Victoria University Secondary College is seeking a Social Worker to join their Student Wellbeing Team. 

Role:

Under the direction of the Student Wellbeing Manager, the Social Worker will be an active member of the school wellbeing team, to provide a range of wellbeing programs for students across all year levels, including 1-1 support and case management, specific group interventions, organising and facilitating celebration days/ events and running lunchtime activities.

The Social Worker will hold a caseload of referred students with a particular focus on students who are disengaged and struggling to attend school. A non-attending or disengaged student can often be extremely vulnerable with a diverse range of needs that span beyond the physical school environment. There are many aspects that are outside of the student’s control that can underpin their chronic inability to engage, including but not limited to trauma, family violence, mental health, cultural and socio-economic factors. The impact of remote learning has only exacerbated the issues some students face when engaging with school, presenting a new layer of complexity whilst also having an impact on a cohort of students previously unaffected by school non-attendance and disengagement.

Working within the college wellbeing protocols, the Social Worker will deliver both brief counselling support and effective case management. The promotion of students’ social, emotional and behavioural development is a core purpose of this role, as is implementing and evaluating support strategies to minimise disengagement from school and foster resilience. The Youth Worker will demonstrate an ability to plan thoughtful 1-1 sessions and engage students in conversations about their wellbeing and goal setting, using a variety of strategies and techniques.

The Social Worker will support the Student Wellbeing Manager to develop and deliver a range of dynamic and engaging group programs and lunchtime activities that support and reinforce self-esteem and confidence in students, increase engagement with school, their teachers, their peers and build partnerships between the school and wider community agencies and support services.

Responsibilities:

As the Social Worker, the successful candidate applicant will:

• Work collaboratively with the Student Wellbeing Manager – who will also be your direct line manager – and the College Wellbeing team, to ensure that student needs are met with appropriate intervention in a timely manner.
  • Participating in all team meetings with regards to referral discussions and sharing best practice.
  • Receive and act on referrals for assistance from teaching staff through weekly Student Wellbeing Meetings
• Be adept at brief counselling support for students and case management
  • Developing meaningful case plans and goal setting with students
  • Effective crisis management, when needed
  • Strong liaison with Student Wellbeing Manager, Middle/Senior Years Coordinators/ Principal Class and other key team members regarding cases
  • Keep relevant, professional and up-to-date case notes on identified students in order to monitor progress and develop robust support plans
  • Advocate for students where appropriate and facilitate further external referrals – acting as a conduit between the young person and the services they wish/need to access
  • Following DET & College Wellbeing protocol and procedure
• Liaise with families, carers and workers regarding the students wellbeing needs, involving:
  • Phone contact
  • Parent meetings
  • Attending care team meetings and other professional networks to support the student
• Develop and implement targeted group interventions (including therapeutic) to identified students
• Promote and facilitate pro-social activities and services, both within the school and in partnership with wider community agencies and support services, including:
  • Lunchtime activities
  • Celebration days/events
  • Information sessions
  • Assembly presentations
• Establish good relationships with students, acting as a role model and responding to the needs of each individual child with empathy and consistency
• Support teachers to understand and respond to student wellbeing needs
• Attend school excursions and camps as required
• Perform other duties appropriate to the classification, at the Principals discretion

Selection Criteria:

KSC1 – Well-developed counselling/therapeutic and case management skills when working with secondary aged students, including those presenting with complex mental health issues, chronic disengagement and school non-attendance

KSC2 – Experience of working in an education setting and demonstrated ability to build successful relationships with students and implement proactive wellbeing programs across all year levels

KSC3 – Demonstrated ability to provide information, advice and support to Year level coordinators, families and external professionals who are supporting/working with students experiencing difficulties with their social and emotional wellbeing

KSC4 – A demonstrated ability to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of young people and their families, with well-developed skills in engaging families in the development of case plans for their child

KSC5 – Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, with the proven ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team

KSC6 – Demonstrate a commitment to professional learning and growth relating to your role and in line with the school’s vision.

Other Information:

Please ensure that your application includes:

• a resume including relevant experience as well as personal details (name, address and contact numbers, business and home)
• a section addressing the selection criteria and the requirements for application under the Who May Apply section
• names and contact numbers (telephone and email if possible) of two referees

Please note that the selection panel may seek additional referees beyond those you name. Consistent with policy, we shall advise you if we will take this action.

A Working With Children´s Check is essential

As Victoria University Secondary College is a Multi Campus, travel between campuses may be required.

Bachelor or Masters degree in Social Work

Please provide copies of Qualifications & Academic Transcripts

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 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx