Vocational Rehabilitation Pilot

The TAC’s Vocational Rehabilitation Pilot seeks to improve return-to-work outcomes for our clients. Launched in mid-2023, the program applies value-based healthcare principles to explore a new approach to the collaboration between vocational service providers and the TAC.

Our panel of seven vocational service providers helps people injured in transport accidents improve their quality of life by returning to secure employment. The Vocational Rehabilitation Pilot was co-designed with several representatives from this panel, and all seven panel providers chose to participate in the pilot.

The pilot moved providers from the previous fee-for-service structure to a new funding model. This model links a provider’s payment to how successfully the TAC client achieves their return-to-work goals.

We’ve chosen to approach our implementation of value-based healthcare at the TAC through pilots. The pilots are a way for us to test and learn and iterate with our providers, with our clients, to understand what are their needs.

We developed the Vocational Rehabilitation Pilot. What we’ve asked providers to do is co-design with us a shared risk funding model.

We’ve asked them to have a level of clinical or professional autonomy and allow them to innovate in how they would get that outcome for the client, ‘cause what we’re really keen for in that pilot is the client to return to work ‘cause we know that’s good for people.

WorkFocus Australia’s relationship with the TAC is a longstanding one, whereby we provide vocational services and support for the community for those that have been injured in transport accidents.

The successes that WorkFocus Australia have observed from the pilot are ultimately improved efficiency and less administrative time required. It’s allowed us to spend more time with our clients and provide them with a more intensive level of support.

So really understanding the client’s situation and circumstances from the outset has given us an opportunity to understand the trajectory or what our plan might look like to support them in getting well and working again.

And what we’re seeing is that clients are achieving outcomes that matter to them. So that’s positive.

All seven of our contracted providers were keen to get on board and participate. So that’s exciting. The fact that we’ve got this opportunity with the pilots in an engaged provider market to work with us, to co-design and iterate is the most exciting part of this pilot so far.

Early findings indicate that the pilot has improved provider efficiency and delivered more intensive support to help our clients achieve their goals.

The findings from this and other projects will help guide our gradual transition to a value-based healthcare service delivery model as the healthcare system evolves in this direction.

Learn more about the TAC’s value-based healthcare approach at tac.vic.gov.au/vbhc.


Vocational Rehabilitation Pilot The TAC’s Vocational Rehabilitation Pilot seeks to improve return-to-work outcomes for our clients. Launched in mid-2023, the program applies value-based healthcare principles to explore a new approach to the collaboration between vocational service providers and the TAC. Our panel of seven vocational service providers helps people injured in transport accidents improve their quality of life by returning to secure employment. The Vocational Rehabilitation Pilot was co-designed with several representatives from this panel, and all seven panel providers chose to participate in the pilot. The pilot moved providers from the previous fee-for-service structure to a new funding model. This model links a provider’s payment to how successfully the TAC client achieves their return-to-work goals. We’ve chosen to approach our implementation of value-based healthcare at the TAC through pilots. The pilots are a way for us to test and learn and iterate with our providers, with our clients, to understand what are their needs. We developed the Vocational Rehabilitation Pilot. What we’ve asked providers to do is co-design with us a shared risk funding model. We’ve asked them to have a level of clinical or professional autonomy and allow them to innovate in how they would get that outcome for the client, ‘cause what we’re really keen for in that pilot is the client to return to work ‘cause we know that’s good for people. WorkFocus Australia’s relationship with the TAC is a longstanding one, whereby we provide vocational services and support for the community for those that have been injured in transport accidents. The successes that WorkFocus Australia have observed from the pilot are ultimately improved efficiency and less administrative time required. It’s allowed us to spend more time with our clients and provide them with a more intensive level of support. So really understanding the client’s situation and circumstances from the outset has given us an opportunity to understand the trajectory or what our plan might look like to support them in getting well and working again. And what we’re seeing is that clients are achieving outcomes that matter to them. So that’s positive. All seven of our contracted providers were keen to get on board and participate. So that’s exciting. The fact that we’ve got this opportunity with the pilots in an engaged provider market to work with us, to co-design and iterate is the most exciting part of this pilot so far. Early findings indicate that the pilot has improved provider efficiency and delivered more intensive support to help our clients achieve their goals. The findings from this and other projects will help guide our gradual transition to a value-based healthcare service delivery model as the healthcare system evolves in this direction. Learn more about the TAC’s value-based healthcare approach at tac.vic.gov.au/vbhc.