Quarterly update – Member news

OTA is embarking on a major Workforce Development Project and has engaged ManningCo as a consultant to support this work. Katharine Manning, Managing Director of ManningCo is an occupational therapist by background, and has extensive experience in consulting across the health system, working with clients across Commonwealth, State and Local Government, acute health, community health, primary care and the aged care sector. The project will deliver a robust workplan grounded in evidence for OTA in its approach to supporting the profession now and into the future. Workforce Strategy is expected to be developed and commence in the second half of 2023. Visit otaus.com. au/workforce for updates and to subscribe to be alerted to opportunities to be involved.

Since the last edition of Connections, the state election in NSW has seen the announcement of a new premier, Chris Minns, to lead a Labor government. In the lead up to the election, OTA wrote to the major parties advocating for commitments across the allied health workforce, mental health, disability, education and ongoing COVID-19 recovery. We have since congratulated the incoming government, which has committed to working with OTA to deliver improvements for the OT workforce in NSW.

OTA has met with Chief Allied Health Officers and key industry stakeholders and has contributed to several state/territory level workforce consultation opportunities. Some examples include Primary Health

Tasmania’s new Allied Health Engagement Strategy (in final draft at the time of writing), the Victorian Health Workforce Strategy and Victorian Eating Disorders Strategy, and the South Australian Social Development Committee’s petition on funding for children and students with additional learning needs in public schools and preschools.

We are pleased to welcome an additional policy officer to OTA, who will be focusing on compensable scheme issues. We are strengthening relationships with representatives from workplace injury and traffic accident injury compensation schemes in each state and territory and have contributed feedback to several consultation opportunities and fee schedule reviews. This includes collaborating with the South Australian (ReturnToWorkSA) and Queensland (WorkCover Queensland) workers’ compensation schemes on a proposed new fee schedule for mental health. We have also been engaged in discussions with WorkSafe Victoria, the Victorian workers’ compensation scheme, regarding the fee schedule for occupational therapists.

On 23 March, OTA’s CEO Samantha Hunter met with senior representatives of Victoria’s Traffic Accident Commission

(TAC) at their office in Geelong. The meeting was an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between OTA and the TAC, and discuss ongoing issues raised by OTA members. These issues relate to access to TAC’s ‘above rate service agreement’, payment processing, remuneration for travel and State Wide Equipment Program credentialling. TAC has agreed to continue to work with OTA to resolve these matters.

OTA’s Hot Topic program series is in full swing with several events held recently. Hot Topic events provide an invaluable opportunity for OTs to engage with other OTs, OTA and other key stakeholders to unpack issues impacting them, ask questions and expand their network. The events are intended to ignite conversation and provide information that is practical and relevant to OT clinical practice and/or business operating environments.

Hot Topics held so far this year have included Working with Allied Health Assistants; Restraint of Trade, Unfair Dismissal and Professional Indemnity Insurance; Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness; The Role of an OT as an Expert Witness and Building Optimal Energy and Resilience for Career Satisfaction.