NDIA Accountability Project

Submission 304 — Occupational Therapy Australia (304.1 Supplementary to submission 304) — Inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative

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Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability

Inquiry on Thriving Kids Initiative

Question on Notice – Occupational Therapy University programs with particular focus on delivery and training in rural and remote areas.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Urban

  • Australian Catholic University — Canberra campus (Watson).
  • University of Canberra — Bruce campus (Bruce).

NEW SOUTH WALES

Urban

  • Australian Catholic University — Sydney campus (North Sydney).
  • The University of Sydney — Camperdown/Darlington (Camperdown).
  • The University of Notre Dame Australia — Broadway campus (Chippendale/Broadway).
  • Western Sydney University — Campbelltown campus (Campbelltown).
  • The University of Newcastle — Callaghan campus (Callaghan).

Regional

  • Charles Sturt University — Albury-Wodonga campus (Thurgoona).
  • Charles Sturt University — Port Macquarie campus (Port Macquarie).
  • Southern Cross University — Coffs Harbour campus (Coffs Harbour).

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Urban

  • Charles Darwin University — Casuarina campus (Casuarina/Brinkin, Darwin).

QUEENSLAND

Urban

  • Australian Catholic University — Brisbane campus (Banyo).
  • Bond University — Gold Coast (Robina).
  • Griffith University — Gold Coast campus (Southport).
  • Griffith University — Nathan campus (Nathan).
  • The University of Queensland — St Lucia campus (St Lucia).
  • University of Southern Queensland — Ipswich campus (Ipswich).

Regional

  • CQUniversity — Rockhampton North campus (Norman Gardens).
  • CQUniversity — Bundaberg campus (Branyan).
  • James Cook University — Townsville campus (Douglas).
  • University of Southern Queensland — Toowoomba campus (Toowoomba).
  • University of the Sunshine Coast — Sippy Downs campus (Sippy Downs).
  • Southern Cross University — Gold Coast campus (Bilinga; classified Urban/RA1 boundary— kept with QLD Gold Coast set).

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Urban

  • Flinders University — Bedford Park campus (Bedford Park).
  • University of South Australia — City East campus (Adelaide CBD).
  • The University of Adelaide — North Terrace campus (Adelaide CBD).

Regional

  • University of South Australia — Whyalla campus (Whyalla Norrie).

VICTORIA

Urban

  • Australian Catholic University — Melbourne campus (Fitzroy).
  • Deakin University — Geelong Waterfront campus (Geelong CBD; RA1).
  • Federation University Australia — Berwick campus (Berwick).
  • La Trobe University — Melbourne (Bundoora) campus (Bundoora).
  • Monash University — Peninsula campus (Frankston).
  • Swinburne University of Technology — Hawthorn campus (Hawthorn).

Regional

  • Australian Catholic University — Ballarat campus (Lake Wendouree).
  • Deakin University — Warrnambool campus (Warrnambool).
  • La Trobe University — Bendigo campus (Bendigo).
  • Federation University – Churchill campus

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Urban

  • Curtin University — Bentley campus (Bentley).
  • Edith Cowan University — Joondalup campus (Joondalup).
  • The University of Notre Dame Australia — Fremantle campus (Fremantle).

TASMANIA

  • University of Tasmania – Launceston campus

Future OT University Programs

  • A definitive list of planned programs is not publicly available until the proposed program has been accredited by the Occupational Therapy Council of Australia. Anecdotally OTA has information that leads to believe that an additional 6-8 new programs will seek accreditation in the coming 18 months to 2 years with confirmation that at least of two of these will be in regional locations.

Opportunities for OT training in rural and remote areas

  • The Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program offers health students the opportunity to train in rural and remote communities via a network of training facilities. It aims to improve the recruitment and retention of medical, nursing, dental and allied health professionals in rural and remote Australia.
  • The RHMT program funds 22 universities, of which 17 offer OT programs.
  • The RHMT program is currently undergoing a review, with a new focus on outcomes rather than inputs.
  • Under this model programs have a focus on students going to rural locations for long placements.

Issues in relation to Student Placements

  • OTA calls on the government to unblock the barriers to placements for students by extending paid practice placements to occupational therapy students to increase the workforce, and service the growing population across all age spans requiring the therapies and supports provided by OTs.
  • OTA is hearing from universities and from student members that placement poverty is having adverse effects on a profession that already demonstrates workforce shortages.

Underlying issues include:

  • Stagnant NDIS pricing and added travel charges have made placements financially unsustainable for providers. This is exacerbated in regional and remote settings
  • Providers are withdrawing from NDIS services, reducing placement availability.
  • Providers are downscaling investment in their practice growth due to the uncertainty surrounding the NDIS and Thriving Kids and future business sustainability
  • Staff shortages and turnover limit supervision capacity.
  • Regional closures and service withdrawals are disproportionately affecting rural placement opportunities.
  • Universities do not provide financial contributions for placements, deterring providers from participating.

The impact of these issues:

  • Reduced placement capacity across multiple states.
  • Delays in graduation due to placement poverty (unable to afford to undertake placements at the frequency required) and/or lack of placement availability
  • Cancellation of placements in some jurisdictions.
  • Strain on workforce development and future recruitment.
  • Equity concerns students facing financial barriers.
  • Risk to supervision quality and student learning outcomes.

Occupational Therapy Australia and ANZCOTE have been collecting case studies regarding student placements in the current operating environment and are available to provide further information and/or briefings to the Committee Members upon request.