Stop F*cking Settling!

The emotional load of the festive season As the year winds down many OTs are running on empty. December brings concerts, Secret Santas, toy drives and family events but it also brings rushed reports, urgent NDIS requests and long mental lists of what needs to be bought, wrapped or organised. Even joyful activities add planning and cost and for OTs with school aged children the competing dates and...

As the year closes, many OTs are juggling exhaustion, rising referrals, shifting NDIS rules and pressure from both paediatric and adult caseloads. The overlapping demands can feel chaotic, yet they share common themes that help explain why so many clinicians are feeling stretched.   When recovery time disappears After conferences or big clinical weeks, many OTs return home depleted, only to f...

Conferences are more than name badges and slides. Done well, they sharpen clinical judgement, build community and turn tricky ideas into steps you can use right away at work. Fresh from Rotorua during the Oceania Seating Symposium, plus a packed OT Week at home, here’s a practical round-up for clinicians who want learning that sticks – and guidance on turning your own experience into an accepted a...

Recent NDIS updates are reshaping how therapy supports and respite services are delivered and justified. Two new documents – the Therapy Support Guideline and the Short-Term Respite Guideline – mark a significant shift in expectations for evidence-based practice, outcome measurement and funding accountability. For OTs, these changes mean reviewing how group programs, therapy assistant hours and re...

  The recent announcement confirming the ICAN tool as the foundation for future NDIS support needs assessments has sparked serious discussion across the Occupational Therapy community. While many clinicians recognise the need for a more consistent national approach, the way ICAN is being positioned raises major questions about process, workforce capability and the independence of assessments....

A recent case before the Administrative Review Tribunal has reignited a conversation many Occupational Therapists are already having: what does defensible documentation look like in 2025? Anything you write can travel far beyond its original purpose. A brief letter to a GP, internal correspondence between providers or a simple progress note may be bundled into evidence for plan reviews or tribunal...

Keeping Supports Steady: Psychosocial Disability and NDIS Changes   The NDIS is changing quickly and it can be hard to keep up. Many people with disability aren’t seeing the updates, yet the impacts are real. Here's a recap on what’s shifting and how OTs can respond. Psychosocial disability needs steady, long-term support Early intervention matters, but it won’t replace the NDIS for everyone....

NDIS reform round-up: what OTs need to know now NDIS reforms are moving, but not always in straight lines. Here’s a clear, practice-first update based entirely on the issues raised in your discussion: consultation fatigue, the Evidence Advisory Committee, delays to the planning framework and support needs assessments, what impairment notices might mean, mandatory registration realities, audits in...

Navigating complaints, compliance and safeguarding in the NDIS Working within the NDIS can be rewarding but it also comes with complex responsibilities. For allied health providers, support coordinators and practice owners, ensuring participant safety isn’t always straightforward. Even when the right steps are taken, reporting concerns can lead to frustrating delays, unexpected consequences and, i...

In this episode, we dive into two big conversations every occupational therapist, and anyone in the disability space, needs to hear. First, we reflect on the reality of career uncertainty in OT. Whether you're in private practice, working for yourself, or exploring other sectors, we talk about the importance of backup plans, transferable skills, and why it’s okay to reassess your path without guil...

This week on   OT Unplugged , Sarah, Nikki, and Alyce swap Oodie stories (pandas vs. champagne avocados), laugh about missing wine bottles and Lego office décor, and then get serious about something far less cozy — the way NDIS policy shifts often reach providers first through the media rather than direct communication. In this episode, we explore: The Numbers Game:   What the latest NDI...

This week on OT Unplugged, Sarah, Nikki and Alyce take you from heartwarming wheelchair wins to head-scratching NDIS decisions and everything in between. We share a six-year success story that proves sometimes you don’t have to reinvent the wheel… while also diving into a “Dick Decision of the Week” that left one client trapped in their home thanks to baffling bureaucratic delays. We unpack what t...

