understand 

the possibilities for supporting the Action Team 

and school. 

Implementation support and network meetings 

provide another avenue of support for 

KidsMatter Primary schools. These workshops 

are organised by KidsMatter Primary state and 

territory staff to provide an opportunity for 

sharing experiences and exchanging ideas 

about the implementation of KidsMatter Primary. 

In addition to building networks and collegial 

support, these workshops also provide 

additional professional learning and support 

from KidsMatter Primary staff to enhance the 

implementation process.


Action Team leads the school to address each KidsMatter Primary component 

Specific target areas and goals have been identified for each of the four KidsMatter Primary 

components. Within the component, each goal needs to be addressed. It is recommended that 

you do this in a planned, strategic and systematic way. If your school doesn’t have a preferred 

process, we highly recommend that you develop an overall component plan. 

Define the issues by writing 

a summary statement to describe 

your school’s current situation 

This first step helps to clarify the current situation at your school in 

relation to the issue and exactly what needs to be addressed. List 

issues identified, including any supporting data, ensuring the needs 

and views of the school community have been included. 

Set goals based on each 

summary statement 

Setting goals enables you to identify what you want or need to do 

in relation to the identified issue i.e., what you are going to work on. 

Don’t forget to consult with the school community during this process. 

Identify any concerns 

in achieving goals 

This step helps to identify and explore any concerns or barriers at 

your school that might get in the way of you achieving goals. It is 

important here to consult with your school community. 

Develop a broad range of 

options/strategies to address 

concerns and achieve goals 

This step provides the opportunity to brainstorm, together with your 

school community, a broad and creative range of options/strategies 

for addressing the concerns and meeting the goals. 

Evaluate feasibility of each 

option/strategy 

Once the options have been identified, the feasibility of each 

one is evaluated in this step. 

Formalise the component plan 

The feasible options/strategies that best address the identified 

concerns and will achieve the goals set are put into a coherent plan, 

with times to review and resources required. Schools might consider 

how to present the plan to the school community for their feedback 

prior to being finalised. 

Implement the plan and review 

The action plan can now be carried out, and should be reviewed 

at regular intervals and adjusted if necessary. The action plan is 

incorporated into the school’s strategic plan as part of core business. 

Using evidence – for example from School Survey 

results or data or consultation with parents, carers 

or students – and ideas generated during the 

component professional learning sessions, Action 

Teams develop a plan of action and strategies for 

each component. These strategies are written into 

the KidsMatter Primary component plans. This 

process is used to develop a plan that incorporates 

planning through problem-solving and a review 

of the implementation of each component. 

The planning process is comprehensive and 

designed to deal with implementation issues that 

may arise, including addressing any concerns or 

issues that teachers and school staff that may be 

present in the school. 

If you need them, there are instructions for working 

through the planning process in the next section. 

You will also find four blank component plans at the 

end of this handbook that can assist you to develop 

your school’s component plan. 

Electronic copies of all tools are available 

on the website www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary 

or contact us on 1800 543 767 or at 

frontdesk@kidsmatter.edu.au. 

These KidsMatter Primary component plans sit 

together as the mental health and wellbeing arm of 

the school’s strategic plan. This is why providing 

regular progress updates and support to school 

leadership is so important. There should be no 

surprises when the final KidsMatter mental health 

and wellbeing plan, comprising the four component 

plans, is presented to the leadership team in 

your school.

22 



Primary 

Planning tools 

The step-by-step implementation process 

Follow these instructions for each step of the process: 

STEP 

Use the process to define the 

issues by writing a summary 

statement to describe your 

school’s current situation 

STEP 

Set school-specific goals based 

on each summary statement 

A summary statement of your school’s current 

situation for each KidsMatter Primary goal has 

already been created in the Staff Survey collation 

tool. 

Write the summary statement for each goal on the 

component plan. 

List additional issues identified from school 

community. Include any supporting data, ensuring 

the identified needs and views of the school 

community have been included. 

Identify a school-specific goal based on each 

summary statement for your school to work on. 

Make the goals clear and simple (for example, staff 

will increase parent contact by 25 per cent by the 

end of term). 

Write the goal next to each summary statement on 

the component plan. 

Don’t forget to consult with the school community. 

When goal-setting,set SMART goals: 

Useful tip: 

Action Teams need to be sensitive to the 

issues that they are identifying and decide if it 

is in the best interests of the school to share 

some specific concerns with the broader 

community and how this can be done 

appropriately. Privacy and confidentiality need 

to be in place to respect the school community. 

