Topic 3.1 WHS Consultation and Collaboration in Assistance Animal Practice

Consultation is a fundamental principle of workplace health and safety and an essential component of high-quality Occupational Therapy practice.

Effective consultation enables individuals and organisations to identify hazards, develop practical solutions and make informed decisions that promote the health, safety and wellbeing of all stakeholders.

Within assistance animal practice, consultation extends beyond traditional workplace relationships. Occupational Therapists routinely work with clients, families, assistance animal trainers, veterinarians, educators, employers, disability support providers, health professionals and community organisations. Each stakeholder contributes unique knowledge and perspectives that can support safe, ethical and person-centred practice.

Consultation is not simply informing others about decisions that have already been made. It is an active process of communication, collaboration and shared problem-solving that encourages meaningful participation and values the expertise of everyone involved.

What is Consultation?

Consultation is the process of seeking, sharing and considering relevant information before decisions are made.

Effective consultation involves:

• sharing relevant information;
• encouraging participation;
• listening to different perspectives;
• considering alternative solutions;
• identifying concerns;
• working collaboratively to manage risks;
• explaining relevant constraints or responsibilities;
• considering feedback before decisions are finalised; and
• communicating decisions and outcomes.

Consultation supports better decision-making because it draws upon the knowledge, experience and expertise of multiple stakeholders.

It may also identify information that would otherwise be unavailable to the practitioner or organisation.

For example, a person using an assistance animal may have detailed knowledge of:

• how their animal responds in particular environments;
• barriers they experience during everyday occupations;
• which adjustments are effective;
• previous access difficulties;
• emergency requirements; and
• how particular risk controls may affect their independence or participation.

Similarly, a trainer, veterinarian, employer or other professional may contribute different expertise relevant to the same decision.

Why Consultation is Important

Effective consultation can improve workplace health and safety by:

• identifying hazards that may otherwise be overlooked;
• improving risk assessment;
• developing more practical risk controls;
• supporting shared decision-making;
• increasing understanding of responsibilities;
• improving acceptance and implementation of safety measures;
• identifying reasonable adjustments;
• reducing unnecessary restrictions;
• promoting transparency;
• strengthening professional relationships;
• improving client outcomes;
• protecting worker and public safety;
• supporting animal welfare; and
• contributing to continuous improvement.

People are generally more likely to understand and implement safety arrangements when they have had a meaningful opportunity to participate in their development.

Consultation can also identify when a proposed control may have unintended consequences.

For example, a control intended to reduce one risk may:

• interfere with an assistance animal’s trained task;
• create an accessibility barrier;
• increase reliance on another person;
• introduce an animal-welfare concern; or
• make an occupation practically impossible.

Meaningful consultation helps identify these consequences before decisions are implemented.

Consultation in Occupational Therapy Practice

Occupational Therapists regularly consult with others throughout the assistance animal partnership.

Examples include:

• discussing occupational goals with clients;
• consulting families or support people where appropriate;
• working with trainers to coordinate interventions;
• liaising with veterinarians regarding animal health and welfare;
• advising employers about workplace adjustments;
• collaborating with schools regarding educational participation;
• consulting healthcare services regarding access and risk management;
• working with disability support providers;
• coordinating with other duty holders; and
• participating in multidisciplinary teams.

Consultation should contribute to safe, coordinated, evidence-informed and person-centred practice.

The person using the assistance animal should remain central to decisions affecting their own participation wherever possible.

Consultation with Clients

Clients should be actively involved in decisions affecting their assistance animal partnership and occupational participation.

Consultation may include discussion of:

• occupational goals;
• functional abilities;
• strengths;
• support needs;
• environmental barriers;
• identified hazards;
• potential risks;
• existing controls;
• reasonable adjustments;
• preferred intervention strategies;
• assistance animal tasks and functions;
• equipment;
• public-access environments;
• emergency arrangements;
• animal welfare considerations;
• contingency planning; and
• ongoing review.

Consultation should not assume that the practitioner knows what is most important to the person without asking them.

The same level of risk may have different implications for different people depending on:

• their goals;
• available supports;
• previous experiences;
• preferences;
• environment; and
• consequences of restricting the activity.

Supporting meaningful participation in decision-making reflects person-centred Occupational Therapy practice and can improve the quality of WHS decisions.

