Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 4
Occupation: Education and training
Location: Gippsland - Latrobe
Reference: 1523709
Demonstrated expertise in supporting families of students with complex needs to navigate the NDIS, including applications, planning and reviews, and building family capacity to access and sustain supports.
KSC 2 ¿ Engagement and Attendance LeadershipDemonstrated ability to lead whole-school attendance and engagement approaches, using data to identify barriers and implement targeted strategies that improve student participation and connection to school.
KSC 3 ¿ Wellbeing and Welfare CoordinationDemonstrated capacity to coordinate holistic wellbeing and welfare supports, including working with external agencies and supporting processes such as DSP applications.
KSC 4 ¿ Family and Community PartnershipsDemonstrated ability to build strong partnerships with families and community organisations, enhancing engagement and access to wrap-around supports.
KSC 5 ¿ Communication and Relational PracticeHighly developed communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders with empathy, professionalism and unconditional positive regard, particularly in complex situations.
KSC 6 ¿ Autonomy and Systems ImprovementDemonstrated ability to work autonomously, apply professional judgement, and develop effective systems that strengthen engagement, wellbeing and compliance.
Role Purpose and Objectives
The Engagement, Wellbeing and Welfare Officer provides strategic leadership in strengthening whole school systems that support student attendance, family engagement, NDIS Navigation, Wellbeing support, and welfare response.
The role operates with a high level of autonomy, applying professional judgment, ensuring coordinated and compliant processes that mitigate risk, improve attendance outcomes, and build family capacity in a specialist school setting supporting students with intellectual disability and complex needs.
The position is responsible for leading and overseeing systems relating to:
1) NDIS Navigator
¿ Provide specialist support to families to build their capacity to Access the NDIS Scheme including, support with application, plan implementation, development, and reviews.
- Encourage and support families to engage with their child¿s Local Area Coordinator and relevant service providers for specific support relating to their child¿s NDIS plan and needs.
- Support families to find and access resources relating to their child¿s NDIS support needs.
-Prepare supporting documentation and letters for NDIS purposes as required.
- Assist families to sign and return documentation like services agreements.
- Support senior students to ensure post school supports are adequate for individual post school direction and goals.
2) Student Engagement and Attendance
- Develop and implement a school wide attendance process that is compliant and follows DE policies and identifies roles and responsibilities of staff / families in relation to absences.
- Monitor attendance data to identify trends, emerging issues and high risk students.
- Collaborate with staff and families to implement early intervention strategies aligned with PBS and linked to ILP goals.
-Maintain regular communication with families to identify and address barriers to school attendance, including escalation pathways (Attendance Improvement Plans, Navigator Referrals, Referrals to DE Senior Wellbeing and Engagement Officer for 5 or more unexplained absences, whereabouts unknown etc)
3) Build Community/Welfare/Wellbeing Connections to support student/ family welfare, wellbeing and family engagement to school. Disability Support Pension (DSP) through Centrelink.
-Develop and strengthen links between student attendance and engagement by managing and implementing whole school initiatives like Breakfast Club.
- Develop and maintain partnerships between school and community-based organisations and supports. Assist families to access general community supports (Food Bank, Community groups, social groups, support groups), to ensure wrap around supports are available to families requiring extra supports.
- Assist families to apply for the Disability Support Pension when student turns 16.
- Support Assistant Principal with completing referrals and communications with external agencies, including DFFH if required.
Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of the position.
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
LATROBE SPECIAL DEVELOPMENTAL SCHOOL
Latrobe SDS is located in Traralgon. It is one of two special schools in the Latrobe Valley and is the only Special Developmental School in the Gippsland region. The school caters for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Students travel from all over the Latrobe Valley and surrounding outlying areas to attend.
In 2022 we moved to a new purpose-built school site. Our facilities include: classrooms with attached kitchenettes, quiet spaces and toilets; art/homecrafts; STEM; tech/manufacturing; food technology; therapy spaces; multi-purpose hall; library; consulting rooms and staff work spaces. These are surrounded by stunning landscaping, bright and colourful playgrounds and open spaces including a basketball court, walking track and playing field.
Our dynamic team provides a stimulating educational program for students with significant intellectual and associated difficulties and disorders between ages of 4.8 to 18 years of age. Parents, staff and carers work collaboratively in planning educational and developmental programs for students. Student Support Groups are established for each student and emphasise the importance of a partnership between home and school in developing student goals. Our allied health team supports staff to develop programs which specifically target the learning goals of our students.
As a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and Lead Respectful Relationship school we focus on the wellbeing and engagement of our students. Explicit teaching of our school values and expected behaviours provides students with the skills to self-regulate and actively participate in their learning. When behaviours arise, our tier 1 and tier 2 PBS teams provide support to staff to understand why the behaviour is occurring and teach students strategies specific to the skills needed to shift their behaviour. Parents are a key partner is this process so there is consistency between home and school.
School activities and programs focus on improving student learning outcomes and promoting greater independence. Staff encourage students to strive for excellence in all of their endeavours. To achieve this, the school provides sequential teaching and learning programs that deliver a comprehensive, broadly based and inclusive curriculum based on the Victorian Curriculum. The development of student communication is a key component of each student¿s Individual Education Plan and central to the learning process.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join our dynamic team as we begin our journey at our new school site.