allied health awards

Winner

Cyclabilities

Evatt, ACT

Cyclabilities is recognised for providing quality learning opportunities in recreational activities for children with disabilities or vulnerabilities. Cyclabilities achieves this through intensive therapy-based programs that support gross motor development, drawing strongly on sensorimotor and sequential neurodevelopment.

Cyclabilities main program focuses on supporting participants to successfully learn to ride a bicycle and road safety skills. They also offer a MoveAbilities program, WaterAbilities program and a SchoolAbilities program. The content of all sessions is responsive to the needs and skills of participants with an overarching focus on developing communication skills, self-awareness, confidence and social support.

The team aim to continuously promote and support inclusion and social acceptance for diversity. The programs are currently fee-for-service but in the future Cyclabilities would like to offer a participant scholarship program to enable families struggling financially to access their support and programs.

Advance Rehab Centre

Artarmon, NSW

Advance Rehab Centre (ARC) is recognised for providing outstanding patient care through its multidisciplinary neurological rehabilitation centre. With a team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, exercise physiologists, allied health assistants, support staff as well as a neuromuscular orthotist, ARC provides rehab services at their purpose-built centre in Sydney and nationally via tele-rehab.

ARC is passionate about providing direct therapy through training and education for carers or support workers to support adults and teenagers with complex therapy needs such as stroke or brain injury or a progressive condition such as Multiple Sclerosis or Motor Neurone Disease.

ARC share their vast knowledge with other organisations and individuals through their ARCademy website that provides resources, lectures and practical videos to upskill coordinators and carers with practical ideas to help those living with neurological conditions.

Little Wings Limited

Bankstown Aerodrome, NSW

Little Wings is recognised for providing free, professional and safe air and ground transport services for sick children in rural and regional NSW. Their aim is to ensure sick children in regional NSW can access the specialised medical services and treatments available in major cities or towns by easing the financial burden, emotional strain and travel fatigue associated with receiving vital medical treatment.

When COVID 19 struck, Little Wings had to pivot – bringing doctors and other specialists to seriously ill children in the regions to continue their treatment. This has prevented highly vulnerable patients from being exposed to COVID as well as to reduce transmission in NSW.

Little Wings volunteer pilots and drivers are the heart and soul of the organisation.

Winner

PACE (Pulmonary and Cardiac Exercise and Education) Team

Alpine Health, Alpine Shire (Bright, Mount Beauty, Myrtleford), VIC

Alpine Health’s PACE (pulmonary and cardiac exercise and education) team is recognised for going above and beyond to deliver outstanding client care in the face of great challenges and adversity.

PACE provides combined cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation for communities within the Alpine Shire in Northeast Victoria. As devastating bushfires threatened the region and caused all team members to evacuate, the team seamlessly continued to deliver the program to clients using telehealth via both phone and internet.  

The PACE team is able to provide cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs either at community venues or in the home rather than at hospital, which is quite unique. They have received more than 300 referrals in 2.5 years of operation, improving quality of life and health outcomes for more clients in the regions.

IDHS Allied Health Team

Inglewood & Districts Health Service, Inglewood, VIC

The IDHS Allied Health Team is recognised for their innovation and collaboration to improve physical and mental health outcomes for residential aged care clients.

IDHS has always prided itself on its friendly, committed and excellent care for their residents and families. However, when Covid-19 restrictions impacted the ability of visitors to come on-site, the team at IDHS identified a change in the demeanour and wellbeing of the residents.

To better support their residents, the team developed a range of new activities, including ten-pin bowling, a dance competition where residents competed against local schools and an obstacle course designed to challenge the residents’ balance, strength, endurance and writing skills. These regular activities have led to health and wellbeing improvements.

Going forward, IDHS intend to continue to find innovative ways to support their residents with a big focus on improving their Dementia specific games and resources.

RFDS Partnership Speech Team

Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria, Robinvale District Health Service, Mallee Track Health and Community Service, VIC

The Royal Flying Doctor Service Partnership Speech Team is recognised for improving access to speech pathology services for children and their families in rural Victorian communities.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria (RFDS) alongside two rural health services from North West Victoria – Robinvale District Health Service (RDHS) and Mallee Track Health and Community Service (MTH&CS) – developed a delegation model of care approach with Speech Pathologists and Allied Health Assistants utilising telehealth.

Difficulties recruiting allied health professionals are universal for rural communities, resulting in limited or no available services as well as long wait times for appointments. A vulnerable population and a scarce workforce presented a huge challenge, leading the organisations to collaborate in the pursuit of providing much needed paediatric speech services to the community.

The team between them travelled approximately 20,000 km in a year to establish the program, improving speech and language outcomes for more children and reducing wait times for services.