VACAP School Community Liaison Officer

Government schools; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Fitzroy Primary School in Melbourne seeks a School Community Liaison Officer to strengthen engagement with families and diverse communities. You will work across a statewide network with fellow officers, supporting communication between young people, families and local communities.

You will coordinate activities, lead information sessions for parents, and facilitate professional learning to improve inclusivity and attendance at school events.

Qualifications

• Experience working with school communities, families and community organisations involving individuals of culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship building skills including the ability to partner with and broker support from local community organisations
• Ability to build strong working relationships with parents and local community organisations to identify best practice and areas for improvement to support student and parent engagement.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Ability to work as part of a statewide team and embrace a community of practice approach

Responsibilities

• Provide support to school communities they are working with to establish and maintain communication between young people, families and the local community
• Work directly with groups of young people or individuals, planning interventions to ensure young people are connected to an education
• Work directly with young people to provide platforms for student voice, facilitate leadership opportunities and facilitate activities that aligns with their needs
• Facilitate information sessions for parents to support an increased understanding of the education system and platforms and increase engagement with parent teacher nights, information days and school celebrations
• Facilitate professional learning for school staff on cultural responsiveness and safety coordinate workshops and forums for the school and local community
• Facilitate access to homework clubs and afterschool programs, to offer support and mentoring outside of the school
• Support school leaders with the rollout of the cultural competency framework and other activities aimed at strengthening inclusivity for diverse communities
• Participate in a statewide community of practices and statewide planning days with other School Community Liaison Officers

Skills

SC1

SC2

SC3

SC4

SC5

Job description

SC1: Experience working with school communities, families and community organisations involving individuals of culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds.

SC2: Excellent stakeholder management and relationship building skills including the ability to partner with and broker support from local community organisations

SC3: Ability to build strong working relationships with parents and local community organisations to identify best practice and areas for improvement to support student and parent engagement.

SC4: Excellent time management and organisational skills

SC5: Ability to work as part of a statewide team and embrace a community of practice approach

Selection Criteria

SC1: Experience working with school communities, families and community organisations involving individuals of culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds.

SC2: Excellent stakeholder management and relationship building skills including the ability to partner with and broker support from local community organisations

SC3: Ability to build strong working relationships with parents and local community organisations to identify best practice and areas for improvement to support student and parent engagement.

SC4: Excellent time management and organisational skills

SC5: Ability to work as part of a statewide team and embrace a community of practice approach

Role

The School Community Liaison Officer will be required to support school communities to focus on increasing school engagement, strengthening partnerships with families and community and facilitating activities to increase retention and school completion.

The School Community Liaison Officer will be expected to work in collaboration with School Community Liaison Officers appointed to other schools across the North West, South West and South East Victorian regions through membership of an established community of practice. The School Community Liaison Officers will be supported by a centrally based program officer and provide regular reports to support the implementation, evaluation and ongoing monitoring of the project. There is an expectation that this role will require travel to other sites of delivery and to the DET Central Office in Melbourne CBD.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to school communities they are working with to establish and maintain communication between young people, families and the local community
• Work directly with groups of young people or individuals, planning interventions to ensure young people are connected to an education
• Work directly with young people to provide platforms for student voice, facilitate leadership opportunities and facilitate activities that aligns with their needs
• Facilitate information sessions for parents to support an increased understanding of the education system and platforms and increase engagement with parent teacher nights, information days and school celebrations
• Facilitate professional learning for school staff on cultural responsiveness and safety coordinate workshops and forums for the school and local community
• Facilitate access to homework clubs and afterschool programs, to offer support and mentoring outside of the school
• Support school leaders with the rollout of the cultural competency framework and other activities aimed at strengthening inclusivity for diverse communities
• Participate in a statewide community of practices and statewide planning days with other School Community Liaison Officers

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

• It is desirable that the successful applicant has a relevant tertiary qualification in community development, education, social work or equivalent.
• 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 https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal

Location Profile

Fitzroy Primary School is a co-educational Victorian government school for students from Foundation to Year 6, located on George Street in Fitzroy, on the edge of Melbourne¿s CBD. Established in 1855, the school celebrated 170 years in 2025. We have around 210 students and serve families from Fitzroy and the surrounding inner-northern suburbs. We see the diversity of our community as one of our greatest strengths.

Fitzroy Primary School is a French Bilingual school. Every student from Foundation to Year 6 receives 10 hours of French instruction each week through a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach with our French-speaking and English-speaking staff working closely together. Classroom teachers partner with our literacy support team, and native-speaking staff support students who are new to French. For staff, this means a collaborative, globally minded workplace with a distinctive program that offers rich opportunities for professional growth.

Our core values of respect, courage and empathy guide how we work with students, families and each other. Small class sizes allow staff to know their students well and to deliver a differentiated curriculum that supports each learner¿s growth. Alongside Literacy, Numeracy and French, our specialist program includes STEM, Visual Arts, Performing Arts and Physical Education, and student wellbeing and engagement are at the centre of our practice.

Staff work in a school that combines historic character with modern, purpose-built facilities. Through more than $9 million in Victorian Government funding, our heritage George Street building has been fully upgraded with modern learning areas, collaborative spaces, a specialist art room, a new library and upgraded grounds. A further $6.6 million in state funding supported the refurbishment of our Napier Street building, which has delivered a multipurpose room, a community kitchen, a specialist STEM room, additional classrooms and a second library.

Fitzroy Primary School offers staff the opportunity to be part of a small, supportive team in a historic inner-city school, working in modern facilities and contributing to a unique bilingual program.