On Tuesday 15 August 2023, the ARPA WA Excellence in Workplace Rehabilitation Awards 2023 finalists were announced, with the WorkFocus WA team being overwhelmed and thrilled at having nine finalists across the seven, highly competitive, award categories, and more finalists than any other provider in the state!
Speaking on the announcement of the finalists, Lisa Lange, Area Manager – WA, NT and SA, said, “we are all so proud of our finalists and the recognition they’ve received in helping our clients to get well and working, everyday. It also shows what a great team we have – without the support of the whole team we wouldn’t have achieved such outstanding results.”
Our finalists
Rebecca Kidd, Injury Management Specialist
Outstanding Achievement in RTW Award – Physical Claim
Rebecca is recognised as an exceptional, experienced consultant that approaches claims holistically and goes above and beyond to provide unique tailored solutions to her clients in the Kimberley region where she lives and works. Rebecca’s strengths lie in her ability to build rapport with her clients, going the extra mile to organise services for them where they are otherwise limited. She shows genuine care and compassion for her clients and is a champion for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Recovery and Return to Work Program, having undergone cultural competency training to be able to better support her clients and various stakeholders who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Additionally, Rebecca has recently engaged in training for the Miriwoong language to be able to better support and communicate with her clients.
Sarah Greenwood, Senior Rehabilitation Consultant
Outstanding Achievement in RTW Award – Psychological Claim
Sarah has established a reputation throughout the industry as a calm, highly skilled consultant who has exceptional communications skills and ability to think ‘outside the box’. Sarah has an innate ability to navigate barriers through a holistic client-centred approach to facilitate incredible outcomes for clients in highly challenging situations.
Kim Thompson, Customer Experience Specialist
Outstanding Consultant Award – Same Employer
Kim is an experienced Occupational Therapist (OT) and an incredible consultant, whose caring and empathetic nature is unparalleled. As an OT, Kim champions meaningful occupation every day to her clients, customers, and colleagues, and as a result, they come to her for solutions. Kim is passionate about building strong and supportive relationships with her clients based on trust, which is evidenced by the frequent exceptional feedback she receives. Kim makes a difference in her clients’ lives by ensuring they are supported in meaningful activities for RTW, understanding the psychological and physical benefits for her clients. Kim is an asset to the industry.
Teagan Briggs, Injury Management Specialist
Outstanding Consultant Award – Same Employer
An industry senior, Teagan is highly regarded amongst clients and all stakeholders. Her use of clinical skills and ability to build rapport with her humble nature, have seen her develop a reputation in Regional WA as a specialist in the industry and an outstanding consultant. Teagan joined our team in Bunbury nine years ago, from the outset it was evident she had a passion for helping people, utilising her superior clinical skills to ensure each and every client had a positive and supportive experience. Teagan champions the ‘Health Benefits of Good Work’ (HBOGW) every day by using the trust she builds with clients and employers to educate and empower them in the importance of being engaged in meaningful duties, and the value work provides to one’s mental and physical recovery.
Rahul Verma, Rehabilitation Consultant
Outstanding Student Award
Rahul directly approached us for a practicum as a Rehabilitation Counsellor and displayed a level of engagement to the placement greater than any other student, highlighting his passion for assisting people and drive to experience the vocational rehabilitation industry. Rahul has drawn on his vast 10 years’ experience working in employment services to help frame his placement and contribute right away. He was highly motivated throughout the placement and used a combination of his studies and life skills to use the opportunities provided to him to immediately assist stakeholders and clients in their pursuit of rehabilitating people back to work. Rahul is a strong advocate for a holistic approach understanding the plight of people looking for work with injury and illness and became a model in communicating the health benefits of good work. Rahul truly encapsulates a student who committed 100% to assisting clients with a keen evidence-based, solution-focused emphasis.
Brenton Malacari, Business Manager
Exceptional Leadership Award
Brenton is an exceptional leader who manages one of the largest Workplace Rehabilitation teams in WA. Brenton’s unique strength as a leader is his ability to motivate his team members, and this motivation stems from the HBOGW. Brenton knows that people are driven by their values and that he needs to harness this passion. Brenton’s team are never short of praise, with one consultant stating, “Brenton is a leader like no other. He motivates and inspires our team, driving great outcomes. We are all better consultants because of his leadership.” Brenton is not only an incredible leader, but an incredible teacher who passionately supports and provides continuous education opportunities for our team. Brenton is also never one to rest, with a quiet determination and grit behind his calm and mature approach, he is actively addressing issues, implementing positive change, and is leading the team to continued success.
Rebecca Singleton, Customer Experience Manager
Innovation in Return to Work Award
Bec lives by the values of good work and wellness; she is driven to ensure her customers and their clients receive the very best care to get them well and working. Bec’s compassionate, energetic and innovative approach makes her an exceptional leader in the workplace rehabilitation industry. Bec’s energy uplifts all that work with her, her team, clients, and customers feed off her drive and inspires them to ensure ‘good rehab’ is provided on every client supported. She works tirelessly on developing relationships with her customers that has resulted in her being the “go to” in the industry for solutions to complex situations.
Tiarn Mahney, Rehabilitation Consultant
Best New Starter Award
Since commencing Tiarn has shown maturity in her role managing a number of clients with complex injuries. Tiarn advocates fiercely for her client’s wellbeing, recovery and return to work, thinking outside the box with additional services to support them. Tiarn has made a huge impression in the industry, establishing an excellent reputation for the quality of her support. Tiarn fit straight into our experienced team, taking on additional responsibility by supervising multiple Occupational Therapy students in their placements and always being willing to help her colleagues with appointment cover.
Zara Begley, Rehabilitation Consultant
Best New Starter Award
Zara is one of those rare consultants who seemed a perfect fit for vocational rehabilitation from the start. Commencing as a Rehabilitation Assistant while completing her Masters, Zara paired exceptional time management skills with an incredible hard-working attitude to deliver exceptional outcomes. Within weeks of starting Zara was achieving outstanding outcomes and feedback from clients and customers. With remarkable communication skills and a passion for helping people, she is able to manage complex situations and obtain outcomes well beyond her tenure. Zara is a true asset to our industry.
The ARPA WA Excellence in Workplace Rehabilitation Awards event will be held at the Optus Stadium on Friday 13 October 2023.
