OT Group

Meet Kye!

Kye is a Senior Paediatric OT with OT Group and recently celebrated her 2 year anniversary with us! She's also completed additional training to become a certified SOS Feeding Therapist.

Here's more about Kye 👇

Q: What is your favourite thing about working at OT Group?
A: I really enjoy getting to work closely with participants and their families/carers to facilitate positive change. I enjoy that whilst working towards participant goals we get to be goofy/silly and make sessions really fun. People can go through challenging times. I try as hard as I can to have fun while getting the job done.

Q: What is the most satisfying part of your job?
A: The most satisfying part of my job is when a participant has a win, these wins often sound small however are things that the family and myself have worked very hard behind the scenes to achieve e.g: a child eating a new food, passing regular bowel motions, a participant making a new friend or a child joining in at matt time at kinder/school. These wins make my heart glow. It is so wonderful to see how happy this makes a child/family.

Q: What is something most people wouldn't know about you?
A: As a child/teenager I was an extremely fussy eater. I lived off chicken nuggets, hummus, sandwiches and party pies. This caused my parents a lot of grief and stress at mealtimes. I got slightly better as a teenager and by the time I was 19 I was finally ready to try my first mandarin and orange (my parents had been trying to get me to eat this since I was a little girl).
Now I eat basically everything (other than mushy zucchini and asparagus). This inspired me to help children and young adults with expanding their diet to increase their nutrient intake. Last year I completed my certificate in SOS feeding so I can deliver evidence based interventions to support food intake.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
A: Renovate my house (not always my favourite thing though)

Q: Cats or dogs?
A: Cats and dogs, I have had pet cats my whole life and currently have a cheeky tom cat called Rocko. I am currently doing up my house and once major constructions are complete I am hoping to get a dog.

Learn more about other members of the OT Group by visiting our About page here 👇

https://theotgroup.com.au/about/ -the-team

Exciting news! In just three years, the Bendigo team has expanded significantly from one occupational therapist to a dynamic team of 10 exceptional staff members, including OTs, allied health assistants, and administrators. Join us and be part of this amazing group!

www.seek.com.au

Yesterday was Sophie's birthday!

After a busy day supporting her participants she made it into the office to celebrate with some cupcakes 🧁

Happy Birthday Soph!! 🎈🎈

Today is Jeans for Genes Australia Day and we've been wearing our denim to raise funds and support their incredibly important cause.

1 in 20 kids face a birth defect or genetic disease, like cancer, cystic fibrosis, and life-threatening metabolic disorders. That's 12 kids born every minute worldwide. Jeans for Genes Day helps the scientists at Children’s Medical Research Institute find cures, so these kids can go back to being kids.

2024 marks 30 years of helping to save children's lives, and in that time millions of Australians have taken part and donated a combined total of $65.7 million for their medical research.

Some of our team in Melbourne and Bendigo were proud to be a small part of such a big cause today.

We're thrilled to announce that Mikaela has been announced as a finalist for Occupational Therapist of the Year for the 2024 Allied Health Awards Awards!

The nomination is a true reflection of Mikaela's dedication to everything that our participants need. Whether it be delivering outcomes personally, fostering the team on being the best they can be, or working closely on our operational goals in her role as Operations Manager, she is truly deserving of the recognition by the Allied Health Awards team.

We can't wait to be heading to the gala evening to be amonst the best-of-the-best in Allied Health later this year.

Congrats, Mikaela! You're truly deserving.

Welcome to our OT Group team Lebo!🤩

We are incredibly excited to have Lebo join our Melbourne team today.

Lebo joins us with over 20 years of experience as an OT and with many transferable skills across disability, private practice and workplace rehabilitation.

We’re so thrilled to have you join our wonderful team, Lebo! 🤗

Meet Judy! 🤩

Judy is our Melbourne Area Manager and has been a member of the OT Group team for almost 4 years! Judy joined us as a Senior OT, Clinical Supervisor and member of our Quality Assurance team before stepping into her management role in April 2023.

Wanting to know more about Judy, we asked her some questions:

Q: What is your favourite thing about working at OT Group?
A: Best things about working at the OT Group are the fellow OT’s who genuinely want to do their best to help our NDIS participants to reach their goals in life! There is also flexibility in the working arrangements for all staff and good professional and personal support at all times!

Q: What is the most satisfying part of your job?
A: The most satisfying part of the job is supporting the staff to do their job well and to develop their own skills over time.

Q: What is something that most people wouldn’t know about you?
A: Something people wouldn’t know about me is that I was a competitive runner (sprinter) in my junior years. I’m talking decades ago!

Q: What is your favourite thing to do in your spare time?
A: What I like to do in my spare time is either plan a trip or travel for short breaks, in Aus or overseas.

Q: Cats or dogs?
A: I have 2 cats which makes me biased towards the feline breed, but I really love all animals and would like to go to Africa one day to see the wildlife in particular!

