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Our Staff
Our staff are our best asset.
We employ 18 staff across all three disciplines, many of whom have 10-20 years experience in their field. They are all professional, dedicated and caring people who have a thorough understanding of the complexities involved with neurological rehabilitation.
Kate Phillips
Physiotherapist
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Practice Principal
B.Sc. B. AppSci. (Physio);Grad Dip Physio (Neuro) Grad Cert. Hydro
Member
APA, Member of Neuro & Hydro Special Interest Group.
Kate founded Independent Rehabilitation services in 1999, following a long career working in public rehabilitation. With the IRS service delivery model she has successfully combined working with a population she is passionate about (ABI and other neurological disorders) in a community setting with a multidisciplinary team.
Kate has worked in and researched other rehabilitation centres in the UK as part of her post graduate qualification at Melbourne University and has also worked in neurorehabilitation in Canada.
Kate currently holds a position as the Physiotherapy (Neuro) Consultant on the TAC Clinical Panel and is completing her PhD through the Neurotrauma Evidence Translation (NET) program at Monash University.
An advocate for maximising quality of life in the ABI population, Kate strongly believes that ongoing and optimal outcomes are achieved when clients are seen in their own environment, particularly in the final stages of rehabilitation.
Trish Johnson
Speech Pathologist 
Clinical Services Manager
Speech Pathology Team Leader
B App Sci (Speech Pathology)
Member of Speech Pathology Australia
Trish is our Clinical Services Manger and Speech Pathology
Team Leader. Trish has worked extensively in the area of neurological rehabilitation with most of her experience in the area of swallowing difficulties and language disorders post stroke and head injury and has many years of experience in Senior clinical and leadership positions in Speech Pathology.
Trish enjoys working with staff to ensure the best outcomes are achieved for our clients and to support the staff to provide the optimal therapeutic services as well as valuing each individual's experience and expertise. Her role includes assisting with the day to day running of IRS, managing referrals, liaising with clinicians regarding any clinical issues, ongoing professional development and performance review.
She is currently completeing a Masters in Management at Monash University.
Libby Bussau
Physiotherapist
Physiotherapy Team Leader
Bachelor of Physiotherapy
Libby works for IRS full-time as our Physiotherapy Team Leader. Prior to this she worked for Northern Health where she developed excellent clinical skills and experience. She has worked as a Physio for 7 years and is experienced with a wide range of clients with neurological conditions. She has a very caring and proffessional manner and is extremely thorough in her treatment planning.
Nat Pribil
Occupational Therapist
Occupational Therapy Team Leader
B. App Sci (Occupational Therapist) Member of Occupational Therapy Australia
Nat has been with IRS for many years and began 
working in the area of neurological rehabilitation since
she graduated in 1993. She has a special interest in neuro-rehab, spinal and pain management as well as in assisting the seriously injured to return to meaningful employment. Her employment at the Austin Hospital, Donvale Rehabilitation Hospita, Victorian Rehabilitation Centre and
a private hospitall in London has contributed to her interest and extensive experience in these areas. Nat is a valuable member of our team and we welcome her back after a
period of leave.
Lona Parry
Practice Administrator
Lona is our Practice Administrator and the person you’re most likely to speak to when you contact us by phone. In addition to providing general administrative support Lona will help you with referrals and queries and is a vital link between our referrers, the office and our staff on the road. She has a wide variety of experiences including managing the Motor Accident Solicitors Society and implementing civil justice changes in relation to road traffic accidents in the UK. Originally from Devon, UK, Lona has been living in Australia for 5 years.
Melissa Bennett
Occupational Therapist
B. App Sci (Occupational Therapist) Member of
Occupational Therapy Australia
Melissa has over 10 years experience as an Occupational
Therapist and completed her training in Sydney. Melissa
has worked in a variety of health care settings including both acute and rehabilitation settings. She has also spent two
years working in UK. Melissa has a particular interest in working with clients with complex care needs. She shows a strong commitment towards her clients and approaches her work with enthusiasm.
Sue Bilston
Physiotherapist
Bachelor Applied Sciences, Physiotherapy, Member APA
Sue has had a diverse career in Physiotherapy, spanning
20 years. She has specialist skills in hydrotherapy and
spinal cord injury, and has extensive experience in
Rehabilitation, Aged care and Neurology.
Di Butcher
Community Liaison Coordinator
Di comes to us with an allied health background (Speech Pathology) and is responsible for maintaining and establishing relationships with referring organisations, clinicians and case workers. She also develops our quarterly newsletter, maintains the website and liaises with referrers directly and through our clinical staff. Through effective team working, relationship
building and good communication we aim to build successful relationships with our referrers, ensuring the best service for
our clients.
