School Community Liaison Officer

Department of Education Victoria – Wyndham Vale VIC 6d ago , from Department of Education & Training Victoria As part of the Victorian African Communities Action Plan, education is identified as a key focus area and funding is available to employ School Community Liaison Officers in school communities with high populations of African young people to improve their connection to education and provide tailored support. The School Community Liaison Officer at Manor Lakes P-12 College will support your school community and a cluster of neighbouring schools, Werribee Secondary College and Wyndham Central College, with high populations of African young people to increase school engagement, strengthen partnerships with families and community and facilitate activities to increase retention and school completion. This role will be one of eight School Community Liaison Officers appointed to school communities with high populations of African young people across the State and supported by a Senior Program Officer appointed by the Department of Education (DE) and operating from the DE central office in Melbourne. Location The School Community Liaison Officer Coordinator will be located at Manor Lakes P-12 College and will work in partnership with two neighbouring schools, Werribee Secondary College and Wyndham Central College, that have high populations of African young people. Manor Lakes P-12 College opened in 2009 and is located in Minindee Rd, Wyndham Vale. The college currently has an enrolment of 3000 students. The enrolment is expected to stabilise and possibly decline in the primary years (additional primary schools opening in the neighbouring area) and to continue to increase at secondary level. The backgrounds of our students reflect a cultural and socio- economic diversity. The college has a Student Family Occupation (SFO) of 0.552 which indicates that there is a level of disadvantage within our community. Approximately 16% of our student population come from a language background other than English. The vision of Manor Lakes P-12 College is Dream, Believe, Achieve . The college aspires to create a vibrant and harmonious community of learners who have a confident belief in their ability to learn, grow and succeed. We strive to provide the best possible education for our students and support for our staff. The philosophy of our teaching practice is focussed on students’ learning needs, and this is backed by current research about how students learn. The College aims for an inclusive and welcoming culture for all families and students within our Designated Neighbourhood Area. We have established a number of programs and structures to provide appropriate learning environments and programs for all students including students with additional learning needs, complex and/or multiple disabilities. The College has, and will continue to have, a relentless focus of continuous improvement in all aspects of College life, particularly focussing on improving learning outcomes for all students. All staff are members of Professional Learning Teams and School Improvement Teams which focus on using data and evidence to identify areas to improve, and will work towards achieving goals as set out in the college’s Strategic Plan. All new staff to Manor Lakes P-12 College participate in a comprehensive induction program which clearly outlines the college vision, expectations and pedagogical approaches. Regular communication with all members of the community is achieved through keeping the college website, newsletters, Facebook, Compass, face to face meetings and information sessions and forums. Our staff are committed to enhancing their skills and developing their capacity as teachers by involving themselves in professional learning opportunities (external and internal), coaching, mentoring, and being actively involved in Professional Learning Teams and the Professional Learning Community. The College is committed to developing, maintaining and sustaining relationships between the school and home through events such as: Open Classrooms, Celebrations of Learning, Parent Helpers, Parent Information sessions, Community Forums, Year level celebrations such as Year 12 graduation, and Performing Arts showcases. Manor Lakes P-12 College is committed to safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This will be the primary focus of our care and decision making. Manor Lakes P-12 College has zero tolerance for child abuse. Manor Lakes P-12 College is committed to providing a child safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Particular attention will be paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability. Every person involved in Manor Lakes P-12 College has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role that they play individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make. Selection Criteria 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. Role Attendance may be required for up to 6 days during school holiday periods. A leave purchase of 72.47% of the hourly rate will be paid for any additional attendance undertaken during the school holiday periods. 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 Coordinate support within and between the school communities they are working with to establish and maintain communication between young people, families and the local community. Work directly with school leaders and school staff to design and implement programs and interventions across the cluster of neighbouring schools that support young people to engage and connect with education. 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. Coordinate and 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. Coordinate and facilitate professional learning for school staff on cultural responsiveness and safety workshops and forums for the school and local community. Coordinate and 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 fulfil the specific requirements of the position. This role is identified as available for African heritage applicants only. Confirmation of your African heritage may be requested. 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 (see Workplace 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 (email). 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: 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: 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 Conditions of Employment The successful candidate will be required to work some hours during the school holidays. Regular work hours will be 9:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays. This may be negotiated as appropriate. The successful candidate will be eligible to claim time in lieu (TIL) where they are required to work in excess of their normal hours of duty. #J-18808-Ljbffr