News & Media

Contacting Everyday Independence During the Festive Period

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support in 2021 and wish you well in 2022. Many of our team are taking a break over the holiday period to rest and recharge. Our therapy hubs will be closed from 5pm Wednesday 22 December 2021 and will re-open on Tuesday …

Continue reading "Contacting Everyday Independence During the Festive Period"

What are restrictive practices?

As part of an educational series on Positive Behaviour Support, we chat to Bridie Telford, our Positive Behaviour Support Lead and expert. Bridie has over 9 years’ experience working in the disability sector, and is responsible for building a team of highly skilled, caring and dedicated Behaviour Support Practitioners who approach their work with compassion …

Continue reading "What are restrictive practices?"

Celebrating International Day of People with Disability 2021

December 3, 2021

Today marks the 30th annual International Day of People with Disability, a day that celebrates disability and advocates for a society where everyone feels equal, included and accepted in their community. As a team, we have the privilege of working alongside people with disabilities across the country and seeing them reveal their true abilities when …

Continue reading "Celebrating International Day of People with Disability 2021"

Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards

Glyn Davies (CEO), Tara Cahill (Engagement & Marketing Executive Lead), Brianna Grigg (Regional Lead/Occupational Therapist) and Kaitlyn Dullard (Area Lead/Physiotherapist) were thrilled to attend the Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards on Tuesday, 23 November, representing Everyday Independence as a key sponsor. It was a fantastic night for our team members, who were extremely inspired …

Continue reading "Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards"

Everyday Independence and Gymnastics NSW Partnership

Everyday Independence is excited to announce our new partnership with Gymnastics NSW. The partnership will allow Everyday Independence participants to gain special access to tailored gym programs,  as well as free trials. Gymnastics NSW will work collaboratively with Everyday Independence to provide the best possible experience for all participants. With the help of our therapists, …

Continue reading "Everyday Independence and Gymnastics NSW Partnership"

The Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards recognise community trailblazer, Kaye Speed

Everyday Independence is thrilled to be sponsoring the Lifetime Achievement Award, to be awarded at the Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards (VDSRA) on Tuesday, 23 November at PwC Melbourne. The VDSRA demonstrates a vision and purpose closely aligned with our own. Much like Everyday Independence, they push for inclusion and work hard to remove …

Continue reading "The Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards recognise community trailblazer, Kaye Speed"

Top Tips to Increase Participation

Our team of highly skilled and passionate Occupational Therapists (OTs) support people of all ages and abilities to achieve their desired goals. These goals can vary greatly from person to person, but the focus is always on building skills and confidence to participate in everyday life activities. A key part of our OT’s role is …

Continue reading "Top Tips to Increase Participation"

Meet our newest Queensland team members

Meet Jade Shaw – Key Worker OT, Southern Brisbane team I’m an Occupational Therapist with special interest in early childhood intervention. I’ve worked in Paediatrics for over 8 years with children presenting a variety of challenging diagnoses such as ASD, ADHD, Developmental Delay, Neurological Disorders and Sensory Processing difficulties. My role as a Key Worker …

Continue reading "Meet our newest Queensland team members"

A journey to the social model of support

Trish Hill shares her journey and experiences as a Physiotherapist, starting out using traditional practices then shifting to the social model of support, as practiced at Everyday Independence. Read her account of supporting more children and families achieve their potential. Beginning with the traditional ‘medical’ model When I reflect on my practice years ago with …

Continue reading "A journey to the social model of support"

Educators bring specialist skills to Everyday Independence

In celebration of early childhood educators’ day, we speak with Mel Thompson, Early Childhood Intervention Lead who brings her expertise and passion for supporting children and families with high quality and best practice services to the team.  She discusses the important contribution educators make at Everyday Independence in their role as Key Workers.  What drew …

Continue reading "Educators bring specialist skills to Everyday Independence"

How do I choose a school for my child?

August 31, 2021

  Choosing a school for your child can feel like an overwhelming decision.  After all, they (and you) will be part of that community five days a week, 40 weeks a year for up to 13 years! We speak with Bronwyn, one of our early childhood Key Workers for her tips for choosing a school …

Continue reading "How do I choose a school for my child?"

How is physiotherapy delivered in the social model you ask?

