What to look for in a workplace when you're job-hunting in allied health
Most allied health job ads look the same.
Competitive salary. Flexible hours. Supportive team.
They all say it. And most of them mean it — at least in part. But when you're a therapist trying to figure out whether a workplace is actually going to be good for you, the generic stuff doesn't tell you much.
Here's what to actually look for.
Clinical supervision that's real — not performative
This is the big one. Ask every potential employer directly: what does supervision look like here? How often? Who with? Is it protected time or does it get bumped when things get busy?
Good supervision changes the trajectory of your career. It's where you process the complex cases, develop your clinical reasoning, and build the kind of confidence that doesn't come from just clocking up hours. If a workplace can't give you a clear answer about how supervision works, that tells you something important.
As an occupational therapist especially, working in paediatrics or disability means you're carrying complex, emotionally loaded work. You need somewhere to put that — professionally and safely.
A team that actually collaborates
There's a difference between a team that gets along and a team that genuinely works together. What you want is the second one.
Ask about MDT involvement. Ask how often the team talks about cases together. Ask whether you'd have access to colleagues with different specialisations — because the best clinical outcomes for kids and families almost always happen when disciplines are genuinely talking to each other, not just working in parallel.
Room to grow in the direction YOU want to go
A good workplace should be curious about your interests. Not just what you can do for them, but where you want to develop.
Do you want to specialise in AAC? Sensory integration? Assistive technology? Early intervention? The right employer will lean into that — because a therapist who's growing in an area they're passionate about is a better clinician and a more engaged team member.
Ask about professional development budgets, study leave, and whether the practice has a culture of continuous learning. These aren't perks — they're indicators of how seriously a workplace takes its clinical quality.
Values that match yours
This one is harder to assess from a job ad, but it's arguably the most important. How does the practice talk about the families they work with? How do they approach the NDIS? Do they take on more clients than they can genuinely serve well, or do they prioritise quality over volume? Do the clinicians seem like people who genuinely love this work?
You can often get a feel for this from their social media, their website, the way they respond to your initial enquiry. A practice that treats families well will usually treat its team well too.
One more thing — don't underestimate culture fit
Skills can be developed. Clinical knowledge grows with time and experience. But if the culture isn't right, if you don't feel psychologically safe, if your workload is unsustainable, if supervision is an afterthought — it will cost you. In burnout, in confidence, in the quality of care you're able to give.
You deserve a workplace that invests in you as much as you invest in it.
At Kids + Co.Lab, we offer clinical supervision for occupational therapists working in paediatrics and disability, whether you're early career or an experienced clinician looking for a thinking partner.
We're also growing. If you're an occupational therapist on the Sunshine Coast who's been looking for a workplace that takes culture, supervision and professional development seriously we'd love to have a conversation.
Get in touch to find out more about supervision availability or to express interest in joining our team..