Independent Rehabilitation Services in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Disability service

Independent Rehabilitation Services

Locality: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 9885 2533

Address: 47A Karnak Rd, Ashburton 3147 Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Website: http://independent-rehab.com.au/

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• Medical and health
• Disability service
• Physical therapist
• Occupational therapist

23.01.2022 Happpy International Day of People with Disability!! This year's theme is "Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post ...COVID-19 World" Which we think is pretty appropriate given the year we have all had. IDPWD is all about celebrating the achievements of people with disability. But it is also a good time to reflect on the many, many barriers that prevent people with disability having the same opportunities as everyone else in the community. So we want to know - how are you marking this important day? And what's one thing you hope is different by the time we celebrate again in a year's time? What do you want to see change? If the meantime you can check out events being held all around the country here - https://www.idpwd.com.au/events/calendar/ And don't forget to tune in to the National Awards for Disability Leadership at 1pm (AEDT) today. There are some awesome leaders who have been nominated for their incredible work. You can find out more here - https://disabilityleaders.com.au/disabilit/national-awards/ #IDPWD2020 #DisabilityAwards2020 (Image description: A dark blue square. The words "International Day of People with Disability" are at the bottom in white letters. There is an illustration of a person in the middle of the square. Green, orange and blue shapes like flames or leaves surround them.)

23.01.2022 Staff Anniversaries > Yesterday we celebrated four years since our dearest Hayley first walked through our IRS doors. We asked her to share a little of her past year with us.... Your favourite memory about being in our OT team over the past year with IRS? My favourite memory was actually returning to IRS after 6 months of travel - it felt like I had returned home. It was so nice to see everyone. In addition to this, I will always remember this year and how IRS rolled with the punches and somehow managed to maintain such an inclusive and welcoming culture despite COVID-19 keeping us all apart! A personal achievement over the last year that you would be happy to share? Probably the kicking of some life goals - buying a cat, a dog, getting engaged and buying a house - all within 1 year. Has been very eventful! We have been so very lucky to have Hayley a part of IRS for the past four years. Sadly with the purchase of a new house down the coast, Hayley finishes up with us in a few weeks and we will miss her dearly. But for now we are going to celebrate the past four years that Hayley has been a part of IRS. Thank you so much for all you have contributed to your clients Hayley and for the support you have given us all at IRS. We're looking forward to keeping in touch and hearing all about your upcoming wedding plans!

22.01.2022 Recruiting News > Yesterday's announcement of a full return of Allied Health Services pleased us all. And so we are excited to announce that we are now recruiting for Physiotherapists & Occupational Therapists in both Grade One & Grade Two positions as well as New Graduate positions. Here is a little bit about us. Feel free to get in contact to hear more about the impact that we have daily on many people's lives. About IRS... Independent Rehabilitation Services (IRS) is Melbourne's leading provider of multidisciplinary community-based neurological and general rehabilitation services. Founded in 1999, we have a reputation for quality, integrity and expertise in the provision of Allied Health services in the community. Our focus continues to be to achieve outcomes for those referred to us. About the Role In this role you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a variety of areas. You will manage a caseload of clients, with a diversity of conditions including ABI, CVA and Spinal Cord Injuries and develop knowledge working in the NDIS sector. You will experience being part of a supportive multi-disciplinary team, committed to expertise and leading change. You will be provided with professional development, a structured professional supervision & clinical mentoring program and research opportunities. Work hours are flexible to allow for work-life balance. New Graduates: Compulsory participation in a skill development and competency program provided by IRS is integral to this role. There will be additional support & mentoring for new graduates above & beyond our usual mentoring program for all our staff. Duties Provide community based physiotherapy / OT intervention to clients referred to IRS. Set appropriate goals & outcome measures for clients based on evidence-based practice. Participate in staff and discipline specific meetings. Be an active participant in our performance enhancement program and supervision / mentoring programs. Skills Think creatively when problem solving and have excellent reflection skills Be familiar with a variety of valid Outcome Measures Continually seek out opportunities for learning & growth Excellent communication & collaboration skills Culture At IRS, we have developed a culture of inclusivity and respect amongst our employees. There is strong communication between all the teams at IRS and a sense of fun. We value our work-life balance and the opportunity to make meaningful gains in our clients' lives. How to Apply Contact Natalie Pribil, Business Manager on 9885 2533 for further information. Alternatively you can email an application including a cover letter and CV to [email protected].

