Counsellor And Support Support

Job Description Location: Melbourne | CBD

Job type: Full time / From 29/04/2024 - 27/01/2025

Organisation: Schools (Government)

Salary: Salary not specified

Occupation: Education and Training

Reference: 1410544

Selection Criteria Please consider the nature of our educational setting when responding to these criteria, namely, our philosophy of practice and behaviours inside professional learning teams, our focus on data for improvement, our use of flexible learning spaces and the need to provide educational support and challenge for all students.

SC1 Demonstrated experience creating and implementing wellbeing referral systems, triaging referrals to services and supports such as student counselling and staff professional development

SC2 Demonstrated experience liaising with and providing services for multiple school stakeholders, such as providing counselling for students, supporting teachers to modify their teaching and learning program to improve wellbeing of students

SC3 Demonstrated experience in supporting staff understanding of trauma-informed practice through behaviour observations and support, including recommendations for strategies to support student mental health and improve behaviour

SC4 Ability to provide professional learning and coaching to staff where necessary, to improve the wellbeing and engagement of students

SC5 Demonstrated knowledge of policies relating to the Child Safe Standards and mental health which guides own practice

Additional Notes: Please provide (a) Cover Letter, (b) CV and (c) KSC in a single PDF Document. There is limited paid parking nearby and the School is more readily accessible via public transport. Any Visa conditions must be declared in the original written application. Role (Attendance requirement for this position)

Range 3 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.

The provision of business management responsibilities becomes a feature at range 3. Management of staff to achieve the expected outcomes is a key responsibility. Staff management issues will be resolved with minimal reference to senior management, although guidance will be required in more complex cases. Senior management will be provided with timely reports and advice, although this will generally be confined to matters relating to the immediate work area, service provision or educational program and is unlikely to impact substantially on whole of school operations.

This is the minimum range for positions that carry a mandatory qualification requirement of not less than four years. Professional student support positions become a feature at range 3 (e.g. therapists, psychologists) where standard professional services are delivered. Professional support and guidance will be close at hand and deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.

An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students, but must not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor. Supervision of students cannot be required except where it is an integral part of the employee¿s position or involves supervision of students individually or in small groups, in controlled circumstances, where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.

Responsibilities GENERAL DESCRIPTION To support students in the regular classroom environment, under the guidance of classroom teachers and the Wellbeing Leader

SPECIFIC DUTIES Develop a school-wide wellbeing referral system Meet regularly with Allied Health Specialists. Carry out Functional Behaviour assessments and provide recommendations to staff to improve student wellbeing Observe students, analyse wellbeing trend data and provide recommendations for staff to improve student mental health Provide counselling for students if deemed necessary by wellbeing referral system Provide professional development to staff on understanding behaviour and trauma-informed practice Support staff to make environmental modifications to improve student wellbeing, mental health, focus and attention in class Attend Student Support Group meetings and support staff to implement strategies following the meeting Other duties deemed as necessary to support student-specific needs in the wellbeing space Who May Apply Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of the position.

EEO AND OHS Commitment 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

Child Safe Standards 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:

DE Values 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:

Conditions of Employment All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements. Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check. A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided. Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at Location Profile South Melbourne South Melbourne Primary School acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we are located; the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation.

At South Melbourne Primary School, we aim to be an outlier in excellence for the benefit of our students, their families and ourselves. 2024 will be South Melbourne Primary School¿s 7th year of operation. Setting up a new school has allowed us to select staff who are determined to implement effective, evidence-based approaches and processes. Our values of Character, Community and Learning form the basis of everything we do.

Purpose: We care for and educate children so that they are safe, happy, connected and achieving.

Vision: Inspiring hearts and minds to thrive

Values: Character, Community and Learning

Character: Our People. Strong Together Creating a warm, inclusive culture is important to us. Equally, there is a high sense of expectation running parallel to our work. Our staff are united in aspirations for academic and behavioural excellence. Our staff plan and collaborate in Professional Learning Teams, building each other¿s knowledge. Our staff practice GEMS (Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Show More Love) in Staff Huddles, meetings and daily interactions.

We mindfully build strong character in our students. We refer to our Big 10 Essential Habits regularly. These are based on core traits that we want to embed in the behaviour, work habits, social skills and effort of our students. We hold blitzes on key areas of character, such as manners, to ensure our standards never slip. Emotional intelligence and self-regulation are actively taught to students through weekly lessons focussed on social and emotional learning.

Learning: Our Program. Be your best in your practice Literacy and Numeracy are our lead academic ideals. All staff are trained and supported to understand the purpose and effective implementation of these subjects at our school. We base our work in recognised theories of cognitive science and Explicit Direct Instruction. We use defined approaches and programs to turn these theories into practice with exacting standards. We measure our progress in all of these aspects through rigorous data collection and analysis ¿ for staff, students and families. We strive for program consistency to achieve a `low variance, high fidelity¿ curriculum so that every child has the best opportunity to succeed.

Coaching, observation and feedback occurs in Professional Learning Teams and across our staff to support our pursuit of practice improvement.

Our Specialist Programs provide outstanding opportunities for students to find and hone talents in the areas of Music and Performing Arts, Visual Art, Mandarin and Physical Education.

Community: Our Place Our students come from every corner of the world. Each one adds to our school and we consider it a privilege to be able to educate them. We are proud to be a place where our community¿s multicultural backgrounds come together.

We approach learning as a partnership with the families of our students. We seek to engage our students¿ families through a range of in person and digital means. These include Celebration of Learning Days, assemblies, Seesaw and Compass. We report student progress, both social emotional and academic, to families transparently on a termly basis as we strongly believe that parents have the right to know how their child is progressing.

We often visit areas in the community or have visitors come to present to our students. We consider this part of a rich curriculum that inspires hearts and minds to thrive.

We form a strong partnership with the City of Port Phillip to provide wrap-around services including a Kindergarten, Out of Hours School Care, Sports and Recreation and Health Services.

Please be aware that there is no on-site staff car parking at South Melbourne Primary School. Staff can commute via public transport (a 96 tram stop is at our door), walk, ride or pay for parking on the surrounding streets if spots are available.