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Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) Services in NSW
At AusRehab, we specialise in delivering accurate and evidence-based Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) services across NSW. A functional capacity test provides objective insights into a worker’s ability to meet the demands of their role following a workplace injury. Our expert team conducts each FCE assessment with precision, offering reliable reporting and tailored recommendations that support a safe, sustainable recovery and successful return to work.
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Have questions for us? Better yet, ready to request for our services? Our team is happy to help! Here’s what makes us stand out:
- Independent workplace rehab provider, providing unbiased, client-focused support
- Compassionate & caring team, with dedicated rehab consultants and allied health professionals
- Fast & responsive service, ensuring we act quickly to meet your needs
- Personalised solutions, tailored to individuals and businesses
Key Components of a Functional Capacity Evaluation
At AusRehab, every workplace functional capacity evaluation is tailored to the worker’s specific injury, job demands, and recovery stage. Each functional capacity assessment for injured workers includes several key components that form a comprehensive picture of ability and potential for rehabilitation.
History & Background Review
We begin with a detailed review of the worker’s medical and treatment history, current symptoms, and any previous injuries or reports. This context ensures that the functional evaluation capacity test is safe, appropriate, and clinically relevant.
Work Demands Discussion
We align the job task analysis and functional capacity evaluation to replicate the actual physical and cognitive requirements of the role. If no formal JTA is available, subjective reporting is gathered to guide the assessment.
Objective Functional Testing
A range of functional testing for return-to-work is performed, including a lifting and carrying capacity assessment, balance, squatting, and walking tasks. Both physical functional capacity evaluation and psychological functional capacity evaluation options are available, depending on the case.
Work-Based or Clinic-Based Assessments
Depending on the situation, an FCE assessment test can occur in the workplace (workplace-based assessment) or as a clinic-based functional capacity evaluation, using simulated environments.
Job-Specific Task Simulation
When possible, the evaluation is designed to replicate actual workplace tasks, ensuring that the functional capacity assessment test remains closely aligned with the specific demands of the worker’s job.
Detailed Recommendations & Reporting
Each case concludes with a clear functional capacity evaluation report, outlining safe hours, duties, and progression. This serves as a residual work capacity assessment and supports effective recover-at-work planning. Reports are promptly shared with doctors, insurers, employers, and workers.
Pricing options to fit budgets of all sizes
Flexible Packages That Suit Your Needs
Each full capacity evaluation typically lasts between 1.5 and 3 hours, depending on the physical or psychological demands being tested. Our services meet all SIRA functional capacity evaluation requirements, ensuring compliance with NSW regulatory standards. When considering a functional abilities evaluation, it’s important to choose a provider that not only delivers data but also meaningful recommendations for sustainable recovery. AusRehab provides both.
Physical Functional Capacity Evaluation
$1,760
Helps you understand what an employee can physically manage at work, such as:
- Safe limits for lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling
- Tolerance for sitting, standing, bending, or reaching
- Stamina and mobility (e.g., walking, climbing stairs)
- Fine motor skills (typing, tool use, handling equipment)
- How pain or injury affects their work capacity
Psychological Functional Capacity Evaluation
$1,760
Helps you understand how an employee’s mental health and thinking skills affect work, such as:
- Concentration, memory, and decision-making
- Ability to handle stress, pressure, and change
- Motivation and readiness to return to work
- Communication and workplace relationships
- Emotional wellbeing (e.g., managing anxiety, low mood)
What Is a Functional Capacity Evaluation?
A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a structured assessment that measures a worker’s current physical and psychological abilities against their job requirements. Sometimes called a functional capacity assessment, this process provides objective data that helps doctors, employers, and insurers make informed return-to-work decisions.
The purpose of an FCE assessment is to:
- Identify safe work capabilities through a functional capacity test.
- Determine readiness for pre-injury duties or suitable modified work.
- Provide a reliable foundation for recovery and rehabilitation planning.
- Align stakeholders with consistent, evidence-based reporting.
Providing measurable data through a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) helps reduce uncertainty and establishes a solid basis for customised rehabilitation plans that align medical needs with workplace conditions.
When Should an FCE or Work Capacity Assessment Be Used?
A return-to-work functional capacity evaluation is typically recommended when:
- There is uncertainty about a worker’s readiness to resume full or partial duties.
- A treating doctor, insurer, or employer requires objective evidence for safe return-to-work assessments.
- Employers are planning modified work and require a suitable duties assessment of functional capacity.
- A case requires medical or insurance reporting to support recovery planning and claims management.
It is also commonly requested in cases where there is confusion around a certificate of fitness vs functional assessment. Unlike a certificate of fitness, which is largely based on medical judgment, an FCE uses standardised, objective testing to provide measurable evidence of ability.
This makes a work capacity assessment one of the most reliable tools for informing recovery strategies, reducing delays, and improving claim outcomes.
Why Choose AusRehab for FCEs in Sydney & NSW?
When it comes to arranging an independent functional capacity evaluation in Sydney or NSW, AusRehab is the trusted choice. We combine clinical expertise with a client-focused approach to deliver results that matter.
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Trusted Provider
Since 2019, AusRehab has been a leading provider of functional capacity evaluation in NSW, supporting thousands of injured workers and partnering with employers, insurers, and medical professionals across the state.
