OT Unplugged: Community of Practice Insights

The “slow crawl” quite a few of us are feeling End-of-year fatigue looks different depending on your role. For some clinicians, cancellations start rolling in and caseloads thin out. For others, it’s the opposite – back-to-back sessions, “just one more appointment”, families trying to squeeze everything in before Christmas, and calendars that don’t breathe until January. Both experiences can feel unsettling. If your workload drops, it can trigger anxiety about income, targets or whether you should be doing more. If your workload spikes, it can feel like you’re running on fumes and resentment. Either way, your nervous system is picking up on the same theme – there’s not much margin left. Rest isn’t indulgent, it’s part of ethical practice There’s a line that keeps coming up in OT spaces because it’s true: you can’t support clients well if you don’t support yourself well. At the end of a year like this, “rest” isn’t just self-care language – it’s a clinical and ethical need. If you’re heading into a break, let it actually be a break. If you’re still working right up to the line, give yourself permission to lower the bar on everything that isn’t essential. The system will still be there in January, and you’ll need your capacity more than you’ll need your inbox to be perfect. Time blocking isn’t magic, but it does create guardrails When things feel fragile, structure can be a kindness. Time blocking doesn’t solve systemic issues, but it can stop your week from becoming one long open tab in your brain. It gives you a visual boundary: this is work time, this is admin time, this is life time. If you’re trialling it, keep it realistic. Build in buffer blocks for the inevitable curveballs, especially at this time of year. Even one protected block that you treat as non-negotiable can reduce the “teetering on the edge” feeling. Your admin team has carried more than people realise If you run a practice, this is your nudge to look at your admin team with fresh eyes. Funding periods, plan dates, pricing rules, cancellations, reschedules, changing evidence expectations – admin teams have been absorbing a lot of pressure, often without the same built-in professional development days clinicians receive. End-of-year appreciation doesn’t need to be extravagant, but it does need to be intentional. A thoughtful gesture, an early finish, a proper thank you, a team day that isn’t just more output in disguise – these things matter. They’re also part of retention, culture, and sustainability, even if they don’t show up neatly in a spreadsheet. Next steps for your January list If you’re mapping out a gentle return after the holidays, consider adding a short, focused “sector scan” week. One block for the NDIA pricing workplan, one block for the pricing review consultation if you plan to contribute and one block for paediatric clinicians to explore the early childhood intervention framework. If you’d like practical support translating these updates into business decisions, service design and team training, explore the learning and resources inside Verve OT Learning, and share this article with someone who’s crawling to the finish line too. What the NDIA’s three-year pricing workplan means for OTs The NDIA has released a three-year pricing workplan covering its approach through 2025–2028. The key message is staged change rather than sudden shifts, with an emphasis on data gathering first, then design and targeted implementation, then refinement. While there’s nothing you need to action immediately today, it’s worth putting on your January list. The workplan signals future directions the sector has been hearing rumours about for a while, including the possibility of outcomes-based payments and tiered pricing models. The details will matter, especially for therapy providers trying to plan staffing, pricing assumptions and service models with any confidence. If you want to influence the conversation, the NDIA’s 2025–26 Annual Pricing Review consultation is open until 8 February 2026. If you’ve been holding back because it feels like decisions are already made, that feeling is understandable, but collective submissions still shape the evidence base the NDIA says it’s building. A big update for paediatric early intervention If you work in early childhood intervention, the National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention is now available, along with practitioner resources. It sets out what high-quality, evidence-informed support looks like and is designed to guide practice, service design and implementation. It’s a substantial body of material, so treat it as something to explore in chunks rather than trying to consume in one sitting. Even skimming it with a “what would this mean for our policies, onboarding and clinical reasoning?” lens can be useful. For teams training new grads, it’s also a strong reference point for aligning expectations around quality, family-centred practice and consistency across clinicians. Looking ahead without adding pressure A helpful professional intention for 2026 isn’t necessarily “do more”. Sometimes it’s “do less, with clearer boundaries”. For some OTs, that might look like protecting one day a week for deep work or recovery. For others, it might be not working evenings and weekends, even if that means saying no more often. And if your goal is visibility – presenting, writing, building community, learning platforms like LinkedIn or Instagram – it’s worth acknowledging the effort that takes. Putting yourself out there is work. It’s also a way the OT community keeps sharing knowledge, calling out what isn’t working and backing each other through the messier seasons. As the year closes, it’s okay if your only intention for now is to rest and reset. The work will still be there in January, and you’ll be better placed to meet it after you’ve had space to breathe. Thank you for tuning in, listening, sharing and showing up alongside us throughout the year. Your support, feedback and honesty are what make these conversations matter. We’re signing off for a well-earned break and look forward to being back with you in 2026.

