About the Role:
An exciting opportunity is available to join the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) as an Occupational Therapist within our Child Protection Service (CPS). This role offers the chance to contribute meaningfully to the lives of infants, children and young people who have experienced significant adversity.
In this position, you will provide specialist, trauma‑informed occupational therapy services to children referred to NALHN CPS and the Out‑of‑Home Care (OOHC) Clinic. Your work will support comprehensive assessments and targeted interventions for children under the Guardianship of the Chief Executive, Department for Child Protection. This includes delivering functional assessments, specialist therapy, and caregiver coaching to promote safety, stability and developmental wellbeing.
As an integral member of an interdisciplinary team, you will deliver culturally responsive, equitable and high‑quality services to children, families and carers. Your contributions will also support the broader goals of promoting adequate care and protection for vulnerable children across our network.
Children and young people in out-of-home care often present with complex developmental, emotional, and behavioural needs resulting from experiences of trauma, neglect, abuse, and disrupted caregiving. As part of their involvement in the care system, these children undergo comprehensive health and developmental assessments (CHDAs) to identify concerns such as developmental delays, cognitive impairments, trauma-related symptoms, and other health issues.
Occupational Therapy (OT) is consistently identified as one of the top three referrals generated from CHDAs. Yet, access to OT remains limited due to long waitlists, and government-funded OT has a predominant focus on the 0–5 age group, and high costs associated with private providers. Children aged 5–12 are often left without access to timely OT services, resulting in unmet sensory, motor, and functional needs that impact learning, placement stability, and emotional wellbeing.
This pilot project proposes the integration of a dedicated OT service within the OOHC Paediatric Clinic. The CPS OT would provide trauma-informed functional assessments, short-term interventions, and caregiver coaching directly to children and families at the point of care.
In this role, you will:
- deliver expert occupational therapy assessment and intervention across CPS and OOHC referrals
- provide trauma‑informed care supporting children with emotional, behavioural and developmental challenges
- prepare high‑quality clinical reports and communicate complex information clearly and sensitively
- collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team and across partner agencies
- apply sound clinical reasoning to analyse and resolve complex clinical issues
- support carers and families with strategies to enhance daily functioning and emotional wellbeing
- contribute to service development within this innovative pilot program
To be eligible for this position, you must hold an appropriate Degree or equivalent qualification which entitles registration as an Occupational Therapist with Occupational Therapy Australia.
About You:
We are seeking a compassionate and skilled practitioner with demonstrated competence in paediatric occupational therapy assessment and intervention, and experience supporting children and families affected by trauma, neglect or attachment disruption. You communicate complex information clearly and sensitively, negotiate effectively and work confidently with a wide range of stakeholders. You remain calm under pressure while upholding high clinical standards and bring a collaborative, team‑focused approach complemented by strong personal initiative and sound professional judgement. Your practice is grounded in a solid understanding of child development, trauma‑informed principles and the South Australian child protection system. Experience in child protection or child and adolescent mental health will be highly regarded.
This is a unique opportunity to be part of a progressive, passionate and highly motivated team dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable children. If you’re committed to delivering meaningful, trauma‑informed care and want to contribute to a service that truly changes outcomes, we invite you to apply.
About Us:
The Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) is a leading provider of public healthcare services in South Australia.
NALHN serves over 400,000 people in northern Adelaide with a comprehensive range of high-quality medical services, including emergency, surgical, obstetric, neonatal, paediatric, oncology, geriatric, palliative care and rehabilitation, and mental health care. Recently, NALHN has upgraded its facilities and plans to expand further. The network provides primary health care with a focus on community health promotion and chronic disease management. With nearly 6,500 employees, NALHN emphasises quality care and a supportive work environment guided by respect, integrity, and accountability. Our core values foster excellence, innovation, and equitable health outcomes.
At NALHN Everyone Has a Story, Everyone Matters, Everyone Contributes and Everyone Grows.
Benefits of working at NALHN:
From salary packaging to flexible working arrangements, a large range of opportunities for movement and career progression, you’ll find there are lots of benefits of working with Northern Adelaide Local Health Network.
Salary packaging is an option for saving money by paying for some of your everyday expenses from your salary before it is taxed.
Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants from interstate or overseas.
NALHN supports and fosters a culture in which employees feel they belong and feel safe at work. The culture aims to encourage all people to use their talents and to be valued and rewarded for their contributions.
SA Health is committed to providing an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and inclusion for all employees. We strongly encourage applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, culturally diverse backgrounds, members of the LGBTIQA+SB community and people who live with disability and/or neurodivergence.
We are committed to making workplace adjustments to provide a positive and supportive work environment. You are encouraged to let us know if you have any support or access requirements during the recruitment process and beyond to ensure you can perform at your best.
The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part-time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.
Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Check.
Check(s):
- DHS Working With Children Check (WWCC)
- National Police Check (National Police Certificate) for general employment probity, vulnerable person-related employment and aged care sector screening – apply to any of the accredited bodies approved to offer a service direct to the public. Accreditation is provided by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. See our National Police Certificate accredited bodies page for links to lodge screening requests.
Immunisation Risk for this position is – Category B (indirect contact with blood or body substances)
SA Health Services are required to implement the Addressing vaccine preventable disease: Occupational assessment, screening and vaccination policy in the workplace.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to apply. Job Ref: 931644
Enquiries:
Tash Harvey
A/Clinical Service Manager
Phone: (08) 8282 2566
E-mail: natasha.harvey2@sa.gov.au
Application Closing Date:
17 April 2026 – 11.55PM
Role Description and Further Information:
931644 - Occupational Therapist - Out of Home Care Clinic - AHP2 - role description.pdf
* Refer to the SA Health Career Website – How to apply for further information.
