Work Type: Fixed-term - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 3
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs
Reference: 1502031
Selection Criteria
SC1 A relevant qualification such as a degree in Social Work, Youth Work etc and/or extensive experience in a similar position.
SC2 Demonstrated skills and experience in the provision of support to young people with significant mental health issues including anxiety, depression and behaviour associated with childhood trauma.
SC3 Demonstrated ability to assess student need and to develop case plans and appropriate interventions for young people.
SC4 Demonstrated ability to work collegiately with teachers and/or other professionals to improve the attendance of students and their engagement into the classroom.
SC5 Demonstrated skills and experience in building and maintaining strong relationships with adolescents, setting boundaries and assisting young people to meet behavioural expectations.
SC6 Demonstrated ability to support students and deliver programs which are considerate of the learning needs and perspectives of students from diverse backgrounds.
Range 3 is distinguished by the introduction of management responsibility and accountability for the delivery of professional support services. The role will usually impact beyond the work area or professional field. It seeks to gain cooperation of other staff members or members of the school community to achieve specific objectives, such as in school administration, operations or educational programs.
Direction on targets and goals is provided but the position will have some degree of latitude in determining how they are achieved. This latitude will generally be limited by standard procedures and school policy. Deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.
The provision of business management responsibilities becomes a feature at range 3. Management of staff to achieve the expected outcomes is a key responsibility. Staff management issues will be resolved with minimal reference to senior management, although guidance will be required in more complex cases. Senior management will be provided with timely reports and advice, although this will generally be confined to matters relating to the immediate work area, service provision or educational program and is unlikely to impact substantially on whole of school operations.
This is the minimum range for positions that carry a mandatory qualification requirement of not less than four years. Professional student support positions become a feature at range 3 (e.g. therapists, psychologists) where standard professional services are delivered. Professional support and guidance will be close at hand and deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.
An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students, but must not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor. Supervision of students cannot be required except where it is an integral part of the employee's position or involves supervision of students individually or in small groups, in controlled circumstances, where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.
As a part of the Kensington Community High School Wellbeing Team, this role will predominantly be based on a Multi-Tiered System of Support approach (MTSS). The role will focus on working with the teaching and learning staff in and out of the classroom to support student's social and emotional needs. Under the leadership of the Assistant Principal and guidance of the Student Wellbeing Team Leader, this includes but is not limited to:
The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we service. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQA+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. The Department recognises that the provision of safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for staff with disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).
Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via [email protected]
Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction. Such requests will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.
Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards. All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the department's exemplar available at:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy
The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools. Information on the department values is available at:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview
Kensington Community School (KCHS) is a small secondary school with the capacity to enrol approximately 100 students, enrolled across 5 classes between years 7 and 12. KCHS is a special-purpose setting designed for the inclusion of young people who have experienced difficulty in their previous educational settings. The school specialises in providing significant learning and wellbeing supports for the needs of these students. Many of the young people who choose to enrol at our school have not experienced learning success, or a sense of connectedness, to mainstream schools for a range of reasons.
The school's ethos is centred on five key values: Community, Achievement, Respect, Effort and Safety (CARES). Working collaboratively, staff and students have developed specific expectations for each value that are the basis of teaching and learning, with participation in and around the wider community.
In our school we endeavour to build positive relationships between adults and our young people so that they might flourish and realise their potential. To facilitate these relationships, we run smaller class sizes and utilise a co-teaching to ensure our students¿ learning and wellbeing needs are fully supported.
At our school, pastoral teachers and education support staff assist young people to set personalised learning goals based upon their passions or interests. Staff strive to enable student voice, encouraging young people to exercise as much choice as possible in their learning. Pastoral teachers also ensure that the teaching and learning program as a whole meets the standards of the Victorian Curriculum F¿10, and that it enables the reporting of student achievement against the achievement standards. At Year 11 & 12, the school offers the VCE Vocational Major (VM), or the Victoria Pathways Certificate (VPC), formerly known as VCAL for students. From year 10, students complete a VET course as part of their VM or VPC studies. We have partnered with AIE & AIET registered RTOs to deliver a range of Certificates in Visual Arts, Outdoor Education, Hospitality, Hair & Beauty, and Creative Industries. The certificates are taught on campus at KCHS.
The wellbeing of every student at KCHS is our highest priority. The KCHS wellbeing model is a multi-tiered system of support, which is a systematic improvement framework whereby continuous data-based problem-solving and decision making is practised at the school. It is a strengths-based approach, implementing early identification and intervention strategies, that utilises high-impact, evidence-based pedagogical and wellbeing practices. This ensures every student receives the appropriate level of support, instructional intervention, and adjustments to be successful.
Through School-Wide Positive Behaviour System (SWPBS) the school creates positive relationships to provide opportunities for our students to develop connections with their communities, and an understanding of the world around them. We commit to providing accessible, authentic, and ongoing learning for all within our school community.
The school is currently beginning the implementation of the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM), a trauma-informed practice approach to student-centric learning and wellbeing. BSEM promotes wellbeing in the school and supports teachers to meet the individual needs of each student.
The school acknowledges that some students may need extra social, emotional, or educational support at school, and that the needs of students will change over time as they grow and learn. We commit to resourcing a highly skilled wellbeing team to support young people and their families to engage with education.
We are seeking exceptional educators and support staff to join our highly professional and dedicated team to transform learning and wellbeing. If you believe that an innovative approach is needed to engage students and improve outcomes, while better preparing them for a rapidly changing world, then I encourage you to apply to join our dynamic team.
To find out more about our school, we invite you to peruse our website (Kensington Community High School (https://www.kchs.vic.edu.au)