Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 3
Occupation: Education and training
Location: Gippsland - Wellington
Reference: 1549225
Key Selection Criteria
SC1 ¿ Student Wellbeing Knowledge and Experience
Demonstrated knowledge and experience in supporting the social, emotional, behavioural and mental health needs of primary school-aged students, including the ability to provide appropriate individual and targeted support across a multi-tiered wellbeing framework.
SC2 ¿ Wellbeing Programs and Group Facilitation
Demonstrated ability to plan, implement and evaluate evidence-informed student wellbeing programs, including small-group interventions focused on emotional regulation, social skills, resilience, positive relationships, engagement and creative approaches to wellbeing.
SC3 ¿ Case Coordination and External Agency Partnerships
Demonstrated ability to coordinate student support services, work collaboratively with external agencies and professionals, and contribute effectively to Student Support Groups, care teams and multidisciplinary meetings to support students with complex needs.
SC4 ¿ Communication, Relationships and Professional Practice
Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to build positive, respectful and trusting relationships with students, families, school staff and external professionals while maintaining confidentiality, professional boundaries and child safety obligations.
SC5 ¿ Qualifications, Professional Knowledge and Initiative
Demonstrated relevant qualifications, training, knowledge and experience in student wellbeing, social work, youth work, counselling, mental health, community services or a related field, together with the ability to work independently, exercise sound professional judgement and contribute to the continuous improvement of whole-school wellbeing practices.
Student Wellbeing ¿ ES 3-1
Role Description
Guthridge Primary School is seeking a passionate, skilled and suitably qualified Student Wellbeing and Engagement Officer to join our student wellbeing team.
The successful applicant will play an important role in strengthening the school's whole-school approach to student wellbeing, engagement, inclusion and positive mental health.
Working collaboratively with the Principal, Assistant Principal, teaching staff, families and external support agencies, the Student Wellbeing and Engagement Officer will provide targeted support to students across all three tiers of the school's wellbeing framework.
The role will involve working directly with individual students, facilitating structured small-group wellbeing programs, coordinating external support services, participating in care teams and Student Support Group meetings, and supporting students experiencing complex social, emotional, behavioural or family circumstances.
A key focus of the position will be developing and implementing proactive wellbeing programs, including creative arts-based activities, social skills groups, emotional regulation programs, friendship groups, resilience-building activities and other evidence-informed interventions that support students' engagement and connection to school.
The successful applicant will also support the coordination of services for students in Out-of-Home Care, working closely with school leadership, carers, case managers, LOOKOUT Education Support Centres and relevant external agencies.
The position will contribute to the development of a coordinated and responsive student wellbeing network, ensuring students and families can access appropriate support at the right time.
The role requires a high level of initiative, professional judgement, communication and collaboration, with the ability to work independently within established Department of Education policies, professional boundaries and school procedures.
A minimum qualification of a Diploma of Community Services, Youth Work, Counselling, Mental Health or a closely related field, together with relevant experience, is highly desirable. Applicants with higher qualifications in social work, psychology, counselling, youth work or related disciplines are strongly encouraged to apply.
Key Responsibilities
The Student Wellbeing and Engagement Officer will work collaboratively with school leadership, staff, families and external agencies to support student wellbeing and engagement.
Key responsibilities include:
Who May Apply
Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfil the specific requirements of the position.
A minimum qualification of a Diploma of Community Services, Youth Work, Counselling, Mental Health or a closely related field, together with relevant experience supporting children and young people, is highly desirable.
Applicants holding higher qualifications, including a Bachelor of Social Work, Psychology, Counselling, Youth Work, Human Services or a related discipline, are strongly encouraged to apply.
Demonstrated experience working with vulnerable children, coordinating external support services, facilitating student wellbeing programs and participating in multidisciplinary care teams will be highly regarded.
Experience working within a school, community services organisation, child and family support service, youth support service or similar setting will also be highly regarded.
The successful applicant must meet all applicable Department of Education employment, suitability and child safety requirements.
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
Professional Expectations
The Student Wellbeing and Engagement Officer will work under the direction of the Principal or nominated school leader and as part of the school's broader student wellbeing and support network.
The position is focused on wellbeing support, early intervention, student engagement, service coordination and the implementation of structured wellbeing programs. It does not independently provide clinical diagnosis or specialist psychological treatment unless the successful applicant holds the appropriate qualifications, registrations and authorisations.
The successful applicant will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to inclusive education, trauma-informed practice, professional confidentiality, child safety and positive relationships with students, families and the wider school community.
Guthridge Primary School is located in Sale, Gippsland, and is approximately 220 km east of Melbourne.
Enrolments for 2027 will be approximately 280 with a Student Family Occupation and Education (SFOE) index of 0.5070.
Our school has high expectations of all its students and aims to provide an opportunity for each of them to develop as learners, now and in the future.
Guthridge has a Foundation-support class specifically designed to support the transition from kindergarten to school for children who need a settling year of school, after a year at kindergarten.
We have superior facilities to support all students in all domains. Our purpose built Fitness Centre accommodates all forms of ball and racquet sports. Our Swimming Program operates in our own enclosed, heated swimming pool with qualified instructors. Our sporting facilities also include a synthetic sports field, complete with four lane running track and long jump pit. We have a football field and outdoor basketball, netball and down-ball courts for all ages. Our students participate in a variety of Specialist Classes such as Art, Performing Arts, Physical Education and Science.
At Guthridge, we promote positive and purposeful play to build healthy bodies and healthy brains. There are numerous research studies linking active play and academic success. We offer a variety of play choices and activities for students at recess and lunch times. Students need to learn how to `play¿ just like they need to learn how to `learn¿.
At Guthridge Primary School, we believe:
Play allows children to develop their oral and functional language skills as well as expand their imagination and creativity.
Play helps children develop social skills, including conflict resolution skills and self-advocacy skills
Play also helps children develop patience, a sense of belonging and essential communication skills.
Guthridge Primary School has a well-established Program for Students with Disabilities. We use our Equity funding to provide additional supports and intervention to identified students with a philosophy of full inclusion in the classroom. Further to this, we have a well-established wellbeing team consisting of a Student Wellbeing Officer providing additional support to students and families five days a week, as well as highly experienced Education Support Staff providing Integration Aiding to identified students.
Additionally, the Department of Defence provide our school with funding to employ a Defence School Mentor to provide assistance and support to the children of Australian Defence Force members at our school.
Our Core Values are embedded in the language of our school and are very much the basis of our aspirations as life-long learners ¿ Show Respect. Have a Go. Keep Trying. Bounce Back and Work as a Team. Ultimately we aim collectively to ¿Be Our Best¿. As part of our school-wide positive support approach to managing behaviour, we have also developed three expectations ¿ Be Respectful, Be Safe and Be Responsible; these make clear the behaviour choices and boundaries for students at Guthridge Primary School.
Guthridge Primary School is committed to promoting the safety, participation and empowerment of all children, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, vulnerable children and children with a disability.