Specific: 

Measurable: 

Achievable: 

Relevant: 

Goals should be well-defined 

and clear. 

How will you know when the goal 

is achieved? What will you see? 

What will be different? 

The goals should be realistic and 

take into account the current 

situation. 

The goals should meet the needs 

of the school and consider why the 

goal is important to the context. 

Time specific: Be clear about when the goals are 

to be achieved.


STEP 

Identify any concerns in 

achieving goals 

STEP 

Develop a broad range of 

options or strategies to address 

concerns and achieve goals 

List any concerns you have in achieving the 

school-specific goal for each KidsMatter Primary 

goal. It is important here to consult with your school 

community and listen to their concerns. 

Concerns can be identified from relevant 

information using the KidsMatter Primary Staff 

Survey collation tool, including: 

– Teacher and school staff attitude or belief survey 

questions for this component. 

– Collated significant comments or concerns from 

individual staff. 

List the concerns next to each school-specific goal 

on the component plan. 

Use a brainstorming process with your school 

community to generate as many ideas as possible 

to address the concerns and school-specific goals 

for each KidsMatter Primary goal. School stories 

and ideas generated at the Facilitating 

Components 1, 2, 3 and 4 sessions and the 

website will assist with this. 

Suspend judgement of each idea until the next step, 

as this may interfere with the creative process. 

This step is best done using a range of strategies 

to gather ideas – a whiteboard or butcher’s paper 

near the school office, student focus groups, a 

tear-off sheet in the school newsletter. Do not 

decide which strategies to include on your 

component plan until the next step. 

It is recommended that the whole-school 

community be involved in the brainstorming 

process. Consider delegating Action Team 

members with responsibility for getting feedback 

from different members of the school community 

such as staff, parents and carers, and students. 

At the end of this process you should have a long 

list of possible options or strategies to address the 

concerns and school-specific goals for each 

KidsMatter Primary goal. 

Useful tip: 

The initial burst of strategies during brainstorming 

will usually generate ones that would have been 

considered anyway. It is important to move beyond 

this point and be creative about options.

24 


STEP 

Evaluate the feasibility of each 

option or strategy 

STEP 

Formalise your component plan 

You are now ready to decide on the most feasible 

strategies for addressing each KidsMatter Primary 

goal of the component. When evaluating the 

feasibility of each option, consider the following 

issues: 

How well does your option meet your schoolspecific 

goal? 

What will be the ‘cost’ of this option – time, 

money, staffing? 

Do we have the resources (time, money, staffing) 

to achieve this option? 

What would be the outcome of this option? 

Does this option reflect a whole-school approach? 

Does this option reflect our school’s values, vision 

and mission and broader goals? 

Work down your list of options or strategies and 

write down the feasibility issues for each option. 

Evaluate the feasibility of each option 

(according to the issues) by assigning 

a rating out of 3 

1 = not feasible, 

2 = somewhat feasible, 

3 = most feasible. 

Highlight the most feasible options for each 

KidsMatter Primary goal. 

Do not include this information on the component 

plan – the best options will be finalised and put in 

the plan in the next step. 

The component plan only provides a general guide 

for implementation of each action. For more 

detailed planning, ask the staff members 

responsible for each particular action to prepare 

more comprehensive plans and time lines, 

consulting as required with the broader school 

community and principal. Over time, the component 

plan should be considered in relation to actions 

from the other components to ensure that one staff 

member or group is not burdened with too many 

tasks, and that work is manageable and dispersed 

across the school year. In planning actions, it is also 

important to ensure that resources are not overused 

and that dates for events do not clash. 

It is important to plan for a review of the component 

plan after the beginning of the implementation to 

enable any necessary adjustments to be made. 

This will allow the progress of the plan to be 

monitored and reviewed. 

Based on your feasibility ratings, choose the most 

appropriate actions to address each KidsMatter 

Primary goal. 

Add your agreed actions to the component plan. 

For each agreed action of the component plan, 

define: 

– Resources required – for example, professional 

learning programs, materials. 

– Person responsible. 

– Time frames – start and completion dates. 

– Review dates – when you will revisit and review 

your plan and make adjustments if needed. 

– Consultation on the draft component plan prior 

to finalisation and formal adoption. It is 

essential to include the school principal in this 

consultation, and the input of the community 

is also encouraged.


