About Fora

Fora Therapy is a Melbourne-based company that makes finding and managing the best allied health team as simple as possible.

Previously named Ally Assist, Fora has been active since 2019 and has since helped over 1,200 clients access more than 40,000 hours of therapy.

Specifically, Fora matches clients with the perfect Allied Health Assistant (AHA, typically university students in the final years of an allied health degree) and an Allied Health Professional (AHP), ensuring they can reach their therapy goals.

Consequently, we’ve helped children speak for the first time, teenagers learn to take the bus to school on their own, and adults build their strength to regain independence in their home and work life.

CEO of Fora Therapy, Dr. Sam Donegan, witnessed societal challenges and inefficiencies in the healthcare system while working as a doctor.

As a result, after teaching himself to code and building the first version of our platform, he decided to see if it was possible to start a company around building amazing allied health teams.

Similarly, Nikita Fernandes, Fora Therapy’s COO and Sam’s co-founder, comes from a background in IT, marketing, education, and student services.

Having grown up caring for her sister who has a disability, she was drawn to the mission of making a positive impact on the shortcomings of the disability sector and helping improve career and employment outcomes for allied health students.

Initially starting as a team of two, Fora Therapy has now expanded to employ over 600 casual Allied Health Assistants. Additionally, we have dedicated Tech, Customer Success, and Marketing & Comms teams, along with an in-house team of Allied Health Professionals.

Fora co-founders Nikita Fernandes and Sam Donegan

Blessy Thomas

25. November, 2021.

I appreciate the opportunity and have thoroughly enjoyed working for Ally Assist for the last 1.5 years as a Physiotherapy Assistant. It has been a worthwhile experience working with various clients and I have developed not only my work-specific skills but my communication and professional skills which I will go on to use in my career. I would recommend all allied health students to consider this as it is a great opportunity to gain experience while you’re still studying!

Jess Anstee

18. November, 2021.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work as a therapy assistant for over a year, I have thoroughly enjoyed working in this role and appreciate all the opportunities you have given me. Transitioning from a student to a new graduate is a challenging step that I was very worried about. Fora supported me through this transition by finding a new graduate position through the Fora Employment Program. I could not of done it without your help and experience I have gained through working as a Therapy Assistant! I am more than grateful for the support and encouragement you have given me in pursuing my professional career and personal growth.

Victoria

11. November, 2021.

I worked with Fora as a therapy assistant for over two years while completing my studies at university. I felt really well supported by Fora throughout my time working with them and enjoyed the opportunity I had to work with my client and build experience to complement my studies.

Helena Ang

3. November, 2021.

Fora has provided really wonderful opportunities for allied health and physiotherapy students like myself to be connected with paediatric and adult clients. I have been able to work alongside a paediatric client for their rehabilitation, and this wouldn't have been possible without the connection through Fora. The team has been really supportive and the platform is very user friendly, with many options of clients to be connected with. Thank you for providing me with this opportunity to develop invaluable skills and grow in my physiotherapy career!

Michelle J

11. October, 2021.

Fora has been a really supportive platform, allowing allied health students like me to gain first-hand experience in working with clients to achieve their functional goals. I've thoroughly enjoyed working as a therapy assistant at Fora, it's been a wonderful experience that's allowed me to learn and grow as an aspiring allied health professional.

Mark and Helen Fisher

27. September, 2021.

We have used Fora for AHA (Physio) and have been extremely satisfied. The organisation is very professional and our lovely AHA personalises his support directly to our son's specific needs. Thank you Joel (AHA)!

Jess

2. June, 2021.

Fora has been a fantastic company to work for as an occupational therapy student. They provided me with the opportunity to gain clinical experience and skills in paediatrics with the flexibility required with university. Their online system was really easy to use- and even though the company is based online they constantly checked in and were available to chat to if I ever needed support. I highly recommend them as an employer for any students that would like to gain some hands on experience with choice and flexibility over hours. For families and support coordinators, I also recommend Fora for the flexibility and choice with the ability to match your client with a therapy assistant that suits you (e.g. hours, interests, experience).

Jacob Poole

15. March, 2021.

Fora is a company striving to help their clients working with therapists from external organisations. The workers are friendly and are there to help the clients to the best of their ability, providing home visits, community orientated sessions and also telehealth.

Ansley Landsman

13. January, 2021.

I worked as a Therapy Assistant (Physiotherapy) during my last year as a Physiotherapy student. I absolutely LOVED working with my clients as well as the Fora staff. The Fora staff were always happy to answer any questions. They are very organised and pair you with clients that are in your area of interest. I recommend this company to my colleagues all the time! I am so pleased I chose Fora as a casual job during my last year of school as it gave me the opportunity to gain more experience. If you are a student in Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, or Physiotherapy, please consider applying! It is a fantastic company and you will gain experience outside of uni/placements!! Cannot recommend this company enough to both students looking to gain outside experience as well as potential clients who feel they may benefit!! :)

Jessica L

11. January, 2021.

I have enjoyed my time working with Fora as a therapy assistant. The administrative team was available when needed, and I have felt well supported especially during challenging client situations. The team is always looking for ways to improve their practice which is great to see in a growing organisation. I am very grateful for the experiences I have gained from working with them.

The Fora Therapy Team, September 2022

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