ARPA Award Winner – Exceptional Leadership

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Congratulations to Elke Gjergja of IPAR who was an incredibly deserving winner of the Exceptional Leadership award at the 2016 ARPA Victoria, in conjunction with TAC, Exellence in Rehabilitation Awards.

Elke makes a difference every day, introducing and leading innovations that drive both outcomes for our customers and satisfaction for our staff.

Congratulations also to our impressive finalists – Aaron Bowes, Annalise Avitabile, Ben Lingard and Emily Richards.

2015/6 SwissRe & ALUCA Excellence & Innovation in Return to Work Award

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Georgina Lamb (IPAR National Life Insurance Manager) and Stephanie Vujacic (IPAR Life Account Executive) proudly cheered on Christopher Wallace from ClearView as he took home the highly commended gong in the 2015/6 SwissRe & ALUCA Excellence & Innovation in Return to Work Award, announced at ALUCA Rehabilitation sub-group PD Day on 6 September 2016.

The IPAR life team worked in close partnership with ClearView in the development and implementation of the Optimising Rehabilitation within Life Claims Management program described in ClearView’s highly commended paper. In a short period of time, the program has demonstrated a positive influence on the lives of ClearView customers through the health benefits of good work, on Claims Assessors through increased self-efficacy, confidence, job satisfaction and capability, and for ClearView shareholders, with a current return on investment and anticipated future return on investment that will far exceed that of other rehabilitation models in the life market.

For further information, please contact Georgina Lamb on 03 8648 0900 or glamb@ipar.com.au.

IPAR and the WorkFocus Group join forces to create the Work Health Group

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WorkHealthGroup_2colourAs a result of investment from the Riverside Company, two of Australia’s leading workplace rehabilitation and employment services providers have joined together to become the Work Health Group, offering enhanced innovation and service delivery for customers.

The Work Health Group is the parent company of five brands that operate independently and brings together 750 health, employment and support services professionals across more than 80 locations in Australia. The Group is committed to optimising work and life participation for people with injury, illness, disability and disadvantage.

The brands within the Group are IPAR, WorkFocus Australia, atWork Australia, Cogent Thinking and Kairros. They are supported by a strong corporate services team, sharply focused on investment in our people, technology, infrastructure and innovation.

For more on the Riverside Company’s investment, please see http://www.riversidecompany.com.au/News_and_Media/Press_Releases/IPAR_WorkFocus_News_Release.aspx

For more on the Work Health Group and its brands, please see www.workhealthgroup.com.au.

Encouraging the next generation into our industry

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YELP

We were delighted to welcome a group of senior school students to our Melbourne office earlier this month as part of the Youth Experiential Learning Pathways (YELP) program, called ExperienceMe.

ExperienceMe has been developed by Simon Davidson of Employers Mutual to give students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, an insight into the employment opportunities and potential career pathways within the personal injury sector. As noted by Simon, many people who work within the Personal Injury sector ‘fell into’ the industry. The ExperienceMe program aims to promote the sector as a promising and interesting career pathway from much earlier on, at the outset of a student’s career path.

Over the course of the day, the students spent time with a group of Melbourne workplace rehabilitation consultants. Learning what a typical day may entail, the students observed assessments and role plays, learnt some of the key principles of injury prevention and were informed about qualifications that are highly sought in the industry.

We look forward to the potential of meeting these students again one day as they become the next generation of IPARians!

 

5 IPAR Finalists at the ARPA Victoria Awards 2016

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We are delighted that 5 members of IPAR’s Victorian team have been named as finalists at the 2016 ARPA Victoria, in conjunction with TAC, Excellence in Rehabilitation Awards.

Congratulations to the following, who have been nominated by their peers and selected by the ARPA judging panel as a category finalist:

Ben Lingard – Best New Starter OES

Emily Richards – Best New Starter NES

Aaron Bowes – Outstanding RTW Achievement Award (Physical claim)

Annalise Avitabile – Outstanding RTW Achievement Award (Psychological claim)

Elke Gjergja – Exceptional Leadership

The awards night will be held on September 9th. We wish all our finalists the best of luck!

ADF Career Transition and Assistance Scheme (CTAS)

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IPAR has been successfully appointed to the panel to provide Career Transition and Assistance Scheme (CTAS) services for the Australian Defence Force.

IPAR’s extensive experience in assisting individuals who are seeking new employment was key to our appointment. Over the past year alone, IPAR has assisted over 2,000 individuals in the job seeking process, including those working in military and paramilitary organisations and the Australian Public Service. Another factor was our extensive, national office network, which means that the vast majority of CTAS services from IPAR will be delivered face-to-face, in an established IPAR office.

