Wellbeing Framework

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A G U I D E TO UTIL IS IN G TH E WELL B EI NG FRA M E WO RK

PROMOTING LIFE IN ABUNDANCE COMMUNITY COMPASSION

HOPE INCLUSION RECONCILIATION

TC E VA LU E S

JUSTICE A GUIDE TO UTILISING THE WELLBEING FRAMEWORK 1

LIBERATION

Townsville Catholic Education (TCE) is committed to providing a safe, inspiring and enjoyable environment where staff and students can flourish.

The TCE Wellbeing Framework has been developed to provide a broad approach to how wellbeing may be incorporated into workplaces.

The framework offers a range of strategies that seek to inspire our school communities and workplaces to incorporate various wellbeing initiatives in their specific contexts. Staff wellbeing should always be a priority, however, the way in which a culture of wellbeing is embedded requires ongoing review, guidance and energy.

This guideline provides an inclusive framework for all employees of TCE. The TCE Wellbeing Framework includes eight domains that support a holistic approach to wellbeing that reflect individual, localised workplace and organisational influences. These eight domains include:

FINANCIAL

The framework offers guidance to the various workplaces of TCE (which includes 29 schools, Eastbrooke and the Townsville Catholic Education Office) as to how staff in each location may access information and ideas regarding wellbeing. TCE encourages tailoring specific approaches in accordance with the context, demographic and experiences of each location.

This guideline provides an overview of the TCE Wellbeing Framework inclusive of resources, tools and information that workplaces can choose to implement and contextualise to their location. There are a number of aspects of this framework that identify wellbeing resources that are available to all employees irrespective of location or workplace.

TCE encourages individual schools and workplaces to develop a localised approach to wellbeing utilising this framework. Leaders should ensure all staff have the opportunity to contribute ideas, collaborate with peers and also take ownership of any initiatives.

While TCE is not responsible for the happiness of staff, they are responsible for providing workplaces that offer environments, culture and attitudes that allow staff to carry out their roles to the best of their ability in a safe and supportive environment.

WHAT IS WELLBEING?

SPIRITUAL

WORKPLACE

Wellbeing is a state in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community (WHO, 2016).

PURPOSE OF TCE WELLBEING FRAMEWORK

SOCIAL

ENVIRONMENT

The purpose of the TCE Wellbeing Framework is to ensure leaders have access to appropriate resources and information available to assist them to embed and socialise healthy practices into their workplaces, and to encourage workplace synergy.

WHY IS WORK WELLBEING IMPORTANT?

EMOTIONAL

PHYSICAL LEARNING AND GROWTH

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TCE values all employees and strives to create workplaces that assist employees to experience a positive, enjoyable and supported work environment.

On average, an individual will spend up to 80,000 hours at work during their lifetime. Noting this, work and associated activities are a significant part of our lives and therefore it is important to recognise the impact that work and the work environment can have on our lives.

Wellbeing plays a pivotal role in creating flourishing societies. Focusing on wellbeing within the work environment presents as a valuable opportunity to benefit societies by assisting individuals to better understand the importance of physical and mental wellbeing within a work context. Evidence further demonstrates that individuals who achieve good

It is evidenced that employees who are well and confident are able to perform in a consistent and productive manner.

Wellbeing is the state of being comfortable, healthy or content. TCE maintains a commitment to strive to support all employees to experience a sense of wellbeing in their workplace by encouraging a healthy commitment to enable self-care, as well as the provision of a range of strategies, incentives, initiatives and workplace conditions that can contribute to an individual’s overall state of fulfilment.

There is considerable research that informs the importance of ensuring wellbeing of staff is a priority for an organisation. The Black Dog Institute states that “mentally healthy workplaces are positive and productive. They are environments where people want to come to work”. The institute also asserts that a welldesigned workplace should support individual mental health which can ultimately lead to reduced absenteeism, increased employee engagement and improved productivity and role efficiencies. Therefore, it makes sense to invest in the mental health of your team.

Dr Steve Aldana (2020), summarises 7 important reasons to offer employee wellbeing programs within the workplace. These are that wellbeing programs: 1. improve employee health behaviours; 2. reduce elevated health risks; 3. reduce health care costs; 4. improve productivity; 5. decrease absenteeism; 6. improve employee recruitment and retention; and 7. build and help sustain high employee morale.

the employer and the employee, and ultimately, the people who the organisation is here for - students.

No program should be a ‘one size fits all’ and TCE recognises that different employees require different responses and support. Some staff may even choose to not take up any of the organisations’ opportunities of support and choose instead to pursue alternative mechanisms to ensure their own wellbeing is attended to within their personal domain.

Maslow’s needs hierarchy is a pyramid that visually represents the different needs that we have as humans.