At Everyday Independence, we live and breathe the social model of support. When physiotherapy is recommended, our physiotherapists come to a person’s home, workplace, school, or any place they spend time to see how they interact with their environment. During these COVID times, we have also introduced phone or video calls for the initial session. …

Continue reading "How is physiotherapy delivered in the social model you ask?"

Now delivering therapy services in Adelaide

October 5, 2021

We have a team of highly experienced therapists in Adelaide who are available now to support children, teenagers, and adults to achieve their personal goals. Our therapy team will come to you to deliver NDIS funded therapy in your everyday life. Our therapy team can support you to develop a new skill, pursue a new …

Continue reading "Now delivering therapy services in Adelaide"

COVID-19 Update New South Wales and Victoria

June 29, 2021

With restrictions in place across New South Wales and Victoria to stop the spread of the COVID-19,  supporting our clients with safe services and supports is our highest priority. We’re here to support you As an essential service with authorised workers, Everyday Independence therapists are permitted to visit you in your home and provide therapy …

Continue reading "COVID-19 Update New South Wales and Victoria"

The Magic Happens in Between Therapy Sessions

June 10, 2020

At Everyday Independence, we empower the people we support to be in control of their therapy and keep practising and improving beyond every therapy session. When therapy is integrated into your daily life routine, you have a better chance of using your new skills in the places you spend your time, not just when you’re …

Continue reading "The Magic Happens in Between Therapy Sessions"

School’s out and learning from home’s in

With learning from home in place for many children across Victoria during the COVID circuit breaker, what does therapy look if your child usually has therapy sessions at school? Our therapists are adapting therapy sessions to support students to continue working towards their goals while they’re learning from home. As an essential service with authorised …

Continue reading "School’s out and learning from home’s in"

Ally Falzon named as a finalist in the 2020-2021 Allied Health Early Career Excellence category

We are thrilled to announce that Ally Falzon has been named as a finalist in the Allied Health Early Career Excellence category in the 2020-2021 Australian Allied Health Awards. Ally is an Occupational Therapist at Everyday Independence and is passionate about supporting people to build their confidence and skills so they can enjoy more of …

Continue reading "Ally Falzon named as a finalist in the 2020-2021 Allied Health Early Career Excellence category"

The role of physiotherapy in supporting people with a disability

August 16, 2021

We chat with Trish Hill, Physiotherapist, about the role physiotherapy plays in supporting people with a disability to achieve their goals. Trish is a passionate physiotherapist with extensive experience in Paediatrics. What is physiotherapy? Physiotherapy can help to assess, treat and prevent a wide range of health conditions and movement disorders. Physiotherapists work with people …

Continue reading "The role of physiotherapy in supporting people with a disability"

Arnett’s Soccer Club Sponsorship

July 27, 2021

We’re delighted to sponsor the Arnetts soccer club for their 2021 season. Located in Newcastle, New South Wales,  Arnett’s is an inclusive football team for children and young adults with additional needs or disabilities. Therapists from the Everyday Independence Newcastle team have been on hand at each game through the season to provide children with …

Continue reading "Arnett’s Soccer Club Sponsorship"

International Nurses Day

May 12, 2021

Today is International Nurses Day and this year’s theme is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – A vision for future healthcare”. To acknowledge and celebrate the invaluable contribution that nurses make in our lives, we spoke to two of our Mental Health Nurses who recently joined Everyday Independence (EI) as Behaviour Support Practitioners. Meet Ivane …

Continue reading "International Nurses Day"

Beautiful parks, open spaces

April 27, 2021

Our therapists incorporate their client’s interests or routines into their therapy sessions and this often takes them into many of our beautiful parks and open spaces. Parks are ideal spaces for working on goals such as improving your mobility, strength, balance, coordination, social skills, and communication skills. We love parks because they are a great …

Continue reading "Beautiful parks, open spaces"

Making it personal. Our approach to providing therapy services

April 16, 2021

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to supporting people with therapy services and what works for one person, may not work for another person with the same disability. Our therapists listen to you and your support network to understand what’s working for you, what isn’t, and what a vision of success looks like. …

Continue reading "Making it personal. Our approach to providing therapy services"

We’re growing to help more Australians

New hubs and new Team members We officially have nine hubs located in New South Wales and Sutherland Shire hub is our newest location. Located in Caringbah, the hub provides a wide range of services to the local area including early childhood intervention, to support the local and surrounding areas. In addition to Sutherland Shire, …

