Sarah Smith Occupational Therapy

04/09/2026

Have you ever found yourself making one more phone call, chasing one more service or taking on one more task because you were worried nothing would happen otherwise?

Advocacy is an important part of occupational therapy practice. But in complex and under-resourced systems, it can be difficult to see when useful advocacy has shifted into carrying responsibility that does not actually belong to us.

This is the focus of the September OT Sparks Clinical Group Supervision session: Advocacy, Boundaries and Role Clarity. We will explore how to advocate effectively, communicate clear boundaries and continue supporting clients and families without moving into rescue mode.

Friday 18 September | 10:00-11:30 am AEST | Online

BOOKINGS: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVJX
or in the bio

01/09/2026

We loved being part of Hunter OT Day 2026!

Our latest blog shares a little more about the day, our first local presentation of The OT Foundry, the ideas behind our point-of-practice learning—and the technology that kept us on our toes.

We’ve also included a very special thank you to our student, Jess Green, whose creativity and hard work helped bring our presentation and resources to life.

Read the full blog via the link in our bio (The Foundry Journal) or head to our website www.theotfoundry.com.au

31/08/2026

Coming up at OT Sparks this September:

18 September - Advocacy, Boundaries and Role Clarity
Clinical Group Supervision for OTs wanting to support clients well without carrying responsibility for every gap in the system.

25 September - Learning from Practice
A Foundations for Practice session exploring practical reflective habits that strengthen reasoning and confidence.

Both sessions are online from 10:00-11:30 am AEST.

OTS: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVJX
FFP: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVLN

or find the links in my bio

23/08/2026

2026 has turned out to be the year I decided to start saying yes to conferences.

This Thursday I’ll be speaking at Hunter OT Day on two topics that have grown very directly out of my day-to-day work:

**Building Strong Foundations** — Sharing what I’ve learned from developing OT Sparks: Foundations for Practice and thinking more deliberately about what early-career OTs actually need to feel supported, capable and connected.

**Clarity before Prescription** — Looking at how we can slow down AT decision-making just enough to make sure we are clear on the occupational problem before jumping to the solution.

This is really the first year in a long time (or ever!!) that I’ve felt like I’ve had enough bandwidth in my personal and professional life to do more than the bare minimum needed to keep everything moving. So, I'm stepping outside my comfort zone... but giving it a go.

I’m also really looking forward to sharing the morning session with Alyce Svensk - The OT Coach Australia, and also talking about the work Laura Vogelzang and I have been doing through The OT Foundry.

Four days to go, hope to see you there!

21/08/2026

How do you actually collaborate well when everyone is working across different services, systems and priorities?

What does a genuine team approach look like when there isn’t a neat MDT sitting around the same table?

And how do you make sure the client doesn’t get lost somewhere in the middle?

Our next **OT Sparks: Foundations for Practice** session is all about working across the system and building effective interdisciplinary collaboration in the real world.

We’ll look at practical ways to communicate, coordinate and contribute effectively within the wider support team — particularly in community and private practice, where collaboration often looks very different to the traditional MDT model.

A practical, discussion-based session for early career OTs who want to feel more confident navigating the people, roles and systems around their clients.

**Friday 28 August 2026**
**10:00–11:30am AEST | Online via Teams**

Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVLN

18/08/2026

There is still time to jump on board with this session! Spend your Friday morning rejuvenating your enthusiasm for bringing OT back to the centre of your practice. Tickets here --> https://lnkd.in/gNXbHupU

I was with a client just this morning and caught myself doing something that I think happens quite easily in OT practice.

The conversation had become very focused on the solution.

What equipment might work. What would be safest. What we could recommend. What would need to go in the report.

All very important things that we need to cover off as OTs.

But somewhere in amongst all of that, I realised we had moved quite a long way away from the actual occupation.

What was this person trying to do?

Not what equipment did they need.

What did they actually need or want to be able to do in their everyday life?

It was a good reminder of how easily this can happen.

Real-world OT practice is busy. We work within funding systems, manage risk, prescribe equipment, write reports, respond to referrals and deal with all of the practical realities that come with the job.