As the year winds down, many OTs are crawling toward the finish line rather than gliding over it. Last-minute calls for urgent functional assessments, section 100 reports and crisis planning keep landing on already full caseloads. The expectation that we can simply “bump it to the top” ignores the reality that there are only so many clinical hours available. Saying yes to every urgent request often means saying no to people who are already on our books and relying on us. What is changing in NDIS planningAmid the everyday pressure, major changes to NDIS planning are quietly taking shape. The proposed model centres on support needs assessments that feed into an algorithm to produce a single overall budget. Instead of itemised funding built with a planner, participants would receive a total figure with far less clarity about how it was constructed. That assessment would sit alongside broad impairment categories that attempt to group thousands of disability types into just a handful of boxes.On paper this seems neat and efficient. In practice it risks flattening people’s lives into scores and labels that do not reflect real-world function. Informal supports, housing, environment, co-occurring conditions and personal goals are hard to meaningfully capture in a standardised conversation and a set of drop-down options. Why appeals may get harder not easierOne of the most worrying elements is how people will be able to challenge decisions. Under the proposed approach, participants would not appeal the budget amount itself but instead request a review that may only result in another support needs assessment. If that assessment is based on the same incomplete picture, the outcome may barely shift. The current wording that other evidence may be considered, rather than must be, is another red flag. Even when families manage to obtain detailed functional assessments or medical reports, there is no guarantee this material will meaningfully influence the budget. For many people with disability and their carers, the idea of being stuck in a loop of assessments with little transparency is deeply unsettling. The limits of a structured conversationThe language of a “structured conversation” sounds gentle and person centred, yet we know from practice that conversations alone rarely capture the full story. Many people minimise their needs to appear capable, particularly if they have had negative experiences asking for help. Others simply do not have the language to explain fatigue, executive function, sensory overload or fluctuating symptoms in a way that lands with a non-clinical listener.Observation, collateral information and skilled clinical reasoning are crucial to understanding function and risk. A phone call or basic telehealth interview with someone who is not an allied health professional is unlikely to uncover subtle safety issues or the true amount of support provided behind the scenes by family. When those gaps are then fed into an algorithm, the budget that comes out the other end may be far removed from what is actually needed. When algorithms and AI enter the schemeAlgorithms are often presented as neutral and efficient, but they simply automate whatever assumptions and data are built into them. If the inputs are incomplete or biased, the outputs will be too. We already see AI tools in other areas confidently producing information that is partially or completely wrong.In the NDIS context, these errors are not just annoying. They can mean a person cannot shower safely, maintain employment, access the community or continue therapy. This is not a space where “good enough on average” is acceptable, yet that is often how algorithmic tools are designed and tested. Why diagnosis should not dictate budgetSome commentary has suggested that people with similar diagnoses should receive similar budgets, and that variation is a sign of unfairness. For OTs, that framing ignores everything we know about occupational performance. Two people with the same diagnosis can have completely different support needs depending on where they live, who they live with, their occupations, personal factors and the physical and social environment around them.A person living alone in a two-storey home without informal supports will need a very different mix of assistance to someone in accessible housing with strong family support. Trying to standardise budgets by diagnosis or even by broad impairment category pulls the scheme away from its original intent of individualised, reasonable and necessary support. It replaces nuance with averages that rarely fit anyone well. Real decisions and real impactsMany OTs are already seeing planning decisions that do not align with guidelines or common sense. Transport funding has been removed because a family owns an accessible vehicle, as if ownership erases the ongoing costs of fuel, maintenance and parking. Requests to replace worn-out essential equipment such as change tables have been declined on the basis that continence care should simply occur