Suzanne Allies

Suzanne Allies is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Worcester (UW) and has taught in Higher Education for 8 years. She has 20 years teaching experience in primary schools and was PSHE coordinator for over 10 years in a three-form entry primary school. Suzanne is Wellbeing and Resilience Lead at UW and has led on many initiatives, such as securing mental health support funding. Currently, she is Module Leader for an innovative under-graduate module, Developing Self, which encourages students to reflect on their personal, academic and professional selves. This module supports the students’ social and emotional student wellbeing as a priority, covering topics such as work-life balance and resilience. Suzanne’s true passion is for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of university students, teachers and children. She has delivered many Staff Wellbeing workshops in a range of primary schools. She has presented on 'Wellbeing' at various conferences such as NaPTEC. She is a Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA England) Instructor and has achieved a Level 4 in counselling and psychotherapy. She is a Crisis Volunteer for the crisis text-line Shout, a Time to Change Champion and an Advisor for Mind’s Mentally Healthy Universities. Suzanne’s Masters dissertation focused on the perceptions and attitudes that personal tutors have towards supporting the mental health of students. She has formed a UW Staff Mental Health Network to decrease the stigma around poor mental health and so conversations about mental health are brought to the forefront at work and school. Suzanne is a Wellbeing Governor for a large School Academy in Bromsgrove and facilitates a peer support group for bereaved parents for the organisation The Compassionate Friends. Suzanne is also a qualified beauty therapist and masseur. Suzanne is the sole author of the book Supporting Teacher Wellbeing: a practical guide for teachers and school leaders (2021) Routledge.