All about our Early Intervention Key Worker model

The key worker is a specialised professional who could be a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist or early childhood educator. They will be the main contact for your family, with other team members being brought in if and when required for consultation and collaboration.

Who is eligible?

• Children aged 0-7 years old
• Children who are currently eligible for ECEI/NDIS funding.
• Children who have therapy needs requiring support in more than one area of development.

When and where are sessions held?

Sessions are flexible, personalised to family needs and capacity and it has shown to fast-track children’s progress.
Each session takes place in the family home or where your child spends their time e.g. playgrounds, playgroup, childcare, community.

What are the benefits of the key worker model?

When parents or carers use a strategy with their own child it is 3 times more effective than when an early intervention worker uses the same strategy with the child.

Weekly time spent awake by the average three year old child

What does the key worker model look like?

• The Key worker model is designed to be a one-stop-shop for therapy.
• The key worker gets to know your family well, working together to coordinate supports so parents don’t have to manage multiple therapists.
• It aims to build caregiver’s knowledge and skills to support their child’s development, allowing their child to participate successfully in everyday activities.
• It is child and family focused and recognised as best practice for early intervention.
• It has been shown to have greater positive outcomes for children as it is family friendly, while reducing stress and saving time and energy for caregivers.