Continue reading "We’re growing to help more Australians"

Educators help expand our Early Childhood Intervention Services

March 23, 2021

As part of our commitment to supporting children to build their everyday skills and live to their full potential, we’re expanding our early childhood intervention services to include Educators. Everyday Independence delivers early childhood intervention services to support children aged under seven years, who live with a disability or development delay, and their families. The …

Continue reading "Educators help expand our Early Childhood Intervention Services"

Swallowing Awareness Day 2021

March 17, 2021

Today is Swallowing Awareness Day which raises awareness about swallowing disorders, also known as ‘dysphagia’. Swallowing is a natural reflex and an essential part of our everyday life.  We swallow between 500-700 times a day, around three times an hour during sleep, once per minute while awake, and even more during meals. Around one million …

Continue reading "Swallowing Awareness Day 2021"

International Women’s Day 2021

As part of our International Women’s Day celebrations, we had a chat with Brianna Grigg, Regional Lead, Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner, and Occupational Therapist about her thoughts on International Women’s Day. Brianna joined Everyday Independence as a new graduate six years ago. Since then, Brianna has progressed her career into leadership and behavioural support, two …

Continue reading "International Women’s Day 2021"

Event: Trailblazing Positive Behaviour Support

Everyday Independence is proud to host an information careers evening – Trailblazing Positive Behaviour Support at Everyday Independence, 6 – 7 pm, Thursday 11th March. Learn from our Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) experts why there has never been a better time to be a PBS practitioner! Are you a PBS trailblazer? If so, learn why …

Continue reading "Event: Trailblazing Positive Behaviour Support"

Victorian therapy services update

February 19, 2021

We are excited by the Victorian Government’s announcement that a number of restrictions have eased across Victoria and we can return to supporting you with therapy in person. What does this mean for you? Our therapists can support you with therapy in person, online, and over the phone. For all appointments provided in person, our …

Continue reading "Victorian therapy services update"

Preparing your child to start school

In the coming weeks, many children will be starting school or returning to school. While this can be an exciting time for children, it’s natural that children may also feel anxious or uncertain about what to expect. If your child has a disability or is on the autism spectrum, you might have extra concerns about …

Continue reading "Preparing your child to start school"

Healthy Mothers Healthy Families

December 24, 2020

We have a strong commitment to excellence so we’re excited to be taking part in the Healthy Mothers Healthy Families program. The Healthy Mothers Healthy Families program helps families to find their balance by empowering mothers of children with disabilities to seek their own balance of healthy activities for themselves and their families. The program is being …

Continue reading "Healthy Mothers Healthy Families"

Dreams and goals for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly brought many challenges to our communities this year. With this year drawing to a close, we asked some of the people we support to share what they’d like to do more of in 2021  or what they would like to achieve. We look forward to seeing people achieve their goals …

Continue reading "Dreams and goals for 2021"

2020 Year in Review

As we reflect on 2020, we’d like to thank you for your support. 2020 has been a year to remember! The COVID-19 pandemic meant that at times we were unable to provide therapy in the usual way. It also meant that the people we support were often more vulnerable and disadvantaged. From the beginning of …

Continue reading "2020 Year in Review"

Leanne Healey appointed to the board of Occupational Therapy Australia

We are pleased to share the news that Leanne Healey, founder and director of Everyday Independence, has been appointed to the Board of Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA). OTA is the peak professional body representing the interests of OTs across Australia. They support lifelong learning, promote the future of OT and foster evidence-based practice. OTA is …

Continue reading "Leanne Healey appointed to the board of Occupational Therapy Australia"

Early childhood intervention

October 28, 2020

Everyday Independence provides early childhood intervention services to support children aged under 7, and their families to enjoy a good everyday life. Our therapy services support families to help their child to develop their everyday skills, fully take part in home and community life, and live to their full potential. Our early childhood services are …

Continue reading "Early childhood intervention"

North Western Sydney hub launch

October 12, 2020

We are very excited to announce that we have a new location in North Western Sydney. Due to increasing demand in the Sydney region, we opened a new hub in Seven Hills to help service the North Western Sydney area. Our team in North Western Sydney will support people living with a disability in the …

