DMP Working on Wellness Program the best in the WA Public Service

DMP wins Best Practice in Health and Wellbeing award
Date: Friday, 30 June 2017

The Department of Mines and Petroleum’s (DMP) commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle for all employees has been recognised as the best in the WA Public Service for the second time in five years.

The department’s Working on Wellness (WoW) Program won the Best Practice in Health and Wellbeing award at the 2017 Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) WA Achievement Awards on Friday 30 June.

Created in 2009, the WoW program provides employees with opportunities to improve their health through developing relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for a healthy lifestyle.

The department’s acting Director General Phil Gorey accepted the award and said it was testament to DMP’s commitment to a positive culture of wellness.

“This acknowledgement reinforces that the WoW program continues to have a positive influence on staff health and has consequently improved our organisational outcomes,” Dr Gorey said.

“Our recent employee perception survey revealed that 87 per cent of staff agree that we are committed to health and wellbeing in the workplace.

“The program extends beyond our own staff, spreading positive health and wellness messages to our families, colleagues and their communities.”

The program has evolved since 2009, incorporating evidence based research, including national and international trends and has become a benchmark program which has assisted other agencies and the University of Western Australia.

Some of the WoW strategies and events include tailored health and fitness assessments, skin cancer screening, healthy cooking demonstrations, informative presentations on evidence based health trends such as intermittent fasting and gut bacteria, and a stronger focus on mental health initiatives.

DMP wins Best Practice in Health and Wellbeing award
Left to right: DMP’s Carrie Hatzel, Sophie Woodley, Phil Gorey, Nina Gloor, Sven Bluemmel, Commissioner, Western Australian Information Commission, DMP’s Marka Haasnoot and Victoria Keeping.