Welcome to Play Partners!
Transforming Lives with Early Intervention
Established in the Clare Valley, South Australia in 2016. Play Partners provides allied health services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology for children, and adults with disabilities.
Whether you’re seeking an NDIS funded service, private, or Medicare subsidised allied health sessions, we are here to help you achieve the best possible outcome.
Our Approach to Early Intervention
We provide early intervention as a collaborative play experience, guided by a child's interests and parent-led goals. For older children and young adults we facilitate their active participation in therapy. We offer a key worker model, and all Play Partners practitioners are supported to provide transdisciplinary intervention where appropriate.
Trauma-Responsive Care for clients
We understand that safe spaces and safety in relationships are integral to trauma informed practice. Our Trauma Responsive Practice Framework emphasizes the importance of consistent, predictable, and safe relationships as essential in any therapeutic work.
Flexible Delivery Options
We offer different delivery options based on our clients needs.
Centre-Based Therapy
Visit us at our Clare location (4/25 Old North Road) for clinic sessions.
Outreach Services
We offer home, school, kindy, or day option visits where preferred and facilitated by outreach centres.
Our Values at Play Partners
We celebrate our values as core to our practice. We aim to provide exceptional allied health services in the Clare Valley and Mid North region of South Australia.
Respect & Transparency
We value clear, respectful, and honest communication. We believe effective communication is essential in fostering positive relationships.
Dignity & Choice
We respect each individual's values and cultural background, as well as their right to self-determination and choice. We welcome advocacy to ensure our services meet each person’s unique needs.
Safety & No judgement
We prioritise safety, trust, and collaboration between clinician and client, recognising the importance of trauma-informed care in our work. Everyone is welcome at Play Partners.
Consistency
We aim to provide consistent, high-quality care through a trans-disciplinary approach to intervention, maximising access to local allied health options in the rural space.
Meet Our Professionals
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
We celebrate a culture of strong, stable, and compassionate relationships backed by extensive expertise in physiotherapy, speech pathology and occupational therapy in the Clare Valley.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It looks like you're just playing with my child. What are you doing?We ARE playing! Playing is a child’s occupation, and the mechanism through which they learn all life skills. Our work is to support a child’s development through play. We use a child’s interest to engage them and build relationship. We then integrate the goals of therapy into our play together. We use standardised assessments to establish baseline developmental levels and review progress.
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Why are you playing games that seem 'babyish,' with a 15-year-old?There are several reasons for this... The 15-year-old may have interests that are younger than their chronological age. We can engage children more quickly and effectively if we use their interests in our sessions. We have a short period of time to work with the child towards their therapeutic goals, so engagement is key! 😁 As a trauma informed practice, we consider the stage of a child’s development in our intervention which informs our therapy practices for that individual.
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Are you a Child Safe Organisation?Yes. Play Partners child safe environments policy was written to demonstrate our strong commitment to the safety of children and young people and to establish and maintain child safe, and child friendly environments.
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Can you work on our school-based goals?Quite possibly. It depends on whether they're in an individual’s NDIS plan. We are engaged by the parent/carer/participant to support the NDIS participant goals that have been identified by the parent/carer/participant in collaboration with an NDIS planner. Sometimes these goals align with school/education goals, and sometimes they don’t. We believe best outcomes for everyone occur when we all work together. Case conferencing is a great way to support working together, and we're happy to facilitate case conferences where all providers work collaboratively.
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Can you write a letter to support our Assistive Technology request?The NDIS take their definition of 'Assistive Technology' from the World Health Organisation, which deems “any device or system that allows individuals to perform tasks they would otherwise be unable to do, or increases the ease and safety with which tasks can be performed."
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What are the NDIS Assistive Technology levels?The NDIS categorise Assistive Technology into four levels: Level 1 (basic): Low-cost, low-risk, and participants will mostly identify and source this themselves. Examples include: nonslip bathmats, large print labels, doorbells, etc. Level 2 (standard): Typically ‘off the shelf’ Assistive Technology that many participants can test and trial before making a final choice. Examples include: bath seat, handrails, ramps, etc. Level 3 (specialised): Similar to Level 2, however it often requires modification to suit the needs of the participant. Examples include: desktop electronic magnification, home modifications such as bathroom adaptions and pressure mattresses, etc. Level 4 (complex): Custom made or ‘off the shelf’ but configured uniquely for the individual. Examples include: cochlear implant speech processors, complex home modifications that require major structural change, etc
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What do I need to get funding for Assistive Technology with the NDIS?The NDIS states: “Low cost and low risk items (Level 1) do not need a form to be sent into the NDIS. Participants with Assistive Technology funded supports in their plan can seek advice and buy it themselves." "Supply of Levels 2 – 4, require an appropriate assessment form which needs to be completed by or with the oversight of an Assistive Technology Assessor with suitable experience in that Assistive Technology." "Some Assistive Technology will need greater consideration due to particular participant, or environmental issues.”
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Can I request your support for NDIS funding of sensory equipment?Absolutely! Play Partners receives many requests for support letters for low-risk items to be purchased with funds allocated to the assistive technology part of an NDIS plan. As allied health providers, we are required to assess whether the item requested fits within the NDIS funding framework and provide clinical justification for purchase of the item.