Continue reading "North Western Sydney hub launch"

Supporting kids to return to school

October 9, 2020

On Monday, many children in Victoria are transitioning back to onsite learning. As children have been learning from home for some time, it’s natural that they may be feeling anxious or uncertain about what to expect with a new school routine. While every child and family is different, we asked our therapists for some tips …

Continue reading "Supporting kids to return to school"

Introducing Glyn Davies, our newly appointed CEO

October 8, 2020

Everyday Independence is pleased to announce that Glyn Davies has been appointed to the newly created role of Everyday Independence Chief Executive Officer. Glyn is joining the team to support our growth and our aspiration to offer the best in support and service to people living with disabilities and their families. Glyn’s appointment will allow …

Continue reading "Introducing Glyn Davies, our newly appointed CEO"

Meet Susan Wainwright, our NSW Recruitment Specialist

October 8, 2020

We would like to introduce Susan Wainwright, our Recruitment Specialist in New South Wales. Susan is key to building our team with dedicated and likeminded therapist who align with the our organisations why and values. We asked her to share with us why Everyday Independence is a great place to work, what qualities she looks …

Continue reading "Meet Susan Wainwright, our NSW Recruitment Specialist"

Jaden’s horse riding joy

September 28, 2020

  Our physiotherapists are often asked how Physiotherapy can support people to achieve their goals. And the answer is plenty of ways. Trish Hill, one of our Physiotherapists in our Bayside team in Melbourne, talks about the support she provided to a young boy so he could safely participate in a horse riding session at …

Continue reading "Jaden’s horse riding joy"

Meet Cherie Rogers, Recruitment Specialist

August 19, 2020

We’re introducing Cherie Rogers, our Recruitment Specialist who works closely with our Team Leaders to find passionate and skilled team members to join their growing teams. We asked Cherie to share with us what we look for in new team members, what makes Everyday Independence a great place to work, and the opportunities we currently …

Continue reading "Meet Cherie Rogers, Recruitment Specialist"

Supporting people within the social model of disability

July 15, 2020

People living with disabilities are often underestimated and barriers in their surroundings or the attitudes and actions of others can reduce the opportunities they have to fully participate in the community. To support people to reduce those barriers so they can live the life they want to, we work under the social model of disability. …

Continue reading "Supporting people within the social model of disability"

Supporting people with disabilities and our team members during COVID-19

May 26, 2020

At Everyday Independence, our commitment to supporting people with disabilities to reach their unique potential and enjoy an everyday life has defined who we are for more than 20 years. We are incredibly proud of the way our team worked purposefully and quickly to introduce initiatives across the organisation to enable us to deliver on …

Continue reading "Supporting people with disabilities and our team members during COVID-19"

Leanne Healey awarded the Victorian 2020 Telstra Business Women’s Award

April 30, 2020

We are very excited to announce that Leanne Healey, Founder, and Director of Everyday Independence has been awarded the Medium and Large Business award in the 2020 Telstra Victorian Business Women’s Awards. The Telstra Business Women’s Awards recognises high-achieving and ambitious women who define the direction of their business. “I am humbled by this honour …

Continue reading "Leanne Healey awarded the Victorian 2020 Telstra Business Women’s Award"

Sam continues working towards her goals while at home

April 30, 2020

Physical distancing hasn’t stopped Sam from continuing to receive her occupational therapy support, in person. Everyday Independence Occupational Therapist Zoe has been visiting Sam in her home to support her to continue working towards her goals. Taking part in meaningful activities is important to Sam who lives with disability caused by mental illness and low vision. …

Continue reading "Sam continues working towards her goals while at home"

We’re continuing to grow

March 26, 2020

This week, we welcomed 43 new starters to Everyday Independence, strengthening our team to more than 350 people working in communities across three states. We’re excited that 40 therapists (23 occupational therapists, 12 speech pathologists, 5 physiotherapists) and three support team members have chosen to progress their careers with us. Everyday Independence is committed to …

Continue reading "We’re continuing to grow"

Online therapy offers a fun new way of accessing therapy

March 26, 2020

As people across Australia are being asked to stay at home to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our therapists are supporting many families to adjust to new routines and new ways of spending their time. Occupational Therapist Marny and Speech Pathologist Becca have been working with two young children over the past year to develop …

