Work Type: Fixed-term - Part-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 4
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Melbourne - Northern suburbs
Reference: 1546414
An ability to work positively and effectively within a trans-disciplinary team comprised of school staff, families, students and external organisations.
Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills.
An ability to deliver speech pathology services to students with a disability within an educational setting including assessment, reporting, and intervention.
Experience and knowledge in the use and application of low-tech and high-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems.
Commitment to and ability to follow established school frameworks, timelines, and priorities and work effectively with the school leadership team.
An ability and willingness to provide professional development and information sessions to staff and families in relevant areas of speech pathology practise.
The school currently has a part time speech pathologist and this position will extend the support provided to students. The current position is for 3 days per week (22.8 hours) but days and times are negotiable. An education support class employee (EFT) accrues 50 days paid leave each year which is taken during the school holidays.
The Speech Pathologist at Waratah SDS works collaboratively with teachers, assistants, therapists, and families to develop student¿s understanding and use of language and communication; and to support their mealtime safety. At Waratah SDS, a multi-modal approach to communication is used and student¿s communication is supported through both speech and the use of low-tech and high-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Systems. The Speech Pathologist provides assessment of receptive, expressive, and pragmatic communication skills and interventions are focussed on collaboration and consultation with teaching staff to enhance student¿s communication and social skills across the day.
Education support class Level 1 Range 4
An education support class role at this range is distinguished by:
broader management responsibility, particularly in the areas of finance and human resources where management responsibility is for a range of functions under a wide range of conditions, subject to the size and complexity of school operations; or
delivery of professional student support services and/or clinical management of students and other support functions.
Objectives will, generally, be clearly defined; guidelines will be broad, and day-to-day direction minimal. Management responsibility extends to ensuring appropriate support levels are maintained across the school.
An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students but must not include duties of a teacher as defined in section 2.4 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor. Supervision of students can be required where it is an integral part of the employee¿s position or in circumstances where supervision is required individually or in groups up to 4 in controlled circumstances and where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher
A role at this range may include:
Provision of key support and advice to the leadership team and school council and/or liaison with the general school community, the Department, and other government agencies and service providers.
Professional student support positions where duties and responsibilities, relative to their professional discipline, are carried out with a higher level of autonomy and with minimal reliance on professional supervision. These positions provide health advice and clinical resources to the school community. Typical professional support positions operating at this level would be registered nurses (performing the role of Registered Nurse range 4 as described in Schedule 3), speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and social workers.
Responsibility for the development and implementation of professional support programs within an educational environment, including guidance to other professional staff.
This position is for a speech pathologist with expertise in using AAC systems with students with significant cognitive and communication impairments.
To assess the communication and swallowing needs of students and/or refer to external agencies where assessment cannot be completed at school.
To do the above as a member of a trans-disciplinary team, including parents, teachers, aides, and other therapists.
To attend and participate in review meetings as part of each student¿s team.
Program Planning and Implementation
To develop programs and resources to support student¿s communication and educational development.
To implement programs with individuals or groups of students where relevant and/or provide and demonstrate these programs to staff and families.
Consultation
Offer consultation to all members of staff around student communication and swallowing safety.
To liaise with staff from external agencies who may be involved with the family and child and whose input is necessary in order to provide and maintain a high quality of service.
To be available during working hours to discuss issues of concern with parents, directly or by telephone.
To assist with applications for access to services or equipment from community resources.
Equipment and Aids
To assess and monitor the need for aids and equipment of individual children.
To arrange loan and/or purchase of aids and equipment as appropriate.
To manage relevant areas of the school budget.
Reporting
To regularly evaluate and document the progress of students as required by school guidelines.
To provide reports for funding applications and progress reports for students as required.
Professional Development
To remain up to date with the latest information pertinent to speech pathology delivery and positive behaviour support in an educational and SDS setting.
To provide Professional Development activities for school staff.
To provide information and training activities to the parents and broader community.
To participate in Professional Development activities provided at a school based level where appropriate.
