Work Type: Fixed-term - Part-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Classroom Teacher
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs
Reference: 1518293
Thank you for your interest in the Mental Health Wellbeing Leader teacher position at Noble Park English Language School. Our school is a multi-campus school which provides an intensive English language course for newly arrived migrants and refugees from non-English speaking backgrounds in the southeast Victoria region.
The students are introduced to the Victorian education system and assisted with settlement in Victoria. The basis of the curriculum is the study of the English language; however, the curriculum aims to prepare students for life in Australia. Many students have been displaced by war, economic hardship, or political persecution. The school is committed to assisting students to regain trust in people and systems and to develop the self-esteem and confidence required to face the challenges of a new country.
At any given over 50 different language groups are represented. The school provides a secure and caring learning environment where staff and students respect and tolerate differences between cultures and religions and caters for individual differences in language acquisition.
Since 2009 the school has expanded to four campuses due to changing settlement patterns in the region. The main campus is at Noble Park and caters for both primary and secondary students. Casey campus is located at Hampton Park and caters for primary and secondary students. Cranbourne campus is located at Cranbourne and caters for primary and secondary students. Our Springvale campus and Stonnington (Glen Huntly) campuses are for primary students.
Please provide a copy of your current VIT registration and certified copies of your qualifications with your application.
The Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred to treatment, care and support.
The Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative is being expanded to every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria. Scaling up across the state from 2023, by 2026 every primary school will be able to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader to implement a whole-school approach to wellbeing.
The Department of Education has been piloting the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative in Victorian schools since 2020 in partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. Evaluation of this pilot initiative has shown that 95 per cent of Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders consider the Mental Health in Primary Schools model has improved their school's capacity to support students' mental health and wellbeing needs.
Participating schools receive funding to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, a qualified teacher, to work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community.
The role of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader is to:
The role provides a proactive focus for the promotion and prevention of mental health and wellbeing through assessment and implementation of context-relevant programs, approaches and initiatives based on a broad and extensive knowledge of the needs of the school.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader role is not a clinical role and is not designed for direct intervention. The role is seen as a key conduit in creating referral pathways once a teacher or other staff member identifies a concern in the classroom.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders are provided training in mental health literacy, supporting emerging needs, and building school capacity and receive ongoing support and professional development through structured and regular Learning Communities Training is developed and facilitated by the Faculty of Education at University of Melbourne, supported by Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
Operating in collaboration with their school, leadership and wellbeing team where relevant, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader will:
Applicants should be currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach.
A qualification in student wellbeing or mental health is desirable but not required.
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
The successful candidate will need the preparedness to work at any campus of Noble Park English Language School.
Able to drive or commute to any campus of Noble Park English Language School.
To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class:
Details of qualification requirements as updated from time to time can be found at Recruitment in Schools.