Iain Irving, Occupational Therapist

Iain has worked as an occupational therapist at Royal Rehab for the past eighteen years. Over that time Iain has worked in a wide variety of teams including the old Coorabel General Rehab Unit, the Spinal Injury Unit, the Brain Injury Community Rehab Team, the Spinal Outreach Service, the Driving Assessment and Rehab Team, and the Sexuality Service. He has also had the opportunity to act in management roles in the Occupational Therapy Department and the Brain Injury Community Rehab Team.

Speaking about his time at Royal Rehab Iain remarks, “If you had said to me that I would be here for eighteen years when I first started, I would not have believed you!” Having the opportunity to explore a variety of roles has really helped Iain find his passion.

When asked what makes Royal Rehab special, Iain says it is both the services offered to clients, and the culture. He describes Royal Rehab’s services as ‘first class’ – and the culture as one in which ‘everyone is trying to get the best results for clients, and staff are looked after’.

Taking time to celebrate both staff and client achievements such as the ‘Wall of Fame,’ where clients get to share their stories and inspire others, are two areas where Iain says Royal Rehab really excels.

A key motivator for Iain is being able to support clients who have sustained a traumatic injury to achieve the things they want to do. It could be trying something new or resuming an activity in a modified way. For Iain, it’s important to know that he has made a difference.

Currently Iain is working in the Brain Injury Community Rehabilitation Team and the Sexuality Service - a recent initiative aimed at providing sexual health and relationship services for people with injury, illness, or disability. According to Iain, providing people with holistic supports or assisting them with the skills to go on a date or resume a level of intimacy was not commonly addressed in people’s rehab journey previously.

Iain looks forward to helping more people achieve their goals over the coming year and to collaborating with his colleagues to develop even better services. He feels that this client centred approach is something that he shares with colleagues right across Royal Rehab.“

At Royal Rehab there really is a client driven focus from the top to the bottom.

- Iain Irving, Occupational Therapist, Royal Rehab

Iain Irving, Occupational Therapist