One Primary Care Partnership discovered their own potential for health and wellbeing while promoting the Achievement Program.
Wellington Primary Care Partnership (WPCP) may be an agency of just five staff however they coordinate health promotion for the whole of Wellington Shire, including major networks such as Central Gippsland Heath (CGH) which has over 1100 employees.
In 2015 WPCP decided to go one step further and sign up to the Achievement Program as a workplace member. Experiencing the workplace wellbeing journey first-hand has given them a much stronger appreciation of the challenges and rewards that come from implementing health and wellbeing initiatives.
WPCP followed Achievement Program recommendations to gain management support and engage in extensive staff consultation. They also used their wider network connections at CGH (where the PCP is also co-located) to tap into activities such as social sports days and Premier’s Active April.
At the end of 2017 they hit a major milestone and became the first workplace in the Wellington Local Government Area to complete all five of the Achievement Program health areas. They are now recognised by the Victorian Government as a health promoting workplace in healthy eating, smoking, alcohol, physical activity and mental health and wellbeing.
They have found that several of their initiatives have become part of daily work life, particularly weekly standing team meetings, afternoon walks and providing umbrellas to support active travel to and from work in wet weather.
Health Promotion worker, Linde Coggan, said that “This has been really well received by our staff. We have a very good understanding of the benefits of the Achievement Program and we wanted to be leaders and show our partner agencies and workplaces in Wellington that it could be done.”
Having experienced health promotion from both sides, Linde’s advice to any workplaces wanting to make healthy changes through the Achievement Program is to:
- establish a health and wellbeing committee that includes staff and management
- ensure all health initiatives are supported and promoted by management
- keep health and wellbeing as an agenda item at your staff/team meetings
- use your networks to tap into wider health initiatives in your community.
Register now to start your workplace’s health and wellbeing journey with the Achievement Program
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