Welcome Pack
Welcome to Joyful Journey Occupational Therapy, where we believe in "empowerment, collaboration and inspiration".
This welcome pack is designed with you, the parent/caregiver, in mind; addressing common questions you might have about occupational therapy for your child.
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This pack is created to aid a smooth introduction into our services, with the goal to ensure you feel comfortable and at ease throughout the process.
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It contains useful information such as details about our appointment process, the importance of a comprehensive case history, what to expect during your journey with your occupational therapist and how we create personalised therapy plans for your child.
Our Vision
Joyful Journey OT exists to be a trusted anchor in our community - a place where children are celebrated, families feel supported, therapists thrive with purpose and balance, and collaboration with parents, schools, and educators drives joyful participation for all.
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A trusted anchor is built when we:
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Collaborate openly
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Build genuine relationships
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Keep learning and growing
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Celebrate diversity
Values
We're All in this together
We understand that we are each one jellybean in a jar, and true change happens when we work together.
Stay True and Build Genuine Connections
We know that being ourselves is the foundation for trust, and genuine connections are what make our work meaningful.
Foster Growth and Empower Others
We understand that growth is not linear, like a tree, we may bend, branch out, and take time to flourish, but with the right care we grow stronger together. Growth is not just about personal development, but about lifting others with us as we learn, lead, and share.
Blend Openness and Fun
We know that balance is key. Embracing openness, curiosity, and joy allows us to connect, create, and thrive together.
Occupational therapy (OT) helps children develop the skills needed to perform daily activities, or "occupations," that are meaningful to them. These include self-care tasks (like dressing and eating), play, school performance, and social interactions. OT aims to enhance your child's ability to engage in these activities by focusing on their strengths and addressing challenges.
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At Joyful Journey Occupational Therapy, we focus on helping children develop skills in key areas of their lives. To give you a clearer picture of how we support your child, here’s a guide to the different types of occupations we address during therapy. We categorise these into Self-Care, Leisure, and Work to ensure a well-rounded approach to your child’s development.
What is Occupational Therapy?
The Joyful Journey Method
At Joyful Journey OT, we believe that relationships and community are essential to growth and development.
Our care seeks to celebrate children, support families, facilitate therapists to thrive with purpose and balance, and to collaborate with parents, schools and educators to drive joyful participation for all.
Our approach follows four interconnected stages of care. Your role in the process includes:
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Active Participation: Your involvement is crucial in achieving the best outcomes. Attend sessions, engage in home programs, and provide feedback.
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Communication: Share any concerns or observations with us to ensure the therapy plan remains effective.
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Support: Encourage and support your child’s participation in therapy activities.
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Learn more about each stage by clicking the button below.
Our Policies and Procedures
Downloadables
Child safety and wellbeing
At Joyful Journey OT, your child’s safety and wellbeing are our top priority. We are committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment where all children feel heard, valued, and supported. Our team is trained in child safety, follows strict professional boundaries, and ensures all staff have appropriate screening, including Working With Children Checks. We actively involve children in their therapy, support their right to have a voice, and respect every child’s background, identity, and needs.
If you or your child ever feel worried or unsafe, please speak to your therapist or contact us. We take all concerns seriously and act quickly to protect children, including following legal reporting requirements where needed.
Privacy
At Joyful Journey OT, your privacy and confidentiality are very important to us. We are committed to handling your personal information in a safe, respectful, and transparent way. This includes only collecting the information we need to support your child’s therapy, using it to plan and deliver services, and storing it securely. Our team follows strict privacy practices and only shares information with others involved in your child’s care when you have given consent, or where required by law.
If you have any questions or concerns about your information, you are always welcome to speak with your therapist or contact us. You also have the right to access your information, request corrections, or change your consent at any time.
Mandatory Reporting
At Joyful Journey OT, your child’s safety and wellbeing are our highest priority. We are committed to providing a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for all children, young people, and families.
As part of this commitment, our team has mandatory reporting obligations. This means that if we have reasonable concerns that a child may be at risk of harm, neglect, or abuse, we are legally required to report this to the appropriate authorities, such as Child Protection.
If you have any questions about mandatory reporting, you are welcome to speak with your therapist or contact our team.
Cancellation policy
At Joyful Journey OT, we are committed to providing consistent, high-quality therapy for all children and families. When you book an appointment, that time is reserved specifically for your child, allowing our therapists to plan and deliver meaningful support.
As part of this commitment, we have a cancellation policy in place that aligns with NDIS guidelines. This helps ensure fairness for all families and allows us to offer appointment times to others when changes are made with sufficient notice. If you have any questions about cancellations or need support managing appointments, you are always welcome to speak with your therapist or contact our team.
Clinic dog
At Joyful Journey OT, we are committed to creating engaging, supportive therapy experiences for children and families. As part of this, we are able to include Delilah, our clinic dog, to support emotional regulation, connection, and participation in sessions.
Delilah’s involvement is always carefully considered and based on each child’s needs, with a strong focus on safety, consent, and wellbeing. Participation is completely optional, and families are always able to choose what feels most comfortable for them. If you have any questions or preferences regarding Delilah’s involvement, please speak with your therapist or contact our team.
feedback and complaints handling process
If you need to make a formal complaint, please follow our 5 step process
waiting room guidelines
At Joyful Journey OT, we are committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for all children and families. Our waiting area is designed to be comfortable and family-friendly, and we ask that children remain supervised by a parent or caregiver at all times to support safety and minimise disruption.
If you have any questions about our waiting room guidelines or need support during your visit, please speak with our team—we’re here to help.
Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy
​We are proud to say that at Joyful Journey Occupational Therapy, we are neurodiversity affirming. But what does this mean for you and your child?
Neurodiversity affirming therapy values and supports the unique ways that individuals experience and interact with the world. Specifically, we will not set or work on goals that are designed to make a neurodiverse person seem more neurotypical.
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Neurodiversity includes Autistic people, people with ADHD (ADHDers), people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and people with various mental health challenges.
We do not believe that one way of looking at, thinking about or interacting with the world is better than another way.
Support at JJOT
1:1 therapy is invaluable to build skills and provide education, but this is not the only support Joyful Journey OT provides to their clients. We also:
Assessments
Conduct assessments and write reports that mean everyone can understand the results and meaning of reports
Resources
Create resources and visuals to support skill generalisation at home
Care Team meetings
Coordinate and participate in care team meetings to ensure we are collaborating with the client’s care team effectively
Groups
Provide group therapy for those who benefit from support provided alongside others
Funding support
Develop letters and reports to support funding and healthcare coordination as appropriate
Education
Deliver education sessions to clients, caregivers and other team members to ensure a clear understanding of the client’s support needs