Work Type: Fixed-term - Part-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 5
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Melbourne - Western suburbs
Reference: 1552468
Melton West Primary School is located in the township of Melton, approximately 38 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD. Enrolments have recently stabilised with a current enrolment of 527 students. The school has established its reputation amongst the community as a vibrant, committed, professional learning community which has a clear focus and vision on continuous improvement.
The school¿s facilities have recently been updated, with a full-sized gymnasium, student amenities and a new Administration block constructed. Please click on this link for photos of our well-presented school: https://vimeo.com/820716875/45385e0434
Melton West Primary School believes in high levels of learning for all. We hold the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our school and base all our decisions on what is best for our students. Our vision is to be seen as an inclusive learning community where students, families and staff collaborate to celebrate diversity, nurture curiosity, and encourage each other to achieve and grow as life-long learners. The school values of Communication, Honesty, Kindness, Resilience, Respect and Teamwork underpin the way in which we, as a community, interact to ensure children are supported and safe.
All members of the Melton West Primary School staff demonstrate a strong commitment to keeping up to date with the latest educational research, with many working alongside our school-based coaches and external consultants to continually develop their pedagogical skills. All staff have the opportunity to be trained in Trauma-Informed Educational Practices once appointed.
We seek educators who are highly skilled practitioners, resilient and committed to working as part of a highly effective Professional Learning Community. The successful applicant will be an exemplary educator who has a passion for continuous learning and who demonstrates the capacity to be an active member of the school community. They will have a proven capacity for success and a demonstrated capacity to align their instructional practice to our whole school practice.
Melton West Primary School will apply a thorough and rigorous screening processes in the recruitment of employees and volunteers involved in child-connected work. Our commitment to child safety and our screening requirements are included in all advertisements for employee, contractor and volunteer positions, and all applicants are provided with copies of the school¿s Child Safety Code of Conduct and the Child Safety Policy.
Please check out our website to find out more about our school. Melton West Primary School (meltonwestps.vic.edu.au)
Applicants wishing to find out information about the school or the position may contact the Principal, Michelle Costa, via email on: [email protected]
Occupational Therapy and Functional Capacity
Demonstrated knowledge, skills and experience in the provision of Occupational Therapy services to children and young people with disability, developmental differences and/or complex functional needs, with particular emphasis on assessing and developing the functional capacities required for participation, independence and access to education.
Functional Assessment, Task Analysis and Curriculum Access
Demonstrated ability to undertake functional assessment and task analysis to identify the physical, sensory, fine motor, cognitive, visual-perceptual, executive functioning and/or environmental factors impacting a student's ability to access and participate in learning. Demonstrated ability to use assessment findings to develop, implement and evaluate practical interventions within the student's everyday environment.
Assistive Technology, Equipment and Task Modification
Demonstrated knowledge and experience in the assessment, trial, prescription and implementation of assistive technology, specialised equipment, environmental modifications and/or task adaptations to improve student access, participation and independence. Demonstrated ability to balance the provision of appropriate adaptations with interventions that progressively develop a student's functional capacity and reduce unnecessary reliance on equipment or adult assistance where appropriate.
Collaboration, Staff Capacity Building and Classroom Practice
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with students, families/carers, teachers, Education Support staff, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech Pathologists and other relevant professionals, including the ability to translate Occupational Therapy recommendations into practical classroom strategies and provide coaching, modelling and professional learning that builds staff capability.
Initiative, Autonomy and Innovative Practice
Demonstrated ability to work independently and proactively, manage a caseload and referral priorities, and use sound clinical reasoning to identify opportunities where Occupational Therapy can improve student participation and independence. Demonstrated capacity to initiate and develop individual interventions, small-group programs, classroom strategies, resources, staff training and/or broader initiatives in response to identified student and school needs.
Evidence-Based Practice, Evaluation and Professional Communication
Demonstrated commitment to evidence-based, outcome-focused and reflective Occupational Therapy practice, including the ability to establish meaningful functional goals, evaluate intervention outcomes and adapt practice accordingly. Demonstrated high-level written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, commitment to ongoing professional development, and ability to seek and respond constructively to professional supervision and feedback.
[Attendance requirement for this position]
Will usually be a member of the leadership team who is accountable for the development and delivery of key services that are integral to the effective operation of a school/s. Provides a range of services and/or undertakes the analysis of complex problems that form part of the policy framework.
A school or group of schools would need to have the necessary diversity and complexity to create a role at range 5. Management of a major school or district initiative, project or Department targeted strategy would be an indicator depending on the breadth of management responsibilities.
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.
Completing functional and occupational assessments to understand barriers to participation.
Assessing how a student's physical, sensory, cognitive, fine motor, visual-perceptual and executive functioning skills impact curriculum access.
Working directly within classrooms to analyse learning tasks and identify barriers to participation.
Modifying classroom activities and learning tasks to improve accessibility.
Recommending and prescribing assistive technology and specialised equipment.
Supporting positioning, seating, access and functional participation within learning environments.
Trialling equipment and strategies within the student's actual classroom environment.
Developing individualised programs to build students' functional capacity and independence.
Supporting fine motor, upper limb, handwriting, technology access, self-care and other functional skills where they impact participation at school.
Delivering targeted 1:1 therapy and small-group interventions.
Working alongside teachers and Education Support staff to embed therapeutic strategies within everyday learning.
Providing staff training, coaching and modelling around equipment, adaptations and therapeutic strategies.
Monitoring outcomes and progressively modifying or reducing supports as students develop greater independence.
Collaborating closely with Physiotherapists, Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Exercise Physiologists, Allied Health Assistants, Teachers, Education Support staff and families.
We are looking for an Occupational Therapist who is:
Passionate about paediatrics, disability and functional participation.
Skilled or interested in functional capacity assessment and intervention.
Experienced or interested in assistive technology and equipment prescription.
Able to analyse tasks and environments through an Occupational Therapy lens.
Creative in adapting activities while preserving meaningful participation and learning.
Passionate about developing independence and functional capacity.
Confident working collaboratively with teachers and Education Support staff.
Able to translate clinical recommendations into practical classroom strategies.
Comfortable providing individual therapy, group interventions and classroom-based support.
Highly organised and able to independently manage referrals and caseload priorities.
Proactive and willing to identify opportunities for new programs, interventions and staff training.
We are particularly interested in applicants who are self-driven and motivated to make the role their own.
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