A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) may be useful where a client's treating Doctor is unable to provide clear and specific return to work medical guidelines. An FCE may also be indicated where a client reports difficulties with work tasks that are inconsistent with the current return to work medical guidance.
Much of the following information has been provided by Dr Ev Innes, an occupational therapist. The intention is to provide some basic information for Rehabilitation Delegates about the types of FCEs, to help inform decisions about when conducting an FCE may be appropriate. It should be noted that most assessors within rehabilitation service provider organisations will only have access to a single tool.
The Congruence Occupational Reading Test (CORT) is one type of aptitude test used to assess the reading ability of individuals in relation to work reading demands at different levels.
The specific skills assessed by CORT include:
WORK IN PROGRESS
An important part of the rehabilitation process is to prepare the client for the job search process. This reflects the need to ensure all efforts are taken to address any barriers that a client may experience in securing meaningful and sustainable employment (see also 9.4 Managing vocational rehabilitation plans). An assessment of a client's individual circumstances should inform any initial and further job-seeking activities to be undertaken over the course of their vocational rehabilitation plan. These may include, but are not limited to:
Transferable Skills Analysis
A transferable skills analysis (TSA) is an assessment of the skills and knowledge a person acquires from the actual performance of a job and from learned situations, community, work and school enviroments.
Work Trials are used to achieve a return to work for clients who are not able to return to their original workplace.
A large proportion of DVA clients are ex ADF members who have been medically discharged, and therefore unable to continue their role within the ADF.
A work trial is a valuable opportunity for a person participating in a rehabilitation program to:
A worksite assessment forms the basis for a safe return to work by assessing the suitability of work duties and to gain a better understanding of the nature of the client's work. It assesses the physical, psychosocial, cognitive and communication demands of the job.
Overview
Each State and Territory has Small Business Advisory Centres. These centres provide 'Starting Your Own Business' workshops for a small fee. The workshops are generally of 3 hours duration and provide the necessary introductory information to enable the client to decide whether they wish to proceed with their small business proposal.
Contact details for these services either through Commonwealth or State Government resourced agencies are available in the Government listings in the White Pages.
