Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board leads the way in workplace wellbeing

Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board (Whakatōhea) has taken out two firsts on their journey to workplace wellbeing.  Not only are they the first Eastern Bay Iwi to achieve the WorkWell Bronze Standard Accreditation award from Toi Te Ora Public Health (Toi Te Ora), but they are also the first Ōpōtiki-based workplace to receive this award for their efforts to improve the wellbeing of their staff.

WorkWell is a workplace wellbeing initiative delivered by Toi Te Ora which encourages workplaces to go about everyday business in a way that leads to improved staff wellbeing. 

Whakatōhea Chief Executive, Dickie Farrar, says the process has been positive for both Toi Te Ora and Whakatōhea.  “I’m grateful for the opportunity to have participated in this programme.”  She adds, “Our goal was to provide a programme that would benefit all staff members and their aspirations to improve their health and wellbeing - achieving the Bronze level has contributed significantly to this goal.” 

Dickie says the Trust Board’s Orangatonutanga ‘Forever Well’ working group, led by Workplace Leader, Priscilla Drummond, has played a key role in reaching this milestone.  The group prioritised the wellbeing of their staff by addressing organisational and environmental change to ensure the healthy choice became the easy choice.  “For workplace wellbeing initiatives to work across a large and diverse workplace, it needs to be simple and seamless.  Therefore, we are continuing to take small steps, with the goal of achieving longer lasting improvements across the organisation and also drawing on organisational and cultural values,” says Priscilla.

Medical Officer of Health, Dr Phil Shoemack, says Whakatōhea has demonstrated a clear commitment to the health of their staff, despite some hurdles along the way.  “In spite of the impacts of COVID-19, Whakatōhea have remained focused in their efforts to achieve WorkWell Bronze.”