Supported Decision-Making and Accessible Consultation

A person should not be excluded from WHS consultation because they communicate differently or require support to participate.

Accessible consultation may involve:

• written information;
• visual information;
• Easy Read materials;
• augmentative and alternative communication;
• interpreters;
• Auslan;
• captions;
• text-based communication;
• communication devices;
• support people chosen by the person;
• additional processing time;
• information provided in advance;
• breaking complex decisions into manageable parts; or
• another reasonable adjustment.

Where appropriate, practitioners should confirm:

• how the person prefers to receive information;
• how they prefer to express views;
• whether they would like another person involved;
• what information they need before making a decision; and
• whether further time or clarification is required.

Need for communication support should not be treated as evidence that the person cannot contribute to WHS decisions.

Where another person supports communication or decision-making, the Occupational Therapist should continue to direct consultation to the client rather than automatically transferring decision-making to the support person.

Consultation with Families, Carers and Support People

Families, carers and support people may provide valuable information regarding:

• everyday routines;
• support arrangements;
• environmental circumstances;
• changes in function;
• animal behaviour;
• assistance animal care;
• emergency planning; and
• practical implementation of recommendations.

Consultation may assist in identifying:

• environmental hazards;
• emerging support needs;
• changes in the person’s functional needs or circumstances;
• concerns regarding the assistance animal;
• inconsistencies between environments;
• opportunities to improve participation; and
• areas requiring additional education or support.

However, family or carer involvement should not automatically override the person’s autonomy.

Occupational Therapists should consider:

• consent;
• privacy;
• relevance;
• the person’s preferences;
• the actual role of the family member or carer; and
• whether information sharing is necessary for the purpose.

Where appropriate, family members and carers should be included while maintaining the client’s right to participate directly in decisions affecting them.

Consultation with Assistance Animal Trainers

Assistance animal trainers may possess specialised expertise relating to:

• animal learning;
• task training;
• behaviour;
• environmental generalisation;
• public-access behaviour;
• equipment;
• workload;
• reinforcement;
• stress and fatigue; and
• maintenance of trained behaviours.

Occupational Therapists should collaborate with appropriately qualified trainers when considering matters such as:

• task suitability;
• training progression;
• behavioural concerns;
• environmental challenges;
• public-access readiness;
• interaction between a task and the person’s occupational goals;
• environmental modifications;
• equipment;
• workload management;
• changes in working performance; and
• retirement or transition planning.

The Occupational Therapist and trainer may bring complementary perspectives.

For example:

• the OT may analyse occupation, function, environmental fit and disability-related need;
• the trainer may analyse animal learning, behaviour, task performance and training progression.

Neither profession should automatically assume expertise belonging to the other.

Appropriate collaboration supports safer and more sustainable outcomes.

Consultation with Veterinarians

Veterinarians play an essential role in maintaining the health and welfare of assistance animals.

Veterinary consultation or referral may be appropriate when:

• illness affects task performance;
• behavioural changes may have a medical cause;
• pain or injury is suspected;
• mobility changes are observed;
• appetite or elimination changes significantly;
• medication may affect working ability;
• workload requires modification;
• rehabilitation is required;
• fitness to continue particular activities is questioned;
• return to work following illness or injury requires veterinary consideration; or
• retirement may be influenced by health or welfare.

Occupational Therapists should avoid diagnosing animal-health conditions outside their professional scope.

Behavioural change should not automatically be interpreted as a training problem.

Where pain, illness or another health issue may be contributing, veterinary assessment may be required.

Consultation with Employers, Schools and Community Organisations

Successful assistance animal partnerships often depend on collaboration with organisations in which the person works, studies, receives services or participates in community life.

Consultation may address:

• workplace or educational adjustments;
• physical access;
• assistance animal access arrangements;
• emergency procedures;
• evacuation;
• infection-prevention considerations;
• allergy management;
• equipment;
• safe interactions with the assistance animal;
• staff education;
• animal rest and welfare;
• toileting arrangements;
• environmental risks;
• communication processes;
• incident reporting;
• competing needs of other people;
• organisational procedures; and
• relevant obligations under disability discrimination and WHS/OHS frameworks.

Consultation should aim to identify practical ways of supporting safe participation rather than beginning from an assumption that exclusion is the simplest solution.

