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: 1552570
SC1. Demonstrated capacity to work across all areas of the school with students who exhibit challenging behaviours.
SC2. Demonstrated capacity to deliver a speech therapy program to students with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities.
SC3. Demonstrated capacity to effectively work as a member of a team establishing positive relationships with colleagues, students and their families.
SC4. Demonstrated knowledge and experience in provision of AAC as well as the ability to provide training to all staff.
This position involves working with children 3-18 years of age, who have moderate to profound intellectual disabilities and co-morbid diagnoses, within an educational framework. Formal qualifications are mandatory.
Range 4 is distinguished by the introduction of management responsibility and accountability for the delivery of professional support services. The role will usually impact beyond the work area or professional field. It seeks to gain cooperation of other staff members or members of the school community to achieve specific objectives, such as in school administration, operations or educational programs. Direction on targets and goals is provided but the position will have some degree of latitude in determining how they are achieved. This latitude will generally be limited by standard procedures and school policy. Deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.
Speech Therapists working in this school setting provide an essential service to the educational team. The Speech Therapist will provide advice and expertise to the educational team to support students¿ with communication and mealtime needs to optimise student outcomes and facilitate their access, participation and inclusion in the school curriculum.
A degree in Speech Therapy.
Work cooperatively within a multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary team including teachers, teacher assistants, physiotherapist, speech pathologists, occupational therapist, welfare officers and psychologists.
Diagnose and manage students who experience difficulty with expressive and/or receptive communication disorders, saliva control, dysphagia, dyspraxia, social skills and hearing impairment.
Design and implement programs according to student¿s individual needs and based on developmental level and age appropriateness in collaboration with teachers, teacher assistants, parents and carers and other therapists.
To assist with supervision of students in the playground, on excursions and during therapy sessions as directed by the principal.
To demonstrate strong ongoing professional growth.
To work within our scope of practice and level of expertise using Evidence Based Practice.
Flexibility to work within an educational model of service delivery.
Assist teachers to write Communication goals for Individual Learning Plans.
Conduct group speech therapy programs in classrooms including expressive and receptive language/communication (including AAC) and social skills.
Conduct specialised programs with small groups of students.
Document service delivery to students, parents etc.
Crisis response¿Responding to an incident where the health and safety of the school community is at immediate risk¿behaviour¿ including meetings, student support groups, additional classroom support, assessment and recommendations
Assess, prescribe, design, train and implement Alternative and Augmentative communication systems (low and high tech) with students, classroom staff and families.
Document and maintain accurate records and report student progress.
Consultation with classroom staff to assist with the integration of communication programs within the classroom across the day
Work with other therapists in a multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary team approach to develop integrated programs to address individual needs.
Coordinate meal assistance programs for individual students, documenting recommendations and monitoring progress. Refer to outside agencies for ongoing management of Dysphagia, and follow their recommendations in the school to maintain safety.
Assessment and report writing for individual students for funding under the Disability Inclusion Profiles.
Assist with the formation of the Speech Therapy budget.
Assist in the management of the Speech Therapy resources.
To attend relevant professional learning and integrate this into practice.
Present in-services to staff, parents and carers as required in areas relevant to Speech Therapy.
Attend meetings eg. Staff, therapy, welfare, Student support group and case/care team, and department meetings.
Liaise with outside agencies/professional bodies and private therapists.
Provide feedback to staff on student progress/performance in programs.
Review relevant policies and procedures.
Follow through with referrals from students on their caseload.
Assist with meal time assistance/yard duty where requested by management.
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
Frankston Special Developmental School (SDS) is a unique dual campus School. The main Frankston Campus located in Karingal in the outer southern suburbs of Melbourne, while the residential outdoor Blackwood Campus is in the small township of Blackwood, 80km north-west of Melbourne and 140km from our Frankston Campus.
The School
The following values are seen as being central to the life of the school and how all members in the school community should conduct themselves: Sharing, Caring, Respect and Individuality. The school vision statement Learning for life is the focus of all programs conducted at Frankston SDS.
Our school is committed to child safety, and it is a requirement that all of those working with children have an understanding of our Child Safe Code of Conduct and methods of identifying and following up suspected abuse.
Measurable goals are devised and progress is monitored throughout the year in all areas to ensure improved outcomes for the students.
Frankston Campus
The Campus has well equipped facilities for the students including: nineteen classrooms, a gymnasium, multi-purpose room, homecrafts room, art and craft room, computer lab and extensive play equipment. The school has recently undergone a significant renovation.
Frankston Campus provides a specialised and challenging curriculum for 125 school aged students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities. The school challenges students to do their best in a supportive and engaging environment.
Students learn in active, practical and meaningful ways and the school aims to develop each child¿s ability academically, socially physically and emotionally. Our staff are dedicated, qualified professionals who are experienced in working with children with special, varied and often complex needs to provide the best education, self-esteem and independence building opportunities for the students. All staff model positive behaviour to students consistent with the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support Framework.
The Individualised Learning Programs created at Frankston aim to develop social competencies, communication and independence. They are implemented and monitored by a team of dedicated staff which includes teachers, teacher assistants, four speech therapists, a social worker, an occupational therapist, a chaplain and a physiotherapist.
Our Frankston Campus also provides an Early Education Program for pre-school aged students who exhibit significant global developmental delay. The Early Education Program operates out of the East Karingal Kindergarten. It is an inclusive program; our staff and students working together with their mainstream colleagues and friends.