Continue reading "Online therapy offers a fun new way of accessing therapy"

Changes to the NDIS pricing for therapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic

On March 25th the NDIA announced a temporary price increase of 10% for therapy services. Everyday Independence follows the NDIS Price Guide for all our fees and charges, so we have adjusted our pricing to reflect the NDIA changes. These changes will come into effect today, Thursday 26 March 2020 and will be in place …

Continue reading "Changes to the NDIS pricing for therapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic"

2020 Telstra Business Women’s Awards VIC winners announced shortly

Everyday Independence founder and director Leanne Healey is a Victorian finalist in the 2020 Telstra Business Women’s Awards which are being announced on Tuesday, March 17th. Leanne founded Everyday Independence in 1997 and today it’s one of the largest interdisciplinary therapy providers in Australia, offering occupational therapy, speech pathology and physiotherapy to people living with …

Continue reading "2020 Telstra Business Women’s Awards VIC winners announced shortly"

We welcome new team members, open more therapy hubs

February 17, 2020

As we start 2020, we send a very warm welcome to our 78 newest team members at Everyday Independence. Our latest group of new starters includes 70 occupational therapists, speech pathologists and physiotherapists, and eight administration team members. We are very excited to now be a team of 311 people working across teams in Melbourne, …

Continue reading "We welcome new team members, open more therapy hubs"

Private Practice Made Perfect Podcast

Recently the Everyday Independence Directors – Ingrid Cole, Mal Healey and Leanne Healey joined Cathy Love on the Private Practice Made Perfect Podcast.   Ingrid, Leanne and Mal shared their experience on how using a social model of disability and becoming a people-centred practice has helped Everyday Independence build our team, support participants and improve …

Continue reading "Private Practice Made Perfect Podcast"

Meet Matt Wong, Occupational Therapist, Gold Coast.

We chat with Matt about his journey to become an OT, what he thinks good therapy looks like and he shares with us what he does on a typical day. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I joined Everyday Independence in January 2018 as a graduate OT and  have a particular interest in supporting  …

Continue reading "Meet Matt Wong, Occupational Therapist, Gold Coast."

Meet April O’Neill, Team Leader Gold Coast

We introduce April O’Neill, Occupational Therapist and Team Leader for the Gold Coast team in Queensland. From the first week in February, Everyday Independence will be expanding our services and opening a therapy hub on the Gold Coast. April will be leading a  team of multi-disciplinary therapists who will support people with a wide range …

Continue reading "Meet April O’Neill, Team Leader Gold Coast"

We’re expanding our services into Queensland

December 18, 2019

We are very excited to be expanding our services into Queensland. From Monday 3 February we are available to support people with disabilities living on the Gold Coast and in the Gold Coast Hinterlands with occupational therapy and speech pathology. Our therapy team will provide occupational therapy and speech pathology services to people of all ages so …

Continue reading "We’re expanding our services into Queensland"

2019 Everyday Independence Empower Me conference

November 26, 2019

We recently held the inagural Everyday Independence Empower Me Conference in Melbourne. More than 200 of our Victorian and New South Wales team members came together over two days to engage, learn and to celebrate our achievements this year. We were also honoured to hear from guest speakers Kurt Fearnley AO and the Honourable Mr …

Continue reading "2019 Everyday Independence Empower Me conference"

Our therapy services expand across Sydney

November 26, 2019

We’re very excited to be expanding our services across Sydney. From next month, we’ll have teams based across four therapy hubs to support  people living with disabilities in most of Greater Sydney, with the exception of the Northern Beaches.  This means more availability for appointments, less travel likely, and more access for families to our therapy …

Continue reading "Our therapy services expand across Sydney"

Therapy services expanding across Melbourne

November 26, 2019

We’re excited to be expanding our services in Melbourne with the addition of two therapy hubs. Next month, we’ll open a new therapy hub in Melton.  While a team of therapists have been supporting families in the Melton Brimbank area with their therapy needs, a local therapy hub will mean that we can also offer …

Continue reading "Therapy services expanding across Melbourne"

Meet Kate Hyett, Regional Lead

November 27, 2019

Kate recently joined the Everyday Independence team to support our teams in Bendigo, Barwon, Ballarat  and Albury to deliver great therapy services in their local communities. Kate has worked across the hospital and health care industries in metropolitan, regional, and rural settings across Australia in senior director positions.  She is a registered nurse with post …

