Building a Well Workplace: THRIVE Veterinary Wellness Symposium

“Don't wait to fix things once we're broken. Fix the things that break us.” 

That’s the essence of the THRIVE Veterinary Wellness Symposium: taking proactive steps to create safer, healthier, and more sustainable veterinary workplaces – before stress, burnout or harm take hold. 

Taking place on Monday 12 May at the ICC Sydney, the THRIVE Veterinary Wellness Symposium empowers all members of the veterinary team with practical tools, fresh perspectives, and actionable strategies to foster a culture of wellbeing across their workplaces. 

At its core, the Symposium is about building a Well Workplace, which is an environment that doesn’t just prevent harm, but actively promotes mental health, psychosocial safety, and a sense of purpose and connection at work. 

Spearheaded by THRIVE steering group member Rosie Overfield, the focus of the day is on being intentional and forward-thinking when it comes to wellness in veterinary practices. 

“At the Symposium, we will be talking about why it’s important to have a proactive approach to wellness,” Dr Rebecca Faris, AVA’s Wellness Executive Officer said. 

“These are the tools that help us prevent harm, so that we're not waiting until people are broken and then trying to go back and fix it. We're thinking proactively. We're looking at the psychosocial factors that can impact our mental health and wellbeing, and looking at ways to mitigate those risks. 

The event is designed to support everyone in the veterinary team, from practice owners and managers, to nurses, vets and support staff.  

^{Summer Hill Village Vet were part of the AVA’s Cultivating Safe Teams (CST) Pilot Program}

It builds on the momentum of the AVA’s Cultivating Safe Teams (CST) Pilot Program, by providing participants with the next step in their journey towards building a well workplace. 

“The CST training helps raise our awareness to what we should be looking for, and then the THRIVE Symposium helps us take action.” 

Delegates will explore a program that includes updates on suicide prevention, how to be inclusive of neurodiversity and women experiencing menopause, as well as panel discussions on how to manage unwanted behaviours, protect total team wellbeing, and much more. 

“We offer help rather than someone always having to seek it, so this Symposium is really heavily focused on how we can make people feel like they are not alone.” 

As Dr Faris says, supporting wellbeing is no longer optional in high-pressure workplaces like veterinary practices. It's about embedding wellness into the structure and culture of the workplace. 

“It's more than just a nice to have. It's essential.” 

“The day will be an interesting combination of what makes work safe and what makes work great, and will allow for a deep dive into questions that might have come up through the Cultivating Safe Teams training. Whether you're a manager or a team member, you can discover what to do from here, and learn some practical strategies to take back to your practice so everyone thrives.” 

Register for the THRIVE Veterinary Wellness Symposium today. This event is proudly sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Provet Australia.