Meet The Team: Allied Health Manager

Introducing Rebecca, our Allied Health Manager at National 360. Rebecca has an extensive history working in health and disability services both in Australia and Overseas, and is passionate about developing supervision structures for new to practice therapists as well as pathways for clinicians to develop clinical expertise. Lifelong learning is central to this belief, and she has undertaken several post graduate qualifications which enable her to do this including a Graduate Diploma in Burns and Trauma Rehabilitation, Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education as well as currently studying a Masters in Medical and Health Leadership.

To learn more about Rebecca, her background and role as our Allied Health Manager, what she is passionate about, and advice she would share with new and experienced clinicians thinking about working in the NDIS and community health space, read our full interview with Rebecca below:

Why did you want to work in the Allied Health space?

I knew when I finished school that I wanted to work with people. Law, nursing, and teaching were on my radar, then I met with a family friend who was studying Occupational Therapy (OT) and thought it sounded like was a good option as well! Once I was at uni, it took a while to understand what OT was, and to be honest, it was not until I entered the workforce that I could see what a great job it was.

When did you start working at National 360, and what attracted you to join the company?

I worked in health, mainly in hospital roles for a large part of my career, mostly in the acute setting working with children and family following illness or injury. I took an opportunity overseas at a large children’s hospital. While continuing to work with clients post trauma/injury, I also was involved in supporting children with congenital upper extremity conditions. This opportunity provided invaluable experience on children and families living with significant differences, and how powerful occupational therapy can be to support them engage, maintain, or improve function.

I was ready to move back to Australia (thanks to COVID!). In my time away, NDIS had evolved, there were lots of opportunity for senior clinicians to join the workforce and for the first time in my career, I considered making the move to a community therapy role. National 360 stood out as a company that was innovative and responsive to the growing allied health workforce and demonstrated a commitment to high quality clinical outcomes. The organisational values aligned with mine, and from my first meeting with senior team members, I was really excited to join the team and contribute my experience as a senior clinician to support therapists working in the NDIS.

Tell us a about your role as the Allied Health Manager at National 360.

As Allied Health Manager, I support several clinical streams and the overall clinical governance to ensure we provide outstanding care to our clients, as well as support our workforce to excel in their roles. I support National Clinical Leaders in Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy and Positive Behaviour Support who each provide professional guidance and support to their teams, and we keep current with the everchanging demands of community therapy services.

As a clinical leadership team, we also have a group of Clinical Practice Advisors that are our go to clinicians that support our workforce. My role helps manage these positions and align our priorities and focus on how we support our workforce. The Allied Health Manager works with other operational managers and other important parts of the company, like People and Culture, to ensure we are responsive to our workforces needs. I don’t completely neglect my clinical background; I love the opportunity to complete teaching sessions or even one-on-one sessions with staff when they want to tap into my experience particularly with paediatrics or upper limb conditions.

What do you love most about your role as Allied Health Manager? 

My role as Allied Health Manger is enjoyable largely thanks to the people and the organisational culture we are surrounded by. National 360 has an amazing breadth of experience within our clinical workforce, which is quite unique in this sector. Having the privilege to work alongside these clinicians, that have not only outstanding clinical skills but also demonstrate the same commitment to supporting high quality clinical work and client outcomes that I strive for, makes work exciting and motivating to see what we can achieve!

What has been a highlight of time working at National 360?

There have been so many highlights over the last 18 months – Our ever evolving New Graduate Program is really fantastic; the quality of our graduate workforce is exceptional, and this is thanks to all the work our team has put into developing and supporting clinical skills. Our Clinical Support model and the amount of access our therapists can have to seek clinical support has come a long way over the last 12 months and the quality of work being produced as a result is amazing – I love reading client stories that therapists share in our internal chats where therapists have tapped into some of our internal support and as a result have had amazing client outcomes. That is what we are all here for, so it is great to see these types of initiatives that we work on behind the scenes to establish processes and governance and then really see the impact it has for participants our therapists work with.

What advice would you give to new and experienced clinicians who are wanting to work in the NDIS space?

For novice clinicians – the community is an incredibly rewarding space to work and develop your clinical skills. It’s important to surround yourself with people who can guide you as there are also challenges, but if you have the right amount of support – you will succeed.

For experienced clinicians – if you have never worked in this space before, take the time to look at roles within the NDIS space. The NDIS needs experienced clinicians to continue to develop the workforce, and regardless of where your clinical experience has been, your skills will be transferrable and the value you will add is significant. Not to mention the flexibility and work/life balance – it really is a game changer.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!

I love trivia – I am terrible at geography (even as a travel tragic which is embarrassing) but somehow have the capacity to recall and excel when asked useless celebrity facts (like celebrity baby names?).

Find Out More

Rebecca’s passion for NDIS, community health, and supporting clinicians and their clients to achieve great outcomes is what makes her a wonderful Allied Health Manager, and valued team member at National 360. Go Bec!!

If you would like to learn more about what it is like working at National 360, how we will support you as a clinician, and the opportunities we have available in clinical and non-clinical roles, visit our 360 Careers page for more details. We are always looking for passionate clinicians to join our teams across the country, and if you’d like to express interest in joining one of our teams, contact careers@national360.com.au or our friendly Talent Acquisition Manager, Zac Hind by emailing zac.hind@national360.com.au