21.01.2022 > Celebrating #otweek2020 Meet Ana: Occupational Therapy Deputy Team Leader and Lead Allied Health Researcher Ana joined IRS earlier this year as an Occupational Therapist and also to lead our allied health research.... Ana doesn't do things by halves. She’s completing her PhD in sensory modulation, helped launch IRS telehealth, is our go to for big ideas and somehow finds time to wrangle two small kids and loves sci-fi - make sure you check out her sci-fi romance recommendation! Learn more about amazing Ana: https://independent-rehab.com.au/meet-ana/

18.01.2022 Staffing News > This week we welcomed back Kate who has been off on maternity leave for the last little while. We congratulate her on returning to work this week into a new role as one of our two Deputy OT Team Leaders. We asked her a little about her 2020 year:... How did you find being on Maternity Leave during this crazy 2020 year? Well I spent most of it acting as a teacher for my preppie! I always respected teachers, but now that respect is even greater, teaching one is hard enough, let alone 20 plus! But I really enjoyed the fact my little boy was able to spend so much time with his sister and dad instead of just me, and thankfully he seems like a pretty sociable thing despite most of his life being in lockdown. We've been very much looking forward to you returning to work with us. How does it feel to be back now with IRS in a Deputy OT Role? Thank you for having me back! I am so excited to be back, especially to this new role. I'm looking forward to working with all the amazing people in the leadership team, sharing ideas and learning new skills. I am also really looking forward to seeing colleagues again (hopefully in person soon!) and getting back out and seeing clients. I've missed you! We've missed you too Kate! Huge welcome back to the team.

14.01.2022 > #worldotday Happy #worldotday in #OTWeek2020! Our community based OT's do an amazing job helping improve our client's independence and involvement in daily living. ... Tomorrow we will be celebrating with a virtual lunch (hopefully another #donutday) celebrating the incredible achievements of our Occupational Therapy team and their clients. https://independent-rehab.com.au/ot-week-2020/

12.01.2022 Staff Anniversaries > Big congratulations to our OT, Tanya who recently celebrated three years with IRS. We asked her to share a little of her past year with us. Your favourite memory about being in our OT team over the past year with IRS?... Our sense of community and inclusivity within the IRS team despite the restrictions/limitations associated with COVID. As a team, we have been super creative in keeping connected during this time; this is an aspect that I LOVE about working at IRS! A personal achievement over the last year that you would be happy to share? There have been a number of personal achievements in 2020, I need to include 3! 1. Purchasing our first home and completing the majority of renovations in a 6 week period! 2. Getting ENGAGED! 3. Harley the German Shepherd joining our family! A big year for Tanya and we've eagerly followed your reno progress, watched the rapid growth of her Harley and now look forward to hearing all about her future wedding plans! Thank you Tanya for all you contribute to IRS, your clients are so lucky to have such a creative and passionate OT working with them.

