When addressing these criteria, applicants should provide specific examples from their experience, highlighting their ability to run groups and work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Demonstrated Ability to Facilitate and Adapt Small Group Programs
Experience delivering structured therapeutic or educational groups. Must demonstrate the ability to read group dynamics and modify activities on the spot to ensure all students, regardless of their diverse needs, remain engaged and achieve the session's clinical goals.
High-Level Collaborative Practice and Interdisciplinary Teamwork
Exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven track record of working constructively alongside diverse professionals (therapists, teachers, and leadership). Demonstrated ability to navigate conflicting priorities, build consensus, and seamlessly integrate therapy goals into a busy classroom environment.
Expertise in Student Engagement and Positive behaviour Support
Practical experience utilising positive behaviour support strategies, visual schedules, and sensory regulation tools to manage complex group dynamics. Must demonstrate the ability to keep groups focused and safely defuse challenging behaviours without disrupting the learning of others.
Strong Communication, Data Collection, and Documentation Skills
Proven capacity to communicate student progress clearly and concisely to staff, ensuring everyone is working toward the same goals. Strong organisational skills and diligence in monitoring student progress, accurately recording data, and maintaining confidential records. Competency in tracking group and individual student outcomes against specific goals, noting behavioural or developmental shifts, and ensuring all documentation meets both educational policy and allied health standard requirements.
Understanding of Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Care
A strong foundational understanding of how trauma, complex backgrounds, and diverse cultural needs impact student learning and behaviour. Demonstrated ability to apply trauma-informed principles¿such as establishing predictability, safety, and trusting relationships¿within small group and classroom settings.
The Allied Health Assistant (AHA) plays a critical role in bridging clinical therapy and daily classroom education within a Supported Inclusion school. Working under the delegation and supervision of qualified Allied Health Professionals (e.g., Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists), the AHA implements targeted therapeutic programs designed to help students with disabilities access the curriculum and thrive socially.
This role has a strong focus on facilitating small-group interventions (such as social skills, emotional regulation, and motor-skills groups) and requires an exceptional ability to collaborate seamlessly with teaching staff, education support (ES) staff, and the allied health team to ensure therapeutic strategies are embedded naturally into the school day.
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Small Group Facilitation & Clinical Support
Deliver Programs: Run evidence-based small group sessions (e.g., fine motor, sensory regulation, language and communication, or peer socialisation groups) as prescribed by the supervising therapists.
In-the-Moment Adaptation: Differentiate and adjust group activities in real-time to accommodate the varying physical, cognitive, and sensory needs of individual students within the group, including students with neurodivergence and intellectual disability
Classroom Integration: Support the transition of skills learned in therapy groups into the mainstream classroom environment, modeling strategies for students and staff.
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Collaboration & Teamwork
Interdisciplinary Teaming: Act as the vital link between the clinical team and the teaching staff. Translate clinical jargon into practical classroom strategies for teachers.
Co-facilitation: Work alongside classroom teachers and Education Support staff to co-facilitate inclusive group activities, ensuring shared goals are met.
Feedback Loop: Actively participate in student care meetings, providing therapists and teachers with observational feedback regarding student progress, group dynamics, and barriers to participation.
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Student Engagement & Behaviour Support
Group Dynamics: Utilise proactive positive behaviour support strategies to maintain focus, encourage peer-to-peer interaction, and manage dysregulation safely within group settings.
Resource Creation: Design, prepare, and maintain therapeutic resources, visual aids, and sensory tools required for group sessions and classroom use.
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Documentation & Administration
Data Tracking: Collect accurate, timely data during and after small group sessions to monitor student progress against their Individual Education Plan (IEP) and therapy goals.
Record Keeping: Maintain confidential clinical notes and administrative records in accordance with school policies and allied health compliance standards.
Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of the position.
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.
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
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
Relevant Qualification: A Certificate III or Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (or equivalent). Alternatively, applicants currently enrolled in a relevant tertiary degree (e.g., Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology) who have successfully completed clinical placements will be highly regarded.
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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
Cranbourne West Secondary College abuts rapidly growing residential areas in the suburb of Cranbourne. The school will work in partnership with the community to provide authentic learning opportunities and best academic and personal outcomes for all students. Cranbourne West Secondary College in the rapidly growing suburb of Cranbourne opening in January 2021 with 198 Year 7 enrolments. Currently the College has 1600 students across Year 7 to Year 11 and is anticipated to grow beyond 2000 students in 2026 as we commence our first year of Year 12. Neighbouring schools are relatively large and Cranbourne West Secondary College is expected to grow quickly to meet residents¿ demand for excellence in education, consistent with the vision for the Education State.
Cranbourne West Secondary College will provide students with state of the art facilities in STEM, Visual Arts, Physical Education and Performing Arts spaces to cater for the learning needs of all students.
Commitment to Excellence and Inclusion
Cranbourne West Secondary College delivers the highest quality of education for all learners. As a Supported Inclusion School, Cranbourne West Secondary College sets strong culture of inclusion at a whole-of-school level. The innovative and evidence-based schools design is flexible and allows schools to have students with special needs in the classroom with their peers, utilise smaller spaces and/or run stand-alone classes depending on the cohort of students.
Cranbourne West Secondary College staff deliver excellence by responding to the diverse needs of their students. We will provide staff access to a suite of Department educational resources and programs that support exemplary inclusive practice. Our College will demonstrate a strong commitment to outstanding post school outcomes for all students, be that University or other further study, apprenticeships, traineeships or full-time work.
School Vision and Values
Cranbourne West Secondary College fosters a love of learning. We respect inclusion, diversity and indigenous heritage. We aspire for continuous improvement in all our students as they grow into adulthood. We live by our motto, diversis viribus - ¿strength through diversity¿, and look forward to our students emerging as resilient, productive and cooperative members of the community.
Cranbourne West Secondary College¿s motto is Diversis Viribus - `Strength through Diversity¿; our values are intrinsically linked to this motto as we ASPIRE every day:
Acceptance - to accept someone is to acknowledge them, to recognize how they are different, and to say that it is okay. Acceptance is good!
Sincerity - the quality of being open and truthful
Perseverance - is not giving up. It is persistence and tenacity, the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it's hard.
Inclusion - a group that's particularly welcoming to all kinds of people. To include someone is to intentionally pursue ways to make them feel welcomed, heard, and valued.
Respect - respecting myself, others and the school environment.
Excellence - the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree and continually striving to improve.