Continue reading "Meet Kate Hyett, Regional Lead"

Careers evenings in Melbourne

Are you an occupational therapist, speech pathologist or physiotherapist who is interested in supporting people with disabilities to live to their full potential? Our therapy services are in demand and we have allied health roles available in all of our therapy hubs in Victoria and New South Wales. Come along to one of our careers …

Continue reading "Careers evenings in Melbourne"

Everyday Magic sees Tarus’ garden grow

October 24, 2019

Tarus has always wanted a vegetable garden of his own and to make friends with others who love gardening.  However living in a large SDA , Tarus is unable to have his own veggie garden at home. Izabel, Tarus’ occupational therapist, supported him to find a local community garden with raised garden beds, which was …

Continue reading "Everyday Magic sees Tarus’ garden grow"

Celebrating OT Week 2019

Each of our 14 teams came together today to celebrate OT Week and the many ways that occupational therapy supports people with disabilities to live a good everyday life. People often ask ‘what is occupational therapy? Occupational therapy supports people to do the things they want to do in their daily life. Our occupational therapists …

Continue reading "Celebrating OT Week 2019"

We’re growing in Western Melbourne and Inner Gippsland regions

October 22, 2019

With more people requesting support to achieve their goals, we’d pleased to announce that we are expanding our services in Western Melbourne and  Inner Gippsland. Western Melbourne region Everyday Independence therapists have recently begun supporting people in the local government areas of Melton and Brimbank. Now, we’re putting the final touches on a space in …

Continue reading "We’re growing in Western Melbourne and Inner Gippsland regions"

Carers Week 2019

October 16, 2019

Carer’s Week (13-19 October) We’re recognising and thanking carers for their dedication and significant contributions in providing care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness or who are elderly with care needs. Carers come in all shapes and sizes from a variety of backgrounds, with …

Continue reading "Carers Week 2019"

New site opens in Wyndham 

October 2, 2019

We’re excited to open an additional site in Western Melbourne to support people living with disabilities in this region. Our new site in Werribee will support the therapy needs of people in the local government area of Wyndham and surrounding area. This area includes the suburbs and localities of Cocoroc, Hoppers Crossing, Laverton, Laverton North, …

Continue reading "New site opens in Wyndham "

Vincent gets physical with boxing

October 2, 2019

Exercise has consistently shown to be a positive factor for mental health, mood regulation, motivation and in Vincent’s case, it has also opened doors for engagement and participation with others in his group home. Vincent is a 26-year-old who has been living in shared accommodation since the age of 21. He has been diagnosed with …

Continue reading "Vincent gets physical with boxing"

Winner at the 2019 Australian Allied Health Awards

September 24, 2019

We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded two awards at the 2019 Australian Allied Health Awards.  The awards are designed to recognise, inspire, promote innovation and excellence within the Allied Health community. Early Career Excellence Award Harley Hayes, Occupational Therapist in our Bendigo team won the Early Career Excellence Award. While only in …

Continue reading "Winner at the 2019 Australian Allied Health Awards"

Empowering people with disabilities with person-centred therapy

September 20, 2019

Harley Hayes, occupational therapist and winner of the Australian Allied Health Awards, Early Career Excellence category, talks about the benefits of using person-centred therapy to support people with disabilities to have more choice and control in the areas of their life that are important to them While I was at university completing my occupational therapy …

Continue reading "Empowering people with disabilities with person-centred therapy"

Jess speaks to Human Nature

To celebrate Speech Pathology Week 2019 we’re sharing a beautiful story about Jess. Jess has been working together with our Speech Pathologist Amanda, from our Newcastle team since December last year to develop her communication skills. Amanda has been supporting Jess to speak confidently with people outside of Jess’ family and to use the phone …

Continue reading "Jess speaks to Human Nature"

Celebrating Speech Pathology Week 2019

Today marks the beginning of Speech Pathology Week and this year’s theme is ‘communicating with confidence’. With more than 1.2 million Australians living with a communication disability, speech pathologists play an important role in supporting people to communicate with confidence. We’d like to thank our speech pathology team members for their dedication and commitment to …

Continue reading "Celebrating Speech Pathology Week 2019"

You can do it. Be brave!

