The Catholic Schools Office (CSO) is currently seeking a permanent full-time Leader School Counselling to join the team in Newcastle West.

For more than 180 years, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Maitland Newcastle have offered families a nurturing, encouraging and safe environment for their children to learn, achieve and grow from Kindergarten to Year 12. We are committed to ensuring every child is nurtured and supported to achieve their potential. Every school has access to a School Counsellor who works as part of the school team to address barriers to learning for children and young people. School Counsellors are employed by the Catholic Schools Office and allocated to schools within the Diocese.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The key purpose of the role Leader School Counselling is to provide leadership, direction and management to the school counselling team. The school counselling team provides empirically based, clinical interventions including counselling and psychological assessments to students. 

• Provide clinical leadership, guidance and support to the counselling team in relation to their roles in schools, along with the senior counselling team.
• Operational management of the school counselling team across the Diocese.
• Strategic leadership and support, aligned with the CSO strategic plan and Learning & Wellbeing priorities.
• Ensure effective engagement of counselling team members with principals and school teams.
• Facilitate a coordinated response to serious and / or critical incidents in schools.

CRITERIA/EXPERIENCE

• Ability to articulate a clear understanding of and a personal commitment to Catholic education and the mission of the Church through Catholic schools.
• Previous successful experience as a leader of a clinical team. 
• Demonstrated understanding of complex clinical service provision with proven skills in the use and application of data for governance and planning. 
• Proven ability to coordinate and monitor immediate and ongoing support for school communities, following a serious or critical incident.
• Demonstrated experience in working within a leadership team to analyse, coordinate, implement and evaluate strategic and operational planning.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead, support and professionally develop clinicians, including those working towards psychology registration.
• Demonstrated capacity to develop, maintain and sustain effective internal and external partnerships with a range of service providers.
• Demonstrated high level communication skills, including maintaining confidentiality and managing interpersonal negotiation, representations, consultations and complaints.

QUALIFICATIONS/ACCREDITATIONS

►    Recognised qualifications in psychology (psychologists must be registered with AHPRA).
►    Additional qualifications in social work, counselling or related discipline are desirable..
►    Current paid NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) number.
►    Current NSW Drivers licence.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Salary is in accordance with Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Employees Enterprise Agreement 2019.

BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH US

• Work in quality schools where students are nurtured, challenged and encouraged to excel and grow
• A corporate fitness program through Fitness Passport
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Training and staff development programs
• Paid parental leave for eligible employees
• Access to long service leave after just five years for eligible employees.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Contact Liz McQuade-Jones on Tel: (02) 4979 1246 or via email: [email protected]

TO APPLY, CLICK ON THE APPLY BUTTON BELOW AND

• Please provide a cover letter along with your resume
• Within your cover letter address each of the selection criteria as listed under EXPERIENCE/CRITERIA above and ensure your response to each criteria is no longer than 300 words.

Please note, not adequately addressing the selection criteria may result in your application not being shortlisted.

Applications close: Sunday 8th October 2023 at 11.59pm

Additional information

The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is a child safe organisation, committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable persons and has zero-tolerance of any abuse. All employees are required to undergo a National Police Check and comply with our Safeguarding Framework Policy and Codes of Conduct.

This position has been determined as child related and the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle will be verifying the successful applicant’s Working with Children Check for Paid Employment prior to commencing working in the position.  For more information, please visit the NSW Office of Children’s Guardian. 

Applicants must be able to demonstrate an understanding of appropriate behaviours when engaging with children