Nicole Caplan
Occupational Therapist
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, Qualified Driving Assessor
Nicole graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2002
and has worked in the Neurological area since that time.
Also a qualified Occupational Therapy Driving
Assessor, Nicole has experience in acute, rehabilitation
and community based settings in Australia and the UK.
Nicole is particularly interested in new technology
assisting clients in gaining more independence and is keen
to increase the use if this with her clients and those of
the practice. Nicole enjoys the flexibility and freedom
of community based rehabilitation. She feels privileged
to enter a client’s home and life and is inspired to see how clients move on and adapt after an accident or illness and slowly begin to participate in life once more.
I addition to her work for IRS, Nicole also works part time with the Rehab in the Home team at Southern Health.
Nicole (Nik) Carberry
Speech Pathologist
Bachelor of Health Science (Speech Pathology)
Nik has been working as a Speech Pathologist for 5 years,
the majority of that time in the area of neurological
rehabilitation. Her experience has been in
Sub-Acute rehabilitation and community settings as well
as palliative care in both Australia and the United Kingdom.
Her special areas of interest include complex
communication disorders and progressive neurological
conditions such as Motor Neuron’s disease and Multiple
Sclerosis.
Nik finds working in the community and seeing clients and families interact within their own environment very fulfilling. She enjoys working towards goals which will have a real impact on a person’s life and achieving meaningful outcomes for all involved.
Namita Gill
Speech Pathologist
B. App. Sc. (Speech Pathology), Grad. Cert. Dysphagia, Member of Speech Pathology Australia
Namita has over 25 years experience as a Speech
Pathologist in a diversity of rehabilitation and
community settings, where she has held Senior
positions. She has worked with clients who have a
range of neurological conditions and is specialist in
the management of dysphagia (swallowing problems),
with a particular interest in practical community
dysphagia management. Namita is especially
focused on client advocacy/empowerment and the
psycho-social aspects of living with communication and
swallowing disorders.
Ali Heywood
Occupational Therapist
Amy Jesse
Occupational Therapist
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
Amy has been working in Occupational Therapy for the last
13 years gaining extensive experience in specialist
neurological inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. She
has worked in numerous locations in Australia and the
UK including Royal Talbot Hospital in Melbourne and the
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London.
In addition to working with those recovering from
Traumatic Brain Injury and stroke, Amy has specialized in OT services for Ataxia, Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neurone Disease. Amy enjoys the highly client-centered and goal focused approach of community based rehabilitation and believes this is the most meaningful way for rehabilitation to continue.
Carolyn King
Physiotherapist
Carolyn has had many years experience in neurological community based rehabilitation, particularly with the elderly population and has also previously worked with Alfred Health and Banyule Community Health Service. She enjoys developing exercise programmes for her clients as well as movement analysis and soft tissue techniques. Client understanding and education regarding healing and injury is an important part of her approach to rehabilitation.
David McKenzie
Physiotherapist
Kylie Needham
Occupational Therapist
Dip Occupational Therapy, B Health Sciences (Hons)
Kylie is an Occupational Therapist with extensive experience
in neurological rehabilitation. Kylie has previously worked at Ivanhoe Private Rehabilitation Hospital and Royal Free
Hospital in London, UK. She enjoys the caseload variety and flexibility of working in community based rehabilitation.
Hayley Osborne
Physiotherapist
Bachelor of Physiotherapy
Hayley brings to IRS experience in community rehabilitation and the setting up community gym and hydrotherapy programmes from her work in North London and Northern Health in Melbourne. Her interest lies in stroke rehabilitation, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease and hydrotherapy
and Hayley particularly enjoys helping people achieve their goals in their home and community environments to improve their quality of life.
Bronwyn Tung
Physiotherapist
Bachelor of Applied Science, Physiotherapy
Bronwyn is a Physiotherapist with neurological rehabilitation experience from Southern Health (Dandenong Hospital) and Eastern Health (Peter James Centre). She has a special
interest in acquired brain injury, falls and balance and gait
re-education. Bronwyn particularly enjoys treating clients with specific goals and achieving meaningful outcomes and is able
to maximise this working in the community.
Fiona Watson
Phyiotherapist
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy Physiotherapy and
MSc Neurorehabilitation
Fiona has recently joined the IRS team from the UK where she has had extensive experience in the area of neurological rehabilitation both in North Middlesex University Hospital, London and Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Hertfordshire. Fiona has a Masters in Neurorehabilitation from Brunel University, London and a special interest in ataxia, vestibular impairment, MS and CVA. Fiona enjoys working in community based rehabilitation and finds it is much more meaningful for people when they are treated in their own environments, be it at home or in their gym.
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