Where concerns are raised, the relevant question should be:

What is the actual hazard, and what reasonably available controls or adjustments could address it?

Accurate information can reduce both unnecessary barriers and poorly informed safety decisions.

Consultation within Multidisciplinary Teams

Occupational Therapists frequently work alongside professionals from a range of disciplines.

These may include:

• psychologists;
• physiotherapists;
• speech pathologists;
• social workers;
• nurses;
• medical practitioners;
• disability support coordinators;
• rehabilitation specialists;
• behaviour practitioners;
• educators;
• assistance animal trainers;
• veterinarians; and
• other allied health professionals.

Respectful interdisciplinary collaboration may:

• improve information sharing;
• reduce duplication;
• clarify professional roles;
• identify conflicting recommendations;
• support coordinated risk management;
• strengthen emergency and contingency planning; and
• improve continuity of care.

Multidisciplinary practice does not mean that all professionals have identical expertise or responsibility.

Each professional should work within their own scope while recognising when another discipline’s expertise is required.

Consultation with Other Duty Holders and Organisations

Assistance animal practice may involve work across multiple organisations or workplaces.

Examples may include:

• an Occupational Therapy provider;
• assistance animal organisation;
• school;
• university;
• employer;
• hospital;
• aged-care service;
• disability support provider;
• community organisation; or
• transport provider.

Different organisations may each have responsibilities relating to the same activity.

Where WHS/OHS duties overlap, relevant duty holders may need to consult, cooperate and coordinate activities.

This may involve clarifying:

• who controls the environment;
• who controls particular equipment;
• who is responsible for particular hazards;
• who provides training or information;
• emergency arrangements;
• assistance animal access arrangements;
• incident-reporting responsibilities;
• communication processes; and
• how identified controls will be implemented and monitored.

One organisation’s involvement does not automatically remove another organisation’s responsibilities.

Formal WHS Consultation Arrangements

Consultation may occur informally through everyday communication or through formal workplace structures.

Depending on the size, structure, jurisdiction and circumstances of the workplace, formal WHS consultation arrangements may include:

• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs);
• Health and Safety Committees (HSCs);
• designated work groups;
• staff WHS meetings;
• organisational safety committees;
• multidisciplinary governance meetings;
• workplace consultation forums; or
• other established consultative arrangements.

These structures do not apply identically to every workplace.

A sole-practitioner Occupational Therapist may have no formal Health and Safety Committee.

By contrast, an Occupational Therapist employed within a:

• hospital;
• university;
• school system;
• government service;
• disability service;
• large private health service; or
• multidisciplinary organisation

may work within established WHS consultation structures.

The practitioner should understand which arrangements actually apply within their workplace rather than assuming that every practice requires the same organisational structure.

Health and Safety Representatives

Where applicable, a Health and Safety Representative can provide a formal mechanism through which workers participate in WHS matters.

Occupational Therapists should understand, where relevant:

• whether an HSR exists;
• which workers or work group the HSR represents;
• how WHS concerns can be raised;
• how consultation occurs;
• how outcomes are communicated;
• applicable organisational escalation processes; and
• how the HSR interacts with broader workplace safety systems.

An HSR may contribute to identifying concerns and supporting worker participation, but the existence of an HSR does not transfer another person’s or organisation’s own WHS responsibilities to the representative.

Health and Safety Committees

Where applicable, a Health and Safety Committee may support broader consultation and cooperation concerning workplace safety.

Depending on the workplace and applicable arrangements, matters considered may include:

• recurring hazards;
• incident and near-miss trends;
• workplace changes;
• risk-management priorities;
• worker concerns;
• policies and procedures;
• emergency arrangements;
• training and competency;
• inspection and audit findings;
• psychosocial hazards;
• corrective actions; and
• continuous improvement.

An AAOT working within a larger organisation may need to raise assistance-animal-specific WHS matters through an existing committee or governance structure rather than establishing a separate process.

For example, introduction of an assistance animal into a hospital department may require consultation concerning:

• access and movement;
• infection-prevention requirements;
• emergency procedures;
• environmental layout;
• staff education;
• reasonable adjustment;
• animal welfare;
• other workers;
• other patients; and
• existing organisational risk-management systems.