on the person’s bed.Each decision like this can take hours of unpaid advocacy, report writing and phone calls to challenge. When you multiply that across caseloads and across the country, it becomes clear that the system is already straining participants and providers. Introducing more opaque tools without strong safeguards risks normalising decisions that quietly erode safety, dignity and participation. The growing equity gapAs planning and review processes become more complex, an equity gap opens wider. Families with money and social capital are more able to commission independent assessments, seek legal advice and persist through lengthy review processes. Those without these resources may feel forced to accept clearly inadequate budgets because they cannot afford the fight.For a scheme built on fairness, this is a serious concern. OTs are often the ones at the table when families realise they do not have the time, energy or money to keep pushing back. Bearing witness to that can be emotionally heavy, particularly when you can see what would make a meaningful difference but cannot secure funding for it. Where OTs can focus their energyOTs cannot fix NDIS design alone, but we do have influence. Staying informed about reforms, especially support needs assessments and changing budget rules, helps us explain the landscape clearly to the people we support. Documenting decisions that appear inconsistent or unsafe, and sharing de-identified examples through advocacy groups and professional networks, strengthens the evidence base for change.It is also reasonable to rethink how you manage “urgent” requests, particularly toward the end of the year. Protecting your boundaries, clarifying your availability and prioritising clinical quality over speed is not selfish – it is ethical practice. You are allowed to care deeply about people with disability and still say no when the system tries to turn you into a sponge for every gap.If you are looking for structured learning, resources and community as you navigate these shifts, Verve OT Learning offers education tailored to NDIS practice at verveotlearning.com.au. Connecting with others who understand the pressures of this space can make systemic change feel more possible and everyday work feel more sustainable. Key takeaways for OTs• Support needs assessments tied to algorithms risk producing opaque budgets that do not reflect real functional need.• A structured conversation without observation or clinical input is unlikely to capture the complexity of many people’s lives.• Proposed appeal pathways may trap participants in cycles of reassessment rather than offering genuine review of funding decisions.• Equity concerns will grow if only people with money and time can pursue independent assessments and legal advocacy.• Protecting your boundaries, documenting concerning decisions and connecting with advocacy networks are practical ways to support people with disability through NDIS reform.

As the year comes to a close, many OTs are feeling stretched. Illness, client demand, school schedules and end-of-year fatigue all shape the workload long before the NDIS is even factored in. When you add shifting guidelines, slow processes and decisions that seem to change without warning, it’s clear why many practitioners are questioning how to keep their work sustainable. A new NDIA inquiry and why it matters A parliamentary inquiry into the administration of the NDIA has been announced, with submissions due in January 2026. Its scope includes financial sustainability, regulatory performance and how the agency oversees compliance and reporting. While this can feel removed from day-to-day clinical work, inquiries of this scale influence the policies and operational rules that eventually shape practice. They also offer a pathway to highlight recurring systemic issues rather than isolated individual cases. Many OTs, however, find the terms of reference vague, which makes it difficult to know what kind of feedback is genuinely useful. Despite that uncertainty, one theme dominates in almost every OT’s experience… Inconsistency across decisions and processes Inconsistency remains the issue practitioners raise most often. The scheme no longer resembles the “half-built plane” analogy from its early years. Instead, it feels like a fully built aircraft whose destination keeps shifting. Practically, this means similar requests can produce wildly different outcomes. Sensory equipment may be approved under core funding for one child but rejected for another. Progress reports may be viewed as essential in one region yet unnecessary in another. Even assistive technology requests that appear to match published pathways can be knocked back for technical reasons that feel arbitrary. For example, a vision-adapted induction cooktop designed to replace an unsafe gas system may be rejected under the replacement pathway because it requires installation, forcing OTs to reposition the request as a minor home modification instead. These inconsistencies