Work Type: Fixed-term - Part-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 4
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs
Reference: 1481735
Dandenong Valley SDS is a specialist school located in Narre Warren Victoria. We cater for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability who may also have physical impairments, medical needs, sensory needs and autism spectrum disorder. The school was built in 1990 with an addition of a purpose built BER building in 2012 and a new senior school and specialist teaching spaces built in 2024. School facilities include a PMP room, sensory garden, horticulture centre, bike track, fitness room, engine room and sensory room, generous sized classrooms and stimulating play spaces. All students participate in weekly water familiarisation, safety and swimming sessions in the Hydrotherapy pool.
Students at our school range in age from 5-18 years of age and we also have an Early Education Program which caters for children from 2.8 -4.8 years. The three year olds attend this program one day a week and the four year olds attend two days a week.
Students in their last two years of schooling participate in senior transition programs. The aim of these programs is to provide students with a diverse range of age appropriate learning experiences in preparation for post school options and adult life.
School Vision: Our vision for Dandenong Valley SDS is to achieve excellence in learning and teaching and provide the best outcomes for each of its students.
Mission Statement: Dandenong Valley SDS endeavours to equip students with the capacities to manage themselves and their relations with others, understand their world and act effectively in that world.
Our Values are: Integrity, Respect and Responsibility
Dandenong Valley SDS is a Schoolwide Positive Behaviour community. This Framework is fully embedded across the school and enables us to promote a happy positive learning environment for all. Our school rules are explicitly taught across all areas of the curriculum and the school. The rules are;
Our Special Education programs are fully supported by a therapy team which consists of speech therapists, occupational therapists, a physiotherapist and music therapist. The role of the therapy team is to support the students to enable them to access their educational program. Therapists also work in close collaboration with teachers to ensure individual goals are achieved by all students.
Student Individual learning goals are based on our strategic plan priorities which are;
These areas are the most important for our students and their families. Without these basic skills our students cannot engage in meaningful activities, nor reach their full potential.
Dandenong Valley SDS is committed to child safety. Our school actively promotes the safety and wellbeing of all students, including the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities and vulnerable children. 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.
At Dandenong Valley SDS we provide programs that cater for individual needs, interests and abilities of our students. The school¿s curriculum is based on The Victorian Curriculum Foundation Levels A-D). In addition we offer a range of specialised programs that occur within the school environment or out in the local community.
These include:
Perceptual motor program, swimming (in our purpose built hydrotherapy pool), community access, social emotional learning program, bike education, interschool sports, performing arts, STEM, visual arts, PE and camps.
SC1 Demonstrated highly developed interpersonal skills and communication skills.
SC 2 Demonstrated capability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships between people with disability and their parents and carers, other organisations or agencies and the wider community.
SC 3 Demonstrated understanding of issues facing students with disability and their parents/carers.
SC 4 Experience in building the capacity of others to navigate complex systems.
SC 5 Demonstrated knowledge of the operations of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and/or operations of specialist schools.
Children and young people with disability can require a greater degree of parental or family involvement in their education and care than their peers without disability. Parents and carers of children with disability play several supporting roles, including as advocates and as people who can provide valuable insight into their child¿s specific needs for services such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the broader health and community services system.
The Victorian Government is introducing new NDIS Navigators from 2023 in government specialist schools to provide support to parents and carers to help them navigate and understand the NDIS, enabling them to get the most out of the supports available. They will also provide support to schools, parents and carers to better understand the interface between the education system and the NDIS.
The NDIS Navigator will carry out the following with a high level of autonomy (within broad guidelines), professional leadership and minimal day-to-day direction:
provide support and advice for parents and carers to build their capacity to understand, advocate for and access appropriate NDIS funded support services available to their children
develop and maintain relationships with parents, carers, school staff and local services to enable productive working relationships between schools, parents, carers and the NDIS
support collaborative practices between NDIS funded services and the school including by providing appropriate information, documentation and/or logistical support for approved NDIS-funded therapist on-site visits. (School to edit/amend if they do not allow NDIS therapists to delivery therapy on school site)
working collaboratively across their school, the NDIS Navigator will support families and carers to resolve issues experienced with the NDIS through appropriate channels.
The NDIS Navigator will not:
contact the National Disability Insurance Agency or NDIS funded agencies on behalf of families or carers except in limited circumstances, following consultation with the principal
act as an advocate for families, carers and students in matters that are the responsibility of the school.
The NDIS Navigator role is not a teaching role or a clinical role and is not designed for direct intervention, individual student case management or crisis management. The role will not implement or perform supports and adjustments in schools.
In some circumstances the NDIS Navigator may need to consult with the principal to prioritise families that have more complex needs that require additional support.
Relevant experience in the NDIS, disability, youth or education sectors is desirable but not essential.
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.
The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, 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 family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).
Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via [email protected]
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