About This Service
Movement Support That Connects to Real Life
Physical therapy — delivered by qualified physiotherapists — supports NDIS participants to move more safely, manage pain more effectively, and build the strength and confidence needed for everyday activities. Whether you're working toward walking longer distances, transferring independently, or returning to a favourite activity after injury, physiotherapy targets the specific physical barriers standing between you and your goals.
At Safe Hands Disability, we don't just make a referral and step back. We coordinate your physiotherapy as part of your broader support plan — ensuring your goals are shared across your allied health team, your progress is monitored regularly, and your NDIS funding is used effectively. Sessions can be delivered at home, at a local clinic, or in a hydrotherapy pool depending on your needs and preferences.
Physical therapy is funded under the Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living support category in most NDIS plans. If you're unsure whether your plan covers physiotherapy, contact us and we'll review it with you at no cost.
Conditions
Conditions We Commonly Support
Our physiotherapy network has experience across a wide range of conditions and disability types. If yours isn't listed here, please get in touch — we work with participants across the full spectrum of physical, neurological, and complex conditions.
Acquired Brain Injury
Gait retraining, coordination recovery, and rebuilding physical function after stroke, trauma, or hypoxia.
Cerebral Palsy
Tone management, gross motor skill development, and community mobility strategies across the lifespan.
Spinal Cord Injury
Upper limb strengthening, wheelchair skills, transfer training, and respiratory physiotherapy.
Multiple Sclerosis
Fatigue management, balance training, spasticity reduction, and maintaining function through relapses.
Parkinson's Disease
LSVT BIG therapy, freezing strategies, balance and fall prevention, and gait improvement.
Muscular Dystrophy
Respiratory support, positioning, splinting, and maintaining strength and range of movement over time.
Chronic Pain
Graded activity, pain education, movement restoration, and pacing strategies for daily participation.
Post-Surgery / Injury
Rehabilitation after orthopaedic surgery, fractures, or soft tissue injury to restore function safely.
Neurological Conditions
Support for Huntington's, motor neurone disease, ataxia, and other progressive neurological conditions.
Respiratory Conditions
Chest physiotherapy, breathing techniques, and airway clearance for complex respiratory presentations.
Arthritis & Joint Conditions
Joint protection strategies, hydrotherapy, strength programs, and practical daily movement routines.
Other Conditions
Intellectual disability with secondary physical needs, autism, and conditions not listed — ask us.
Your Journey
What to Expect
From your first contact with Safe Hands to ongoing physiotherapy sessions, here is exactly what the process looks like — step by step.
Initial Contact
Call or email us to discuss your needs, your current NDIS plan, and what you're hoping to achieve through physiotherapy. There's no obligation at this stage — we'll answer your questions and explain how we can help. If you have a support coordinator or local area coordinator (LAC) already, we're happy to liaise with them directly.
Plan Review & Provider Matching
We review your NDIS plan to confirm physiotherapy is funded under your Capacity Building budget. We then match you with a physiotherapist from our network whose expertise aligns with your condition and goals — considering experience, location, and availability. We also check whether sessions will be delivered in your home, a community clinic, or a hydrotherapy facility.
Initial Assessment Session
Your first session with the physiotherapist is a comprehensive assessment. They will review your medical history, assess your current movement, strength, balance, and pain, and discuss what's most important to you in day-to-day life. This is not a treatment session — it's about understanding your full picture so the treatment plan is genuinely targeted.
Goal Setting & Treatment Planning
Your physiotherapist sets clear, measurable goals with you — goals that are directly connected to your NDIS plan and your daily life. For example: "walk to the corner store without stopping" or "transfer from bed to wheelchair without assistance." A written treatment plan outlines how many sessions are needed and what each phase of treatment will focus on.
Ongoing Treatment Sessions
Regular sessions — typically fortnightly or weekly depending on your plan and goals — focus on progressively building your capacity. Sessions may involve hands-on manual therapy, guided exercises, hydrotherapy, or practical skills practice in your home or community environment. Your physiotherapist documents each session and communicates with Safe Hands to keep your overall support plan aligned.