11.01.2022 Staffing News > Last week, along with Felicia, we also welcomed Kevin into our OT team. As we love to do, we asked him to share a few stories to get to know him better. Why did you choose OT as your career? ... I've always had a passion for helping and empowering others, so I knew I was always likely to pursue a career in healthcare. However I always had particular considerations that were important to me. I wanted a role where I could get to know people, to be able to use my creativity, and to make a holistic impact on a person's daily life. I was introduced into the world of OT from a friend and as I did my research I thought it was too good to be true as it ticked every box for me! Your favourite things about OT? - I love the versatility of Occupational Therapy. My first OT placement was in the Mental Health sphere which I enjoyed and thought I'd be pursuing as a career specialty. I then had another placement in inpatient rehabilitation which I absolutely loved. Since graduating I've spent the last 4 years in the world of neuro rehab and have never looked back. - Creativity is important to me. Within OT we have the opportunity to guide our clients in their journey to greater participation and engagement in activities that are meaningful to them. No day is ever the same. Your 3 favourite personal things? - I religiously follow Chelsea Football Club and all things soccer related. - Having worked in a rock climbing gym for 5 years, I love going climbing and introducing new people to the sport. - I love travelling and going on new adventures, so hopefully we reach the end of the pandemic in the not too distant future! Your fondest memory to date of your OT career? - The first memory that comes up for me involves a 60 year old woman who had quite a catastrophic stroke this year prior to the start of COVID-19. She was incredibly independent previously, travelling the world to go on hiking tours on her own. From the moment she arrived on the rehab ward, she couldn't stand, speak, or move her arm. The interesting aspect about her was that she didn't have any physical impairments that caused these issues. They were all related to her level of cognition which had a direct impact on her physical skills. She didn't know how to roll in bed, how to use her arms, and couldn't hold a simple conversation. This meant that the bulk of her admission required intensive cognitive rehabilitation in order to regain her mobility and independence in basic daily activities. We spent a lot of time together and built up a great rapport, I advocated for her endlessly to ensure she was given the required amount of time in rehab. By the end we were able to leave the ward and walk to the shops together, put together a shopping list, and prepare one of her favourite meals in our OT kitchen! Thanks so much for sharing these stories Kevin and welcome to our team!

10.01.2022 Staff Anniversaries > Izzy recently celebrated three years with IRS and we asked her to share a little of her last year with us. Your favourite memory about being in our PT team over the past year with IRS?... As so many people have commented in recent anniversary posts, this one has been a challenging one on many fronts, but it's been a pleasure to be working with IRS and my clients to make sure we got through it together. I think a favourite memory is one of the many ways we have tried to make the best of some pretty tough times - one of my clients had a birthday in the middle of Stage 4 restrictions, coinciding with a visit I had to make for urgent reasons. To keep things from being too dreary we threw a mini impromptu birthday party - some of his therapy was dancing with me around the house (a big goal) and I even borrowed a whiteboard marker to draw a formal bow tie on my PPE gown. It's always a pleasure to bring smiles as much as we can when things are tough. A personal achievement over the last year that you would be happy to share? I wish I could say I used my lockdown time to master a skill or new language, but I think it's still worthwhile to acknowledge that I've really learned how to stop and rest. Pre-2020, I'd always be out and about, training and dancing 15+ hours a week and constantly in pain from one injury or another, and sometimes I take on too much. I think it's a great personal achievement of mine that in coming out of lockdown into the 'real world', I'm still making sure to give myself time to have quiet, restful moments - so I have 'enough in the tank' to then give my very best for clients and colleagues as well as friends and family. Happy Three Years with IRS Iz! You are such a valuable member of our team and we look forward to many more years of you developing your career with us.

09.01.2022 One of our OTs, Aleksia, attended a webinar today regarding the setup of home automation "Home Control by Voice, Direct Access and Apps". Key concepts covered within the webinar included the method of access, and how to setup the automation through the user's mobile phones and tablets as well as control of doors, air-conditioning, lights and TV. The webinar was delivered by ARATA with Dr Graeme Smith as presenter. Dr Graeme Smith is a researcher and assessor of assistive technologies for people with a disability.

