Work Type: Fixed-term - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 4
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs
Reference: 1481728
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.
Qualification in Speech Pathology and eligibility for membership of Speech Pathology Australia is mandatory.
The paediatric speech pathologist will be responsible for the provision of communication and language therapy services in a special developmental school setting to aged 3 to 18 years students with a moderate-severe intellectual disability. Students may also present with complex physical disabilities and/or health difficulties. The successful applicant will work alongside teachers and therapists in a multidisciplinary context utilising evidence based therapeutic and educational frameworks. The successful applicant will undertake a range of duties including but not limited to; assessment, identification and establishment of communication systems for non-verbal students, assessment and development of mealtimes and a range of assessments for reporting purposed and secondary consultations. This position will suit a practitioner with an interest in Augmentative and Alternative Communication and feeding management. Time fraction is negotiable and position includes working in a dynamic, likeminded and collaborative team who share resources and relevant learning from professional development.
Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of the position.
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