Consultation Across Organisations

Formal internal consultation structures are only one component of effective WHS consultation.

AAOT work may require collaboration across organisations that have different responsibilities, systems and priorities.

For example, an Occupational Therapist supporting a student and assistance dog within a school may need to consult with:

• the student;
• family;
• school leadership;
• classroom staff;
• WHS personnel;
• support staff;
• assistance animal trainer;
• treating professionals; and
• other relevant organisations.

No single committee may contain all relevant information or authority.

Consultation should therefore be designed around the actual activity, stakeholders and responsibilities involved.

Applying Consultation Proportionately

Not every WHS issue requires a formal committee meeting or extensive consultation process.

The extent of consultation should be proportionate to:

• the significance of the decision;
• level of risk;
• number of people affected;
• complexity of the issue;
• applicable legal requirements;
• organisational arrangements;
• urgency;
• available information; and
• potential consequences of the decision.

For example, a minor operational issue may be resolved through a brief conversation with the people directly affected.

A major change to an assistance animal program, emergency procedure or workplace access arrangement may require more structured consultation across multiple stakeholders.

The objective is not to maximise the amount of consultation.

It is to ensure that relevant people have a genuine opportunity to contribute where their knowledge, safety, rights, responsibilities or participation may be affected.

Effective Consultation Skills

Successful consultation relies on effective communication and professional interpersonal skills.

These include:

• active listening;
• asking open-ended questions;
• seeking clarification;
• encouraging participation;
• avoiding assumptions;
• acknowledging expertise;
• checking understanding;
• responding respectfully;
• recognising different perspectives;
• explaining complex information clearly;
• managing disagreement;
• distinguishing fact from opinion;
• summarising decisions;
• agreeing responsibilities; and
• documenting actions.

Consultation should occur in an environment that supports respectful discussion and meaningful participation.

Occupational Therapists should be particularly mindful of power differences that may influence whether a person feels able to disagree or raise concerns.

Communicating Risk

Risk information should be communicated accurately and proportionately.

Communication should explain, as relevant:

• the identified hazard;
• potential harm;
• likelihood or circumstances in which harm may occur;
• existing controls;
• proposed additional controls;
• uncertainties;
• available alternatives;
• possible consequences of restricting participation;
• animal-welfare implications; and
• when the decision will be reviewed.

Risk should not be exaggerated to pressure a person into accepting a preferred professional or organisational outcome.

Similarly, legitimate risks should not be minimised simply because a particular outcome is preferred.

The aim is to support informed and defensible decision-making.

Managing Disagreement

Consultation does not require everyone to agree.

Stakeholders may hold different views concerning:

• acceptable risk;
• appropriate controls;
• animal welfare;
• occupational priorities;
• organisational feasibility;
• access;
• reasonable adjustment;
• professional recommendations; or
• emergency arrangements.

Where disagreement occurs, the Occupational Therapist should:

1. identify the actual issue in dispute;
2. clarify relevant evidence and responsibilities;
3. ensure all relevant perspectives have been heard;
4. consider alternative approaches;
5. identify whether further information or specialist advice is required;
6. consider least-restrictive effective options;
7. clearly document unresolved concerns where necessary; and
8. use appropriate escalation or review processes.

Disagreement should not automatically be interpreted as non-compliance or lack of insight.

Barriers to Effective Consultation

A range of factors may reduce the effectiveness of consultation.

Examples include:

• poor communication;
• inaccessible information;
• inadequate time;
• organisational culture;
• fear of negative consequences;
• conflicting priorities;
• professional hierarchies;
• power imbalances;
• cultural or language differences;
• assumptions about disability;
• lack of reasonable adjustments;
• tokenistic consultation;
• predetermined decisions;
• limited understanding of assistance animals;
• lack of role clarity; and
• failure to provide feedback following consultation.

Recognising these barriers allows Occupational Therapists and organisations to develop strategies that improve participation.

Possible strategies may include:

• providing information in advance;
• using accessible formats;
• offering different ways to contribute;
• inviting support people where chosen by the person;
• allowing adequate processing time;
• clarifying roles;
• documenting questions and responses;
• actively seeking the views of people less likely to speak in group settings; and
• explaining how consultation influenced the final decision.

Documenting Consultation

Appropriate documentation supports transparency, accountability and continuity.

