Stop F*cking Settling!

A profession in transition The OT profession is in a period of significant change. On one hand, events like OTX 2026 are showcasing innovation, collaboration and exciting solutions to longstanding challenges. On the other, many clinicians and business owners are navigating major operational changes, particularly around NDIS pricing and service sustainability. Together, these shifts reflect a profe...

What Occupational Therapists Need to Know About the 2026–27 NDIS Pricing Update The 2026–27 NDIS Pricing Schedule and Annual Pricing Review have now been released. For Occupational Therapists, the immediate headline is relatively positive. OT rates remain unchanged, avoiding the cuts seen across several other allied health professions. However, while pricing may appear stable on the surface, the u...

Occupational Therapists are frequently asked to provide ‘robust evidence’ for NDIS funding decisions, but what does that really mean? Explore why observation, clinical reasoning and context matter when assessing functional capacity. When Occupational Therapists write reports for the NDIS, one phrase appears repeatedly: robust evidence. Whether it’s a funding review, access request, assistive techn...

Pricing uncertainty continues to affect providers For many providers, annual pricing updates remain a significant source of uncertainty. Business owners are often required to make decisions about staffing and service delivery without knowing exactly what future funding arrangements will look like. Combined with rising employment costs and workforce reforms, these changes are placing increasing pre...

Award changes are reshaping workforce planning One of the most significant developments for allied health businesses is the recent review of the Health Professionals and Support Services (HPSS) Award. Although much of the attention has focused on wage increases, the bigger story may be the changes to classification levels and how occupational therapists are positioned within the award structure. T...

Occupational Therapy careers rarely follow a straight line. Many OTs begin with a clear idea of where they’re heading, only to find themselves moving into completely different spaces years later. Clinical work evolves, industries shift and new opportunities emerge. Alongside this, many therapists are recognising the growing importance of connection, mentorship and sustainable ways of working. The...

A significant period of change The disability sector is facing another major round of NDIS reform. The proposed legislation has sparked widespread discussion among Occupational Therapists, participants and advocacy groups, with many working to understand what the changes could mean in practice. Importantly, the reforms are not yet law. The legislation must still progress through consultation and p...

A major shift in early childhood supports The long-anticipated Thriving Kids rollout is beginning to take shape in New South Wales, offering the clearest indication yet of how early childhood supports may operate from October 2026. Children already on the NDIS are not expected to be removed immediately. However, children aged eight and under who may previously have entered the NDIS under mild to m...

The Occupational Therapy sector is moving through another period of uncertainty, with ongoing discussions around NDIS pricing, registration and funding changes continuing to dominate conversations across the profession. At the same time, conference and expo season is underway, giving OTs a valuable opportunity to reconnect, learn from one another and strengthen professional networks. In recent con...

The current NDIS landscape is shifting quickly, and many Occupational Therapists are being asked to make decisions without having all the information. Between proposed funding changes, evolving reporting expectations and ongoing uncertainty around registration, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Rather than trying to predict every outcome, the focus right now is on understanding what’s changing, what...

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is entering a major reform phase, with sweeping changes designed to improve long-term sustainability. These updates will reshape how people access the scheme, how funding is allocated and how services are delivered. While some reforms aim to strengthen consistency and reduce misuse, others introduce significant shifts that will directly impact participants...

Taking time away from work sounds simple in theory. In practice, many OT business owners know it can feel anything but simple. Whether it’s a short holiday, a family trip or parental leave, stepping away often raises the same questions. Who makes decisions while you’re gone? What happens to client care? How much should you stay across emails? And how do you protect your team, your clients and your...

Starting out as an Occupational Therapist is both exciting and overwhelming. The transition from university into practice brings a steep learning curve, shifting expectations and uncertainty about what good support should actually look like. Across the profession, there is a growing concern that new graduates are being expected to perform beyond their level of experience without the foundations re...

Why rising fuel costs are changing service delivery... Fuel costs directly impact how Occupational Therapy is delivered. Home, school and community visits all rely on travel, and when those costs increase quickly, the effect is immediate. This is particularly significant in regional areas where long distances are unavoidable, but metropolitan services are also feeling the strain. What was once a m...

The Occupational Therapy sector is navigating a period of significant change. Reforms to the NDIS planning system, growing uncertainty around early childhood supports and the proposed Thriving Kids framework are creating questions for therapists, service providers and families alike. At the same time, many clinicians are managing the everyday realities of leadership, clinical work and family life....

When sickness hits, how OTs and business owners keep care moving Nasty bugs, surprise migraines, sick kids, even the occasional adult case of chickenpox – illness has a way of arriving exactly when the diary is full. For Occupational Therapists, being unwell rarely affects just one person. It impacts appointments, client safety, rescheduling, team capacity and the financial stability of a service....

When assessment tools and NDIS policy don’t line up As NDIS reforms gather pace, OTs are being pulled in two directions at once. On one side, we’re being told to simplify, reduce “extra” evidence and focus on structured assessment pathways. On the other, the tools we’re expected to use still rely on clinical reasoning, collateral information and transparent justification to be considered valid. Th...

In this week’s episode, Sarah and Alyce go off-script (in the best way) and unpack the realities of practice ownership and employment in OT - from unexpected knock-backs and “rejection” moments, to the high-stakes responsibilities that come with employing staff. They explore psychosocial hazards, trauma exposure, and why psychological safety isn’t a “nice to have” - it’s a core part of running a b...

When the work piles up, your brain does the weirdest things There’s a particular kind of overload that shows up after a big push. You sit down, finally pause, and realise your brain hasn’t caught up with your body. You misplace simple things. You forget obvious tasks. You feel scattered, even though you’re technically “on top” of everything. For many OTs, this isn’t about poor organisation. It’s a...

Featuring honorary member: Muriel Cummins! The disability landscape is changing fast Across the NDIS, early childhood and broader disability policy, reform is moving quickly and in multiple directions at once. For Occupational Therapists, these changes aren’t theoretical – they shape who can access support, how plans are built and what day-to-day practice will look like in the near future. When so...

Many OT teams are feeling the same mix right now – strong referral demand alongside shifting rules and inconsistent NDIA decision making. It’s hard to plan services, hard to train early career clinicians and hard to give participants confidence when the system keeps changing. At the same time, participants are increasingly experiencing funding reductions rather than exits from the scheme. That shi...

The “slow crawl” quite a few of us are feeling End-of-year fatigue looks different depending on your role. For some clinicians, cancellations start rolling in and caseloads thin out. For others, it’s the opposite – back-to-back sessions, “just one more appointment”, families trying to squeeze everything in before Christmas, and calendars that don’t breathe until January. Both experiences can feel...

As the year winds down, many OTs are crawling toward the finish line rather than gliding over it. Last-minute calls for urgent functional assessments, section 100 reports and crisis planning keep landing on already full caseloads. The expectation that we can simply “bump it to the top” ignores the reality that there are only so many clinical hours available. Saying yes to every urgent request ofte...

As the year comes to a close, many OTs are feeling stretched. Illness, client demand, school schedules and end-of-year fatigue all shape the workload long before the NDIS is even factored in. When you add shifting guidelines, slow processes and decisions that seem to change without warning, it’s clear why many practitioners are questioning how to keep their work sustainable. A new NDIA inquiry and...

Navigating sector uncertainty and what OTs need to know right now The disability sector continues to shift rapidly, with new reports, pricing discussions and workforce pressures influencing how providers operate. For many OTs, the mix of policy noise, business demands and day-to-day practice pressures can feel overwhelming. This week’s developments highlight the importance of staying informed, pla...