This is a difficult time for us all to be navigating, and we are doing our very best to balance the needs of our children, young people and families to access Occupational Therapy services, with the need to protect our community.
Our reality is that in supporting children and young people with additional needs, we are providing services to one of our most vulnerable population groups, and one that cannot yet be vaccinated against Covid-19 (0-5 year olds). With cases now widespread throughout our community it is important that we can maintain the safety of our clients and our team.
What is RiverRun doing
At RiverRun, we are conducting covid cleaning of all of our equipment and 
clinic after every use, maintaining strict hand hygiene routines for our team and clients, managing infection control within our spaces (such as having windows and/or doors open on home visits, conducting sessions outdoors where possible, having air circulating at all times in the clinic), wearing new face masks for every client, and screening all clients and families before our face-to-face sessions.
Our therapy and administration team is fully vaccinated.
Mask Wearing
It is currently mandated that your Occupational Therapist will be masked at all
times during the session. It is currently also a Government requirement that all adults are masked during indoor sessions. We also ask that adults wear a mask during outdoors sessions where social distancing is not able to be maintained.
Children and young people grade 3 and up are required to be masked on entry, however as OT session often involve physical activity, they will likely be required to remove this mask during the session. If the child/young person is not comfortable removing their mask, and or they have needs which make mask wearing difficult for them, then this can be discussed with your therapist.
COVID – Conditions of entry
In line with our most up-to-date health advice, RiverRun will need to protect our team and community by keeping our face-to-face services (clinic, home, and school visits once allowed) to families that are fully vaccinated. We acknowledge that our 5-11yr olds have not yet had sufficient time to fully vaccinate, so we will need all family members eligible for vaccination attending the session or present in the home at the time of the session to be vaccinated. There are exemptions to this for our families that are not able to be vaccinated (such as those with medical exemption). For our families that are not fully vaccinated, we will still be providing services via telehealth so you will not lose your place with us.
We will ask to site your vaccination certificate at your first face-to-face session however we will not keep this information permanently on our records.
Will this change?
Yes, what we have learnt during this time is that we need to be flexible. There will be updates from the state governments. We have contingency plans and these will be communicated if and when needed.
We know that this decision will be difficult for some families, however please know that we are doing our best to navigate this new ground. We will be keeping up to date with health recommendations as they evolve and our fingers are crossed that we will be seeing you all, in person, very soon.
Is this discrimination?
Vaccination status is not a protected attribute under the Equal Opportunity Act. This means that discrimination law doesn’t protect those who choose not to get vaccinated. Only people who have a protected attribute under the Equal Opportunity Act. (disability, medical exemption, religious beliefs & activity) are protected. In line with the Act, we will accept documentation from medical practitioners.
A vaccination requirement can be authorised under work health and safety laws which require organisations to provide a safe working environment for their team and a safe environment for customers as far as is reasonably practicable and necessary.
Return to face-to-face services after a positive case
If you or any of your family test positive for COVID, you will be required to isolate as per government guidelines. Face-to-face services may recommence once all isolation periods are served for both positive and negative cases within the family and all symptoms have ceased. If symptoms persist past the isolation period, sessions will not be resumed face-to-face until all symptoms have ceased, regardless of isolation periods ending.
Notification of positive cases at RiverRun and close contacts
You will be notified as soon as possible whether you have been a close contact at RiverRun. A close contact will be defined as per government guidelines. Please note that due to confidentiality, the source of the contact will not be disclosed to you. If you are identified as a close contact, you will be required to test and isolate as per government guidelines.
If you have any questions, please contact our practice administration at admin@riverrunpts.com.au.