Royal Far West making an impact in the WSM

2025 has been a big year for our schools in the Southern Mallee, with the Royal Far West (RFW) allied health service being extended across a cluster of five schools.

Rainbow P-12 College commenced a relationship with RFW in 2023, through a one-year funding opportunity through the Federal Government, for the provision of allied health services, including 2x weeklong in-community visits and flexible telehealth support throughout the year. The significant success of this work for student, staff and parents, encouraged Rainbow to commit to continuing this service though 2024, with full funding required to be provided by the school. Jeparit Primary School also committed to a partnership with RFW with telehealth services commencing in June 2024.

Royal Far West and Rainbow P-12 staff. Photo credit: Royal Far West

The ongoing benefits of this important work was shared throughout the Southern Mallee cluster of schools, and at the start of this year, Beulah Primary School, Hopetoun P-12 College, and St Joseph’s Primary School in Hopetoun, joined Rainbow and Jeparit to pool their funds to engage RFW to provide a dedicated multi-disciplinary team. The agreement was to provide 2x 2 week in-community visits to the schools, combined with online flexible telehealth supports delivered by allied health clinicians throughout the year.

The results have been substantial. Since 2023, 113 children have been supported through Speech Therapy, Psychology and Occupational Therapy, with 1,681 occasions of service being delivered. Of these children, 82% of students greatly exceeded, exceeded or met treatment goals. These were goals which were set as a team of clinicians, staff, parents and student, and specify a range of outcomes. The child voice survey also showed some fabulous results, with most children (85%) reporting that what they had worked on together with their clinicians had ‘made a lot or a bit of a difference at home’ and 85% reporting it had ‘made a lot or quite a lot of difference at school’. The educator and parent/carer feedback was equally as positive, with 100% of those who provided feedback being very satisfied of satisfied with RFW services, and most parents/carers saying their children’s concerns were better since receiving treatment.

We are buoyed by these improvements in clinical outcomes for children, and the improved confidence and wellbeing of educators and parents/carers, and look forward to supporting the opportunities for this cluster of schools throughout 2026.

A great webinar on understanding the AEDC results