09.01.2022 > #OTWeek2020 Never Giving Up: James’ Story Like many of us, our client James has found dealing with the impacts of coronavirus a stressful time. However, not only has he been able to manage his way through the crisis but has been successful in continuing his personal development by creating a strategy that focuses on three key areas of his life.... James' encouraging story, written in his own words, is one about appreciating what you have, never giving up and continuing to improve. Read James' story: https://independent-rehab.com.au/never-giving-up-james-sto/

08.01.2022 > Celebrating #otweek2020 Positivity and Determination Can Get You Everywhere: Diane’s Story As part of her rehabilitation one of Diane's goals was to write and publish her life story. With support of her OT Meaghan and funding from the TAC, she was able to enrol in an online creative writing course.... After seeing a creative writing competition for people with a disability, Meaghan worked with Diane on editing her story and submitted the entry. The great news is that Diane recently received a call from the competition organizers to tell her they love her story and they want to enter it into the Melbourne Fringe Festival! They will also be conducting an interview that they will play at the festival. Read Diane’s inspiring story: https://independent-rehab.com.au/positivity-and-determinat/

08.01.2022 World Physio Day Lunch> The physiotherapy team gathered yesterday and hosted lunch in celebration of World Physiotherapy Day that took place earlier in the month. We shared the inspirational story of Sydney-based physiotherapist Karl Schurr and his partner Annie McCluskey, surviving COVID-19 and contributing to the health community with his advice for therapists, doctors and nurses working in ICU and inpatient rehabilitation. We then shared with the team the fun, light-hearted stories we have had while working as physios. Finishing up with a game of physio memes and quiz. Keeping the team up to date with the fun facts and the daily life of being a physio.

06.01.2022 Staff Anniversaries > Talia recently celebrated three years with IRS and it has been such a pleasure watching her Speech Pathology career thrive at IRS. We asked her to share a little of her past year with us.... My favourite memory about working at IRS over the past year, is how amazing our staff have been over the past 6 months in supporting our clients during this really tough time. Everyone has stepped up, made sure our clients are still receiving a high quality of care, and looking after each other too. We are very lucky at IRS! A personal achievement over the last year, has been prioritising self care - going to the gym regularly, slowing down, and implementing reflective practices, which has helped a lot to manage the ups and downs. Thank you Talia for all you have contributed to your clients, our Speech and Leadership team and in fact the entire IRS team!

05.01.2022 We love to celebrate success. Faced with the prospect of social isolation during Melbourne's lockdown, Matt's client came up with a brilliant idea during a speech telehealth session - "What if we started a communication group online to help individuals with TBI connect with one another? With Matt's guidance, what started with two clients has turned into two different telehealth communication groups who meet every two weeks, sharing and working on their individual goals. Read more about this amazing success story https://independent-rehab.com.au/staying-connected-new-way/

04.01.2022 Staffing News > We are so pleased to now be working with a full return to Allied Health Services and also to be in such a strong position to be recruiting and putting on new staff. Last week we welcomed Felicia to our OT team. Here's a little bit about Flick. MEET FELICIA!... Why did you choose OT as your career? Before pursuing a career in OT, I was working as a Vet nurse. As much as I loved caring for animals, I felt as though something was missing. I learnt about the role of OT through volunteering at the Queensland Children's Hospital, and immediately knew it was the career for me! I love that as an OT, I can work with a range of people and everyday is different! Your 3 favourite things about OT? - I love helping people work towards their goals and sharing the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that it provides people. - I love how holistic OT is, looking at all aspects of a person, their environment and the activities they are engaging in. - I love helping people engage in leisure occupations; the things that we enjoy most and make us happy! Your 3 favourite personal things? - My drink bottle - can't go without it! - My phone. - My basketball - can't wait till we're allowed to go out and shoot some hoops again! Your fondest memory to date of your OT career? - When working in an acute stroke ward, I set up an upper-limb program for one of my clients. Their goal was to get home and to pat their dog again. With intensive therapy over a matter of days, my client was able to reach forward and mimic patting her dog. It was so rewarding to see such excellent progress, and both my client (and her dog!) were happy with the results. Welcome to our team Flick, we hope you have a wonderful experience growing your career at IRS.