STEP 

Implement the plan 

and then review 

Each component plan is developed, implemented 

and reviewed in turn. 

Begin delivering the actions described in your plan, 

according to the agreed time frame. 

Set regular Action Team review meetings where 

you can revisit the KidsMatter Primary mental 

health and wellbeing component plans and make 

adjustments if needed. 

In review, check that you are still working towards 

the agreed goals and making progress. 

Adjust the component plans following the review 

and continue to implement. 

Efforts in Component 1 can continue while schools 

turn their focus to Component 2, and so on. 

Strategies implemented under each of the 

components can be undertaken simultaneously 

and address more than one component. 

Once all four plans are developed, the individual 

component plans can be joined together to form 

a KidsMatter Primary mental health and wellbeing 

plan. School leadership can incorporate this as the 

mental health and wellbeing arm of the school’s 

strategic plan, as part of the school’s core business.

KidsMatter Primary builds on the work schools are already doing in relation to addressing the mental health and wellbeing of their students. 

26 


How might 

KidsMatter Primary 

build on what we are already doing? 

This table from the Getting Started professional learning event 

can be used to write down what your school is currently doing 

to promote mental health and wellbeing, noting how it may relate 

to your school’s vision.


Component 1: 


Component 2: 


learning for students 

School vision: 

How does KidsMatter Primary 

align with this vision? 

Component 3: 

Working with parents and carers 

Component 4: 


mental health difficulties 

Could be printed on A3 paper for whole staff to contribute to.

28 


Checklist 

The steps below can be used to guide the Action Team through the 

KidsMatter Primary implementation process and to document your journey. 

TASKS 

NOTES 

CHECK 

Establishing Action Team roles: 

Is the Action Team representative 

of the whole-school community? 

Leading the Action Team: 

Who is best placed to take 

on this role? 

Identifying external support 

or critical friend: 

Which external community, health 

or education based personnel could 

support the Action Team? 

Are there any KidsMatter Primary 

schools nearby that the Action Team 

can connect with? 

Planning Meetings: 

How often will we meet? 

When will we meet? 

Planning professional learning: 

Who will be the facilitator(s)? 

Raising school staff awareness 

and delivering staff presentation: 

When will we present to all staff? 

Who will lead the presentation? 

Family and community 

awareness-raising: 

How will we raise awareness to the 

whole-school community? 

Distributing Staff Survey: 

When and how? 

Consulting with families, students 

and whole school community: 

When and how? 

Starting component planning: 

When and how? 

Plan for delivering professional 

learning for staff on each 

component. 

Delegating and sharing tasks 

across school community: 

When and how?


References 

Akrivou, K.l, Boyatzis, R.E., & McLeod, P.L. (2006), 

The evolving group: Towards a prescriptive theory of 

intentional group development. Journal of Management 

Development, 25(7), 671 – 688. 

Armstrong, S.J. & Priola, V. (2001), Individual 

differences in cognitive style and their effects on task 

and social orientations of self-managed work teams. 

Small Group Research,32(3), 283 – 312. 

Durlak, J.A. & DuPre, E.P. (2008), Implementation 

Matters: A Review of Research on the Influence of 

Implementation on Program Outcomes and the Factors 

affecting Implementation. American Journal of 

Community Psychology, 41 (3/4), 327 – 350. 

Johnson, D.W. & Johnson, F.P. (2003), Joining together: 

Group theory and group skills (8th ed.). Needham 

Heights, MA US: Allyn & Bacon. 

Sobeck, J.L., Abbey, A., & Agius, E. (2006), Lessons 

Learned from Implementation School-based Substance 

Abuse Prevention Curriculums. Children & Schools, 

28 (2), 77 – 85. 

Speer, P.W. & Zippay, A. (2005), Participatory Decision- 

Making among Community Coalitions: An Analysis of 

Task Group Meetings. Administration in Social Work, 

29(3), 61 – 77. 

Tuckman, B.W. (1965), Developmental sequence in 

small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384 – 399.

30 


Staff Surveys 

Instructions for online survey 

Staff can complete the surveys online for automatic collation of results 

(www.cvent.com/d/vcqlnj). To view your school’s results promptly, please 

contact your KidsMatter Primary project officer or the KidsMatter Data Manager 

(surveysupport@kidsmatter.edu.au) to receive your username and password 

details to access your school’s secure reports. All surveys are completely 

anonymous and only show averaged results from your staff. 

