Mental Health in Estates Teams: The Risk We’re Not Logging

Mark didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to.

The smell hit him first. One of the pupils’ toilets had backed up overnight—no warning, no obvious cause. And with the morning heat already creeping in, the whole corridor was unbearable.

Mark spent the next two hours flushing, plunging, disinfecting, and airing it out. By the time the children arrived, everything was back to normal. Well—at least for everyone else. Mark was already two hours into his day, and he hadn’t even started his usual tasks.

Only Mark’s slightly shaking hand told the story.

A lot of schools have a Mark. The early-riser. The quiet fixer. The one who won’t ask for help—but who carries more than most.

And in all the focus on buildings, budgets, and compliance, we often forget to check in on the people doing the lifting.

 

Mental Health Matters in Estates Work

"The people we lean on may be the ones who need it most."

• If someone always has it “under control”, ask again.

• Sometimes that’s a mask.

• Sometimes it’s a quiet call for help they don’t know how to make.

When you lead people—not just processes—you start to see what really keeps schools standing.

 

Five Ways to Show You Care

1. Replace polite check-ins with real ones → Instead of “All good?”, try “How’s this week been for you?” and wait for the real answer.

2. Ask open questions—and actually listen → Sometimes people don’t need solutions. They just need to be heard.

3. Give praise—even for the quiet wins → The early-morning fix. The unsung job done well. Recognise it.

4. Offer support before it’s asked for → Don’t wait for signs of struggle. Lead with care.

5. Talk about your own pressure → Show it’s okay to feel stretched. It gives others permission to be honest.

 

Senior Leaders: You Set the Tone

Wellbeing isn’t a separate strategy.

• It’s how meetings run.

• It’s how early starts are acknowledged.

• It’s whether people feel seen—or invisible.

You can’t remove every pressure. But you can create a culture where people don’t carry it alone.

 

📢 This Week’s Challenge

Think of someone in your team who’s been quieter than usual.

Ask them—not about a task, but about them:

“How are you?” (And mean it.)

Then give them space to answer.

If this resonates, share it. You never know who’s been waiting for permission to speak up.

 

Final Word

We log risks to buildings. Let’s start logging the risks to the people who keep them going.

“Nothing broke today? Good. Now check on each other.”

Impressive work

Nothing else matters

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