Diversional therapy

  • ​Diversional therapy supports people to improve health and wellbeing through leisure and recreation-based interventions. Diversional therapists develop and facilitate individual and group-based programs aimed to improve, maintain or restore physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning and hence overall quality of life. Diversional therapists work with people of all ages and abilities in a variety of healthcare settings to promote social connectedness, self-esteem, independence and community participation. Diversional therapists have specialised knowledge and skills in leisure theory, leisure behaviour, recreational activity provision, leisure education and counselling, adaption and modification, and group facilitation.

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    Workforce characteristics for NSW Health diversional therapy workforce in 2040

    76
    Headcount

    24.3
    Work hours per week

    36.1
    Years average age

    3.4%
    Aboriginal workforce target

    ​​Demand is expected to grow 1.5% (low demand scenario) to 1.7% (high demand scenario).

    Reasonable career opportunities

    ​​Workforce modelling indicates the need to  grow the NSW diversional therapy workforce by around 1 to 2 new professionals per annum to meet community need in 2040 across both demand scenarios.

    Projected FTE growth for NSW Health diversional therapy workforce to 2040

    20212022202320242025202620272028202920302031203220332034203520362037203820392040
    High Demand4545454647484849505051525354545556575859
    Status Quo4545464646464645454545
    		454545454545454545
    Low Demand4545454647474849495051515253545455565757

    Workforce characteristics for NSW Health diversional therapy workforce in 2021

    53
    Headcount

    24
    Work hours per week

    40.1
    Years average age

    83%
    Female

    14.8%
    Aged 60+

    0%
    Aboriginal

    Metropolitan Sydney

    37
    Headcount

    24.8
    Work hours per week

    41.3
    Years average age

    11.1%
    Aged 60+

    Non-Metropolitan Sydney

    15
    Headcount

    22.8
    Work hours per week

    41.4
    Years average age

    3.7%
    Aged 60+

    Diversional therapy junior entrant positions into NSW Health

    Year20172018201920202021
    Graduates54686

    Workforce distribution for NSW Health diversional therapy workforce in 2021

    The geographic distribution of the public workforce by local health district/network, by facility and per 100,000 population.

Legends

Per local health district

0 1-25 26-50 51-75 76-100 100+

Per 100,000 population

0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 20+

Per facility

0 1-25 26-50 51-75 76-100 100+

Other networks

  • Sydney Children's Hospitals: 1 to 5 | 1 per 100,000
  • Enable NSW: 0 to 0 | 0 per 100,000
  • Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health: 1 to 2 | 0 per 100,000

  • Workforce considerations

    • Population demographics changes and increasing incidence of complex and chronic disease may increase demand for diversional therapy services.
    • Ensuring sustainable training pathways, graduates, and workforce reflect the future workforce requirements of the community, by both location, speciality and skills.
    • Temporary funding initiatives / positions impacts on workforce stability and influences workforce movement.
    • Improvements in data capture and demand (met and unmet) is a prioritised need for the workforce.
    • New government funding initiatives and policy will influence diversional therapy workforce movement (gains / attrition) in NSW public health (i.e. National Disability Insurance Scheme).
    • The ability to provide sustainable clinical supervision, supports and professional development for such a small workforce impacts the ability to retain and grow the workforce.
    • Maximising use of the Allied Health Assistant Workforce is an opportunity for the workforce to shift low value tasks as needed.

    Notes

    • Data included is limited to the workforce employed under the relevant health professional award.
    • Specialty health networks are not displayed geographically in the workforce distribution maps.
    •  LHD/SHN may engage in sessional arrangements in selected circumstances.
    • Workforce that cannot be aligned to a physical location have been attributed to a pre-determined facility within each LHD/N. This may impact on Headcount shown at these facilities within the distribution map.
    •  NSW Health does not make any representations or warranties whether expressed or implied with respect to the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in the fact sheet.
Current as at: Monday 29 May 2023
Contact page owner: Workforce Planning and Talent Development