Instructions for paper-based surveys 

Alternatively, the following surveys can be manually copied and distributed 

to all staff at a suitable time. The Excel Staff Survey Collation Tool is used 

to enter staff responses from the survey and interactively creates graphs to 

provide a useful picture for each question. The questions are directly linked to 

each Target Area on the School Mental Health Map. Short summary statements 

should be made for each Target Area and Goal on the Mental Health Map. 

These statements should succinctly describe the current situation at your 

school according to the staff perceptions from the survey. 

After school staff members have completed the survey, enter their scores into 

the spreadsheet by placing a number in the box which corresponds with their 

answer to each item, working down the column: 

1 = Strongly disagree 2 = Somewhat disagree 

3 = Neutral 4 = Somewhat agree 

5 = Strongly agree 

As survey scores are entered, a bar graph will automatically be generated for 

each question, and automatically transferred onto the School Mental Health 

Map, which provides an overall ‘picture’ of your school. 

KidsMatter Primary School 

Mental Health Map 

The Mental Health Map sets out the four KidsMatter components with the Target 

Areas and Goals for each. The information from your completed Staff Survey 

collation is carried over to the Mental Health Map. Scores have been ‘averaged’ 

for those Target Areas that are assessed by several questions, in order to 

estimate your school’s position in that Target Area. 

Write a summary statement in the space next to each graph which succinctly 

describes the current situation at your school according to your staff’s ratings 

(see example below).


Staff Survey 

Component 1: 


Survey instructions 

An important aspect of implementing KidsMatter 

Primary is the consultation process with the school 

community and, in particular, school staff. Your 

responses to this survey will help inform the 

planning of KidsMatter Primary in your school. 

Some questions are about your work and your 

opinions as a staff member and some questions 

ask for your impression of what your school does in 

different areas relevant to children’s mental health. 

• It is important that you give your honest 

views and not be overly positive. It is okay 

to disagree with statements if that is your 

honest view. 

• Your views about your school are 

important. Although not every question 

may seem relevant to you, please answer 

each question as best you can. Only leave 

a question blank if it definitely does not 

apply to you (e.g. it asks about your class, 

but you are not a teacher). 

• Gathering initial views and then posttraining 

view are important, as your school 

begins its journey. This provides a starting 

point for collecting evidence and can be 

used to assess progress as your school 

moves along the KidsMatter Primary 

journey. 

Your responses are anonymous in this survey, so do not put your name on this form. 

Please circle the rating that best fits your opinion of each statement. 

1. Supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing is a central part of my role. 

Strongly disagree Somewhat disagree Neutral Somewhat agree Strongly agree 

1 2 3 4 5 

2. Our school can make a real difference towards improving students’ mental health and wellbeing. 


1 2 3 4 5 

3. Supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing helps reduce behavioural problems 

and improves their academic learning outcomes. 


1 2 3 4 5 

4. I understand who makes up our school community and what’s important to them. 


1 2 3 4 5 

5. Making the time to get to know students is a priority for me. 


1 2 3 4 5

32 


6. I feel valued and respected at our school. 


1 2 3 4 5 

7. Relationships between staff members are respectful and responsive. 


1 2 3 4 5 

8. Relationships between staff and students are respectful and responsive. 


1 2 3 4 5 

9. Relationships between staff and families are respectful and responsive. 


1 2 3 4 5 

10. Members of our school community feel welcome and included, and this is reflected in our 

policies and practices. 


1 2 3 4 5 

11. Our school has specific policies and practices that promote inclusion and a safe environment. 


1 2 3 4 5 

12. Our school communicates in a variety of ways to meet the diverse needs of our students 

and families. 


1 2 3 4 5 

13. The contributions of diverse cultures and groups are encouraged in our school. 


1 2 3 4 5 

14. Our school offers diverse opportunities for students and families to participate in a range 

of activities (e.g., special projects, social and community activities). 


1 2 3 4 5 

15. Our school provides opportunities for all members of the school community to share their 

views and contribute to school decisions. 


1 2 3 4 5 

Do you have any other comments or concerns related to your school community?


Staff Survey 

Component 2: 


learning for students 














honest view. 



1. Improving students’ social and emotional skills supports their academic learning. 


1 2 3 4 5 

2. There are many benefits from teaching social and emotional learning in my classroom, like 

improved behaviour and learning. 