And sometimes, without really noticing it, occupation gets pushed into the background.

That’s what we’re going to explore in this month’s OT Sparks Group Supervision session:

Occupation in the Real World — Keeping OT at the Centre

We’ll look at some very ordinary clinical examples where the work can become centred around the item, the risk, the behaviour, the report or the system — and practise bringing the occupational reasoning back into the conversation.

Let's get clearer about the question underneath it all:

What is the occupation here — and why does this recommendation matter in this person’s actual life?

Friday 21 August 2026
10:00am–11:30am AEST
Online via Microsoft Teams
Bookings: https://lnkd.in/gNXbHupU

14/08/2026

I was with a client just this morning and caught myself doing something that I think happens quite easily in OT practice.

The conversation had become very focused on the solution.

What equipment might work. What would be safest. What we could recommend. What would need to go in the report.

All very important things that we need to cover off as OTs.

But somewhere in amongst all of that, I realised we had moved quite a long way away from the actual occupation.

What was this person trying to do?

Not what equipment did they need.

What did they actually need or want to be able to do in their everyday life?

It was a good reminder of how easily this can happen.

Real-world OT practice is busy. We work within funding systems, manage risk, prescribe equipment, write reports, respond to referrals and deal with all of the practical realities that come with the job.

And sometimes, without really noticing it, occupation gets pushed into the background.

That’s what we’re going to explore in this month’s OT Sparks Group Supervision session:

Occupation in the Real World — Keeping OT at the Centre

We’ll look at some very ordinary clinical examples where the work can become centred around the item, the risk, the behaviour, the report or the system — and practise bringing the occupational reasoning back into the conversation.

Let's get clearer about the question underneath it all:

What is the occupation here — and why does this recommendation matter in this person’s actual life?

Friday 21 August 2026
10:00am–11:30am AEST
Online via Microsoft Teams
Bookings: https://lnkd.in/gNXbHupU

11/08/2026

✨We’re presenting at Hunter OT Day 2026!✨

After taking out the Pitch It Competition at the OTX Conference, we’re thrilled to be bringing The OT Foundry to Hunter OT Day 2026!

We’ll be diving into a question many OTs can relate to: why do great clinicians still second-guess themselves when it comes to home modifications?

We’ll explore the gap between knowing and doing, and how we’re reimagining practical clinical learning to help OTs build confidence, make decisions, and apply their skills in the real world.

We can’t wait to share what we’ve been building, and we’d love to see you there on 27 August 2026!

31/07/2026

After taking a break from group supervision in July, OT Sparks is back in August and ready to go.

In busy practice, occupation can easily become overshadowed by reports, funding requirements, risk, equipment and compliance.

Our next OT Sparks Clinical Group Supervision session will explore practical ways to keep occupation at the centre of clinical reasoning and ensure recommendations remain connected to what matters in a person’s everyday life.

Join us for a reflective, practice-focused discussion with other OTs navigating the realities of contemporary practice.

Friday 21 August 2026
10:00–11:30 am AEST
Online via Microsoft Teams

Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVJX

07/07/2026

Big ideas are exciting.

But real practice is where things get complicated.
At OT Exchange 2026, we heard so much about innovation, AI, purpose, and the future of occupational therapy — and it left us thinking about the space between big-picture ideas and everyday clinical decision-making.

Because for many OTs, the challenge is not always knowing that evidence, guidelines or best practice exist.
It is standing in a clients bathroom, driveway, bedroom and trying to work out:

What is actually needed here?
What is safe?
What is realistic?
What will support this person’s function, routine and dignity?
And what do I do when the environment does not match the neat example in the textbook?

That is the space The OT Foundry is interested in — the gap between “knowing” and “doing”.

We have just published our first Foundry Journal blog post reflecting on OT Exchange 2026 and what it reminded us about learning, clinical reasoning and real-world practice.

If this is a space you are thinking about too, you can read the full reflection here: https://theotfoundry.com.au/the-foundry-journal

We would love to know: What is one “big idea” in OT that you wish felt easier to translate into everyday practice?