When we asked 10-year-old Monique for her advice for a child who was just about to start receiving therapy support, she had five simple, but powerful words. Words that are relevant to people of all ages. ‘You can do it. Be brave’. Monique’s daily life is much like any other 10-year-old girl’s.  She loves spending …

Continue reading "You can do it. Be brave!"

Working as a team to support people with their therapy needs

August 21, 2019

When a person needs more than one type of therapy, the common approach is for each therapist to meet with them, conduct their own assessment and develop their own plan.  This means multiple assessment and the plans may not work all together. We do things differently. At Everyday Independence, when a person needs more than …

Continue reading "Working as a team to support people with their therapy needs"

We’re growing in New South Wales and Victoria

August 21, 2019

With demand for our services increasing across all of our sites, we’ve maintained a strong focus on recruitment over the past six months. We’re committed to delivering high quality therapy services to the people we are currently supporting and assisting new participants to get started with their therapy as soon as possible. Last week we …

Continue reading "We’re growing in New South Wales and Victoria"

Focus on occupational therapy

Occupational therapy supports people with disabilities of all ages to perform daily tasks in a way that enhances their quality of life, increases their social participation, independence and overall well-being. This can include activities at home with cooking, self-care, enjoying time with friends and family, getting out and about, and participating in study or work. Our …

Continue reading "Focus on occupational therapy"

Dave’s living his best life with the right supports

June 26, 2019

Kate Morris, Speech Pathologist in our Newcastle team supports many people with disabilities in the Hunter New England area.  But Dave’s journey is one that she’s particularly proud to be a part of. Dave’s story is a great example of what a person with a disability can achieve when they have the right supports around …

Continue reading "Dave’s living his best life with the right supports"

Talking speech pathology

May 22, 2019

Speech pathologists support people who have challenges with their communication due to issues with their speech, language, fluency, voice, or in understanding what others are saying.   A speech pathologist can also help make mealtimes more enjoyable and safer for someone who has problems swallowing food and drink. At Everyday Independence, our speech pathologists use evidence-based …

Continue reading "Talking speech pathology"

Amber travels by train independently, for the first time in 20 years

May 22, 2019

Noises, overcrowding, confined spaces, or feeling unsafe can make anyone’s journey on public transport extremely stressful, let alone if you suffer from anxiety. Pamela Borg, occupational therapist with Everyday Independence understands how challenging it can be for someone with a lifelong mental health condition to use public transport. Pamela recently supported Amber, a young woman …

Continue reading "Amber travels by train independently, for the first time in 20 years"

Meet Steph, Physiotherapist, Albury team

May 7, 2019

Steph Weller recently joined the Everyday Independence team as a physiotherapist with our Albury team. Relocating from Adelaide at the beginning of this year, Steph has fallen in love with Albury’s relaxed feel and its people. Steph was inspired to become a physiotherapist as a teenager after working closely with a physiotherapist after recovering from …

Continue reading "Meet Steph, Physiotherapist, Albury team"

Everyday Independence celebrates growth milestone

April 29, 2019

Today, we celebrate a significant growth milestone as we welcome our 200th team member to Everyday Independence. For an organisation that started 20 years’ ago with one person’s passion to make a difference, it’s an important milestone that we’re very proud of. Every person who is part of the Everyday Independence team works to deliver …

Continue reading "Everyday Independence celebrates growth milestone"

Meet Sonya O’Donohue, Practice and Participant Lead, Southern Melbourne

March 28, 2019

Sonya O’Donohue is the Practice and Participant Lead in Southern Melbourne and supports people with a disability to access our services. After learning more about a participant’s needs and what they would like to achieve, Sonya matches a therapist who can help them to achieve their goals. Sonya schedules the participant’s first therapy appointment and …

Continue reading "Meet Sonya O’Donohue, Practice and Participant Lead, Southern Melbourne"

Extended contact hours

We’ve extended our hours to make it easier for you to contact us or make a referral. Our Intake Team is now available from 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday on 1300 179 131. A member of our Intake team can talk to you about our services, our intake process and how we can work …

Continue reading "Extended contact hours"

DHHS Assessment – Excellent feedback

March 8, 2019

This week each of our teams got together to celebrate our success in the recent DHHS Human Services Standards Assessment. We were so thrilled to receive such positive feedback about our organisation and that we have been recommended for accreditation. The start of the assessors report said ‘“Everyday Independence started from one person with a …

