Comparing OT Experiences: My Professional Journey in the UK vs. Australia
The Passion Occupational Therapy PodcastShow Notes
This episode discusses the differences between occupational therapy (OT) in England and Australia based on the Parish's personal experience. Parish highlights various aspects of OT practice, including the referral process, assessments, equipment provision, home modifications, collaboration and team meetings, career progression, supervision, and approaches to therapy. Overall, Parish appreciates the support and collaboration in England and the goal-focused approach and flexibility in Australia.
More from The Passion Occupational Therapy Podcast
In this episode of the Passion Occupational Therapy Podcast, Parish sits down with Chris Antartis from Rebel Recruitment, a specialist in allied health recruitment across Australia.
When Storm Menzies broke her dominant hand, she quickly discovered just how inaccessible the beauty world can be. That moment sparked an idea and eventually, ByStorm, a brand reimagining beauty tools through an inclusive and adaptive lens. In this episode, we dive into Storm’s inspiring journey from a background in health sciences to becoming a founder and innovator. She opens up about the challenges of designing adaptive beauty tools, the stigma surrounding assistive products, and her mission to make inclusivity the norm, not the niche. We also explore how occupational therapists can play a powerful role in shaping accessibility, not just in clinical settings, but in industries like beauty, design, and product development.
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🧠 Episode Summary: In this episode, Parish is joined by Justin from WheelieWorx as they bust common myths about wheelchairs, from the idea that “all wheelchairs are basically the same” to whether power assist makes users “lazy.” Together, they explore the clinical, functional, and human elements of wheelchair prescription, and how important it is for OTs to develop genuine confidence and clarity in their clinical reasoning. You’ll hear real talk from two OTs with different perspectives and lived experience in the wheelchair space, and why it’s so important we move away from the “tick-a-box” approach to scripting.