are compounded by the fact that some Operational Guidelines have not been updated in several years, leaving practitioners expected to comply with rules that do not always align with current practice. This complexity makes it difficult for OTs to provide clear guidance to families, and unrealistic to expect that professionals can “just know the rules” when the rules behave unpredictably across teams, regions and time. Change of circumstances and the new threshold for risk Change of circumstances processes have been increasingly slow, and recent legislative updates have raised the threshold for acceptance. It is no longer enough to demonstrate increased need. There must now be explicit evidence that the participant’s health, safety or wellbeing is at risk if the plan is not reviewed. For adults, clear risks may include missed medication, unsafe personal care, housing instability or unmonitored behaviours. In paediatrics, this is more complex. When a parent becomes unwell, dies or can no longer provide care, the remaining caregiver typically absorbs far more support than is sustainable. A child’s needs may appear to remain met, but only through significant sacrifice by the caregiver. OTs face the ethical challenge of needing to describe these pressures clearly enough to justify support while also protecting families from unnecessary scrutiny. This requires sensitive, precise documentation that identifies the unmet need that emerges when caregiver capacity changes, and links this directly to the child’s health, safety and wellbeing. The emotional load of review and tribunal processes More NDIS decisions are progressing to external review, and many OTs are being drawn into tribunal processes despite having no training in giving evidence. The tribunal’s task is to determine whether the NDIA’s decision was legally correct, yet many therapists feel personally scrutinised when asked to justify their assessment or clinical reasoning. In theory, an OT’s role is straightforward: explain the assessment, reasoning and recommendations. In reality, practitioners report uncertainty about preparation, what can be billed, how to answer targeted questions and what their legal obligations are. The emotional strain is significant, especially when paired with the desire to support families through stressful disputes. Without clearer processes or consistent communication, this part of the system risks contributing to burnout among already stretched clinicians. Using evidence and case law without becoming overwhelmed Some therapists are beginning to reference tribunal decisions in their reporting, particularly in complex areas such as specialist disability accommodation. These decisions can be powerful when they clarify how legislation must be interpreted, especially where NDIA policy and practice do not align. However, tribunal documents are lengthy and technical, and older decisions often relate to supports no longer considered part of the NDIS. Expecting clinicians to stay across an expanding body of case law is unrealistic. Shared resources that provide plain-language summaries and organise decisions by support type would be far more sustainable. Until such tools are widely available, OTs need to remain selective about which decisions they reference and focus on those that are recent, relevant and legally aligned with current legislation. What AI offers – and what it cannot replace AI has quietly become part of many OTs’ workflows. It is particularly useful for non-billable or background tasks such as summarising supervision sessions, structuring report sections or organising information. It can also improve the clarity of written work and reduce cognitive load during busy periods. Its limits, however, are clear. AI still misquotes transcripts, mixes up names or roles, and occasionally produces inaccurate information. It must be carefully reviewed. Because of this, AI is not likely to increase KPIs in any meaningful way. The time it saves is mostly time that clinicians were never billing for in the first place. AI is best understood as a tool that supports clarity, quality and sustainability rather than a way to increase billable output. Key takeaways for OTs • Inconsistency across regions and decisions remains the biggest systemic challenge and often cannot be resolved at the individual clinician level. • Change of circumstances requests must now clearly demonstrate health, safety or wellbeing risk, not just increased need or carer burden. • In paediatrics, documenting unmet need after changes in caregiver capacity requires sensitivity, clarity and careful risk framing. • When involved in review or tribunal processes, OTs are there to explain their reasoning rather than decide the outcome, and clearer guidance is essential. • Tribunal decisions can strengthen recommendations, but only recent and relevant cases should be used. • AI supports documentation quality and reduces administrative load but does not replace clinical judgement or meaningfully increase KPIs.

