E STUDIO DEL CRECIMIENTO DEL MUTANTE C8

Reflecting the overarching theme, multiple conceptualisations of role, the existing literature also highlighted findings pertaining to the roles and responsibilities of school staff in relation to pupil mental health (Bostock et al., 2011; Burton &

Goodman, 2011; Connelly et al. 2008; Corcoran & Finney, 2015; Kidger et al., 2010; Rothi et al., 2008). However, such findings predominantly focused on whether or not the school staff perceived themselves to have a role in relation to mental health. All four of the pastoral leads in this study appeared aware of their role as Tier 1 mental health practitioners (DoH, 2012; DoH & NHS England, 2015).

5.2.1 Misconceptions of role.

In this study, misconceptions of role were experienced by the self, individuals external to schools and in the case of Anne, from within school. Anne’s experience appeared to be reflected in Burton and Goodman’s (2011) findings that the secondary school staff involved in pastoral support felt that there was “little understanding of how difficult their roles actually were” in their schools (p. 138). This study also revealed that misconceptions of the lead pastoral role permeated outside the

boundaries of the school and into wider society, “...you explain what’s gone on, and what your day was like [...] and you see the jaws drop of people. “Really? In a school?” (James, lines 1347-1351). James’ extract captures the disconnect between how the school context is experienced by those working within it and those not. This may be considered reflective of Galton and MacBeath’s (2008) suggestion that the writers of policy often lack an awareness of the daily experiences of school and classroom life, which is reflected in the policies they make. It seems the pastoral leads experience other’s lack of awareness of the challenges faced in their role of

identifying and supporting pupil mental health needs, both within school and during their interactions with those outside of education. However, the misconceptions did not appear purely to belong to others. For two of the pastoral leads, the

misconceptions of role emerged from a disconnect between their own expectations and their experiences.

5.2.2 Advocate for the vulnerable.

Three of the pastoral leads in this study spoke about the experience of being an advocate for pupils and their families in relation to mental health. With regards to the school context, pastoral leads supported pupils to make the adults around them aware

of their needs. In some cases, the pastoral leads took responsibility for

communicating pupils’ needs to parents and members of school staff following collaboration with said pupils. This is similar to Connelly et al.’s (2008) findings that some teachers described their roles in building trust within close supportive

relationships, which led to representing the views of pupils at meetings. The pastoral leads notions of performing an advocacy role may be categorised into the pastoral lead being an advocate for the pupil within the school context, or the pastoral lead being an advocate for the pupils and families in relation to interactions with external agencies. This study conveys that pastoral leads support pupils to express their views and feelings on matters affecting their mental health which facilitates the “child’s voice” to be heard within the system, as stipulated by the international agreement, United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989).

5.2.3 A duty of care towards school staff.

Three of the pastoral leads in this study experience a duty of care towards school staff. There was some divergence in how this perceived duty manifested, including a duty of care being incorporated into a managerial role, a belief that school staff should support one another, and the necessity to protect school staff from

information which may cause them psychological harm. Nonetheless, the experience of feeling it necessary to consider the mental health of school staff as well as pupil mental health permeated across notions of the pastoral lead role. The literature review did not highlight any findings related to school staff experiencing a duty of care towards staff. This discrepancy may be related to this study focusing on lead pastoral staff, who may have managerial responsibilities.

5.2.4 Dedication to pupils.

Burton and Goodman’s (2011) findings are reflective of this study’s

identification of a “dedication to prioritising pupils”, as SENCOs and support staff considered their responsibilities to their pupils to be far broader than supporting them to access the national curriculum, highlighting that the level of commitment was such that some went “beyond what their job required to meet [pupil] needs” (p. 142). All four of the pastoral leads in this study spoke about the experience of prioritising pupils above all other demands placed upon their roles in the school context. This notion is captured in the following extract from Susan: “...the needs of the students will al-, always take precedence over anything you know that is maybe administrative or, or can wait really.” (Susan, lines 653-658). This study reveals pastoral leads often provide reactive support for pupils’ mental health needs. A paradox appears to emerge whereby the only constant in the pastoral leads’ working day is the necessity to be flexible to respond to the particular needs of pupils at any given time.

5.2.5 Multiple conceptualisations of role and psychological theory. When considering the multiple conceptualisations of role experienced by the pastoral leads, it may be useful to adopt a systemic lens to develop a deeper

interpretation of this study’s findings. Reed (2001) proposes that role is dynamic and incorporates two aspects “how I behave”, the psychological, and “how they behave”, the sociological role. The psychological role pertains to how an individual perceives their role whilst the sociological role incorporates the expectations and intentions of other people in the system upon the individual in role; both are managed in relation to the current context which is influenced by social, political and economic changes (Reed, 2001). Reed (2001) proposes “these complex circumstances and people

holding sociological roles will influence the person-in-role but cannot define it” (p. 4). This may be considered as reflective of the information detailed in Chapter 1, which states there does not appear to be a widely accepted definition of what pastoral care is (Calvert, 2009; Purdy, 2013) though pastoral staff are deemed responsible for the support of pupil emotional well-being and care (Harris, 2006). Political changes, such as the introduction of the Children and Families Act (DfE, 2014a), and

economic changes such as plans to improve children and young people’s mental health services (HM Treasury, 2015) mean that system boundaries are always being redrawn, as are “the feelings, attitudes and expectations of all the others...imposing sociological roles on the person” (p. 4).