Work Type: Fixed-term - Part-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 4
Occupation: Education and training
Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs
Reference: 1545139
1. Counselling, assessment and early intervention
Demonstrated knowledge and experience in providing developmentally appropriate counselling, assessment and early intervention to primary-aged children experiencing emotional, behavioural, social, relationship or mild to moderate mental health concerns, including the ability to develop appropriate goals, formulations and intervention plans.
2. Child-centred therapeutic practice
Demonstrated ability to establish safe, trusting and therapeutic relationships with children and use a range of developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed approaches, including play, art, psychoeducation, emotional regulation, mindfulness, relaxation, role play and problem-solving.
3. Culturally responsive practice and family engagement
Demonstrated ability to work respectfully and effectively with children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, recognising the impact of culture, language, family context and lived experience on mental health and wellbeing. Demonstrated capacity to engage parents and carers collaboratively and build family capability to support children's emotional and social wellbeing.
4. Collaboration and coordination of support
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with students, families, teachers, school leadership and external professionals to develop and coordinate appropriate supports, including the ability to identify when referral or additional specialist intervention is required.
5. Professional practice, autonomy and whole-school wellbeing
Demonstrated capacity to work with a high level of professional autonomy and sound professional judgement, maintain appropriate professional boundaries and contribute to whole-school mental health and wellbeing through prevention, promotion, early intervention and building staff capability.
The School Counsellor provides professional, student-centred counselling and early intervention to primary-aged students experiencing emotional, behavioural, social, relationship or mild to moderate mental health concerns.
The role contributes to the school's whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing through student counselling, family engagement, staff capability building and coordination of support with relevant internal and external services.
The School Counsellor works with a high level of professional autonomy within their professional discipline and in accordance with Department of Education policies, legislation and relevant professional standards.
This position is classified as Education Support Class Level 1, Range 4
The successful applicant will be an experienced professional who carries out duties relative to their professional discipline with a high level of autonomy and minimal reliance on professional supervision. The position involves the development and implementation of professional support programs within an educational environment, including guidance to other professional staff.
As an Education Support Class position, this role supports educational services provided to students but does not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic).
Child Safety
The School Counsellor is required to promote and protect the safety and wellbeing of students and comply with all relevant Victorian Government and Department of Education child safety, mandatory reporting, information-sharing, privacy and professional conduct requirements.
This version is probably the strongest format for a school recruitment advertisement/position description: it retains the elements that establish the professional nature and ES1 Range 4 responsibilities without making the document unnecessarily long.
Student Counselling and Early Intervention
Assessment and Intervention Planning
Family and School Collaboration
Whole-School Mental Health and Wellbeing
Coordination of Support
Essential Capabilities
The successful applicant will demonstrate:
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
Please ensure that your application includes:
Please note that the selection panel may seek additional referees beyond those you name. Consistent with policy, we shall advise you if we will take this action.
Fitzroy Primary School is an inner-city primary school committed to fostering excellence, inclusion, and lifelong learning. Our vision is to empower every student to be a confident, capable, and compassionate learner, guided by our values of respect, empathy and courage
In 2026, the school had an enrolment of 210 students. Our staffing structure allows for strong relationships, individualised support, and high-quality teaching and learning across all year levels.
Fitzroy Primary School is located in the heart of Fitzroy, providing students with access to rich cultural, artistic, and community resources. The school serves a diverse student population, with a range of social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. All students undertake a French bilingual program, with 40% of their learning delivered in French, fostering bilingualism, intercultural understanding, and global citizenship.
Notable features of the school include a strong emphasis on student wellbeing, evidence-based teaching practices, and programs designed to support both academic growth and social-emotional development. Our broad and balanced curriculum encourages creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration, while targeted interventions ensure the needs of all learners are met.
Through a shared commitment to our vision, values, and strategic priorities, Fitzroy Primary School continues to provide a safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment that empowers every student to thrive.