Navigating sector uncertainty and what OTs need to know right nowThe disability sector continues to shift rapidly, with new reports, pricing discussions and workforce pressures influencing how providers operate. For many OTs, the mix of policy noise, business demands and day-to-day practice pressures can feel overwhelming. This week’s developments highlight the importance of staying informed, planning deliberately and understanding the broader context shaping service delivery. Life and business behind the scenes Many OTs are juggling work demands alongside family responsibilities, volunteering commitments and the realities of running a business. The pressures of the past year have left many clinicians stretched thin. For some, even basic self-care and community involvement have been pushed aside in favour of immediate business demands. This is a reality across the sector, not a personal failing. It is a reminder that capacity fluctuates over time and that professional expectations must be balanced against what providers can realistically sustain. As workloads intensify and uncertainty continues, reassessing commitments has become essential. Many clinicians are now reconsidering their volunteer roles, workload distribution and business structures to prevent burnout and protect long-term career sustainability. New analysis on physiotherapy pricing and what it signals for all allied health The Australian Physiotherapy Association recently released an independent analysis of the 2024–25 Annual Pricing Review. Although focused on physiotherapy, the findings mirror concerns shared across allied health. Three major issues were identified...Session durations were modelled inaccurately: The APR assumed longer average session times than what occurs in practice. This inflated the perceived hourly rate and contributed to lower price caps. The review found typical private consults were closer to 30 minutes, not 45. Data sources were limited and unrepresentative: The APR relied heavily on publicly listed prices, selective Medicare data and a single private health insurer. Most physiotherapy clinics do not publicly publish fees, and the data used did not reflect the complexity, load or structure of disability work. NDIS-specific complexity was not sufficiently captured: Productivity expectations, non-billable time, compliance requirements and travel obligations differ significantly between NDIS and private practice. The model did not account for this, underestimating the cost of delivering disability-specific services. Independent benchmarking estimated a realistic 75th percentile hourly rate closer to $215–$260 per hour, considerably higher than the APR’s estimate of $150. While this report focuses on physio, its themes are highly relevant to OTs. Many of the same pressures exist across disciplines, including heavy administrative loads, higher complexity and significant non-billable work. Importantly, this is not a moment for allied health professions to compete or criticise one another’s peak bodies. Sector sustainability will only be strengthened through unified advocacy, shared messaging and coordinated responses to policy change. What the 2025 State of the Disability Sector Report tells us National Disability Services has released its latest State of the Disability Sector report, offering a comprehensive snapshot of provider sentiment, business viability and workforce conditions. Several findings stand out... Financial pressure remains severe: A large proportion of providers are operating at a loss, with some reporting deficits of $500,000 or more. Around half continue to operate in the red, with another quarter only breaking even. Market exits have not increased as sharply as anticipated: Although some providers have withdrawn, the overall exit rate has not risen dramatically in the past year. The highest levels of exit were recorded during the previous period. However, these data are likely drawn predominantly from registered providers, meaning the real picture for non-registered providers is less clear. Workforce shortages remain a significant risk: Recruitment and retention continue to challenge providers across all disciplines. High turnover, wage pressures and competition from other sectors such as aged care are contributing to instability. Complex clients face the greatest vulnerability: Some providers are reducing services or narrowing the complexity of clients they support. As financial strain grows, those with higher needs are at increased risk of losing access. Despite the challenges, the report highlights ongoing resilience and adaptation. Many providers are diversifying, improving processes, investing in technology and strengthening internal capability. What this means for OTs and the future of practice... The current environment reinforces the need for deliberate planning and strategic development. Several themes are emerging for OTs... Reassessing business models is essential: Understanding true cost of service delivery is more important than ever. This includes labour, compliance, supervision, non-billable time, travel, insurance and overheads. Pricing structures should reflect the genuine cost of providing high-quality services across all client types. Internal workforce development is becoming increasingly important: With reduced funding and tighter margins, external supervision and training may become harder for some businesses to sustain. High-quality internal competency