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
Waratah SDS provides educational programs for approximately 80 students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. Many students also have an ASD diagnosis, physical or sensory impairments or complex medical needs. The school community encompasses a wide range of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Almost 60% students come from non-English speaking backgrounds and our Student Family Occupation index is 0.69. Interpreters are used frequently to assist communication with families.
One of the goals in our strategic plan is to form effective partnerships between home and school to improve student independence. The school uses an app to communicate with families and employs a welfare officer one day per week to provide support to families, facilitate home school communication and assist families to access other services. Our NDIS Navigator assists families in understanding the NDIS system and relevant services. Support is also provided to parents in the form of morning teas, parent support groups, information sessions and family social activities
Waratah SDS is located in Banksia St, Bellfield in purpose-built facilities which includes twelve classrooms; specialist areas for art, physical education, home crafts, music and therapy work spaces. The school has large grounds and the external learning areas include two in-ground trampolines, play equipment, swings, sensory areas, outdoor gym, cubby house and a kitchen garden. A master plan for the external environment has been created and these spaces will continue to be developed as funding becomes available. A partnership with Farm Raiser has resulted in a fully operational market garden being established at the rear of the school providing opportunities for developing work skills for our senior students.
The school also runs a Satellite Unit at Brunswick South West Primary School. We have two classrooms and play area which have been refurbished to meet the students¿ needs. The partnership with Brunswick SWPS is very supportive and provides many opportunities for inclusion.
The school is organised into three sections at the main site ¿ Early Years (5-9 year olds), Middle Years (10-15 year olds) and Senior Transition (15-18 year olds). Within each section class groupings reflect the needs of the students. Therapists mainly work in classrooms alongside teachers providing consultation and professional development for staff. All classes are timetabled for specialist classes in food technology, art, physical education and technology. A garden educator is two days per week to work with Middle Years and Senior students.
The school aims to create a motivating and supportive environment that nurtures potential to learn and grow, experience success and enrich the community. We believe that the best educational outcomes are achieved through a strong school and home partnership. Our school provides a safe and secure learning environment in which challenging, stimulating and structured programs ensure that all students achieve success. We aim for all students to become as independent as possible and to achieve their best by participating in a broad range of activities within both the school and community settings. We recognize and value the individuality of our students.
All students at Waratah SDS have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which is developed at the with teachers, parents/caregivers, therapists and other relevant professionals contributing. The IEP forms the basis for the students¿ programs for the year and reflects individual student¿s abilities and progress towards increased independence. Our Instructional Model emphasises using visual support, structure, repetition and teaching skills in a variety of situations to encourage generalisation.
A functional and integrated approach is taken to student learning with language/communication a key focus. Alongside speech we use a range of alternative and augmentative communication systems which include signing, picture symbols, photographs and voice generating devices. Opportunities for communication are incorporated into all aspects of the school day.
The therapy programs are an integral part of the school curriculum and are offered on a needs basis. The therapy team includes a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, and physiotherapist. The therapists work closely with teaching staff and provide valuable input into individual learning plans. They work throughout the school demonstrating and discussing with teaching and support staff how the therapy components can be incorporated into classroom programs.
Developing appropriate behaviour and social skills is also a priority in the school and the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SW-PBS) framework provides continuum of behavioural support that considers all students and emphasizes prevention.
Waratah SDS uses technology to engage students and improve learning outcomes. All classrooms have an Interactive Whiteboard or SMART board, iPad and PCs. We use video modelling to teach students desired behaviours.
The school believes that to improve student outcomes we need to improve teacher practice and we have a strong focus on professional learning. Classroom observations and feedback through Professional Learning Teams (PLTs); mentoring/coaching from leading teachers and therapists; as well as targeted whole school professional learning; are the key strategies adopted.
Waratah SDS takes a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse and is fully committed to ensuring that its strategies, policies, procedures and practices meet all Child Safety Standards as specified in Ministerial Order No. 870 (2015).