1 2 3 4 5 

3. I know about the social and emotional skills that children need to effectively manage feelings 

and behaviours, get on with others, make appropriate decisions, and solve problems. 


1 2 3 4 5 

4. I know how to teach social and emotional skills to my students. 














journey. 


1 2 3 4 5

34 


5. It is important that the social and emotional curriculum focuses on developing competencies 

for self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible 

decision-making. 


1 2 3 4 5 

6. Our school is guided by evidence when it selects social and emotional learning programs 

for students. 


1 2 3 4 5 

7. Social and emotional skills are taught formally and integrated as part of the regular 

curriculum at our school. 


1 2 3 4 5 

8. Teaching of social and emotional learning is viewed holistically in our curriculum. 


1 2 3 4 5 

9. I am a role model to students of social and emotional skills. 


1 2 3 4 5 

10. I actively support students in developing social and emotional skills through daily interactions. 


1 2 3 4 5 

11. I provide opportunities for students to practise and adapt their social and emotional skills in 

a range of daily interactions in and out of the classroom. 


1 2 3 4 5 

12. Information is provided to families about our school’s approach to social and emotional learning. 


1 2 3 4 5 

13. I work collaboratively with families in developing students’ social and emotional skills. 


1 2 3 4 5 



Staff Survey 

Component 3: 

Working with parents 

and carers 














honest view. 














journey. 



1. Building collaborative relationships with parents and carers is a priority for our school. 


1 2 3 4 5 

2. Children’s mental health and wellbeing is better supported when home and school work together. 


1 2 3 4 5 

3. I build effective collaborative and supportive relationships with the parents and carers 

of my students. 


1 2 3 4 5 

4. Our school supports me in improving my skills of communicating effectively with parents 

and carers about child development, learning, mental health and wellbeing. 


1 2 3 4 5

36 


5. I know how to communicate effectively with parents and carers in areas related to child 

development, learning, mental health and wellbeing. 


1 2 3 4 5 

6. I always communicate effectively with parents and carers about their child. 


1 2 3 4 5 

7. Our school helps me to identify resources and services that support parenting. 


1 2 3 4 5 

8. Our school helps me by facilitating parent and carer access to resources and services. 


1 2 3 4 5 

9. Our school actively promotes opportunities for parents and carers to connect with each 

other and develop support networks. 


1 2 3 4 5 

10. I encourage parents and carers to make connections with other parents and participate 

in support networks. 


1 2 3 4 5 

11. Our school facilitates access for parents and carers to community groups that provide 

support for families. 


1 2 3 4 5 



Staff Survey 

Component 4: 


mental health difficulties 














honest view. 














journey. 



1. I understand the factors that can put children at risk of experiencing mental health difficulties. 


1 2 3 4 5 

2. I understand childhood mental health difficulties, including common signs and symptoms, 

and their impacts on children and families. 


1 2 3 4 5 

3. Getting help and support early is very important for improving outcomes for students and 

families who may be experiencing mental health difficulties. 


1 2 3 4 5 

4. Our school community is inclusive and accepting of members who may be experiencing 

mental health difficulties. 


1 2 3 4 5

38 


5. Our school community has specific policies and practices that support students and families 

experiencing mental health difficulties to seek appropriate help. 


1 2 3 4 5 

6. Assisting students who may be experiencing mental health difficulties is part of my role. 


1 2 3 4 5 

7. I understand there are boundaries to my role in supporting students who may be 

experiencing mental health difficulties. 


1 2 3 4 5 

8. I know the school protocols and processes for recognising and responding to students who 

may be experiencing mental health difficulties, including helping them to remain engaged in 

their education. 


1 2 3 4 5 

9. I can recognise a student who may be experiencing mental health difficulties. 


1 2 3 4 5 

10. Within the limits of my role, I am able to support a student who may be experiencing mental 

health difficulties. 


1 2 3 4 5 

11. I follow our school processes, which facilitate support and referral for students who may 

be experiencing mental health difficulties. 


1 2 3 4 5 

12. Our school has effective working relationships and clear referral pathways with local mental 

health services and supports families to access these services. 


1 2 3 4 5 

13. Our school works effectively with families and professionals in caring for students’ mental 

health and learning needs. 


1 2 3 4 5 


Action Team Handbook KidsMatter Primary 39

www.kidsmatter.edu.au

Action Team Handbook 2012 [1.9M] [PDF] - KidsMatter

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?