Social Worker jobs in Dandenong VIC

Location Profile

• Are passionate about supporting young people to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.
• Build positive, respectful, and trusting relationships with students and families.
• Demonstrate empathy, patience, and an understanding of the diverse needs and backgrounds of young people.
• Are committed to fostering student wellbeing, engagement, inclusion, and a sense of belonging.
• Utilise evidence-informed practices to support positive behaviour, emotional regulation, and student success.
• Work collaboratively with teachers, wellbeing staff, leadership, and external agencies to provide holistic support for students.
• Are reflective practitioners who are open to continuous professional learning and growth.
• Demonstrate strong communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills.
• Are proactive, flexible, and able to respond effectively to the changing needs of students and the school community.

Joining Barton Primary School means becoming part of a highly collaborative and supportive environment where student wellbeing and learning success go hand in hand. New team members are supported through a comprehensive induction process designed to help them integrate into our culture of high expectations, high support, and continuous improvement.

Our staff engage in ongoing professional learning and coaching, working alongside Learning Specialists, Leading Teachers, and wellbeing professionals to strengthen their practice. We continue to collaborate with leading educational and wellbeing consultants, including Bronwyn Ryrie-Jones, Ryan Dunn, and Bryan Jeffrey, to ensure a consistent, evidence-based approach that maximises outcomes for all students.

At Barton Primary School, we believe that all students can achieve success when provided with strong relationships, high expectations, targeted support, and early intervention. Youth Workers play a vital role within our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), helping students overcome barriers to engagement, develop positive wellbeing strategies, and build the skills they need to flourish.

Barton has developed an inclusive wellbeing approach that celebrates diversity and promotes belonging for every student. We recognise that wellbeing is fundamental to engagement, participation, and achievement, and our Youth Workers are integral members of the team supporting students to feel safe, connected, and empowered to succeed.

At Tier 1:

• Barton is a School Wide Positive Behaviour School, where our school values Be Safe Be a Learner Be Respectful Be Kind underpin our expected student behaviour. Using our values of expectations with both positively acknowledge behaviour through 'Classroom Dojo' but also explicitly teach and reteach behaviour.
• To support our SWPBS program we utilise the Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationship program to explicitly teach and model Social Emotional Learning.
• Our classroom routines are formed and reinforced by trauma informed practice. The school utilises current research to create classrooms that are consistent, predictable and have strong taught routines.

At Tier 2:

• Our Youth Worker team work across Tier 2 and 3. At Tier 2. They implement intervention groups supporting identified students from the PLC in building social and emotional groups.
• As a Community Hub Australia school, we offer a range of program for parents. The programs aim to support members within our community learning English and Vocational skills.
• The school has several engagement opportunities for students who may require additional opportunities to connect with school examples of these are Melbourne City Soccer, Human Power Vehicles, FEAST Cooking Program, Girls Literacy Circle and Lunch Time Clubs.

At Tier 3:

• Our Youth Worker program at Tier 3 supports students individually with things like transitions, de-escalation and 1:1 check ins.
• The Inclusion team supports in a wide range of ways including supporting families with diagnosis, applying for funding, creation of learning plans and supporting teachers with adjustments in the classroom.
• To support consistency and development of these areas¿ high quality professional development, peer mentoring and coaching is available to all.

Barton Primary School is a large primary school in Cranbourne, in the City of Casey, 5km from the main street of Cranbourne. The current enrolment is 1120 students.

The current school profile includes five Principal Class, four Learning Specialists, two Leading Teachers, seventy-five Teachers, three Tutors, five Youth Workers, thirty Educational Support Staff and nine Administration Support.

Selection Criteria

SC1 Demonstrated awareness and understanding of the issues encountered by young people and the ability to work alongside and support those who are experiencing barriers to education.

SC2 Demonstrated ability to provide information, advice and support to families and external professionals who are supporting/working with students experiencing difficulties with their social and emotional wellbeing.

SC3 Demonstrated ability to understand, empathise with and support students in a variety of challenging personal situations, through a good understanding of trauma and child and adolescent development.

SC4 Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, with the proven ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team.

SC5 Demonstrated understanding of confidentiality, and experience in keeping professional records and case notes.

Role

Range 3 is distinguished by the introduction of management responsibility and accountability for the delivery of professional support services. The role will usually impact beyond the work area or professional field. It seeks to gain cooperation of other staff members or members of the school community to achieve specific objectives, such as in school administration, operations or educational programs.

Direction on targets and goals is provided but the position will have some degree of latitude in determining how they are achieved. This latitude will generally be limited by standard procedures and school policy. Deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.

The provision of business management responsibilities becomes a feature at range 3. Management of staff to achieve the expected outcomes is a key responsibility. Staff management issues will be resolved with minimal reference to senior management, although guidance will be required in more complex cases. Senior management will be provided with timely reports and advice, although this will generally be confined to matters relating to the immediate work area, service provision or educational program and is unlikely to impact substantially on whole of school operations.

This is the minimum range for positions that carry a mandatory qualification requirement of not less than four years. Professional student support positions become a feature at range 3 (e.g. therapists, psychologists) where standard professional services are delivered. Professional support and guidance will be close at hand and deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.

An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students, but must not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor. Supervision of students cannot be required except where it is an integral part of the employee¿s position or involves supervision of students individually or in small groups, in controlled circumstances, where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of this position will be:

• Provide support, advocacy and counselling to individuals and groups of tier 1, 2 and 3 students
• Case management of at risk students
• Assist to develop and implement whole school preventative program
• Assist and develop targeted programs
• Assist and development of Community links and referral agencies. Keep up to date database.
• Liaise with students, staff , and parents regarding student wellbeing
• Assist with development of Student Engagement Policy
• Small group and classroom work. E.g. - Using restorative practices to manage conflict between students
• Direct and indirect support to students, families and staff following incidents
• Other duties as delegated by the Leadership Team

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 [email protected]

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

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