Depending on the circumstances, consultation records may identify:

• date;
• matter discussed;
• participants;
• information provided;
• concerns raised;
• relevant evidence;
• options considered;
• reasonable adjustments considered;
• animal-welfare considerations;
• agreed actions;
• responsibilities;
• unresolved matters;
• escalation required;
• decisions made; and
• review arrangements.

Documentation should be proportionate to the significance of the matter.

Not every informal conversation requires a lengthy record.

However, significant decisions affecting:

• safety;
• occupational participation;
• access;
• animal welfare;
• emergency planning;
• restrictive controls; or
• organisational responsibilities

should generally be documented sufficiently to demonstrate the reasoning and consultation process.

Communicating Consultation Outcomes

Consultation should include feedback about what occurred after views were sought.

Relevant stakeholders should be informed, where appropriate, of:

• the decision;
• reasons for the decision;
• controls to be implemented;
• responsibilities;
• timeframes;
• actions required;
• unresolved matters;
• escalation pathways; and
• review arrangements.

Consultation can become tokenistic if people are repeatedly asked for input but are never told what happened to the information they provided.

Where a stakeholder’s preferred option is not adopted, it may be appropriate to explain why.

Consultation as a Continuous Process

Consultation should not occur only during initial assessment or following an incident.

Regular consultation may be particularly important when:

• client goals change;
• functional needs or circumstances change;
• the assistance animal’s health changes;
• animal behaviour changes;
• the animal’s working role changes;
• equipment is introduced or modified;
• new environments are introduced;
• workplace procedures are updated;
• staffing or support arrangements change;
• incidents or near misses occur;
• complaints are received;
• emergency arrangements change;
• new hazards are identified;
• controls are ineffective;
• restrictive controls may no longer be necessary; or
• new evidence becomes available.

Ongoing communication helps ensure that risk management remains responsive to actual circumstances.

Example – Consultation About a Workplace Access Concern

An employee uses an assistance dog at work.

A colleague raises concerns about the dog moving through a shared office because they have experienced previous fear around dogs.

An exclusionary response might be to prohibit the assistance dog from the shared area.

A consultation process would instead identify:

• the actual concerns;
• when and where interactions occur;
• the assistance dog’s working behaviour;
• the employee’s disability-related reliance on the dog;
• the colleague’s needs;
• environmental layout;
• whether physical separation can be achieved without excluding the handler;
• seating arrangements;
• movement routes;
• communication;
• education;
• reasonable adjustments;
• animal welfare; and
• the consequences of any proposed restriction.

Possible controls may include environmental layout changes, agreed movement arrangements or other practical measures.

The appropriate response should be based on actual circumstances and evidence rather than assuming that one person’s access must automatically be removed to address another person’s concern.

Example – Consultation Following an Assistance Animal Welfare Concern

An Occupational Therapist notices that an assistance dog appears increasingly fatigued during long workplace days.

The OT should not make a veterinary diagnosis or independently determine that the animal must retire.

Appropriate consultation may involve:

• the person using the dog;
• the assistance animal trainer;
• veterinarian;
• employer where workplace arrangements are relevant; and
• other professionals as appropriate.

The consultation may explore:

• changes in workload;
• rest opportunities;
• environmental conditions;
• travel;
• equipment;
• changes in health;
• changes in task demands;
• whether temporary modifications are required; and
• whether veterinary investigation is needed.

The outcome may involve workload adjustments, environmental changes, veterinary assessment or another response rather than immediate permanent withdrawal of the animal from work.

Key Practice Principle

Consultation is an ongoing process of collaboration rather than a single event.

Effective consultation requires more than simply providing information after a decision has already been made.

It should enable relevant people to:

• access appropriate information;
• contribute relevant knowledge;
• raise concerns;
• participate in problem-solving;
• consider alternatives;
• understand decisions; and
• contribute to review.

Within assistance animal Occupational Therapy, consultation should integrate:

WHS + occupational participation + accessibility + disability rights + professional responsibilities + animal welfare + organisational requirements

By actively engaging clients, workers, families, animal professionals, workplaces, other duty holders and multidisciplinary teams in appropriate shared decision-making, Occupational Therapists can contribute to safer, more inclusive and more sustainable assistance animal practice.