Progress Reviews
At agreed intervals — usually every 8–12 weeks — we conduct a formal review of your progress against your goals. The physiotherapist provides a written progress report, which can be shared with your NDIA planner or support coordinator for plan review purposes. Goals are adjusted as you improve or as your circumstances change.
Home Program & Transition
When your formal treatment goals are achieved, or when a maintenance phase begins, your physiotherapist designs a personalised home exercise program you can follow independently. If ongoing support is needed, a reduced frequency maintenance schedule is set up and funded appropriately within your plan.
In Practice
What a Session Looks Like
Check-in & Review
The session begins with a brief check-in — how you're feeling, what's changed since last time, and whether the home program has been manageable. Pain levels and any incidents are noted.
Manual Therapy
Hands-on techniques — massage, joint mobilisation, or stretching — address pain, stiffness, and movement restrictions. This is adapted based on what you tolerate and find helpful.
Therapeutic Exercises
Guided exercises build the specific strength, balance, or movement patterns needed for your goals — always progressed at your pace, not a generic program.
Functional Practice
Practice of real tasks in your real environment — getting in and out of the shower, walking your hallway, or managing steps — so gains translate directly to daily independence.
Education & Planning
Your physiotherapist explains what's happening in your body, why certain movements are important, and how to self-manage between sessions — giving you knowledge and confidence.
Next Steps
Each session ends with an updated home program, session notes, and a clear plan for next time — so every visit builds deliberately on the last.
Our Approach
Treatment Approaches We Use
Physiotherapy is not one-size-fits-all. Our network uses a range of evidence-based approaches tailored to each participant's condition, goals, and preferences.
Hydrotherapy
Exercise and rehabilitation in a heated pool. The buoyancy of water reduces load on joints, making movement easier and less painful for conditions including arthritis, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injury. We coordinate access to hydrotherapy pools across the Newcastle and Hunter region.
Manual Therapy
Hands-on techniques including joint mobilisation, soft tissue massage, myofascial release, and passive stretching. Used to reduce pain, improve range of movement, and address muscle tension that limits function.
Neurological Physiotherapy
Specialised assessment and treatment for neurological conditions including stroke, MS, Parkinson's, and ABI. Uses evidence-based methods such as Bobath, LSVT BIG, and task-specific training to rebuild motor pathways and movement quality.
Falls Prevention
Assessment of fall risk factors and targeted balance and strength training to reduce falls and near-falls. Includes home environment assessment and modification recommendations in collaboration with your occupational therapist.
Exercise Physiology Integration
Where clinically appropriate, we coordinate physiotherapy alongside an accredited exercise physiologist for participants requiring long-term conditioning programs, weight management support, or cardiac or respiratory rehabilitation.
Pain Education & Self-Management
Evidence-based chronic pain education using the Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) approach — helping participants understand their pain, reduce fear-avoidance, and regain confidence in movement without relying solely on passive treatments.
Treatment Areas
Clinical Focus & Practical Goals
| Clinical Focus | What We Work On | Real-Life Outcome | How Progress Is Measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobility & Gait | Walking pattern, step length, endurance, stair confidence, uneven terrain | Walking to the letterbox, getting to appointments, navigating community spaces | Distance walked, speed, use of aids, independence rating |
| Balance & Falls Prevention | Static and dynamic balance tasks, reaction time, home hazard reduction | Fewer falls, reduced fear of falling, more time standing and walking safely | Berg Balance Scale score, falls frequency, confidence questionnaire |
| Strength & Endurance | Targeted resistance training, pacing plans, fatigue management | Carrying groceries, sustained activity without exhaustion, carer burden reduced | Muscle strength testing, task completion time, fatigue ratings |
| Transfers & Positioning | Bed, chair, toilet, and vehicle transfer techniques; pressure care positioning | Safer transfers with less assistance, fewer carer injuries, better skin integrity | Level of assistance required, transfer safety rating |
| Pain Management | Movement education, activity modification, graded exposure, manual techniques | Reduced pain impact on daily tasks, more participation in meaningful activities | Pain ratings (VAS/NRS), activity participation, quality of life scores |
| Upper Limb Function | Reach, grip strength, fine motor coordination, shoulder mobility | Self-care tasks, dressing, meal preparation, wheelchair propulsion | Grip strength measurement, functional reach test, task-specific assessment |
Treatment Framework
How Treatment Progresses Over Time
Every participant's physiotherapy follows a structured progression — moving from baseline assessment through active treatment and into independence. The pace of each phase depends on your condition, your goals, and your NDIS plan's available hours.
