As CEO of one of Australia’s most diverse social enterprises, with services spanning Aged Care, Disability, Employment, Homelessness, Indigenous, Mental Health, Justice & Youth, Judi Higgin and her team had the complex task of delivering services within a range of different policy frameworks and service delivery models, using a variety of disparate measurement tools.
From person-centred planning, to recovery-oriented practice, to strengths based recovery, each model had been designed for particular segment of the community. This made aggregated goal setting, support design and outcome measurement across different client groups extremely difficult. If only there was a ‘mothership’ framework that incorporated elements of each model, which could be adapted and applied across all groups without losing relevance or efficacy. That was a thought Judi pondered with her team regularly.
Then, after reading Martin Seligman’s book, Flourish, Judi believed it may just be possible… the problem was, most of the established models were deficit-based; they looked at people through the lens of particular form or disadvantage, rather than the things they shared in common.
So, Judi set Ryan and his team the challenge of developing such a model.
After collaborating with clients and subject matter experts from across the sector, and studying models like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, the team came up with the solution: a framework based on shared needs, goals and aspirations, The Eight Domains of Wellbeing.
Finally, the organisation had a model that could measure wellbeing of all of its clients in a consistent way, enabling the business to compare outcomes and use data in more meaningful ways.
The model proved to be so effective and flexible, that it was later adapted into a framework for measuring employee wellbeing at New Horizons, as well as a framework for internal and external communication.
Ryan regards the Eight Domains of Wellbeing as one of his teams proudest professional achievements.
The Eight Domains of Wellbeing was developed for, and is the property of, New Horizons.
