About Us

Our dedicated teams of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Speech Pathologists, work with our clients to help them meet their growth and development goals.

We specialise in supporting clients (and their families) to develop language, motor, cognitive, social and emotional skills, and provide therapy supports for children with developmental delay or disability, including autism spectrum disorder.

We are a private provider and currently offer services from our clinics in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. We expect to be offering services from Tasmania in 2021.

Please note, available services and programs vary between clinics, so please check directly with your local clinic about their therapy services.

Vision, Mission and Values

Early Start Australia is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families around Australia, embracing the following values:

Our People

Our excellent therapists are supported by a Corporate Team based in
WA, SA, Queensland and New South Wales and led by our CEO.

Chief Executive Officer

Sasha Pendal

Sasha is an experienced corporate executive and chief of staff. Her recent executive general manager positions were at HBF Health Fund, energy utility Synergy and Woodside Energy where she had operations, strategy, corporate development and stakeholder relationship accountabilities.

Previously she was director of development at the Lions Eye Institute, a centre of excellence that combines world class scientific research into the prevention of blindness with one of Australia’s largest ophthalmic practices.

Sasha graduated from the Australian Graduate School of Management with a Masters of Business Administration in 2010, having previously successfully completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course in 2004. Sasha also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from The University of Western Australia.

Sasha is involved with a number of not for profit organisations including being the Chairperson of LifelineWA. Previously she has served as a member of the Curtin University School of Management Advisory Board, was a CEDA WA Trustee and a director of Netball WA’s Glass Jar Australia.

Carol Richmond
ESA | WA | Armadale, Ellenbrook, Stirling

Lara Moes
ESA | Qld | Ashmore, Coomera, Springfield

Caroline de Fina
ESA | Vic | Brighton, Frankston, Geelong, Preston, Sandringham

Lara Lasnitzki
ESA | Vic | Camberwell, Ormond

Fanoula Tsakrios
ESA | Qld | Carina, Strathpine

Rebecca Elliott
ESA | NSW | Chatswood

Bronwyn Burgess
ESA | SA | Christies Beach

Lyndsay Currie
ESA | ACT | Deakin, Kippax and ESA | NSW | Queanbeyan

Shannon Hallatt
ESA | NT | Durack, Winnellie

Conor Hickey
ESA | NSW | Epping

Annette Mikecz
ESA | Vic | Malvern East

Nicole Grant
ESA | Qld | Murarrie, Toowong

Stephanie Baker
ESA | NSW | Penrith

Francine Meedendorp
ESA | SA | Ridgehaven

Catherine Greenway
ESA | WA | Shenton Park

Christine Boers
ESA | Qld | Upper Mt Gravatt

Providing our clients with safe and quality services:

Code of Conduct
Service Agreements
Worker Screening
Training
Feedback & Complaints
Incidents

Code of Conduct

As a registered NDIS provider, our staff are required to comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct. This helps us respect and uphold the rights of all participants to safe and quality supports and services.

Click here for more information regarding the NDIS Code of Conduct.

Service Agreements

Please click here to view our information sheet.

Worker Screening

As a registered NDIS provider, we meet the requirements of the NDIS Worker Screening Check. ESA already has strict processes in place for checking registrations, certifications and screening to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our clients and participants.

Training

Our staff are provided access to up-to-date and evidence-based training to support them to provide safe and quality supports and services.

As part of this, our staff are required to complete the NDIS Worker Orientation Module when they start working with us.

Feedback & Complaints

We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional early intervention and therapy services to children and families around Australia.

In order to maintain our quality of service we welcome feedback from you in order to fully understand whether we have ‘got it right’. If you wish to make a complaint, compliment or suggestion about our service, please click the button below and complete our Feedback and Complaints form.

Click here to fill out our feedback form

If you are an NDIS participant, you can also escalate your complaint to the NDIS Commission. For more information about this, click here.

Incidents

If an incident happens at one of our clinics, we might need to report it to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. This factsheet has more information about this.

Expectations

What is expected of us
What is expected of you

What is expected of us

If you come to us for services, we agree to:

Give you information about the supports we can provide to suit your needs;
Treat you with courtesy and respect;
Communicate with you in a timely manner;
Work in partnership with you (and any advocate or others as agreed) on decisions about how supports are provided (for example, location, number of appointments) based on your needs and assessment;
Provide the services that have been agreed, including working with you and other relevant stakeholders;
Regularly review your goals and supports;
Tell you how to let us know if you have a concern;
Listen to feedback and fix problems quickly;
Report any Reportable Incidents to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission;
Provide supports which comply with all relevant laws;
Give you regular invoices and statements of the supports delivered to you; and
Keep accurate confidential records on supports provided to you and protect your privacy.

What is expected of you

If you come to us for services, you agree to:

Tell us how you wish the supports to be delivered to meet your needs;
Treat our staff with courtesy and respect;
Talk to us if you have any concerns about the supports being provided;
Give us notice if you can’t make an appointment;
Make sure your account is paid on time;
Let us know if your circumstances change (including changes to address or contact details);
Let us know if there are any changes to your NDIS Plan, if you stop using the NDIS, or no more funding is available; and
Let us know if anyone else needs to be involved (e.g. an advocate or support person).

Headquartered in Perth, Early Start Australia currently has clinics in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Our vision is to be a world class therapy service, delivering evidence-based therapies and support to children, families and the wider community in Australia.