In this lively and unfiltered episode of OT Unplugged, Sarah, Nikki and Alyce dive deep into the real behind-the-scenes of OT life. From forgotten billing and chaotic clinical loads to dodgy grocery deliveries and what not to do with the NDIS logo. You'll laugh, nod in solidarity, and feel the fire of advocacy as the team navigates everything from hosting students and juggling admin to prepping fo...

This week Nikki, Alyce and Sarah dive deep into the often wild, always unpredictable world of community occupational therapy. From ferrets and replica Rambo knives to renovation chaos and rogue spiders, the trio share some of their most unforgettable home visit moments and and the crucial safety lessons they’ve learned along the way. But this isn’t just a collection of wild stories. We explore the...

In this episode of OT Unplugged, Nikki, Alyce and Sarah return from the school holiday juggle and dive straight into the increasingly challenging realities of working in the NDIS space. From the chaos of school drop-offs and camp kitchens to the harsh truths of the new NDIS price guide, the team doesn’t hold back. They share what it really looks like for OT providers navigating service cuts, plan...

The recording of "Climbing the Mountain: Maintaining OT Presence in an Evolving NDIS" is now ready. Delivered as a presentation at the recent OTA conference by Sarah Collison and Jenny Gribbin, we are sharing the recording so that every OT navigating the NDIS can listen, reflect, and reconnect with the power of our collective journey. This talk is a love letter to our profession. It’s the story of...

In this raw and real episode of OT Unplugged, we’re back from the OT Australia Conference in Adelaide — inspired, exhausted, and now smacked in the face by July 1 changes to the NDIS Price Guide. Sarah, Nikki, and Alyce get candid about the emotional rollercoaster of returning to real life after a week of professional connection, community hugs, and the sudden reality of delivering OT services in...

In this week’s episode of OT Unplugged, Nikki and Alyce hold the fort while sending love and support to Sarah, who's attending a family funeral. Amidst personal challenges, EOFY chaos, and the looming OT Conference, Nikki and Alyce dive deep into the storm that is sweeping through the NDIS OT community. From burnout and business survival to media advocacy and political silence, they discuss the em...

The Most Disastrous Price Guide Ever? Let’s Talk About It. This week on OT Unplugged, we're diving headfirst into what might be the most chaotic and damaging NDIS Price Guide we’ve ever seen. Raw, unfiltered, and recorded just hours after its release, this episode captures the real-time emotional and professional impact on OTs across Australia. From gut-wrenching client stories to logistical night...

NDIS Pricing Bombshell: What It Means for OTs, Physios & Practice Owners Hold onto your spreadsheets — this week, the NDIS Annual Pricing Review has dropped, and the ripples are real. In this two-part episode, Sarah, Nikki, and Alyce break down what the new pricing changes mean for OTs, physios, and allied health practice owners. From the calm-before-the-storm long weekend catch-up to Nikki ra...

Episode Summary: In this jam-packed episode of OT Unplugged , Sarah, Nikki, and Alyce dive deep into the chaos and clarity of OT life as the new financial year looms. From backseat laptop sessions and overflowing diaries to the real cost of missed billable time, we get honest about what it really takes to survive – and thrive – in today's OT landscape. We break down: What the Section 33...

In this weeks episode we discuss the latest on Section 33 changes and the updates to Foundational Supports. To access the free webinar head to https://www.verveotlearning.com.au/ndis-insights-unpacking-changes-to-ndis-section-33

In this episode of OT Unplugged , we dive headfirst into the sweeping changes triggered by Section 33 of the NDIS Act, which came into effect on May 19. These changes have introduced locked funding periods within participant plans, meaning OTs and providers can no longer rely on full plan budgets being accessible up front. Instead, budgets are now broken into quarterly allocations, and unspent fun...

If you're interested in attending the OTA conference, click on the link below to take advantage of the Friends of the Podcast rate: https://www.otausevents.com.au/otaus2025/friendsofthepodcast-otunplugged