Learn more about our team on our website, link below 👇
https://theotgroup.com.au/about/ -the-team

Welcome to our wonderful OT Group team Mina!! 🤩

This morning we welcomed Mina to our Moonee Ponds' team. Mina joins OT Group with just under 15 years of experience as an OT and we are incredibly excited to have her join our West Melbourne team.

Mina’s OT experience is predominantly with adults and the aging population and she is looking forward to applying her skills working in the community with our NDIS participants.

Outside of work, Mina enjoys spending time with her young family, watching musicals and concerts, travelling and visiting Disneyland and she loves cats😽.

We’re so thrilled to have you join our wonderful team, Mina!

Welcome to our team!✨

Our newly appointed Clinical Supervisor, Andrinna, recently had a Complex Home Modification completed for one of her participants by the team at Ausnorth Building and Construction.

Andrinna’s participant has a below knee amputation, and the modification to the bathroom and previous successful application for a self-propelled commode will mean they are able to safely complete their personal care independently.

The modification was a lengthy process taking almost two years from application to completion, with the bathroom being installed in a previous bedroom and a lounge room being converted into a bedroom as the client lives in a double storey home.

The end result though was well worth the effort, and Andrinna's participant is very pleased with the outcome!

It was great to have our Melbourne Team together for lunch today as we celebrated Christmas in July! Plenty of smiles all around and some delicious food served by Quarter Two Cafe in their beautifully refitted church environment in the heart of Moonee Ponds.

🌟 Meet Hannah! 🌟

Hannah is our Administration Team Manager who has been working with us for just under three years. If you'd like to get to know her, keep reading....

Q: What is your favourite thing about working at OT Group?
A: I love the culture and people, I never have Monday-itis coming to work because the team is so fun and supportive. I also love knowing that everything I do is also helping people in need.

Q: What is the most satisfying part of your job?
A: Knowing that we can help people who may have disadvantages live a rewarding and fulfilling life, and knowing that the OTs I work with are beyond qualified to help people reach their goals.

Q: What is something most people wouldn't know about you?
A: I am the biggest klutz, my nickname in my family is literally Dory (yes the fish from Nemo). I trip over air and often have bruises that I don't know where they came from.

Q: Where would we find you on a Sunday afternoon?
A: My partner and I will always be at some cafe having a late brunch, then love going for walks when the weather is nice! In winter I'll probably be cuddled up on the couch with my cats

Q: Cats or dogs?
A: Cats.. but don't kill me, dogs are a very close second! I just have a particularly perfect snuggly cat.

You can read more about Hannah and our Leadership Team on our About page:
https://theotgroup.com.au/about/

Thank you to Bendigo for hosting our Bendigo team's annual Christmas in July. This year was the Karaoke Edition!

It may have been Nickleback tribute night, but that didn't stop Shania Twian from entering the building. Our orchestra was anything but empty! 😂

Luckily for us, no one is giving up their day job after their karaoke performances....

Promoting our people!

We are so excited to announce the promotion of three members of our Moonee Ponds team and wish them all success in their new roles.

Ruel will commence as our Team Leader. With his 17 years of clinical experience and background in management we are lucky to have him in this role!

Andrinna has gone from strength to strength with her extra training and interest in Complex Home Modifications and complex seating and positioning and will commence as a Clinical Supervisor.

Sarah has been an invaluable asset to the team with her knowledge and understanding of the NDIS and her ability to support new staff members with grasping the change in role to community-based practice and will move into the role of Early Career Mentor.

If you'd like to join a team that supports career growth, then we'd love to hear from you! Check out the Careers page on our website for more info:
https://theotgroup.com.au/careers/

During one of our regular team meetings today, we were fortunate enough to be learning more about a very important topic - 24hr Posture Care!

Andrinna recently completed an external CPD course on 24hr Posture Care and was only too happy to present her learnings with the group.

Team sharing is a regular part of our team catch ups at OT Group as we agree with the philosophy that you never stop learning in Occupational Therapy!

If you'd like to be supported by an OT who is up to date with the latest evidence informed practice, why not click below to learn more about us 👇

https://theotgroup.com.au/about/

Welcome to our wonderful OT Group team Jorja!

We're so excited to be welcoming Jorja to our admin team as Practice Administrator, based at our Bendigo practice.

Jorja started with us last week and has already had a ripper start, bringing a number of transferable skills across with her to further support our whole team.

In her spare time Jorja enjoys Pilates, swimming and running - as well as spending time with her little doggo Bruno and splashing out on some retail therapy.

We’re already feeling right at home in Moonee Ponds - the new practice has been embraced by our Melbourne team celebrating with cupcakes, balloons, flowers, coffee and a team dinner!

We took the team for a tour of our new digs last Friday avo followed by a delicious dinner across the street to celebrate the new beginnings and check out the local cuisine. Thank you Carosello!

Our new home on Margaret Street is already proving to be a winner - and we’re only a few days in!