Phase 1
Baseline & Assessment
The physiotherapist conducts a detailed baseline assessment — documenting movement, strength, pain, fall risk, and the environmental factors that affect your function. This becomes the foundation all progress is measured against.
Phase 2
Stabilise & Build Habits
Early treatment focuses on safe, manageable exercise habits and reducing acute pain or instability. Techniques that can be safely repeated at home are introduced here — building the foundation for functional progress.
Phase 3
Functional Growth
The core of active treatment — progressively increasing challenge and complexity with exercises and tasks directly linked to your real-life goals. Sessions may increase in intensity or move into community settings for practice.
Phase 4
Review & Maintain
When key goals are achieved, a formal review is completed and documented. A personalised maintenance program is established — keeping your gains long-term with less frequent sessions or a self-directed home program.
Who We Help
This Service Is Right For You If...
Physical therapy through Safe Hands Disability is suited to a wide range of participants. Here are some of the most common profiles — but if you don't see yourself here, please reach out.
You've Had a Recent Injury or Surgery
You've been discharged from hospital but still need physiotherapy to fully recover strength and function before it becomes a long-term limitation. We pick up where hospital discharge ends.
You Live With a Neurological Condition
Your condition affects how you move — and while it may not improve, physiotherapy can slow functional decline, optimise your current abilities, and keep you doing the things that matter most.
You or a Family Member Are Worried About Falls
You've had falls or near-falls and the fear of falling is already changing how you live. Balance and strength programs significantly reduce fall risk and rebuild confidence in movement.
Pain Is Stopping You From Participating
Chronic pain has made you less active, and less activity is making the pain worse. Physiotherapy breaks this cycle with graded movement and education that reduces pain's power over your life.
You Are Supporting Someone Whose Physical Care Is Becoming Difficult
As a family member or carer, you're noticing that physical support is getting harder — transfers, positioning, or mobility. Physiotherapy reduces carer strain and improves safety for everyone.
You Have a Specific Functional Goal
You want to walk to a specific destination, return to a sport or activity, or get back to something independence stole from you. We build a targeted plan around that one meaningful goal.
Getting Started
How to Access Physical Therapy
You do not need a GP referral to access physiotherapy through your NDIS plan. Here's how the process works from first contact to first session.
Contact Us
Call 0466 441 662 or email us. Tell us a little about what you or your participant needs — we'll listen and ask the right questions.
Plan Check
We review your NDIS plan to confirm physiotherapy funding is in place under Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living. If it's not funded, we'll advise you on requesting it at your next review.
Provider Match
We match you with an appropriate physiotherapist from our network — based on their specialisation, your location, and session type (home visit, clinic, or hydrotherapy).
Service Agreement
We set up a service agreement between you and the physiotherapy provider that clearly outlines services, frequency, NDIS rates, and your rights — before any sessions begin.
First Session
Your initial assessment session is booked — typically within 2 weeks of your referral being accepted. We confirm all details with you and your support network beforehand.
Referrals welcome from: participants, family members, support coordinators, local area coordinators (LACs), GPs, hospital discharge teams, and other allied health providers. We accept self-referrals — you don't need to go through a coordinator first.
NDIS Funding
How Physical Therapy Is Funded in Your NDIS Plan
Support Category
Physiotherapy is funded under Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living (formerly CB Daily Activity). This category is specifically designed for therapy that helps you build skills and independence, not just maintain them.
NDIS Price Limits
Physiotherapy is billed at the NDIS Therapy Support price limit — currently $193.99 per hour (2024–25 rate). This covers clinical time, travel for home visits, and session documentation. Rates are reviewed annually by the NDIA.
How Many Sessions?
The number of sessions depends on your goals and NDIS allocation. An initial block of 6–10 sessions is typical, followed by a review. We always work within your available budget and flag any concerns early.
Not Sure If It's Funded?
Contact us and we'll review your plan. If physiotherapy isn't currently funded, we can assist you with requesting it at your next NDIS plan review by documenting functional need and likely outcomes.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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