Occupational Therapist

Department of Education Victoria – Bairnsdale VIC 10d ago , from Department of Education & Training Victoria The East Gippsland Specialist School provides a comprehensive and innovative curriculum for primary and secondary students with intellectual disabilities. The school recognises that every child is special and that our students require additional resources and individual and innovative support to enable them to succeed. The school encourages a supportive environment where teamwork between members of the school community is paramount to foster an environment of ability where every student fulfils their full potential. Our belief that every student can achieve is fostered in a strengths based, stimulating, caring and secure atmosphere. We promote the values and attitudes of cooperation, responsibility and respect for self, for others, for culture and religious diversity, for property and environment. Students are taught in small groups and are supported by a multi-disciplinary team including teachers, assistants, allied health professionals and other specialists. The school is committed to providing a progressive, stimulating and safe school environment that takes into account sound management practices, good communication between all members of the school community, best practice in delivering the curriculum and innovative community partnerships. East Gippsland Specialist School is situated in the thriving town of Bairnsdale which is also the commercial centre of East Gippsland. The town itself has pleasant wide streets set around historical, award winning, Main Street Gardens. It is the gateway to Australia's largest and most beautiful inland waterways, the Gippsland Lakes as well as beautiful beaches and Victoria's High Country. The environment lends itself to many leisure opportunities including fishing, sailing and boating, riding, cycling, bushwaking, climbing and skiing. The East Gippsland Specialist School was built in 2003. It now has 110 students and 56 staff with state of the art facilities, extensive IT resources and specialist sensory resources. Selection Criteria Demonstrated knowledge, ability and experience in coordinating the provision of Occupational Therapy Services, in the area of Special Education. Expert knowledge and experience in providing range of interventions aiming at increasing students participation in school programs, including prescription of assistive technology, mobility aids and sensory programs. Demonstrated ability to use a range of assessment and outcome measures to develop and evaluate intervention programs and curriculum delivery. High level of communication and interpersonal skills when dealing with students, staff, parents and other members of the community and an ability to develop collaborative working relationships and participate effectively in a team environment. Highly developed organisational skills with a demonstrated ability to work independently, utilise effective time management strategies, establish priorities and meet deadlines. Role The Occupational Therapist will ensure that Occupational Therapy services are delivered using a collaborative model within the educational framework. The Occupational Therapist will work to support the school community to realise the strategic vision for therapy provision across the whole school. Key Responsibilities Incorporating school policies and procedures into planning of therapy services. Manage the Occupational Therapy Budget and the ordering and distribution of student resources. Update, revise and share all relevant assessment documents, and plans. Active management of specific caseload including complex cases and high needs students. Active support of the PSD application process and Disability Inclusion process. Additional Responsibilities Comprehensively assess students, needs from developmental, neurological and sensory perspectives. Design and implement goal focused occupational therapy programs for students in classrooms and group settings. Recommend appropriate adaptive equipment according to students needs and liaise with external agencies as appropriate. Liaise with and educate parents, caregivers and staff on the safe and appropriate use of prescribed adaptive equipment. Liaise with external health professionals involved with the care of each student as necessary. Report to parents and caregivers on student progress in line with the school reporting procedures. Write appropriate reports for the Educational Needs Questionnaire as required. Work as part of an interdisciplinary team with other occupational therapists, speech pathologists, student wellbeing team and classroom teachers on improving student engagement and outcomes. Prescribe and purchase equipment for the school and ensure that the school equipment is well maintained and safe for use. Conduct oneself in line with all school and departmental policies and procedures, as well as those outlined by the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia. 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 (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 *******@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: 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 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 Be careful - Don’t provide your bank or credit card details when applying for jobs. Don't transfer any money or complete suspicious online surveys. If you see something suspicious, report this job ad. #J-18808-Ljbffr