Key Worker Therapy / Play Therapy

What is a key worker therapist?

Under Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), a “key worker therapist” usually refers to a professional who uses the Key Worker Model in early childhood intervention.

This is most common for children under about 9 years old who have developmental delay or disability.

A key worker therapist:

• Acts as the participant/parents main contact person
• Coordinates support across different therapies and services
• Helps parents and carers build skills into everyday routines
• Works in natural settings like home, childcare, or school
• Focuses on coaching families and a holistic implementation of NDIS goals and strategies rather than only doing direct therapy sessions

The therapist could be:

• an occupational therapist
• speech pathologist
• physiotherapist
• psychologist
• social worker
• early childhood specialist

Instead of having many separate therapists working independently, the key worker approach aims to make support:

• more consistent
• less overwhelming for families
• better integrated across goals

For example, a child may still receive speech and OT input, but one therapist becomes the “key worker” who coordinates the plan and brings advice from the wider multidisciplinary team.

The approach is widely used through the NDIS Early Childhood Approach and is considered best practice in early childhood intervention in Australia.

Key worker therapy under Improving Capacity has a registered level of compliance. This means we accept all NDIS participants NDIA managed, self and plan managed participants.

A clinic space can also be coordinated if required in Flemington, Vic pending availability for sessions and times required.

Costing is maximum rate NDIS price guidelines, plus notes and admin (20-30 mins) included in fee.