This paper promotes the notion that workplace claims/injury management and rehabilitation in South Australia should be a learning process for all stakeholders. It argues that this is often ignored by the system where organisational rigidity and fixed expectations exacerbate problems and reduce the opportunity for change, new ways of learning and reciprocity. This paper asserts that what enables successful cost-effective claims/injury management would be the open operation of the pooled wisdom, experiences and practices of the stakeholders. It upholds the view that the systems involved need to be more flexible in facilitating partnerships and new learning, which would require changes in terms of openness, opportunities for learning and interacting, and establishing common focused goals. In order to study these ‘learning partnerships’, this paper attempts to analyse the dynamic configurations of ‘social power’ in the specific contexts in which the various stake-holders interact.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is an umbrella term for a range of conditions characterised by pain and discomfort in the soft tissues and muscle weakness. Cognitive–behavioural theory suggests that the beliefs of people in pain can influence their functioning, and beliefs scales are viewed as an important tool to assess these beliefs. Research findings support a relationship between pain beliefs and levels of pain and functioning; however, there has been little research into how belief scores are related to recovery. This study examines the relationship between scores on beliefs scales and recovery. Sixty-four people with RSI completed questionnaires to determine their pain beliefs and how their levels of pain and functioning had changed over the previous six months. Correlations provided little support for a relationship between the belief scores and recovery. This study highlights the limitations of the beliefs scales currently used in pain research and recommends the use of qualitative and longitudinal research.

The study utilised a quasi-experimental design and quota criteria sample of 38 adults with an acquired physical or psychological disability plus a history of long-term unemployment. At the end of the six months' rehabilitation intervention half of the participants of both disability groups were employed, which challenges the notion that adults with a psychological disability are less likely to achieve re-employment. It is important to note that similar numbers of males and females were employed, for women with a disability have historically been overrepresented in the unemployed numbers and underrepresented in rehabilitation programs. The study demonstrated that individuals with an acquired disability who reported higher self-confidence scores for gaining employment were 75% more likely to be later employed. There was a 29% improvement in General Health Questionnaire-28 scores at the end of the intervention. The program is reported and service delivery and wellbeing issues are discussed.

The phenomenon of the interdisciplinary healthcare team is relatively new, and the experience of being part of such a team presents particular issues as members knit together their practices to form a cohesive whole. This article presents the results of a study of such a team. The participants were 6 health professionals involved in a rehabilitation program in a small not-for-profit hospital in a regional area. They participated in in-depth interviews to assist an exploration of the experience of belonging to such a team. The rationale for using this team was that it was generally recognised as a professional and cohesive group of people who were particularly successful at setting and achieving team goals. Phenomenological philosophy and methodology underpinned data collection and analysis, particularly that described by Colaizzi, which requires rigorous adherence to several steps in the analysts and returning to each participant with the findings for their final validation. The data analysis revealed themes relating to relationships with each other, with the team, and with the hierarchy. The essence of these experiences emerged as a notion of shared reality within the context of the team. Thus this article concludes that the essence of a successful rehabilitation team lies in its shared reality comprising such concepts as respect, shared wisdom and effective communication.

Acareer development approach to disability and vocational rehabilitation indicates the need to empower clients' capacity to enter the workforce through ‘career enhancement’. This paper outlines a forum for university students with a disability that was informed by the notion of career enhancement and was conducted with the purpose of linking students with one another, and with employers, employment agencies, state and Australian government agencies, and key staff of the university's careers service. Feedback from students indicated the value of the event in terms of outcome and process.