Continue reading "DHHS Assessment – Excellent feedback"

Everyday Independence announces partnership

March 4, 2019

We are excited to share with you that Everyday Independence is now partnering with Sprout Occupational Therapy in Mornington. This partnership will allow Everyday Independence to broaden our therapy services into the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston regions. For Sprout it is an exciting opportunity to join Everyday Independence to be part of a multidisciplinary allied …

Continue reading "Everyday Independence announces partnership"

New offices open in Melbourne and regional Victoria

We are excited to announce that in response to increasing requests for therapy in the regions of Southern Melbourne and Ballarat we are expanding our team and opening new Everyday Independence locations. In January, we opened an office in Narre Warren, where we have seven therapists providing occupational therapy, speech pathology and physiotherapy to people …

Continue reading "New offices open in Melbourne and regional Victoria"

Leanne Healey shares her thoughts on the role of occupational therapists in disability

February 1, 2019

Leanne Healey, Everyday Independence founder and director, has shared her thoughts on the role of occupational therapy in supporting people living with a disability and highlighted the importance of person centred practice in all we do in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald this weekend. We’re thrilled that as the inaugural winner of the OT …

Continue reading "Leanne Healey shares her thoughts on the role of occupational therapists in disability"

Everyday Independence features in the NDIS provider newsletter

January 29, 2019

Here at Everyday Independence we are pretty excited to feature in the NDIS provider newsletter this month. Leanne’s OT of the Year award has given her a wonderful platform to talk about her passion for a social model of disability and focusing on people with disability being the experts in their own lives. You can …

Continue reading "Everyday Independence features in the NDIS provider newsletter"

Team member awards and recognition

February 1, 2019

At the end of last year, the 2018 Everyday Independence Excellence Awards were awarded to team members who had gone over and above in their work at Everyday Independence. The Awards are peer nominated and acknowledge the achievements of our team members. Each nomination, provided evidence in three or more of the following areas: Outstanding …

Continue reading "Team member awards and recognition"

Ruth’s story

January 17, 2019

At Everyday Independence we support children and adults of all ages to achieve their goals. Meet Ruth, her goal was to enter the workforce after an acquired brain injury when she was a child impacted her memory and her ability to process information and she had spent many years in treatment and rehabilitation. A job …

Continue reading "Ruth’s story"

Leanne Healey awarded Occupational Therapist of the Year

November 18, 2018

We are very excited to announce that Leanne Healey, Director of Everyday Independence has been awarded Occupational Therapist of the Year at the 2018 Australian Allied Health Awards. Leanne received the award in front of more than 150 Allied Health and Business professionals in Brisbane on last night. The awards are designed to recognise, inspire, …

Continue reading "Leanne Healey awarded Occupational Therapist of the Year"

Speech Pathologist supports travel dream for family

September 27, 2018

A family holiday can feel out of reach for many people with children who have complex sensory and communication needs.  Vicki Cox, Speech Pathologist with Everyday Independence, understands how difficult it can be to support young children and teens who struggle with the challenges of a major change in routine experienced on an overseas holiday. …

Continue reading "Speech Pathologist supports travel dream for family"

July 7, 2018

The concept of ‘just enough support’ is something we really focus on with all the people we work with. You can build independence when you are stretched and challenge yourself. There are so many ways our occupational therapists, physios and speech pathologists help people see and meet their potential. It excites us and motivates us …

Continue reading "Stretching to Independence"

Therapy in daily life

March 21, 2018

Spot the therapy session in these photos… The answer is that both children are engaging in therapy but one is more likely to get quicker results. Which one do you think it is? We aim to empower the people we work with to be in control of their therapy and keep practicing and improving beyond …

Continue reading "Therapy in daily life"

We are now registered for Behavioural Supports under the NDIS

April 2, 2018

Everyday Independence now has behaviour supports as part of our NDIS registration. This is under the Improved Relationships funding – specifically working in the areas of Specialist Behavioural Intervention Support and Implementation of behavioural management strategies. We understand that challenging behaviours are a result of a complex interaction between the individual and their environment. Using …

Continue reading "We are now registered for Behavioural Supports under the NDIS"