President’s report

After a few highs from the recent OTA 29th National Conference and Exhibition, the decision to scrap independent assessments for NDIS participants, and presenting to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs, this issue’s theme “Brighter Futures” really resonates. Our future is certainly looking bright. It has been a great few months for OTA, and a wonderful reward for our staff and many volunteers who are passionate about our profession and organisation. We are a valued and relevant profession making a serious contribution to society—especially to our clients.

In early July, I presented to the Australian Parliament Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs which was examining the administration of registration and notifications by the AHPRA and related entities under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. Michael Barrett had prepared a detailed and insightful written submission and OTA was invited to meet with the committee. Unfortunately I, and all the senators, could not be in Canberra due to Covid-19. However, presenting virtually with the Australian Physiotherapy Association and Australian Association of Social Work highlighted to me a number of positive features of our profession. We enjoy a strong relationship with the Occupational Therapy Board, meeting regularly for open and honest discussions. As a profession we have few notifications or complaints, so, unlike other professions, this was not the focus of our written submission. We often take for granted that we are a registered health profession, however, after hearing the ongoing plight of the social workers who do not have registration, I won’t be taking this for granted again. The senators had clearly read our submission and wanted to focus on our recommendation to avoid duplication, particularly the need for occupational therapists working in areas such as the NDIS to meet similar compliance requirements to what they already do for AHPRA. It was really heartening to be selected to meet with this committee, which obviously thought we had something of value to add. We also recently received a letter from the Royal Australian College of Rehabilitation Physicians wanting to work closely with us into the future. This is a welcome invitation to make improvements for the people we work with.

Our recent national scientific conference was a huge success and highlighted how far our profession has come. The range of topics, the high-quality research being conducted and the emphasis on the need to demonstrate the impact of research and use evidence in our practices was evident. Research covered the whole life span of those we work with, a range of traditional and emerging areas of practice, a focus on occupational science and deprivation, and how we contribute to improving quality of life for those who are marginalised or vulnerable. Innovative ways of teaching occupational therapy students and preparing our future occupational therapists were emphasised. There were many presentations on how we have adapted and responded to Covid-19, especially the use of technology and telehealth. It was wonderful to see presentations by up-andcoming researchers, clinicians, research fellows and international presenters.

Our keynote speakers gave us much to think about, yet emphasised the strengths of our profession in meeting current and future challenges. Marilyn Pattison’s keynote “You’ve Got This” summed things up brilliantly. While everyone missed the opportunity to meet in person, our hubs gave us some face-to-face time and we are looking forward to meeting up in Cairns in 2023!

Congratulations to our newly inducted Research Fellows Prof. Pamela Merridth, A/Prof. Mandy Stanley, Prof. Reinie Cordier and Prof. Iona Novak and our life members Marilyn Pattison and Dr Angela Berndt. Many thanks to our conference convenor Prof. Iona Novak and scientific committee convenor Prof. Stacey George.

As part of the conference, we also had presentations from Michael Barrett on our lobbying efforts and success and our CEO Samantha Hunter on our exciting strategic projects. With our refreshed strategic plan, the board is confident the time is right to invest in our profession and association to further our ambitions. Our future has never looked brighter.

Associate Professor Carol McKinstry | OTA President

We are a valued and relevant profession making a serious contribution to society - especially to our clients