The most important and life sustaining needs are the base of the pyramid.

These basic needs include things like food, water, shelter, social interactions, etc. Without these basic needs being fulfilled we could die or just suffer through life. The top half of the hierarchy shows the kinds of things we’d like to have once our basic needs have been met. Not everyone gets to fulfil these higher needs, and their lives are not as rewarding as they could be.

A compelling reason for an organisation to have a wellbeing program for employees is that the employer is sending a clear message to their workforce that they are valued, respected and that their success and happiness is fundamentally important.

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EMPLOYEES HAVE HIGH EMPLOYEE MORALE WHEN THEY ARE ALLOWED TO BE CREATIVE, SOLVE PROBLEMS, FEEL SAFE AND APPRECIATED, DEVELOP SELF-ESTEEM, AND ACHIEVE PERSONAL GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS. EMPLOYEES ARE HAPPY WHEN THEY HAVE A SENSE OF CONTROL OVER THEIR LIVES AND THEIR HEALTH.

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standards of wellbeing are likely to be more creative, more loyal, more productive, more committed and provide enhanced performance and satisfaction than individuals with poor standards of wellbeing.

Aldana, 2020

These fundamental reasons are clearly valuable to both

morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts

self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others

WELLNESS WORKS HERE

friendship, family, sexual intimacy

security of: body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health property

breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion

Source: Dr Steve Aldana (2020) www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au/ 2020/07/03/social-justicestatement-2020-21/

A GUIDE TO UTILISING THE WELLBEING FRAMEWORK 3

THE 8 DOMAINS OF WELLBEING ARE INFLUENCED BY SELF, ORGANISATION AND THE WORK TEAM WE ARE PART OF. FUNDAMENTALLY, WHAT INFORMS THESE DOMAINS IS OUR TCE VALUES AND OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR CATHOLIC VALUES.

THE TCE WELLBEING FRAMEWORK DOMAINS DOMAIN

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WHAT IS IT ABOUT? Financial wellbeing offers information, support or programs that can enhance an employee’s financial literacy and in turn feel greater control over their financial planning and future, but it also includes incentives.

This isA aN broad space that D G everything includes from ad hoc social activities within schools, to larger more formalised social clubs and celebrations, but also could include how teams work in other ways.

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This is about the creation and maintenance of a safe work environment for staff to be able to perform the inherent requirements of their employment.

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This refers to the ability to experience and integrate meaning and purpose in life through a person’s connectedness with self, others, art, music, literature, nature or a power greater than oneself.

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According to AMP’s Financial Wellness report, 1 in 3 employees feel like they are less productive when they are financially stressed.

EXAMPLES

R eward and recognition programs;

I nvestments, mortgages and insurance;

Access to salary sacrifice and salary packaging options (REMSERV etc);

Personal financial management information session;

Financial literacy and budgeting advice;

Daily prayer;

Exposure and participation in liturgies and mass, retreats, meditation, outreach programs (Orange Sky Laundry, St Vincent De Paul, Soup kitchens);

Superannuation and retirement planning,

Automated internal systems that allow easier use for employees; and

The Incentive Payment – Remote Area Staff Scheme (IPRASS).

Pastoral leaders, pilgrimage opportunities;

Diocesan Gatherings, Mulkadee, Catholic Education Week; and

Provision of sacred spaces in schools/TCE.

Return to work programs;

Critical incident responding;

Enterprise Bargaining agreements;

Clear reporting lines/ structures for staff; and

Review of Risk Management Registers.

Other examples include Wellness Wednesdays, acknowledgement of birthdays and other significant personal events;

Donating to charities as part of a workgroup;

WHS issues;

Occupational safety;

Leave entitlements (emergent, carers leave);

Access to flexible work;

Arrangements, provision of coffee/tea/milk in lunch rooms;

Travel allowances;

Office morning teas;

Functions such as Christmas in July;

Group activities such as bowling or golf days;

Team work in charity work or organised triathlons etc;

Recognition of staff employment anniversaries; and

Coffee vans organised to visit the workplace.

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THE PROMOTION OF THE HUMAN PERSON IS THE GOAL OF THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL.

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A range of ‘planet’ based concepts - taking care of and being in your environment or things such as reducing your global footprint and more environmentally friendly activities.

Positive mental health in the workplace, enhancing resilience and responding to issues that may impact an individual’s psychological health.

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The Catholic school on the threshold of the third millennium, 1998

Strategies that enhance an individual’s physical health.

Workplace design.

The ways in which the organisation can assist staff to reach their professional potential.

