BALLARAT SPECIALIST SCHOOL
Ballarat Specialist School caters for students aged from 3 and 18 years who have a diagnosed intellectual disability ranging from mild to profound. Ballarat Specialist School is a dual-campus K-12 school organised around three stages of learning – Primary School (Ages 5-12), Middle School (Ages 13-15) and Senior School (Ages 16-18). Our Early Learning to Middle School students are accommodated on our main Gillies Street Campus. Our Senior School students are located at our 8.09 hectare FARM Campus in Norman Street. Our current enrolment is approximately 442 students.
Our school’s mission is “Achieving Personal Success Together”. We strive to enable our students and staff to reach their full potential in a safe, stimulating and flexible learning environment. Our educational programs provide a balanced and personalised curriculum where student achievement is acknowledged and celebrated.
Ballarat Specialist School provides an inclusive and rigorous learning program that challenges and engages students to grow as passionate learners. The school’s teaching and learning programs are underpinned by the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, The Victorian Curriculum and the Victorian pathways Certificate. A comprehensive curriculum, with a strong focus on Literacy and Numeracy, is embedded into curriculum maps for each of the three mini-schools within the school. Each curriculum map is designed to meet the learning needs of students at their individual stages of learning. This is supported by Individual Education Plans for all students. Communication is a keystone of all learning and curriculums within the school. The school’s pedagogy reflects current research, and best practice is enacted to maximise student learning outcomes. Our teaching and learning programs are anchored in a gradual release of responsibility model to enable our students to become independent and lifelong learners. Through Professional Learning Communities, Ballarat Specialist School teachers invest in the collective application of curriculum, assessment, shared learning, reflection and they engage in inquiry about student work.
Our specialist programs include: Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Physical Education (PE) and Hospitality. The school also operates two cafés open to the public. The Special Treats Café is located at our Gillies St. campus and the FARM Café is located at our Norman street FARM campus. We also have a school based Op shop (Vintage Soul) that operates from our FARM Campus. Through these enterprises, we can offer students pathways to future employment as these school-based work areas and programs are connected to the specific delivery of Certificate II Courses through local TAFE institutes. The courses conducted onsite are Kitchen Operations, Retail, Horticulture, Visual Arts, Sport & Recreation, Retail, and Life skills (Cert I).
Individual Educational Plans (IEP’s) are developed by the Student Support Group, which comprises parents and carers, outside agencies, and school staff. The IEPs are then implemented by school staff, including Classroom Teachers and Classroom Assistants and supported by the Integrated Service Team.
ROLE
Operating in collaboration with the Department of Education and Training’s Area-based multi-disciplinary teams, this role will have the following functions:
- provide direct counselling support and other early intervention services for individual students and groups identified as at-risk and/or experiencing or demonstrating mild to moderate mental health needs;
- coordinate supports for students with critical needs both within and external to the school, including proactively working with regions and other health professionals to engage further support as required; and
- enhance promotion and prevention activities in the school by contributing to whole school health and wellbeing plans, building the capability of teaching staff and school leadership to manage student health and wellbeing, and helping to embed mental health promotion and prevention programs and strategies in the school.
Education support class level 1 range 4
The successful applicant will be an experienced professional who will carry out their duties and responsibilities, relative to their professional discipline, with a high level of autonomy and with minimal reliance on professional supervision. The successful applicant will be responsible for the development and implementation of professional support programs within an educational environment, including guidance to other professional staff.
As an education support class position, this role supports the educational services being provided to students, but will not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic).
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Deliver professional support service/s in a school/s, including the direct counselling for students with a range of mental health issues, applying sound theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.
- Plan and implement evidence-based intervention strategies for students with complex needs including collaborating with families, other professionals and agencies when appropriate, and manage the associated risks.
- Work collaboratively with the school to contribute to policies and operational practices that will guide the work of others, including other school wellbeing staff and teachers.
- Demonstrate leadership and provide professional learning to others, such as teachers and other school wellbeing staff, to build the capacity of schools to improve students’ learning and developmental outcomes.
- Liaise with other Department areas (including secondary school nurses and Student Support Services staff) and external service providers where necessary to provide support to students.
- Maintain professional competence and continued professional learning, including attending professional development activities throughout the year.
- Meet relevant policies and legislative requirements in relation to student health information privacy.
Please note: Continued professional learning is a registration requirement under the National Law, which governs the operations of the National Boards and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Demonstrated experience in assessing, conceptualising and analysing wellbeing issues, and providing evidence-based direct counselling for a range of mental health issues.
- Demonstrated experience in planning and implementing evidence-based intervention strategies for clients with complex needs.
- Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies relating to mental health and wellbeing.
- Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.
- Ability to provide leadership and professional learning that informs and influences the work of others involved in the engagement and wellbeing of children and young people.
- Clear understanding of legislative requirements regarding privacy of health information.
WHO MAY APPLY
Required
Applicants must:
- hold a Bachelor qualification or specialist/post graduate qualification where applicable in:
- Social Work
- Occupational Therapy
- Nursing with a mental health specialisation
- Psychology.
- hold full registration with the requisite professional body where applicable
- for Social Work applicants, be eligible for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers
- have demonstrated direct counselling experience
- have a current Working with Children Check.
Desirable:
- Demonstrated experience woking with people with disabilities.
- For Social Work applicants, hold membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers and an Accredited Social Worker Trade Mark.
- For Mental Health Nurse applicants, hold a Mental Health Nurse Credential and membership with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses
- For Occupational Therapist applicants, hold a Better Access to Mental Health endorsement.
- For Psychology applicants, specialisation in education and/or developmental psychology.
For further information or to apply: