What is Vocational Consulting?

At Active⁺, Vocational Consulting involves providing services to clients who have been working, but have sustained an injury or have lost their job through injury and are not able to return to the type of work they were previously doing. We also provide similar services for those that may have lost their job due to restructing or redundancy. Vocational Consulting encompasses a broad range of solutions from assisting in CV preparation to liaising with employers who have vacancies.

How can Active⁺ help? 

We’re our clients’ biggest advocates, and we’re here to get them back to work. We have two core services delivered by our team of Vocational Consultants:

• Work Ready
• Occupational Assessment (Initial Occupational Assessment and Vocational Independence Occupational Assessment)

Work Ready Service

Our Work Ready service prepares clients for a return to the workforce in a new type of employment that will be sustainable from a medical perspective.

We co-ordinate and deliver a programme to get clients ready for work. This can involve: 

• Determining what type of work the client would like to do, planning to get into that work, goal setting, preparing a CV and cover letters, and preparing for job interviews
• An exercise based programme specifically designed to prepare the client for the type of work they are aiming for
• Co-ordination of training, such as gaining of driver licences, or computer training
• Sourcing, setting up and monitoring work experience, or work trials, to get clients back out there and, hopefully, to find paid employment
• Job search with and on behalf of clients, including approaching employers directly as appropriate, liaising with employers regarding contracts and ongoing support to maintain employment 

The Active⁺ Difference

Our team of committed and experienced professionals take pride in working with each individual client to achieve sustainable outcomes. We have access to a network of employers who can offer work experience and, potentially, employment.

As an organisation with professionals from many different disciplines including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology and social work, we can work together closely as a team to help our clients get back to work. We are able to perform this service through an ACC referral, and also privately for clients. 

Occupational Assessment Services 

There are two types of occupational assessments:

• Initial Occupational Assessment
• Vocational Independence Occupational Assessment

The Initial Occupational Assessment (IOA) is for claimants who have been working, have sustained an injury and are now limited in their ability to work due to their injury, and are receiving weekly compensation. The result of the assessment is a report which documents the types of work that the client can do, based on their work experience, education and training, transferable skills and work preferences. This does not take into account their injury or medical matters.

The assessment usually takes place over one meeting of around 1.5 hours. The first part of the meeting involves documenting the client’s profile, including:

• Work history
• Education and training
• Transferable skills
• Types of work they are particularly interested in

The second part of the meeting involves identifying types of work the client is able to do based on the information gathered (not taking into account their injury or other medical matters).

This information is then written up into a report which is sent to a referrer. The next stage for the client is to meet with a Medical Assessor to determine what types of work are suitable from a medical perspective. This will determine the next step in the client’s rehabilitation, which could include, for example, Work Ready or Job Brokerage Services or further medical treatment. 

Often, we will also provide a CV as part of the Initial Occupational Assessment. 

The Vocational Independence Occupational Assessment (VIOA) is very similar to the IOA, though the VIOA is for clients who have been through an Occupational Assessment and may be nearing the end of their rehabilitation journey. Like the IOA, the purpose is to identify types of work the client can do with respect to their work history, education and training, transferable skills and categories of work they are interested in. The outcome is a report and the next step for the client is to attend a medical assessment to determine what types of work are suitable from a medical perspective.

The Active⁺ difference 

We have a team of experienced and qualified assessors, with stringent quality control processes in place. Because Active⁺ is involved in the whole rehabilitation process through our Work Ready services, we have a good understanding of the job market from a practical perspective in terms of assisting clients back into work. 

Please use the Let Us Connect You button on the top right to get in contact with us if you wish to know more.