frameworks, clinical pathways and structured supervision systems are now critical. They ensure early-career practitioners are safe, supported and progressing towards advanced practice. Complex caseload expertise will be in demand: As the sector shifts, practitioners with capability in complex needs, high-cost assistive technology, positioning, behavioural complexity and multi-disciplinary collaboration will be increasingly sought after. Building skills in complex practice areas protects service continuity for vulnerable clients and strengthens professional sustainability. Providers must build clear client risk plans: Contingency planning is becoming essential. Participants need transparent information about provider availability, funding limitations and alternative pathways if services change. These conversations support informed decision-making and ethical practice. New Evidence Advisory Committee consultation now open The Evidence Advisory Committee has opened its December 2025 consultation round, seeking input on several supports: art therapy, music therapy, functional electrical stimulation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, prosthetics containing neural interfaces, therapy suits... This follows recommendations from the Stephen Duckett review, which suggested a more detailed analysis of art and music therapy for specific cohorts. Anyone who previously made submissions to the Duckett review can resubmit the same material to this consultation round. Submissions close at 11.59pm AEDT on 20 January 2026. Feedback can be provided via online survey, PDF, written submission or video. Given the timing across the Christmas and summer period, practitioners who wish to contribute should plan ahead to ensure their voice is included. Upcoming changes to payday superannuation One confirmed change on the horizon is the introduction of payday superannuation, commencing 1 July 2026. Under this reform, employers will be required to pay super at the same time as wages, rather than on a quarterly cycle. For employees, this will mean faster super growth. For employers, it will require more consistent cash flow and financial planning. Service providers with multiple staff members will need stronger budgeting processes to ensure super obligations can be met weekly or fortnightly. Now is the time to begin modelling how this shift may affect business operations, payroll schedules and financial forecasting. Key takeaways for OTs• Sector pressures continue to intensify, making sustainable pricing and clear business models essential.• Workforce development and internal training systems are becoming increasingly important as caseload complexity rises.• Complex clients are at greater risk of losing services, creating an urgent need for clinicians skilled in advanced and high-needs support.• Financial strains across the sector reinforce the need for unified allied health advocacy rather than discipline-by-discipline competition.• The Evidence Advisory Committee is now seeking input on several supports, including art and music therapy, with submissions closing on 20 January 2026. Useful Links https://consultations.health.gov.au/evidence-advisory-committee-eac/december-2025/ https://nds.org.au/images/State_of_the_Disability_Sector_Reports/NDS8221%20NDS%20State%20of%20the%20Disability%20Sector%20Report%202025_FINAL.pdf https://australian.physio/advocacy/NDIA-annual-pricing-review-report https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/business-bulletins-newsroom/payday-super-legislation-introduced

The emotional load of the festive season As the year winds down many OTs are running on empty. December brings concerts, Secret Santas, toy drives and family events but it also brings rushed reports, urgent NDIS requests and long mental lists of what needs to be bought, wrapped or organised. Even joyful activities add planning and cost and for OTs with school aged children the competing dates and expectations can compound the strain. If you are feeling flat, irritable or overextended it is simply a sign that your capacity is stretched. The mix of home demands and workplace responsibilities makes this time of year uniquely tiring for clinicians. The quiet impact of funding shifts Layered on top of the festive season overwhelm are the effects of ongoing NDIS funding changes. Travel cuts, paediatric plan reductions and shifting referral patterns rarely make headlines but they are affecting participants and clinicians every day. Many families are receiving plans that drop mid term leaving significant gaps in supports with no simple way to bridge them. For OTs this means disrupted therapeutic relationships, difficulty maintaining caseloads and pressure to absorb the stress families are experiencing. Emotional fatigue becomes a predictable response when the system feels unpredictable. What the therapy supports pilot signals This pressure is occurring alongside major structural changes including the Therapy Supports Quality Pilot. The pilot is an invitation only initiative for medium to large registered providers that meet strict thresholds for revenue, caseload size, remote area service delivery and multidisciplinary practice. While framed as a way to understand therapy quality and cost many OTs believe the pilot will contribute to future block funding models dominated by large NGOs. Smaller services, sole providers and regional practices are unlikely to meet the criteria even though they often deliver