Teacher Support Network

The Teacher Support Network (formerly the Teachers' Benevolent Fund) is the independent organisation providing practical and emotional support for teachers and lecturers (serving and retired) and their families. With over a century’s experience of working with teachers, the Teacher Support Network is a leading UK charity and a positive voice for the teaching profession.

On 1 May 2004 the Teacher Support Network, in partnership with NATFHE, launched Teacher Support Line specifically for lecturers, a major addition to the services already available from the Teacher Support Network. This service complements NATFHE’s work in progressing your employment and professional concerns.

Through Teacher Support Line lecturers can now access a full range of information, support and counselling services:
• practical guidance on professional issues: eg conflict at work, dealing with stress
• help to resolve personal or family problems
• money advice - coping with debt and financial difficulties
• grants and loans
• online fact sheets on personal health and wellbeing: including stress, managing relationships, and development at work
• Teacher Support Direct email newsletter

Telephone:
England 08000 562 561
Wales 08000 855 088
or visit www.teachersupport.info

A parallel service is being developed for lecturers in Northern Ireland.

Your call will be answered by a Teacher Support Line service representative, who can handle initial queries and quick information requests. If you want or need a qualified counsellor, you will be passed on. Every call will be treated individually, not least because many requests involve a mixture of information requirements and some support and advice. This is why the personal aspect of the service is so important.

The counsellors will listen and help you to develop new perspectives and reflect on how best to tackle the problems they face. All Teacher Support Line counsellors are fully qualified. They have also all worked in education and so understand the specific issues and challenges facing today's teachers and lecturers. The counsellors seek to give practical support, but mainly they are trained to support you in finding your own solutions to your problems. The service is completely free and available 24 hour a day, 365 days a year.

Thousands of school teachers have benefited from access to Teacher Support Line. Now, thanks to NATFHE, lecturers can do so too.