School Counsellor - 0.6FTE - Jerrys Plains Public School

NSW Department of Education; Newcastle; On-site; AUD 60,000 - 90,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Fitness Passport program

Indemnity insurance as a psychologist

School holiday leave

Job summary

NSW Department of Education is seeking a school counsellor based at Jerrys Plains Public School. The role focuses on counselling and psychological assessment to support student learning and wellbeing, working across primary and high school aged students within a supportive multidisciplinary team.

You will engage with families and school communities, participate in supervision and professional development, and contribute to initiatives under the Teachers Award.

Qualifications

• Experience in counselling using evidence-based interventions with a demonstrated understanding of the mental health needs of children and young people.
• Experience in the psychological assessment of children and young people, including case formulation and report writing.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with key stakeholders to improve the learning and wellbeing outcomes of children and young people including students from diverse backgrounds and needs.
• Be a registered or provisionally registered psychologist, or eligible for registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
• Ability and willingness to travel between worksites. Must have a valid unrestricted provisional or full driver’s licence with the ability to drive oneself.

Responsibilities

• This position is under the Teachers award ( Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024 ).
• Permanent part time position 0.6 FTE. Applicants seeking either permanent full time or permanent part time employment are encouraged to apply.
• Successful applicants will be provided with induction, ongoing professional learning and professional supervision.
• The department will support you to complete or maintain your registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
• Regular supervision and participation in professional development opportunities are provided.

Skills

Counselling skills

Psychological assessment

Stakeholder collaboration

Report writing

Travel willingness

Education

Registered psychologist (or eligible)

Job description

School counsellors are an essential part of the department’s School Counselling Service. They provide counselling and psychological assessment of students to complement and enhance the work of teachers to strengthen student learning and wellbeing outcomes, and they help families understand and manage their children’s learning and mental health needs. This is a truly collegiate role offering unique challenges and opportunities - both in your professional development and your ability to make an impact on the lives of children and young people. The successful candidate will be based at Jerrys Plains Public School and provided with opportunities to work across the lifespan with both primary and high school aged students. Working as a school counsellor in a NSW public school will enable you to engage with a diversity of students (and school communities) like no other child and adolescent psychologist role can. This is a chance to use your skills to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people at a time in their lives when it matters most. School counsellors receive regular, individual professional supervision with the Senior Psychologist Education and participate in group and peer supervision as a member of the broader district school counselling team. You will most likely be collaborating with a number of school communities and colleagues, as well as outside agencies, with the opportunity to use and expand the full range of your skills and expertise as part of a supportive, multidisciplinary team. School counsellors are provided with regular opportunities to participate in continuing professional development and the NSW Department of Education will support you to complete or maintain your registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. Other benefits include school holiday leave, travel allowances and health and wellbeing benefits such as our Fitness Passport program. The department will also cover your indemnity insurance as a psychologist.

Built on the land of the Wanaruah people, Jerrys Plains Public School opened in January 1881. The heritage listed buildings date back to 1879. We are a dynamic and caring educational environment, providing students with access to quality programs within a varied and balanced curriculum. We see our students as individuals, and the curriculum is planned accordingly to cater for each child's specific needs. Our school is well resourced with excellent facilities for its students, including stimulating classrooms, covered playground equipment and large playground areas. Thirteen percent of our students recognise and celebrate their Aboriginal heritage. The local school community highly values the positive partnerships that exist with the school and willingly cooperates in order to assist in a variety of authentic learning experiences for their children. Parents, staff, students and community members share a strong sense of ownership and commitment to the ongoing development of Jerrys Plains Public School. Jerrys Plains Public School is a proud member of the Singleton Learning Community, where collegial practices among the nine schools ensure all students in our public education system benefit from improved outcomes, through strategic and targeted planning.

School website Jerrys Plains Public School

• Experience in counselling using evidence-based interventions with a demonstrated understanding of the mental health needs of children and young people.
• Experience in the psychological assessment of children and young people, including case formulation and report writing.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with key stakeholders to improve the learning and wellbeing outcomes of children and young people including students from diverse backgrounds and needs.
• Be a registered or provisionally registered psychologist, or eligible for registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
• Ability and willingness to travel between worksites. Must have a valid unrestricted provisional or full driver’s licence with the ability to drive oneself.
• This position is under the Teachers award ( Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024 ). To be eligible to apply, you must have an unconditional, full approval to teach or have eligibility to apply for an approval to teach. If you do not hold a full approval to teach with the NSW Department of Education, you are required to commence the application process at the same time as you apply for this teaching opportunity. This is a permanent part time position 0.6 FTE (Full-time equivalent). Applicants seeking either permanent full time or permanent part time employment are encouraged to apply for this position. If the recommended applicant is seeking permanent part time employment (FTE from 0.1 to 0.6 inclusive), they will be offered an appointment at their desired FTE. Applicants on the eligibility list will be offered the remaining FTE but are not obliged to accept. Further information can be found on the merit selection webpage. Successful applicants will be provided with a Departmental induction program, ongoing professional learning and professional supervision.

About the NSW Department of Education The Department of Education is the largest provider of public education in Australia with responsibility for delivering high-quality public education to two-thirds of the NSW student population. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including but not limited to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, people of any age or gender, people from culturally and linguistically diverse groups and/or from the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees, people with disability, people with sensory differences, and neurodiverse people. If we can make some adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better help you shine, please reach out to the contact person for this recruitment, details listed above.