EXAMPLES

Workplace environment - lighting, temperature, noise;

Experiencing the environment such as Paluma retreats;

Recycling;

TCE solar projects;

Driving cars that use less fuel and are more environmentally friendly;

Reef Guardian projects etc; and

Actions that promote a sense of wellbeing in the community and self.

Workload management strategies; and

Bereavement support and grief counselling.

Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP);

Professional Development (PD) or information regarding stress management, building resilience, and strategies to optimise mental health;

Flu shots;

First aid kits & training etc;

After school boot camps;

Meditation;

Information regarding good nutrition, exercise, smoking, drugs and alcohol, weight management etc;

Sick leave entitlements;

Pandemic leave;

Plants in the workplace;

Quiet work spaces/ rooms in workplaces;

Walk/cycle to school initiatives;

100,000 step challenges; and

Provision of sanitisers.

Aspirant leader initiatives;

Study sponsorship;

Performance feedback;

Peer networking sessions;

Supervision structures; and

Staff Reviews and Appraisals.

Health promotion;

Ergonomic chairs/ desk arrangements as needed;

Corporate memberships (BUPA);

Professional development;

Coaching or mentoring;

Building social capital;

Specific programs for occupational groups eg. beginning teachers, early teacher mentoring, leadership training, and planning days;

Also encouraging lifelong learning and promoting ‘Mind: Keep Learning approach’ (as in the WOW Framework).

Professional learning plans for staff;

A GUIDE TO UTILISING THE WELLBEING FRAMEWORK 5

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HOW CAN WELLBEING BE EMBEDDED IN TCE?

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TCE remains optimistic that the framework will set in motion a range of initiatives and activities within schools and workplaces across the Diocese of Townsville. It is anticipated that over time, employees will adopt and maintain healthy behaviours for years to come ensuring wellbeing is an intrinsic part of our culture. Ultimately, it is up to employees to engage with the various resources, ideas and incentives available to them.

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While there is an abundance of research that provides evidence of the value and impact of wellbeing strategies and initiatives in the workplace, many employers have yet to make it a priority. TCE understands the value of providing a holistic wellbeing framework and a commitment to its understanding. The challenge is to integrate wellbeing into the current employee experience across a vast geographical demographic.

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COMMUNITY COMPASSION

HOPE INCLUSION RECONCILIATION

6 WELLBEING FRAMEWORK

TC E VALU E S

JUSTICE

LIBERATION

SUMMARY The TCE Wellbeing Framework recognises the importance of wellbeing to employees and ultimately student wellbeing and successful learning outcomes. Its positive stance outlines support for schools and provides a guide for the formation of a ‘Wellbeing Team’, with each school/ workplace to determine their own specific needs, in order to promote and support a wellbeing framework within their own context. While the TCE Framework acknowledges that employees may be provided with opportunities to engage in wellbeing programs offered, it also acknowledges and respects individual choice, which is an important reflection and a reality.

The “Spiritual”, “Emotional/Psychological” and “Social” domains are important and are the basis for respectful relationships, which are important aspects of wellbeing and support the human need for connection and belonging for teachers and students alike.

A collaborative and culturally appropriate approach to wellbeing and consistency across school contexts, with implementation of whole school programs that support social and emotional learning in classrooms would support overall teacher/staff wellbeing and be advantageous to those seeking fulfilment of personal growth goals (self-actualisation), staff and students alike. Respectful relationships are at the core of human wellbeing and reflect the culture and values of a community.

RESOURCES

REFERENCES

Be You Mental Health Education www.beyou.edu.au

Aldana, S (2020), Headspace Well being for Educators www.headspace.com/educators

Improve Your Mental Well-being mentalwellbeinginitiatives.qld.gov.au

www.talenteam.com/blog/the-importance-of-well-beingat-work/

Australian Student Well-being Framework studentwellbeinghub.edu.au

The Catholic school on the threshold of the third millennium (1998)

RU OK? Workplace Champions Guide ruok.org.au

Spilt, J.L., Koomen, H.M.Y. & Thijs, J.T. Teacher Wellbeing: The Importance of Teacher–Student Relationships.

Educ Psychol Rev 23, 457–477 (2011). www.doi-org.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/10.1007/s10648-0119170-y

REACHOUT.COM www.schools.au.reachout.com Ei Educator Impact www.educatorimpact.com The Wellbeing Lab www.michellemcquaid.com/wellbeinglabtoolbox

A GUIDE TO UTILISING THE WELLBEING FRAMEWORK 7

TOWNSVILLE CATHOLIC EDUCATION 2 GARDENIA AVENUE, KIRWAN QLD 4817 8 WELLBEING FRAMEWORK

T. 4773 0900 F. 4773 0901

E. enquiries@tsv.catholic.edu.au www.tsv.catholic.edu.au