In anticipation of the panel commencement, IPAR has been working closely with the ADF to ensure the right internal processes are in place to deliver a client-centred and quality service for ADF members, enabling us to identify their needs and assist them in the transition to the next chapter of their career and lives. IPAR consultants have participated in training so they understand the ‘ADF way’ and the unique challenges faced by members as they move through the transition from military to non-military life. We have also designated ADF CTAS Account Managers and Subject Matters Experts across Australia, so each ADF member can be assured that our consultants are trained and supported by either an ex ADF member (who is employed by IPAR) or a staff member who has extensive experience working with military personnel.

IPAR understands that some members require assistance in multiple areas, therefore our services are tailored and unique to each individual. Services can include developing a career transition plan, job search assistance and advice, CV preparation, interview upskilling and practise, and learning how to translate their skills and qualifications to the civilian world.

For further information on CTAS services from IPAR, please refer to ADF Career Transition Services or email adftransition@ipar.com.au.

 

Expansion underway in WA

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We are excited to announce our first expansion into regional Western Australia, with the imminent opening of our Albany office.

Responding to the needs of our customers, the Albany office will supply much needed local injury prevention and workplace rehabilitation services. We are especially delighted that Katika Adams, Senior Consultant from our Perth office, will be leading our expansion into the area after taking up the position of Branch Manager.

An Accredited Exercise Physiologist, who has previously worked in Albany and already has a solid local knowledge, Katika is experienced in physical and psychological return to work services and has achieved great results working on Comcare files, Workcover WA files and life insurance cases.

Services provided from Albany will include:

  • Return to Work services
    same employer and different employer, physical and psychological
  • Injury prevention services
    including our Strong4Life™ workforce training programs for manual handling,
    office ergonomics and psychological health
  • Ergonomic assessments and functional capacity evaluations
  • Pre-employment assessments and Jobfit exercise programs

To find out more about IPAR Albany, please contact Katika Adams at kadams@ipar.com.au

Secondment Opportunities at IPAR

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One of the biggest advantages of IPAR’s national footprint is the career opportunities that it provides to our team members. Danny Lucas, from our Melbourne New Employer Services team, has taken up such an opportunity, seconding to our Darwin office for a 6 month stint, which has now extended to 12 months.

“As soon as the recruitment team posted the secondment I thought ‘that’s for me’ and started day dreaming about the top end. I’d never been to Darwin before and had heard so much about it, I had to experience it for myself. Here was the perfect opportunity.”

Danny made a smooth transition from the large Melbourne team to the smaller Darwin one, where he is a new employer consultant in the branch.

“I’ve enjoyed being more hands-on across the board – developing my skills in NT legislation, sourcing host employment opportunities for my clients, and building the IPAR brand through business development with our customers.”

Danny selected his temporary apartment based on the views and facilities. Conveniently, the IPAR office relocated into the very same building shortly after, so it’s now a less-than-1-minute commute to work.

Other highlights for Danny have been experiencing Kakadu and Arnhem Land for the first time by air and then by river cruise, seeing the Darwin markets and the variety on offer, and learning more about Aboriginal awareness, culture and history.

“Seeing the top end is something everyone should do, it really takes your breath away how vast Australia is. I would recommend a secondment to everyone, the experiences and skills give a new perspective and such a boost on every level, both work wise and personally. And with the ability to return home on a regular basis it means I don’t get too home sick. Really you just need a supportive partner, a good phone plan, and get used to spending a bit of time in airports.”

IPAR Geelong Breakfast Forum

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Employers and agents in the Geelong area joined IPAR staff for an informative breakfast forum on Tuesday 19th April.

Over a hearty breakfast, our guests listened to a presentation from Dorothy Frost – Manager, Research and Innovation, IPAR. The topic, ‘the impact of compensation schemes on health and returning to work’, provided a critical look at the difference in behaviour, function, recovery and RTW timeframes of compensable vs non-compensable injuries.

For a copy of the presentation, or to register your interest for our next forum, please email kresnik@ipar.com.au.

New Year, New Career Opportunities

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Thinking of a new career opportunity in 2016? Think IPAR!

Due to our ongoing growth, we have a number of exiting career opportunities right across the country, from Shepparton to Darwin, Central Coast to Canberra, Penrith to Brisbane. The roles are also just as varied. We’re looking for Vocational Specialists, Job Placement Specialists, Team Leaders, and Psychologists (just to name a few!)

Check out all our current vacancies and if you would like to talk about your next career move, drop a line to our friendly recruitment team at careers@ipar.com.au. You can also read up about the fantastic employee benefits that the team at IPAR enjoys.