Service
Key Worker Model
Early childhood support can become complex when families are managing multiple therapists, appointments, and funding requirements. This can place strain on children and families and reduce how well support carries over into everyday settings.
Lime Rainbow’s Key Worker Approach facilitates delivering NDIS early childhood supports at our Nepean Hub (in-centre supports), and in partnership with families across home, early learning settings, and the community, or alongside other Lime Rainbow services or external providers if you already have a team. This ensures support is coordinated, consistent, and delivered in environments where children learn, engage, and participate.
What is the Key Worker Approach?
The Key Worker Approach gives your family a coordinated team working together:
Early Childhood Professional
A qualified Early Childhood Teacher who coordinates your child’s care team, brings together recommendations from specialists, and creates one cohesive plan for your child. They don’t deliver therapy sessions – they ensure everyone is working together.
Your Key Worker
A trained professional who delivers your child’s intervention sessions in natural environments like home, preschool, and the community as well as our own hub for in centre sessions. They implement the plan created by your Early Childhood Professional and Care team.
Specialist Input
Allied health professionals ( Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Psychologist & Behaviour Support Practitioner) provide assessments and contribute to the plan. They don’t need to see your child weekly – their expertise guides what happens in every session.
How Does It Work?
Step 1: Your Care Team Creates the Plan
Your Early Childhood Specialist brings together your family and any specialist professionals to:
- Understand your child's strengths, needs, and goals
- Combine recommendations from different specialists into one cohesive approach
- Create a practical plan that works for your family
Step 2: Your Key Worker Delivers the Plan
Your Key worker sessions happen weekly or fortnightly to:
- Deliver early childhood intervention sessions in the Lime Rainbow Nepean Hub, your home, preschool, school or natural settings
- Practice speech, motor, sensory, and behavioural strategies during play based learning
- Build a trusting relationship with you and your child
- Coach you and others to use strategies confidently between sessions
Step 3: Your Key Worker Keeps Everything on Track
Behind the scenes, your Key Worker:
- Monitors your child's progress
- Adjusts strategies as your child develops
- Liaises with educators and other professionals (with your consent)
- Organises reviews every 3-6 months to ensure the plan is working
Why This Works Better
Stronger relationships = better engagement
Your child builds deep trust with one Key Worker who knows them completely. Children engage more and make faster progress when they feel safe and understood.
Skills that transfer to real life
Because sessions happen at the Lime Rainbow Hub as well as in natural settings, skills are learned where they’ll be used. Communication strategies are practiced during real mealtimes. Motor skills are embedded into actual dressing routines. Skills stick because they’re learned in context.
One coordinated plan, not conflicting advice
Your Key Worker ensures all specialist recommendations work together. You’re not trying to juggle multiple separate therapy programs – everything is integrated.
Your funding can be better utilised
With the potential for less appointments from specialist supports each week or fortnight, the funding you have can stretch that little bit further.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my child still see a Speech Pathologist or OT?
Yes, when needed. Specialists complete assessments and participate in planning. They provide guidance that shapes every session. Some children benefit from periodic specialist sessions alongside Therapy Assistant delivery.
What qualifications does the team have?
Your Key Worker is a qualified Early Childhood Teacher with a bachelor’s degree. Your Therapy Assistant works under the delegation of allied health professionals and is trained to deliver early childhood intervention under direct support from the Early Childhood Professional.
What notice do I need to give to cancel?
2 clear business days’ notice is required.
However we know sometimes cancellations cannot be helped so when that happens your key worker will still work on your session either reviewing upcoming support plan details or connecting with other therapists. It will not go to waste.
No cancellation fee applies if you give proper notice.
Funding & eligibility
Supports are delivered under IDL – Early Childhood line items and billed in line with the NDIS Price Guide. We’ll help align supports to your plan goals, reporting needs, and preferred level of involvement.
- Support delivered at the Nepean Hub (in-centre supports), as well as home, early learning, and community setting
- IDL – Early Childhood line items
- Capacity Building (where applicable)
- Discipline-specific assessments/reports available when required (billed under relevant line items)
Ready to Learn More?
Contact Lime Rainbow to discuss your child’s needs, goals, and how this approach could work for your family.
NDIS Funded?
Fill the referral in with some basic information and let us get back to you!