Occupational Therapist

Government schools; Horsham; On-site; AUD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Government schools in Victoria seek an Education Support role to deliver inclusive services for students in a school setting. The role focuses on paediatric OT-informed practice, collaboration with families and staff, and supporting individual education plans.

Responsibilities include coordinating support services, working with external providers, and implementing adjustments within a Disability Inclusion framework to improve student outcomes.

Qualifications

• Relevant critical experience and knowledge of paediatric OT in a school setting.
• Ability to form collaborative partnerships with families, staff, and community members from diverse backgrounds.
• Excellence in oral and written communication, including goals for students’ IEPs and support plans.
• Ability to use initiative for problem-solving, manage caseload priorities, and time across 1:1, small group and whole-class settings.
• Experience planning and supporting adjustments for Disability Inclusion profile meetings.

Responsibilities

• Manage the delivery of support services to students, teachers, parents and other school clients.
• Ensure external providers deliver the required services.

Skills

Paediatric OT knowledge

Collaboration with families

Oral and written communication

Problem solving

Disability Inclusion planning

Job description

Location Profile Mission Statement

Horsham West and Haven Primary School's mission is to maintain a community of learners who are happy and confident in their ability to learn, grow and succeed.

Vision Statement

Horsham West and Haven Primary School's vision is to empower all students to achieve their personal best.

The school values are the cornerstone of our expectations for our school community. http://horshamwps.vic.edu.au Horsham West and Haven Primary School is a dual campus primary school with a combined enrolment of approximately 650 students. The two campuses are 7.5km apart, situated in developing residential areas and enjoy a healthy level of community support and involvement as evidenced by active Parents Clubs which operate at both campuses. The Horsham West campus is located on the western fringe of Horsham and is a large primary school with 540 students. The campus has specialist facilities which include a gymnasium, performing arts room, art room, STEAM room and a well-resourced library. Our Haven campus is located in a rural setting on the southern outskirts of Horsham. The Prep to Year 6 curriculum provided at the Haven campus is well supported by weekly art, German, STEAM and physical education classes. The campus has adjoining community sports facilities that extend the recreational activities available to students. Each year, the school musical production showcases the talents of our students. There is a focus on information technology with the introduction of iPads throughout the school. Horsham West and Haven Primary School are implementing Explicit Direct Instructional practices across the school, with a focus on using research and evidence to embed Structured Literacy. The school has invested heavily in the professional development of staff, ensuring that students who attend Horsham West and Haven Primary School receive evidence-based instruction daily. Our teachers are dedicated, hardworking and, importantly, caring professionals who go out of their way to ensure all children receive the highest quality educational experience we can offer. Our support staff team, which includes our office administration staff, education support liaison, welfare officer and integration aides provide invaluable support to students and teachers across our school.

Values and Behaviours

Respect

• We are an inclusive and welcoming community
• We take pride in ourselves and our environment
• We engage in positive and professional conversations
• We acknowledge and hear all voices in a friendly manner

Creativity

• We learn from each other
• We are open to new learning
• We have fun and enjoy being challenged
• We problem solve and overcome challenges

Passion

• We are engaged and determined team members
• We strive for improvement
• We inspire others to excel
• We create a rewarding and exciting environment

Positivity

• We encourage others and celebrate successes
• We are an inclusive place for everyone
• We look for the positive in situations
• We support each other

Selection Criteria

1. SC1. Relevant critical experience and knowledge of paediatric OT and its implementation in a school setting, along with experience and knowledge in supporting teaching teams to develop and deliver inclusive classroom practices.
2. SC2. Demonstrates ability to form collaborative partnerships with families, staff, and community members from a range of professional and cultural backgrounds.
3. SC3. Demonstrates excellence in oral and written communication, including developing relevant evidence-based goals for students to inform Individual Education Plans and other support plans.
4. SC4. Demonstrates ability to use initiative for problem-solving, setting priorities within the caseload, and time management, which includes 1:1, small group, and whole-class practice.
5. SC5. Demonstrated experience and capability to plan, implement, and support adjustments for students identified for the Disability Inclusion Model, including developing support plans for Disability Inclusion profile meetings.

Role Range

4 is distinguished by broader management responsibility, particularly in the areas of finance, human resource and other support functions. Range 4 is responsible for managing a range of functions under a wide range of conditions, subject to the size and complexity of school operations. Objectives will, generally, be clearly defined; guidelines will be broad and day-to-day direction minimal. Management responsibility extends to ensuring appropriate support levels are maintained across the school. Range 4 generally provides key support and timely advice to the leadership team and school council and liaises with the general school community, the Department and other government agencies and service providers. Specialised professional roles will carry a high level of independence and accountability where suitable scope is provided to achieve objectives. 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

• Manage the delivery of support services to students, teachers, parents and other school clients.
• Ensure all external providers deliver the required service.

Who May Apply

Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of the position.

Diversity and Inclusion

The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we service. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQA+, 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 safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for staff with disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines). Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via [email protected]. 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.

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: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy

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: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview

Other Information

• 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

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