Early Links

02/03/2026

🌟 We’re looking for Disability Support Workers to join our growing team 🌟
📍 Newcastle & Hunter Region, NSW

Join ConnectAbility Australia and make a real difference in the lives of people with disability.

As a Disability Support Worker, you’ll support individuals with daily living, personal care, community access, and help them achieve their goals all within a supportive, values-driven team.

✅ Recruitment commencing 2 March
✅ Multiple roles available
✅ Part time opportunities!
✅ Ongoing training & development
✅ Salary packaging & employee benefits

If you’re compassionate, reliable, and hold (or are willing to obtain) relevant checks and qualifications, we’d love to hear from you!

👉 Apply now via the link 🔗https://connectability.expr3ss.com/jobDetails?selectJob=261&ppt=79d2ff9a

27/02/2026

Our 2026 ConnectAbility Australia Customer Feedback Survey is officially OPEN. 🎉

Every response helps us to improve and grow so that we can continue to be your provider of choice 💜

If you’re a customer or are the support person of someone who receives our services, we’d truly value your input.

👉 Share your feedback here: 🔗https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ConnectAbility2026
⏳ Survey closes 19 March

As a small thank you for your time, you’ll go into the draw to win 1 of 4 ConnectAbility merchandise packs! 🙌

Thank you for being part of our community. 🤝 Feel free to share this post so we can hear from as many voices as possible.

27/02/2026

Happy Feel Good Friday!✨
A local ConnectAbility customer Dean, who lives in one of our supported independent living homes in Newcastle is excited to share that he had an unforgettable time at Newcastle Pro Wrestling’s “Breakout” event recently! 🤼‍♂️

As a huge Cobra Kai fan, Dean loves practising his spin moves and air punches💥 so seeing live wrestling att Hamilton North Bowling Club was right up his alley. He was completely captivated by every match and even scored a photo with one of the wrestlers at the end! 🤩

When we asked if he’d like to go again, Dean signed a big YES! 🙌

Next stop: “Brawl at City Hall” on Friday 13 March 2026 at Newcastle City Hall - and he can’t wait! 🏛️

We love seeing Dean engage in experiences that bring him joy and match his passions 💜

25/02/2026

We’ve had plenty of laughs and good vibes across our sites lately as our teams tried on our new ConnectAbility uniforms - and you may have already spotted our fresh new logo making an appearance in the community! 🧐

A huge thank you to Lisa from Totally Workwear Newcastle who came out to each of our sites to help everyone find the right fit. Lisa even jumped in for a quick photo so we could send a proper shoutout for all her help and support.😎

We’re excited for our community to spot our new uniforms out and about — making it easier than ever to recognise our amazing ConnectAbility encompassing Early Links team.🥰

Thanks again, TWW Newcastle! 💜

18/02/2026

Dietitian Josie joined us at playgroup last week for a relaxed and supportive chat with families about children’s nutrition 🍎

One mum shared concerns about her child not wanting to eat green vegetables. Josie provided some gentle, practical tips around keeping mealtimes pressure-free and supporting children to explore new foods in their own time. She was also able to reassure the family that their child’s overall diet sounded balanced and appropriate.

Josie will be available at playgroup over the next two weeks, so feel free to pop in for a chat and ask any questions you have about your child’s eating. 🥦

Details:
📅 Thursdays (during the school term)
⏰ 9:30–11:00 AM
📍 Maitland Presbyterian Church
✨ FREE – proudly supported by Playgroup NSW (thank you for helping make these special mornings possible!)

Tag your friends bring the kids, and come along for some playgroup fun! 🤸

16/02/2026

🦁Head's up! Ask your allied health therapist or early‑intervention teacher about the free 2026 Hunter Valley Wildlife Park wall calendars, available at our Kurri clinic today and other clinics throughout the week while they last! 📅

Our team has already had a giggle checking which animal matches their birth month, which quickly turned into a cute guessing game around the office! 🐨

Elise Hastings, Senior Leader for Speech Pathology shared: "The Hunter Valley Zoo wall calendars are adorable! The fact that my favourite animal is also on my birth month is a bonus.”

These calendars are perfect for keeping track of everything coming up - jot down therapy sessions, school holiday activities and autism assessments all in one spot. ✏️
To plan ahead, visit earlylinks.org.au and check out the Groups tab — you’ll find everything from details on the Maitland playgroups, Warners Bay Baby Foundations sessions (next April sessions now open!), info on autism assessments and more. 🌱

14/02/2026

❤️ Happy Valentine’s Day from our friends at Playgroup! ❤️

We had an absolute blast celebrating love with our little ones on Thursday! From heart-shaped paintings to a Valentine’s-themed sensory table, it was a morning full of play, smiles, friendship and creativity! 🎨🧑‍🤝‍👩

For parents and caregivers, it’s not just about the crafts, it’s about community. 💜

Having a welcoming space to connect, ask questions and feel supported makes all the difference, and that’s what makes our playgroup unique. We have an Early Intervention Teacher and Occupational Therapist available each week so you can feel educated and supported while connecting with others. 🫶

Over the next few sessions, one of our dietitians will also be available to answer any questions you may have, so come along and chat! More about our dietitians here: 🔗 https://earlylinks.org.au/therapy-services/

📅 Thursdays (during the school term)
⏰ 9:30–11:00 AM
📍 Maitland Presbyterian Church
✨ FREE – proudly supported by Playgroup NSW (thank you for helping make these special mornings possible!)

Know someone who would love a warm, supportive space to connect? Tag them and invite them along! 🤝

We can’t wait to see you next week and continue spreading the love. 💖

12/02/2026

🐾ConnectAbility encompassing Earlylinks is excited to introduce our newest furry member of the team - Barney the therapy dog! 🐕
One of our clients Boyd recently joined our OT and Speech Pathology Team Leaders Maddie and Rachel (pictured) in welcoming Barney to our service. 🫶The laughter and games that followed highlight how powerful the human–animal connection can be in supporting engagement, regulation and communication.
Keep an eye out for Barney and our much-loved Dash when you visit one of our clinics.🐕‍🦺

Maddie would also like to extend a huge thank you to Karen at Therapy Dogs NSW for her guidance and expertise, as Barney learnt the ropes. 😎
👉 Interested in booking sessions with our Allied Health team or learning more?
Visit earlylinks.org.au to find out more.

12/02/2026

In 2025, we’re proud to have welcomed 72 new team members across our services 🎉

Growing our workforce is a key part of strengthening support for people of all ages across all stages in our community. 🤝

Recruiting, onboarding, and retaining skilled clinicians remains a priority for us so we can cut down wait times. While progress is being made, we’re continuing to review how we manage waitlists and allocations so support can be provided sooner and more consistently.

If you’re interested in a meaningful career with us, we’d love to hear from you. Visit our careers page to express your interest: 🔗https://connectability.expr3ss.com/home

We remain committed to building a stronger, more responsive service for our community. 💜

You can discover more in our Annual Report here: 🔗https://www.connectability.org.au/ #2025-annual-report/1/

10/02/2026

Catch up on last week’s blog with our ConnectAbility encompassing Early Links OT and Clinical Lead Sunee, as she shares more about her journey, values and passion for supporting children and families.💜

👋Meet Sunee! Our latest blog introduces Sunee, Occupational Therapist and Clinical Lead, where she shares her journey, values and passion for supporting people to grow and thrive. From multidisciplinary collaboration to meaningful client moments, her story captures the essence of her journey, as well as what makes many of the ConnectAbility encompassing Early Links staff special.

👉 Read the full blog and get to know Sunee at: connectability.org.au/blogs Learn more about our services at www.earlylinks.org.au

06/02/2026

Step into a day in the life of a “Speechie” with our Senior Leader Speech Pathologist, Elise 💬🗣️

And while we’re at it, did you know we’ve moved our Muswellbrook office? In case you missed it, we’re officially based at:
📍 2 Francis St, Muswellbrook New South Wales 2333

👉 Learn more about our Speech Pathology services:
https://earlylinks.org.au/therapy-services/ -pathology

Because speech pathology is more than toys and games… it’s connection, communication, controlled chaos, and hot chippies 😉💬

03/02/2026

👋 Introducing Sunee, Occupational Therapist and Clinical Lead, who opens up about her path, what drives her and the meaningful work she does at ConnectAbility encompassing Early Links supporting growth and collaboration.
Read her story at connectability.org.au/blogs and learn more at earlylinks.org.au.

👋Meet Sunee! Our latest blog introduces Sunee, Occupational Therapist and Clinical Lead, where she shares her journey, values and passion for supporting people to grow and thrive. From multidisciplinary collaboration to meaningful client moments, her story captures the essence of her journey, as well as what makes many of the ConnectAbility encompassing Early Links staff special.

👉 Read the full blog and get to know Sunee at: connectability.org.au/blogs Learn more about our services at www.earlylinks.org.au