Early Intervention Services
How can a Key Worker help?
Our Key Workers work closely with children to provide therapy to clients aged between 0 and 18 years of age, at their school, preschool, their home or in our clinic rooms.
We know that there can be long waiting lists for children to gain access to important therapy, so here at Kerin Heath, we implement The Key Worker Model.
This model means having qualified, experienced teachers with specialised education support experience and training act as the over-arching support and main contact for children and therapists, linking up our talented and in-demand paediatric Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists with kids who need them the most.
A Key Worker is a vital point of contact for the family between therapists, schools and early learning environments. Key Workers assist families to coordinate services and therapies, as well as work directly with speech therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to support their child using evidence-based interventions.
Our Key Workers have a wealth of knowledge and experience as educators and can provide strategies and advice to parents and staff when working directly with your child on:
School readiness
Fine motor skills
Challenging behaviours
Self-care
Visual schedules/daily routines
Play/social skills
Early language and conversation
Emotions and big feelings
The benefits of this system:
Consistency with one regular therapist - The Key Worker.
Key Workers build a fabulous relationship with the child and family, including their educators. Key Workers can really advocate for that child, knowing everything that is going on.
Key Workers support the child achieve their therapy goals, whilst collaborating with our multidisclipinary Early Intervention team.
The NDIS ‘Gold Standard’
The NDIS has prescribed The Key Worker Model as the Gold Standard approach to early intervention therapy for children.
The Key Worker Model is focused on surrounding the child with much needed support and access to therapies whilst ensuring the child feels safe, through building a rapport and relationship with a trusted Key Worker as their main familiar contact and delivery of therapy.
A Key Worker can support your family by:
Facilitating assessments.
Collect evidence for diagnosis when needed.
Developing specific strategies to use in your daily routines at home (like Sleep, self care, emotional regulation, or getting ready for school).
Arranging for services from other practitioners (eg Dietician), or Community groups.
Offering specific support to educate and empower your child’s teachers or carers with skills to support their learning, development and participation at school or care.
Attending specialist school meetings and guiding transition to school.
Helping you navigate the NDIS, plan changes, rollovers and goal setting.
Testimonials on our Key Worker service
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“I can't express enough how beneficial the key worker role is...and how lucky we and our boys have been to build such a positive relationship with you while you work your magic! It really is a wonderful model of service provision that maximises the support needed...and definitely preferable to a waitlist. Thank you for being so amazing!”
Parent
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“Yesterday was absolutely amazing and I can't thank you enough for coming with us. It was very overwhelming and alot to take in but I am so grateful that he will be working very closely with his Key Worker to complete his transition.”
Parent
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“I just wanted to pass on to you how helpful the NDIS Plan Review Reports are when completing Access Requests. I have just completed one for a student starting kindergarten with us next year and found the document to be so thorough. We have been to observe this child and spoken with his family and Key Worker but with the document sitting beside you it makes the process so much easier. Please pass on our thanks to the Kerin Health team, you are all doing such a wonderful job in supporting our students!”
Local school