the most consistent therapy in remote areas. For frontline clinicians this could mean funding decisions drawn from incomplete data that does not reflect the realities of travel time, caseload complexity or community need. Staying informed and documenting the true cost of service provision is one practical way to protect your practice. The widening compliance gap Alongside the pilot sits a growing focus on fraud, audits and compliance. New legislation is expected to expand penalties for wrongdoing, increase the NDIS Commission’s powers and tighten expectations around documentation and evidence. There is also increasing attention on misleading marketing aimed at people with disability. While these measures appear reasonable OTs are reporting long delays in Commission responses and limited feedback when serious concerns are raised. The compliance burden is rising for individual clinicians and small services even as unsafe practices elsewhere are not always addressed with equal urgency. You cannot control regulatory timelines but you can protect yourself with clear functional documentation, transparent billing, strong service agreements and caution with any claims you would not be comfortable defending. Saying no to unsafe or non compliant requests OTs are receiving more requests for items or interventions that do not meet NDIS criteria or clinical scope. These might include high cost alternate therapies, cars or granny flats or equipment from the NDIS no list. It is understandable that families push when they are facing reduced funding but your role remains to ensure recommendations are evidence based, safe and compliant. A reliable guiding question is Would I stand by this recommendation at external review? If not, the answer is no. You can acknowledge participant preferences without compromising your recommendation. For example: The participant’s preference is X. Based on my clinical assessment and current guidelines my recommendation is Y. For early career OTs supervision is essential. Confidence in navigating these decisions grows with mentoring, structured reflection and clear clinical frameworks. Why end of year boundaries matter All of this plan reductions, shifting rules, emerging pilots, compliance pressure and the emotional load of December creates the perfect environment for blurred boundaries. It becomes tempting to say yes to every urgent request, chase down problems created elsewhere or work late into the night to keep families supported. But each yes signals that your wellbeing is negotiable. Clear boundaries do not require long explanations. Short statements preserve clarity and rapport: “I cannot complete a quality report in that timeframe. I can have it ready by [date]”, “I do not offer weekend work so we will need another solution” or “this sits outside what I can recommend as reasonable and necessary”. Within teams shared language helps. Phrases such as I have discussed this with our clinical lead and we are not able to proceed on that basis frame boundaries as professional standards rather than personal reluctance. A federal senator recently reminded clinicians that rest is essential. We say this to carers often but we rarely model it. Boundaries are safeguards for clinical quality. Protecting your energy this December Finishing the year well does not require perfection. Small intentional decisions can help you start the break with more capacity. Set a clear cut off date for new assessments or reports. Block your rest time first and build your workload around it. Triage new requests so that safety critical tasks are prioritised and non urgent work can move into the new year. Delegate wherever possible and release anything that does not require your clinical skill. A genuine break is not a luxury. It is a risk management strategy. Rested clinicians make clearer decisions and provide safer, more sustainable care. Advocacy, community and leadership development Despite the turbulence the OT community continues to show strength in advocacy and collaboration. OTs are contributing to submissions, contacting MPs, signing petitions and sharing stories that highlight the true impact of funding cuts. Professional associations are engaging directly with government and leadership programs are supporting clinicians to develop self leadership, boundaries and resilience. Resources from educators such as Michelle Bihary offer frameworks around burnout, ethical decision making and sustainable practice. Connecting with OT learning communities such as Verve OT Learning can also provide clarity, direction and solidarity during a period of rapid change. Key takeaways for OTs • The festive season brings a heavy mental load for OTs at work and at home. Feeling exhausted is a normal response • The therapy supports pilot focuses on large registered providers and may feed into future funding models • Fraud focused reforms increase compliance pressure while systemic issues remain unresolved • Only recommend what you would defend at external review. If it does not meet that test the answer is no • Clear documentation and supervision help you capture preferences without compromising clinical reasoning • Travel cuts, paediatric funding changes and shifting referrals are reshaping practice. Your concern is valid • Advocacy, professional collaboration and leadership development strengthen the sector • Planning rest, setting limits and standardising boundaries are essential for end of year wellbeing