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Fast Turnaround
We understand that delays can impact recovery and claims management. That’s why our workplace functional capacity evaluation services prioritise quick appointments and prompt delivery of reports, often within 24–48 hours.
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Clear Stakeholder Communication
Our team maintains consistent communication with all stakeholders, including doctors, insurers, employers, and workers. This ensures that the outcomes of the FCE assessment are well-understood, aligned, and actionable.
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Comprehensive Reports
Each functional capacity evaluation report is detailed, objective, and practical. It covers physical or psychological abilities, job-specific capacity, and includes tailored recommendations to support safe and effective return-to-work planning.
At AusRehab, we ensure that every workplace functional capacity evaluation balances medical recovery with workplace realities, helping all parties achieve the best possible outcomes.
Benefits of Functional Capacity Evaluations
A functional capacity assessment provides benefits for all stakeholders involved in the recovery process:
- Confidence in a safe return to work
- Clear understanding of abilities and limitations
- Tailored return-to-work plans that reduce re-injury risk
- Evidence-based planning for modified duties
- Reduced delays in safe work resumption
- Improved workplace morale through proactive injury management.
- Objective evidence to support claim decisions
- Fewer disputes through clear, transparent reporting
- Improved claims outcomes with timely, reliable information
- Independent functional data to complement clinical assessment
- Clearer alignment of treatment goals with work duties
- Better collaboration on recovery and return-to-work planning
We're always ready to answer your questions
Frequently Asked Questions
When is a Functional Capacity Evaluation needed in NSW?
A functional capacity evaluation in NSW is usually recommended when there is uncertainty about a worker’s ability to safely return to work. It may be required if a treating doctor, insurer, or employer needs objective evidence for return-to-work functional capacity evaluation, suitable duties assessment functional capacity, or recovery planning.
How long does a Functional Capacity Evaluation take?
Most FCE assessments take between 1.5 and 3 hours, depending on whether the assessment is physical or psychological, and how physically demanding the worker’s job is.
What does a Functional Capacity Evaluation include?
A functional capacity assessment test typically includes:
- A review of medical history and current symptoms.
- A job task analysis and functional capacity evaluation discussion.
- Functional testing for return-to-work (lifting, carrying, squatting, pushing, pulling, etc.).
- Work-based or clinic-based task simulations.
- A detailed functional capacity evaluation report with clear recommendations.
What is the difference between physical and psychological Functional Capacity Evaluations?
- A physical functional capacity evaluation measures physical ability to perform job-related tasks such as lifting, carrying, and postural activities.
- A psychological functional capacity evaluation assesses cognitive and psychological capacity, including concentration, resilience, and stress tolerance.
Here at AusRehab, both assessments cost $1,760 each and provide evidence for safe recovery and return-to-work planning.
How does a Functional Capacity Evaluation support return-to-work planning?
An FCE assessment provides objective data that helps doctors, employers, and insurers design tailored recovery plans. The functional capacity evaluation report identifies safe duties, work hours, and progression steps, serving as a residual work capacity evaluation to guide realistic recover-at-work planning.
Is a Functional Capacity Evaluation covered by workers’ compensation in NSW?
Yes. In many cases, an occupational functional capacity evaluation is approved and funded under workers’ compensation in NSW, provided it is recommended by the treating doctor or insurer and aligns with SIRA functional capacity evaluation requirements.
Can a Functional Capacity Evaluation be conducted at the workplace or only in a clinic?
An independent functional capacity evaluation can be performed either as a clinic-based functional capacity evaluation (using simulated tasks) or as a work-based functional capacity evaluation (using actual workplace equipment and environments). The choice depends on availability, context, and the worker’s role.
What happens after a Functional Capacity Evaluation report is completed?
After the functional capacity evaluation report is finalised, it is shared with the treating doctor, employer, insurer, and the worker. It provides clear recommendations on work capacity, suitable duties, and progression, ensuring all parties have aligned expectations for recovery.
What is the difference between a Certificate of Fitness and a Functional Capacity Evaluation?
A certificate of fitness vs functional assessment differ in purpose:
- A certificate of fitness formal medical certificate issued by a licensed medical practitioner stating whether an individual is fit, unfit, or fit with restrictions to perform specific job tasks.
- A functional capacity evaluation is a structured, objective assessment designed to measure an individual’s physical and functional capabilities in relation to job requirements.
What is a Residual Work Capacity Evaluation?
A residual work capacity evaluation identifies the level of safe work a person can still perform despite injury or illness. It helps determine whether they can return to pre-injury duties or need modified tasks and hours.
Is a Functional Capacity Evaluation the same as a Work Capacity Assessment?
In NSW, a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a clinical assessment that measures a worker’s physical abilities against job demands. A Work Capacity Assessment (WCA), by contrast, is an insurer-led process under the workers compensation system that determines a worker’s current work capacity and weekly compensation entitlements. While an FCE provides objective functional data, a WCA is broader, combining medical, functional, vocational, and market analysis evidence. In practice, FCE results often feed into the insurer’s Work Capacity Assessment to guide decisions about return to work and benefits.
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Book a Functional Capacity Evaluation Today
If you need a workplace functional capacity evaluation, AusRehab is here to help. Arrange a functional capacity assessment today and support a safe, timely, and effective recovery at work.
