Occupational Therapist

National Disability Services (NDS) is Australia's peak body for non-government disability service organisations, representing over 1100 service providers and their workforce of over 100,000 people who collectively provide support services for 500,000 people with disability.

NDS has a strong and influential presence in every state and territory across Australia. Our core functions are to advocate to government for sector-wide changes and improvements, to inform our members about issues that impact them, and to provide resources and services that assist them to deliver sustainable high quality support services for people with disability.

NDS employees have the passion to make a difference, are driven to deliver the highest quality support and services to our members, and thrive in an environment of positive change and continuous improvement.  If this sounds like you, check out this opportunity below!  Or, to find out more about NDS, please visit our website.

NDS in WA manages two access and inclusion programs for people with disability: ACROD Parking and Companion Card.

ACROD Parking Program (www.acrod.org.au) provides parking permits authorising use of accessible carparking spaces. In the past, “ACROD” stood for the Australian Council for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, and later became a WA-specific term for accessible parking.

Companion Card Program (www.wacompanioncard.org.au) enables access to no-cost companion ticket / admission for the person providing attendant care support to cardholders when attending community events and venues, using public transport, etc.

Together these two programs provide services to more than 100,000 Western Australians with disability. Admission of new participants into the programs and, in some cases, renewal of the participants’ status, is based on desktop clinical assessment of their application / review forms and supporting documentation which is performed by qualified Occupational Therapists.

The Occupational Therapist provides clinical expertise and assessment service underpinning professional delivery of ACROD Parking and Companion Card programs.

Clinical assessment services

• Undertake desktop clinical assessment and evaluate applicants’ functional capacity for Access and Inclusion programs against set program criteria.
• Follow up with the applicants and / or their nominated health professionals where additional information is required to provide robust clinical assessment of applications and record these interactions.
• Participate in peer-to-peer support discussions and additional assessment meetings as required.
• Prepare documentation for the programs’ External Appeals Committee on applications under consideration.

People and organisation

• Develop strong working relationships within the Access and Inclusion team and with other NDS colleagues.
• Participate in suggesting and implementing improvements to the programs, resources, and processes to improve quality, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Program promotion and education

• Participate in program information sessions, presentations and other sector- and community-facing activities regarding program eligibility criteria, best practice, and relevant legislation.

Professional development

• Maintain professional registration and undertake appropriate professional development.

Other responsibilities (applicable for all NDS employees):

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required by manager/supervisor from time to time.

• Comply with NDS’s policies and procedures at all times, including (but not limited to) HR, Quality, Work Health & Safety (WHS), IT, Security, and Data Privacy

• Demonstrate the NDS values of Build respectful relationships, Lead change, deliver clarity & impact, Support and develop others, Embrace diversity.

Skills and Experience

• Minimum five years’ experience as an Occupational Therapist in a disability related field.
• Knowledge of the impact of physical health disability on short-term and long-term functional capacity and demonstrated mature clinical reasoning skills.
• A contemporary understanding of issues and challenges experienced by people with disability and their families and carers, particularly in relation to functioning within the community and including knowledge of the services and resources available.
• Excellent consultation, communication, and interpersonal skills with the demonstrated ability to engage with internal and external stakeholders to achieve results.
• Computer literacy, including Microsoft Office suite, and demonstrated capacity to use databases.
• Independent WA travel capability.
• Recognised tertiary degree in Occupational therapy and current registration as an Occupational Therapist with AHPRA.

• Flexible working opportunities
• Salary packaging benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Staff Rewards & Discounts program
• Learning and development opportunities

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and value diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We encourage all applicants, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, LGBTIQ and culturally diverse communities to join NDS.  

NDS is committed to supporting equal employment opportunities for individuals with disability and will provide reasonable workplace adjustments.  We encourage potential applicants with lived experience to contact NDS to discuss any questions regarding individual workplace adjustments.  NDS also provides adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you identify as a person with disability and require adjustments to the application, recruitment, selection and/or assessment process, please advise via ***********@nds.org.au or 02 9256 3*** and indicate your preferred method of communication (email or phone).

Applications close: 29 February 2024. Please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your Skills & Experience in the areas listed above by clicking on the Apply button.   For further information please contact ***********@nds.org.au.  Please do not send your application to this email address, as it's for enquiries only. 

The successful applicant must be prepared to undertake a pre-employment police check. In addition, due to the inherent work, health and safety considerations and legislative requirements of this role, they must also be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (i.e. double dosed plus recommended booster doses) prior to commencing any work, unless medically exempt. 

 No agencies please.