Disabilities Coordinator

About the Department

The role of the Department of Education is to support Victorians to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives. It does this by supporting lifelong learning and healthy development, strengthening families and helping to equip people with the skills and knowledge for a 21st century economy and society.

About the Group

The primary responsibility of this role is to lead the implementation of programs designed to improve the educational outcomes for students with disabilities and additional learning needs, including strategies that ensure inclusive practices and effective educational programs to support students with disabilities in schools from Foundation until year 12 in a multidisciplinary team. The role contributes to and supports the inclusive education agenda by performing all roles required of the Disabilities Coordinator.

Working within the Health, Wellbeing and Specialist Services branch, the role will work closely with other area staff, Divisional staff and central staff. The Disabilities Coordinator will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team within and across the area. The role requires an excellent understanding of disability, inclusion and the legislated rights of children and students with disabilities.

The position works with schools and families in a way that promotes competency, strengthens families and schools and encourages collaborative planning for student learning needs. The Disabilities Coordinators develop, build and maintain close working relationships with regional staff and schools and develop effective linkages with relevant health and wellbeing service providers in the area.

This includes finding innovative solutions to stakeholder issues, overcoming barriers, garnering support and negotiating appropriate outcomes in highly complex individual cases along with preparing high quality correspondence and briefings, whilst liaising with a range of stakeholders and management as required.

The position provides training and support for inclusive education and the effective implementation of the Program for Students with Disabilities and Disability Inclusion. The position also provides opportunities to develop and manage projects to drive change for schools to deliver effective educational outcomes for students with disabilities.

Selection Criteria

• SC1: Demonstrated capacity to perform duties consistent with established Department of Education Disability Inclusion policies and frameworks, including coordinating and supporting others in respect to specific work functions relevant to the role.
• SC2: Demonstrated capacity to maintain close working relationships with regional staff and schools and develop effective linkages with relevant health and wellbeing service providers in the area.
• SC3: Demonstrated capacity to communicate effectively in a team environment, including high level oral and written communication skills.
• SC4: Demonstrated ability to provide expert advice to key stakeholders and guidance designed to improve learning outcomes for students with a disability and additional learning needs.
• SC5: Demonstrated capacity to work in a multidisciplinary team and work collaboratively with other school staff.
• SC6: A commitment to professional learning and growth for both self and others.

Role

The Disability Coordinator's role is to lead the implementation of programs designed to improve the learning outcomes for students with disabilities and additional learning needs. This includes strategies that ensure inclusive practices and effective educational programs to support students with disabilities are in place in schools from foundation year until year 12.

Attributes

• An excellent understanding of disability, inclusion and the legislated rights of children and students with disabilities within the department policy and school context.
• Identifies innovative solutions to stakeholder issues, overcoming barriers, garnering support and negotiating appropriate outcomes in highly complex individual cases.
• Effective interpersonal, verbal and written communications skills to support stakeholder understanding of inclusion within schools and prepare high quality documentation and correspondence.
• Effective project delivery inclusive of planning, engaging stakeholders, implementing, evaluating and reporting on outcomes.
• An ability to work with multiple stakeholders to support inclusion within schools develops inclusion capability by improving the knowledge, skills, and ability of others.

Qualifications and Experience

The Disabilities Coordinator will require a relevant tertiary qualification in a related field (E.g. Education, Disability Services, Nursing or Allied Health) and a current Australian Drivers' Licence and Working with Children Check. A comprehensive knowledge of the Victorian education system is also desirable. In addition, Disability Coordinators will need to have a strong understanding of the current issues and opportunities associated with inclusive education practices.

Responsibilities

As part of the broader South Eastern Victoria Region (SEVR) Inclusive Education team, the Disabilities Coordinator will:

• Administration: contribute to area and school inclusion planning, support local area and SEVR teams by attending meetings and contributing to improved outcomes, prepare high quality correspondence and briefings, whilst liaising with a range of stakeholders and management as required.
• Technical skill: understand and apply disability inclusion and the legislated rights of children and students with disabilities within the department policy and school context, support schools and regional staff with the Disability Inclusion profile process, interpret and analyse data to inform and provide authoritative advice to leadership, school and regional staff, provide expertise and/or professional leadership dealing with more complex issues requiring specialised support, translate strategies into programs or projects that actively enable the achievement of outcomes, define the governance required to manage risks and maximise success, provide expert advice in the professional field, to influence the strategic approach to student support and learning.
• Communication: demonstrate effective interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills to support stakeholder understanding of inclusion within schools and prepare high quality documentation and correspondence, develop, build and maintain close working relationships with regional, central and school staff, develop effective links with relevant health and wellbeing service providers for the purpose of case management and intervention, find innovative solutions to stakeholder issues, overcoming barriers, garnering support and negotiating appropriate outcomes in highly complex individual cases, identify and respond to customer requirements.
• Responsibility: implement programs designed to improve outcomes for students with a disability and additional learning needs, support whole school inclusive practice.

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.

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.

Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence. Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

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.