Teacher Aide - Specific Support Vision Impairment

Department of Education Victoria; City of Greater Bendigo; On-site; AUD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Bendigo South East Secondary College in Flora Hill, Bendigo, seeks an Education Support staff member for vision-impaired students. This role supports planning, coordination, and classroom assistance, including specialised communication and assistive technologies.

Supervision is provided by a teacher, with opportunities to coordinate a team of aides. Experience with Braille devices and assistive software is preferred.

Qualifications

• Experience in education support tasks and working under supervision.
• Willingness to coordinate support staff and programs.
• Experience with assistive technologies for vision impairment.

Responsibilities

• Provides routine support for teachers including planning student routines.
• Supports communication between teachers and parents.
• Communicates with teachers on routine matters related to students.
• Provides basic physical care and wellbeing support for students.
• Supports specialised communication for AUSLAN and braille.
• Coordinates a team of aides and liaises with external providers.
• Provides medical intervention support under guidance when required.
• Completes duties as directed by the Principal.

Skills

Coordination & teamwork

Effective communication

Advice & support to management

Professional learning & growth

Technical knowledge for the role

Education

Education support qualifications

Tools

Braille devices

NVDA & screen readers

Embosser / Duxbury

iPad VoiceOver

Job description

Teacher Aide - Specific Support Vision Impairment

Department of Education Victoria – Bendigo VIC

1d ago , from Department of Education & Training Victoria

Bendigo South East Secondary College is a Year 7-10 secondary college located in Flora Hill, Bendigo. The College is entering an important new chapter in its improvement journey, with a renewed leadership structure, a clear focus on strengthening whole-school practice, and a strong commitment to improving outcomes for every student.

As a 7-10 setting, Bendigo South East Secondary College plays a critical role in preparing young people for success in senior secondary pathways, including VCE, VCE Vocational Major, VET, apprenticeships, traineeships and other post-school options. The College works in partnership with families, community agencies, neighbouring schools and senior secondary providers to ensure students are supported to make informed choices and experience success in their learning and future pathways.

The College has a strong commitment to student engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and learning growth. Specialist programs, including the Athlete Development Program, Academy of Creative Arts and Music Program, provide opportunities for students to connect with school through areas of strength and interest.

Bendigo South East Secondary College is undertaking significant improvement work focused on establishing high expectations, strengthening instructional practice, embedding a guaranteed and viable curriculum, improving assessment practices, enhancing student engagement, and reviewing structures and programs to maximise learning time. The College is seeking leaders who are prepared to contribute to this work with energy, clarity, resilience and a strong moral purpose.

Bendigo South East College is proud of the achievements of its students and looks forward to further enhancing opportunities for them.

Selection Criteria

• SC1 Demonstrated capacity to perform duties consistent with established guidelines and frameworks, including coordinating and supporting others in respect to specific work functions relevant to the role.
• SC2 Demonstrated capacity to work and collaborate with others in a team environment.
• SC3 Demonstrated capacity to communicate effectively in a team environment, including high level oral and written communication skills.
• SC4 Possess the technical knowledge and expertise relevant to the position.
• SC5 Demonstrated capacity to provide advice and support to management and other school staff in respect to the work area.
• SC6 A commitment to professional learning and growth for both self and others.

Role

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

• 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 information
• Addresses 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
• Complete other duties as directed by the Principal
• Provides specialised communication support for students and teachers in areas such as AUSLAN and braille

• Experience with Braille and devices and apps that can assist with the students' learning including but not limited to;

  • Embosser (Braille Printer)Duxbury (Program used to emboss)
  • Braille Sense 6 Polaris
  • NVDA (non visual desktop access) for laptop
  • General iPad knowledge - uses Voiceover, VD Scan, and Speech Central

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

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