The Starlight Children’s Foundation exists to brighten the lives of seriously ill children, young people and their families by delivering programs which support their wellbeing and resilience. Both Starlight’s external programs and internal culture are built upon the science of positive psychology. Based on Seligman’s PERMA theory of wellbeing, and utilising experts such as Dr Suzy Green, Starlight designed a wellness program, ‘Positivity@Starlight’, to educate and empower all team members. The program has been embedded in the organisational culture. Workshops focused on wellbeing, character strengths, mindfulness and fostering a growth mindset, are delivered at the Executive, Manager, and general team level.
The desired outcome of Positivity@Starlight is to support the entire team to be happier, healthier and more engaged in their work, translating to high staff performance and positive impacts for the children, young people and families the organisation supports. Evaluation has shown team member engagement is at 92%, wellbeing at 90%, and retention at 93%. Starlight’s goal is to “become the most positive place to work in the universe”, and this symposium will demonstrate how this is being attempted. Myself and two colleagues will outline different perspectives and components of the program and how they translate in practice.