03.01.2022 Staffing News > Yesterday we welcomed Eliza into our OT team. With Covid restrictions lifting significantly, the OT team is much appreciative of additional support as it's proving to be a very busy time leading into Christmas.... We asked Eliza to share a little about herself. Why did you choose OT as your career? - I volunteered at Stanford Hospital while in secondary school in the USA and it was there that I was introduced to the Occupational Therapy Profession. This sparked my interest to help support individuals to achieve their goals and I developed a passion for neurorehab. Your three favorite things about OT? - Helping individuals achieve their goals. - Working as part of a multidisciplinary team. - Using creative and innovative strategies to support individuals. Your three favorite personal things? - I enjoy hiking and exploring. - I enjoy going out to restaurants to try new cuisines. - I enjoy salsa dancing and painting. Welcome to the team Eliza. It's an exciting time to be joining IRS and developing your career in community neurological rehabilitation.

03.01.2022 Education and Training > Yesterday evening, Emma and Kate, with three other physios presented to over 100 Physiotherapists from across Australia about the NDIS. This comprehensive presentation provided advice and guidance regarding the NDIS legislation and guidelines, access, report writing & housing. It was a great opportunity to share our knowledge of the NDIS scheme with external providers and colleagues.

03.01.2022 Professional Development > Last week one of our OT's Sadb attended a course on 'Sensory Modulation, Trauma and Attachment Informed Care, present by Tina Champagne (OT). It was a 2 day workshop pre recorded via ZOOM. The content focused on introduction to sensory integration and processing, polyvagal theory, trauma and attachment informed care, and seclusion and restraint reduction models. ... The course specifically focussed on working through the process of assessment, goal setting and interventions. The IRS team look forward to hearing more about this in our regular Wednesday PD feedback lunch sessions.

02.01.2022 Staff Anniversaries > Nadia recently celebrated three years with IRS. Here's a little of her thoughts on the past year with us. Your favourite memory about being in our PT team over the past year with IRS?... When I think about working at IRS over the past year, the first thing that comes to mind is how well our team has supported each other and our clients through a very difficult seven months. I have felt very lucky to be working with such amazing people who have been looking out for each other and prioritising their wellbeing. This has meant we have been able to continue to provide the best quality service to our clients despite the challenges of telehealth and PPE! A personal achievement over the last year that you would be happy to share? My partner and I purchased a house in NZ in early March, back before our life was turned upside down! We didn't get the chance to see the property so luckily my parents could be our eyes and ears. It's also been a huge challenge to be separated from my family in NZ this year and am proud of being able to stick it out through this lockdown.. bring on the trans tasman bubble! We hope you get to see your family in NZ soon Nadia, and thank you for everything, not only this year, but over the past three years with us!

01.01.2022 IRS recently celebrated it's 21st Anniversary, with the practice being set-up by Kate, 21 years ago around her kitchen table. We asked her to share her thoughts on the last year at IRS. Your favourite memory about being our Practice Principal over the past year with IRS? Our zoom party for our 21st birthday was amazing! It was wonderful to have so many old staff or expats (as they’re now called) join in with us all to celebrate 21 years of IRS. Seeing faces from Scotland, En...gland, Ireland, Perth, Sydney and I’m not sure where else was amazing. It was lovely to at least celebrate separately all that we have achieved over the years. I can’t wait until we can actually celebrate together in the one room. A special mention to Dave Lowan for saying the word buttocks! A personal achievement over the last year that you would be happy to share? Our 21st year has been a tough one, it has had more challenges than in all the previous 20 years. However, I have been in awe of how the team has managed, they have adapted over and over again to all the changes we have had to put in place to keep them safe and our clients safe. When the year started I was whingeing about having to amend the risk process to adapt to bushfire zones in Melbourne and then environmental issues with smoke in our air. If only I had known how many more times our risk assessment would be updated/modified/reviewed in 2020. On top of this the team have then had to develop their skills in Telehealth, which in a disability paradigm is challenging, their achievements and learnings in this space has been so impressive. So, a personal achievement is the team’s achievements; that we’re still here together as a strong team, we have dealt with the challenges together, supporting each other even though we’re apart. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work with these amazing clinicians who constantly inspire me and motivate me to do better every day. Thank you Kate from all of us at IRS, for all you do every single day.