Special School Teacher Aide

Department of Education Victoria; Frankston; On-site; AUD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Education Victoria – Frankston SDS is seeking an Education Support Class member to assist teachers and support students with intellectual disabilities. You will work under supervision, helping with routines, health and wellbeing tasks, and coordination of support activities within classroom settings.

Applicants should show capacity to work in a team, communicate with families, and apply learning from professional development to student outcomes.

Qualifications

• SC1 Demonstrated capacity to work with students with intellectual disabilities in a positive and caring manner.
• SC2 Demonstrated capacity to work as a member of a team establishing positive relationships with colleagues, students and their families.
• SC3 Demonstrated capacity to work across all areas of the school with students who exhibit challenging behaviours.
• SC4 Demonstrated capacity to apply knowledge obtained from professional learning to support student learning.

Responsibilities

• Provides routine support for teachers including assisting with planning of student routines
• Supports communication between teachers and parents
• Communicates with teachers on routine matters related to students and/or other responsibilities
• Provides basic physical care and wellbeing support for students such as toileting, meals, and lifting
• Communicating with student/s to support comprehension of basic tasks and informationAddresses immediate behavioural presentations relating to specific students within a classroom setting aligned to school policy and procedure
• Provides basic support and supervision for individuals or groups of up to 4 students within a classroom setting
• Supports teachers in the coordination of educational programs independently or under minimal supervision, including rostering and organising the work of a team of aides, providing routine co-ordination, guidance, and support to other student support staff, liaising with external providers of support services about clearly defined support needs and resources, assisting teachers with the communication of student outcomes and educational programs
• Provides medical intervention support to a student/s, under specific conditions, with appropriate training and guidance
• Provides specialised communication support for students and teachers in areas such as AUSLAN and braille

Job description

Department of Education Victoria – Frankston VIC

14h ago , from Department of Education & Training Victoria

Frankston Special Developmental School (SDS) is a unique dual campus School. The main Frankston Campus located in Karingal in the outer southern suburbs of Melbourne, while the residential outdoor Blackwood Campus is in the small township of Blackwood, 80km north-west of Melbourne and 140km from our Frankston Campus.

The School

The following values are seen as being central to the life of the school and how all members in the school community should conduct themselves: Sharing, Caring, Respect and Individuality. The school vision statement Learning for life is the focus of all programs conducted at Frankston SDS.

Our school is committed to child safety, and it is a requirement that all of those working with children have an understanding of our Child Safe Code of Conduct and methods of identifying and following up suspected abuse.

Measurable goals are devised and progress is monitored throughout the year in all areas to ensure improved outcomes for the students.

Frankston Campus

The Campus has well equipped facilities for the students including: nineteen classrooms, a gymnasium, multi-purpose room, homecrafts room, art and craft room, computer lab and extensive play equipment. The school has recently undergone a significant renovation.

Frankston Campus provides a specialised and challenging curriculum for 125 school aged students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities. The school challenges students to do their best in a supportive and engaging environment.

Students learn in active, practical and meaningful ways and the school aims to develop each child¿s ability academically, socially physically and emotionally. Our staff are dedicated, qualified professionals who are experienced in working with children with special, varied and often complex needs to provide the best education, self-esteem and independence building opportunities for the students. All staff model positive behaviour to students consistent with the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support Framework.

The Individualised Learning Programs created at Frankston aim to develop social competencies, communication and independence. They are implemented and monitored by a team of dedicated staff which includes teachers, teacher assistants, four speech therapists, a social worker, an occupational therapist, a chaplain and a physiotherapist.

Our Frankston Campus also provides an Early Education Program for pre-school aged students who exhibit significant global developmental delay. The Early Education Program operates out of the East Karingal Kindergarten. It is an inclusive program; our staff and students working together with their mainstream colleagues and friends.

Selection Criteria

SC1 Demonstrated capacity to work with students with intellectual disabilities in a positive and caring manner.

SC2 Demonstrated capacity to work as a member of a team establishing positive relationships with colleagues, students and their families.

SC3 Demonstrated capacity to work across all areas of the school with students who exhibit challenging behaviours.

SC4 Demonstrated capacity to apply knowledge obtained from professional learning to support student learning.

Role

[Attendance requirement for this position]

An education support class position at this range will perform tasks that are carried out in accordance with guidelines, accepted practice, and school policy under supervision and direction. This may include coordination of other education support class staff within the work area or educational program.

An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students but must not include duties of a teacher as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor. Supervision of students can be required individually or in groups up to 4 in controlled circumstances and where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.

Certification and/or qualifications of up to three years can be required at this level (noting that Registered Nurse is not included at this level, the first level for which is Level 1 range 3).

A role at this range may include:

• Specific support tasks to achieve outcomes. Typically, this will involve accountability for a single function, (e.g. ensuring data is properly maintained) or the co-ordination of a work area under the direction of the principal or a manager.
• Assisting teachers, within an educational program, by undertaking specific support tasks or the coordination of the support function.
• Supervised health and wellbeing support tasks, medical intervention support tasks, or other specialised student/teacher support roles (e.g. enrolled nurses performing the role as described in schedule 3). These roles require specific qualifications and/or training, including roles where further training must be undertaken from time to time. The role is for a specific purpose, for which there will be direct accountability as opposed to support roles that are carried out by a range of staff performing routine tasks under direction.
• Technical tasks that require a sound knowledge of basic technical and/or scientific principles that are used to develop and adapt work methods and make judgements where there are clear guidelines and limited options. Routine technical support in libraries, science, and information technology would be typical examples.

An education support class position at this range commencing at the base will initially be limited to undertaking routine tasks that are carried out under close supervision and direction. Work that carries some degree of independence will generally involve a limited number of tasks performed on a regular basis where priorities are clear, procedures are well established, and direction is readily available. Subject to any specific qualification and/or training requirement, an education support class employee employed in this range may be progressively required to undertake coordination, specialisedstudent/teacher support tasks, or technical tasks as experience in the role is gained.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities may include:

• Provides routine support for teachers including assisting with planning of student routines
• Supports communication between teachers and parents
• Communicates with teachers on routine matters related to students and/or other responsibilities
• Provides basic physical care and wellbeing support for students such as toileting, meals, and lifting
• Communicating with student/s to support comprehension of basic tasks and informationAddresses immediate behavioural presentations relating to specific students within a classroom setting aligned to school policy and procedure
• Provides basic support and supervision for individuals or groups of up to 4 students within a classroom setting
• Supports teachers in the coordination of educational programs independently or under minimal supervision, including rostering and organising the work of a team of aides, providing routine co-ordination, guidance, and support to other student support staff, liaising with external providers of support services about clearly defined support needs and resources, assisting teachers with the communication of student outcomes and educational programs
• Provides medical intervention support to a student/s, under specific conditions, with appropriate training and guidance
• Provides specialised communication support for students and teachers in areas such as AUSLAN and braille

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 (seeWorkplace 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*******@education.vic.gov.au

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