Work Type: Fixed-term - Part-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 3
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs
Reference: 1537044
1. Demonstrated capacity and experience in delivering professional support including individual counselling and behaviour support for students and small groups of children with a range of mental health issues, applying sound theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.
2. Capacity to liaise with families as appropriate, at times including providing brief counselling or coaching to parents.
3. Demonstrated experience in undertaking classroom observations and functional behaviour analysis for children with challenging behaviours, providing proactive and responsive behaviour support and counselling for the students as well as reports and recommendations for adjustments to the Wellbeing Leadership Team.
4.Capacity to liaise regularly with the school Wellbeing Leadership Team and, where appropriate, with external service providers (eg. Allied health, Orange Door, Child Protection) to provide support to students and families .
5. Commitment to maintain registration with an appropriate registration body (eg. ACA, PACFA) and continued professional learning, including attending relevant professional development activities throughout the year.
6. Demonstrated capacity to meet relevant policies and legislative requirements in relation to student health information privacy, mandatory reporting etc, ensuring regular communication with School/Wellbeing Leadership in relation to child safety
The Behaviour Support Practitioner/Counsellor will work with a number of students, both 1:1 and at times in small groups. The practitioner will collaborate closely with the Wellbeing Leadership Team to support students with challenging behaviours, with a particular focus on a group of students demonstrating significantly dysregulated behaviours. Functional Behaviour Analysis will be undertaken with FBA reports provided to support adjustments planned for the classroom as well as to support the Disability Inclusion Profiling process. At times, the practitioner will be required to respond to students when dysregulated or heightened, supporting them with regulation. There will also be ongoing proactive counselling and behaviour support.
The Behaviour Support Practitioner/Counsellor will work with a number of students, both 1:1 and at times in small groups. The practitioner will collaborate closely with the Wellbeing Leadership Team to support students with challenging behaviours, with a particular focus on a group of students demonstrating significantly dysregulated behaviours. Functional Behaviour Analysis will be undertaken with FBA reports provided to support adjustments planned for the classroom as well as to support the Disability Inclusion Profiling process. At times, the practitioner will be required to respond to students when dysregulated or heightened, supporting them with regulation. There will also be ongoing proactive counselling and behaviour support.
Bachelor or Masters level qualified, registered counsellors or psychologists, preferably with experience in behaviour support work including functional behaviour analysis.
Must be registered with an appropriate governing body (eg ACA/PACFA for counsellors, AHPRA for psychologists)
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
Bridgewood Primary School and Integrated Child and Family Centre opened in January 2018. Located in the Cardinia Shire, this new school provides for families within Pakenham and Officer, including emerging estates within the south east growth corridor. Bridgewood complements the overall Officer Education Precinct, located adjacent to the site shared by Officer Secondary College and Officer Specialist School.
Through strong local governance and partnership, Cardinia Shire agreed to contribute land (0.4ha) and a $3 million capital investment towards this facility, to build and deliver a fully integrated child and family centre within the school setting. The Shire contracted Early Childhood Management Services to manage and deliver the kindergarten services. The early learning spaces are within the same building as the Foundation learning space, facilitating full integration of early learning and primary schooling. There is shared planning space for Kindergarten and Foundation staff, supporting professionals to collaborate and deliver enhanced learning, development and wellbeing opportunities for every child and family.
Bridgewood Primary School caters for Foundation to Year 6 students housed in four Learning Communities. The school is designed for a long-term enrolment in excess of 450 students with a peak enrolment of approximately 900. Current 2025 F-6 enrolments are 570. The Integrated Child and Family Centre comprises two Kindergarten rooms (three and four year old kindergartens) and a community space along with consulting rooms for Maternal and Child Health and visiting practitioners.
Bridgewood Primary School is part of a ground breaking precinct that is the embodiment of lifelong learning and community ownership. At the heart of this facility, it is recognised that the child is a competent learner from birth and this will drive professionals to deliver opportunities that encourage children to expand their capacities and deepen their understanding of the world. There are high expectations for every child.
Cardinia Shire has been instrumental in establishing support for this type of joined up approach. As a fully integrated facility, it allows for first contact at birth with the provision of fully operational Maternal and Child Care Health service, continuing through the availability of a range of parenting support programs including community and supported playgroups, new parents groups, Kindergarten, and specialist services such as speech and language, early intervention, Out of School Hours Care and primary schooling.
In addition to our strong partnership with the Cardinia Shire, Bridgewood is also fortunate to be supported through a partnership with the Colman Foundation, Our Place. A Community Engagement Coordinator was employed in 2018 through Our Place to support Bridgewood¿s commitment to community engagement. A second Community Engagement Team member was employed in 2019.
Teaching spaces allow for full implementation of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) approach. Learning Community Mentors (teachers) use a cycle of Diagnose, Intervene and Evaluate to frame their PLC inquiries. Learning Communities are designed around modifiable spaces that accommodate varied teaching and learning approaches, fluid groupings, and shared ownership. Responsibility for student learning across the community is shared by the team of mentors.
A high level of collaborative skills are necessary for effective teaching and learning within the learning communities at Bridgewood. Teaching methods used are evidence-based and consistent throughout the school. We plan to further activate student agency within learning and student voice within the community.
The Bridgewood Primary School Vision is `Improving outcomes for every child, every day¿.
Our commitment to student growth and achievement is paramount. Our teaching and learning programs are rigorous and consistent throughout the school. We have a strong focus on fundamental skill development, as well a deep commitment to applied learning. Teachers at Bridgewood commit to a PLC approach, which means a high level of collaboration. They commit to ongoing continuous improvement.
Bridgewood is a Leader In Me site. We have adopted Stephen Covey¿s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People/ Franklin-Covey¿s 7 Habits of Happy Kids throughout the school. All teaching staff receive training in the 7 Habits. The language of the 7 Habits is used throughout the school and explicit lessons are taught as well as the language being embedded throughout the school.
Our specialist programs for 2026 are Art, Physical Education, Chinese, Music and STEM.