Position Title Student Counselling Coordinator 

Campus: Both Yirramboi and Canowindra Campuses

Reports to: The Director of Wellbeing 

Time Fraction:1.0 FTE, including 0.4 leadership and 0.6 case management 

Tenure:3-year contract, with ongoing tenure at the College as a teacher

Effective date:January, 2024

 

Position Summary

The Student Counselling Coordinator is responsible for the daily management and leadership of the College’s team of student counsellors, within the College’s vision for wellbeing and student care.

 

At Overnewton we believe that individual and collective wellbeing relies upon personal resilience, strength of character, quality relationships and a shared language of emotional and psychological literacy. Central to human flourishing, too, is our sense of meaning and purpose, which is inextricably linked with our identity and learning journeys. This role is critical in leading our team of Student Counsellors to support all children and young people in our care.

 

The Counselling Coordinator reports to the Director of Wellbeing, working closely with them to implement our vision for wellbeing across the College. For the Coordinator, this includes the oversight of our Student Counselling Team, liaising with schools on student wellbeing, supporting the delivery of staff and parent learning, the management of caseloads, and the fostering of a whole-school culture of individual and collective wellbeing. 

 

Position Relationships

• Principal
• Deputy Principals/Heads of Campus
• Director of Wellbeing
• The Head of Learning Development and Support, or delegates
• Key Pastoral Leaders across the College
• Student Counselling Team
• Student Services Administration Staff

 

Key Responsibilities

The Student Counselling Coordinator is responsible for, but not limited to:

Effective and Principled Leadership

• Provide pastoral and professional leadership of the Student Counselling Team, enabling them to work to the best of their ability in providing  support to our students;
• Oversee the daily operations of the counselling team, including oversight of caseloads;
• Provide clear and effective support to the school-based Student Wellbeing Teams, including the rostering of counselling staff to attend each meetings;
• Convene regular Student Counselling Team meetings;
• Serve as the conduit between the Heads of Schools, Deputy Heads of Schools and the Counselling Team regarding students of concern;
• Liaise with the Director of Wellbeing, Deputy Principals/Heads of Campus, Heads of Schools, Deputy Heads and other relevant members of staff regarding all student wellbeing matters; 
• Liaise with the Director of Wellbeing, Director of Human Resources and Heads of School in developing professional learning programs for all College staff;
• Delivering professional learning for all staff, as required, on wellbeing topics such as Restorative Practices and Responding to Disclosures;
• Work with the Student Counselling team to set goals and, as required, conduct performance appraisals;
• Ensure compliance and regular professional development of the Student Counselling Team, in line with our College-based policies and practices;
• Prepare and manage the Student Counselling budget, in conjunction with the Director of Wellbeing and within the Business Manager’s guidelines. 

 

Student Wellbeing 

• Maintain a student counselling caseload register;
• Work in conjunction with the Director of Wellbeing and Heads of Schools to maintain an effective and comprehensive support programs across the College;
• Liaise with Heads of Schools and the Head of Learning Development & Support to ensure a smooth transition of students between year levels and Schools as they progress through the College from Prep to Year 12.;
• Liaise with Heads of Schools and Head of Learning Development & Support to ensure effective tracking of students from Prep to Year 12;
• Liaise with the Director of Wellbeing to develop a vision for specialised support groups (such as ASD girls, Cool Kids);
• Assist with the facilitation of wellbeing focused school activities such as wellbeing initiatives or Respect Yourself days;
• Oversee individual student case management, including action planning, re-entry plans and liaising with relevant school staff in the provision of student care;
• Be involved in the ongoing development, review and implementation of policies and processes relating to drug education, bullying and harassment and child safety;
• Counselling load of 0.6

 

Parent Education and Support

• Establish and maintain positive relationships with College families in providing the best possible counselling support for students through open, accessible and appropriate communication;
• Work with the Director of Wellbeing to review and develop our Parent Education Program and assisting, as required, with the delivery of events;
• Provide opportunities for parents to increase skills and confidence in their parenting abilities through information sessions, short courses, published guides and other forums such as Tuning Into Kids.

 

Team Membership and Professional Responsibilities

• Play a key role as a member of the Wellbeing Executive;
• Develop and regularly review policies relating to student counselling (eg. services offered, confidentiality, parental consent, file note keeping);
• Development and continual refinement of a set of templates for action plans and safety plans for student care across the College;
• Maintain a contemporary knowledge of the law, policy, practice and implementation of counselling services in schools;
• Oversee gathering and reporting of data by the Student Counselling Team and Wellbeing Teams (and others where appropriate), to ensure privacy and confidentiality requirements are met.; 
• Produce a report for the College Leadership Team each term, including caseloads, themes and areas for consideration;
• As required, serve on the College’s Emergency Management Team, including attending meetings and undertaking duties as listed in the Emergency Management Action Plan; (these duties may need to undertaken outside of normal working hours)
• Provide support and advice to the College Leadership Team, as needed, on matters of student care and wellbeing.

 

Liaising with External Agencies 

• Communicate with, and maintain, relationships with key external agencies that support students and families such as Department of Families Fairness and Housing, Orange Door, Postvention, Headspace and BeYou;
• Serve as the College contact for with Cluster schools and the Brimbank Support Team with the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships curriculum.

 

Key Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated skills in managing the well-being of students in the capacity of providing counselling services.
• A proven capacity to develop and manage interpersonal relationships with key stakeholders creating appropriate professional boundaries, including maintaining confidentiality and service levels.
• Significant experience working with children, adolescents, their families and external agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to assist in the coordination of school initiatives, including but not limited to new programs, parent educational sessions and wellbeing initiatives.
• Proven experience and effectiveness in building and leading high-performing teams.
• Proven track record in positively managing the day-to-day operations of a team.
• Ability to work in a coaching capacity and support other leaders in their development and effectiveness.
• A proven ability to gather, manipulate, communicate and lead others in using data to inform practice.
• Proven experience writing policies and re-entry plans. 
• Willingness and capacity to work outside of standard operating hours when job demands require.
• Commitment to the Overnewton College Values. 

 

Relevant Skills, Knowledge and Experience 

• Suitable counselling or psychology qualifications and relevant leadership experience.
• Post graduate qualifications, would be favorably considered at the Masters level related to wellbeing.
• A sound knowledge of, or experience in a comparable independent school setting will be highly regarded.

 

Conditions of Employment 

• All teachers will hold current registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT).
• All education support staff will have a current Working with Children’s Card (Employee).
• It is expected that all staff will support the Christian ethos of the College.
• Overnewton is an equal opportunity employer and enforces nondiscrimination and safe working policies. All staff must be aware of and able to work within Occupational Health and Safety and Equal Employment Opportunity Legislation. The College’s campuses are smoke free.

 

 

Application and Selection Process 

Application Process

Written applications should be emailed to [email protected] and should include: 

• A brief cover letter of no more than one page outlining your interest in the role;
• A CV, of no more than five pages, documenting all qualifications plus key responsibilities and achievements in previous roles;
• A candidate statement, of no more than two pages, which summarises your educational and wellbeing philosophy and significant experience relevant to the key responsibilities;
• The contact details of three referees, one of whom should be your current, or most recent, line manager. 

Note that referees will not be contacted without your prior consent.

 

Selection Process

A preliminary short list of applicants will be prepared, and first and subsequent rounds of interviews will be conducted by a panel. Final appointments are made by the Principal or delegate. 

Details of employment conditions, including salary, will be negotiated with the preferred candidate.

Applications will be processed as received.

Final date for applications: Friday 1 December