The calls the charity receives from teachers can be on personal issues such as money, health and wellbeing or family relationships, as well as education related topics like pupil behaviour.

Between 2010 and 2011, there were 45,633 calls or emails to the charity group from over 19,000 users made up of current, former and retired staff in education and their families.

Money was one of the biggest issues, with 7,334 incidents relating to personal finances during the period. Health and wellbeing accounted for 16,602 during the two year period, with 4,589 of those specifically relating to anxiety. A further 3,002 incidents concerned problems with family relationships, while 2,180 were made by people losing sleep over their worries.

These incidents are more likely to happen in the first three months of the academic year than in any other season. November, according to the figures, is the month when more teachers ask for our support, although our support team answer a stream of calls and emails throughout the year, and the annual totals are rising.

“Staff are under unprecedented professional and personal pressure,” says Julian Stanley, Chief Executive of the Teacher Support Network Group. “We know they are already faced with issues such as workload, structural change and fear of redundancy, but they are also contending with the same issues we all must deal with: money, health and relationships.”

“The difference is, if I have a bad day at work because of outside pressures, maybe it will affect three or four of my colleagues at most. If a teacher has the same bad time, if can affect hundreds of pupils or students and their futures.”

As a result, we are launching a new range of services to help teachers with their personal lives. Our services now include money management services with debt counselling, welfare benefit checks and an online budgeting tool, plus Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CCBT) for the first time, as well as improved coaching, counselling and information services.

“We have also taken into account that we are providing a support service for the digital age that education professionals can use when and where they need it,” adds Julian Stanley.

Users can now text for support, speak to an advisor live online or access a range of fact sheets on a wide range of issues including nutrition for over 65s, parenting and managing stress.

• Read more about our new services
• Support Line
• Teachers can access coaching and counselling through our Support Line
• Money Management and Grants services
• Practical Guides
• Our Advice Centre allows you to choose support via chat or email
• Visit our Advice Centre to use the PocketSmith online budgeting tool
• Worklife Balance Tool
• Wheel of Wellbeing
• Stress Test