Yesterday Eliza had her first day as an AHA with the Bendigo team. Eliza is in her final year of studying to become an OT and will join the team as a fully qualified therapist after she finishes uni. The Bendigo gang is very excited to have a new face in the team and can’t wait to watch her grow and develop as a therapist.

Today the Bendigo team are at the Be Well Be Connected Expo. The expo gives members of the community the opportunity to connect with local disability and aged care providers.

If you have some time, head down to the Bendigo Showgrounds Exhibition Centre from 10-2 today! 💜💙💜

🌟 We are looking for a new admin team member in Bendigo! As part of our team, you will provide support to our clinical and management teams. 🌟

We are super excited to meet our new team member!

Click below to learn more:
https://www.seek.com.au/job/75750451

Applications close COB Friday 17th May.

Once a month we get together in person at each office and dial in for a whole team meeting.

Yesterday we had Boston providing us with some education following a PD day he attended a few weeks ago.

Days like this are great opportunities to learn something new or brush up on our exisiting skills. Working in the community, days like this also give us a chance to spend some time with each other and catch up on life.

A very exciting day for our Bendigo team yesterday!

We were so excited to have Chloe back from some extended leave and Olivia for her first day of her eight week placement.

The morning started with the usual coffee run to Grounded - Bendigo for everyone on site, our favourite way to welcome people to the team!

This year's annual Easter Extravaganza kicked off with a sneaky visit to Bendigo for our directors yesterday.

Today's events started with a cheeky bunny hopping through the office in the early hours of the morning to deliver our team bags of treats.

The sneaking continued with the easter bunny dropping little trails of eggs through the office while Mark, Luke and the team at Grounded - Bendigo provided the essentials for any morning tea (coffee, in case that wasn't clear).

Our team are off to have a break, (and maybe a KitKat or two) for the long weekend and we'll be back into it next Tuesday!

Stay safe - Easter Bunny 🐰🐰

We had such an amazing time today in Bendigo at the La Trobe University Rural Health School 2024 Social Work and Occupational Therapy Student and Agency Networking Expo! Thank you to La Trobe University for hosting such a fabulous event.

Mikaela, Hannah, Alice, Tari, Rebecca, Jason and Angela loved talking with the hundreds of students who came through the Expo to see what opportunities lay ahead for them in Occupational Therapy and Social Work.

Seeing their passion for the very important work we do was incredibly humbling… We hope that our passion for OT was as obvious as usual!!

We can’t wait to see the impact these bright students will have on participants in the Bendigo area - or wherever they find themselves in the future 😊

If you’re interested to learn more about what life is like at OT Group, please get in touch with our careers team below 👇

https://theotgroup.com.au/careers/

We are on the hunt for superstars! 🤩

If you’re an Occupational Therapist looking for that next step in your career - then we’d love to hear from you!

Please check out the link below, apply directly on our website https://theotgroup.com.au/careers/ or get in touch with us for a confidential discussion about opportunities within our team!

www.seek.com.au

We have almost immediate capacity in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne!

On Monday we added another talented therapist to our team! Fiona joins us from Ireland with extensive experience in hospital settings. Fiona has easily stepped into the NDIS space with the support of experienced therapists this week.

In addition to Fiona, we have a number of other therapists on the east of the city who have increased availability in the coming weeks.

If you'd like to make a referral (and not just for the Eastern Suburbs) head to our website: https://theotgroup.com.au/referrals/

On Tuesdays we wear...... matching skirt, top, and shoes.👯👯

Except it's not just Tuesdays, this happens all the time! At this point we need to start planning our weekly outfits at Friday morning coffee...

We're thrilled to announce the promotion of Mikaela Ervin to Operations Manager @ OT Group!

Mikaela is a founding member of our Bendigo branch and has been a pivotal part of the team's success over the past three years.

We look forward to seeing Mikaela thrive in this new role as part of the senior leadership team; providing greater support for our people.

Please join us in congratulating Mikaela on her new appointment.

We are thrilled to welcome Eirin to our awesome Melbourne team this week!

Eirin graduated as an OT in 2019 in Ireland and is keen to utilise her transferable skills and develop further as an OT here in Australia with the support of our OT Group team.

Eirin brings a wealth of experience in community practice in both the paediatric and adult populations and we cannot wait to see what great outcomes she can achieve with her participants.

Welcome, Melissa! 🥳

The OT Group family has gained a new member this week as Melissa joins our Melbourne team.

Melissa recently graduated as an Occupational Therapist from Monash University, and her role with us marks the beginning of her long and rewarding career in OT. She has already hit the ground running with her new participants across metro Melbourne and is fitting in nicely!

Prior to Occupational Therapy, Melissa spent valuable time as an Allied Health Assistant, where she predominantly worked with children diagnosed with ADHD and ASD.

We’re very excited to have Melissa on board with us at such a pivotal time in her life. We know that she will be excellent at carrying out our incredibly important and rewarding work.