Preston High School is a co-educational secondary school that opened its doors to the first intake of Year 7s in 2019 and will grow to approximately 1,400 students by 2027.
Housed in a newly refurbished 1920s 2-storey red-brick school building alongside a new Stadium, Theatre and Arts centre, as well as a 4-storey vertical building, Preston High School is located in the heart of Preston and adjacent to the Preston Town Hall, Library, Market, High St and all Public Transport. The schools designated neighbourhood boundary encompasses parts of Preston, Thornbury, and Reservoir.
The school's mission is Empowering Tomorrows Leaders.
The school's motto is Lead, Explore, Inspire.
The school's values are Excellence, Inclusion, Community.
These statements exemplify the school's commitment to the highest aspirations for our learners, staff and school. The curriculum prepares learners for a life of success and positive community engagement in the mid-21stC by providing excellent teaching and learning in foundational disciplines alongside deep engagement in meaningful and extending projects that deliver cross-disciplinary learning opportunities. The Year 7 and 8 program includes the explicit teaching of Philosophy and of Engineering/Design Thinking as two key elements for learners' future success. All students learn to lead, explore areas of passion and interest and undertake work that inspires them and their community.
SC1 Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships with young people and provide effective support for students experiencing wellbeing, attendance or engagement difficulties.
SC2 Demonstrated ability to assess student needs, develop support strategies, coordinate referrals, maintain professional records and monitor student progress.
SC3 Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with students, families, school staff, community organisations and external professionals.
SC4 Demonstrated ability to plan, deliver and evaluate individual, small-group or broader youth engagement and wellbeing initiatives.
SC5 Demonstrated understanding of confidentiality, professional boundaries, child safety, mandatory reporting, inclusion and culturally responsive practice.
SC6 Demonstrated capacity to model the Department of Education¿s values and contribute positively to a safe, respectful and inclusive school community.
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.
The Youth Worker supports student engagement, wellbeing, attendance and connection to school. Working as part of the school¿s multidisciplinary wellbeing and sub-school teams, the Youth Worker provides targeted support to students experiencing social, emotional, behavioural or environmental barriers to learning.
The role builds positive relationships with students, families, staff and external services and assists students to develop the skills, confidence and supports required to participate successfully in education.
Consistent with an ES Level 1 Range 3 position, the Youth Worker exercises professional judgement within established school policies and procedures and may coordinate defined wellbeing programs or areas of student support.
Key responsibilities
Student wellbeing and engagement
- Develop safe, respectful and culturally responsive relationships with students.
- Provide individual and small-group support for students experiencing wellbeing, engagement, behavioural or attendance concerns.
- Assist students to identify barriers, establish goals and develop practical strategies for improving their engagement with school.
- Support students to develop emotional regulation, communication, conflict-resolution and help-seeking skills.
- Provide early intervention and targeted support in response to emerging student needs.
- Assist students during periods of distress and support their safe return to learning.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and work within the scope of the Youth Worker role.
Case management and coordinated support
- Manage an allocated caseload of students under the direction of the relevant school leader.
- Develop, implement and review student support plans in collaboration with students, families and relevant staff.
- Participate in Student Support Group meetings, wellbeing meetings, attendance meetings and case conferences.
- Coordinate communication between students, families, school staff and external agencies.
- Maintain accurate, confidential and timely records of student contact, referrals, interventions and outcomes.
- Monitor student progress and provide reports to relevant school leaders and wellbeing staff.
- Escalate complex, high-risk or clinical matters to appropriately qualified staff and school leadership.
Attendance and re-engagement
- Identify and follow up students displaying emerging or ongoing attendance concerns.
- Work with students and families to understand barriers to attendance and participation.
- Contribute to attendance improvement, re-engagement and return-to-school plans.
- Support students transitioning back to school following extended absence, suspension or disengagement.
- Collaborate with sub-school teams to monitor attendance, engagement and agreed interventions.
Programs and group work
- Plan, coordinate and deliver evidence-informed youth engagement and wellbeing programs.
- Facilitate targeted small-group programs addressing identified student needs.
- Support student voice, leadership, belonging and connection to the school community.
- Evaluate programs using participation information, student feedback and agreed outcome measures.
- Contribute to whole-school prevention and early-intervention initiatives.
Family and community partnerships
- Build respectful and constructive relationships with parents and carers.
- Connect students and families with appropriate school, community and government services.
- Develop and maintain effective partnerships with youth services, health providers and community organisations.
- Participate in interagency meetings when required and authorised.
- Advocate for students while maintaining confidentiality, professional boundaries and child-safety requirements.
Team contribution
- Work collaboratively with teachers, Heads of Cohort, Heads of School, Disability Inclusion staff and the wellbeing team.
- Provide relevant information and practical advice to staff within the scope of the role.
- Contribute to multidisciplinary planning for students requiring additional support.
- Participate in supervision, professional learning and performance-development processes.
- Contribute to a positive, inclusive and child-safe school culture.
Level of responsibility
The Youth Worker:
- works with a degree of independence within established policies, procedures and professional boundaries
- exercises professional judgement when selecting appropriate support strategies
- is accountable for an allocated student caseload or defined wellbeing program
- works collaboratively across teams and gains the cooperation of staff, families and external providers
- refers clinical assessments, diagnoses, therapeutic interventions and high-risk decisions to appropriately qualified professionals
- does not have responsibility for curriculum planning, teaching duties or disciplinary decisions
- operates under the general direction of a nominated school leader.
Child safety
The Youth Worker must:
- comply with the Victorian Child Safe Standards and the school¿s Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- identify and respond appropriately to concerns about student safety
- comply with mandatory reporting and other legal reporting obligations
- immediately escalate disclosures, risks or safety concerns in accordance with school and Department procedures
- maintain appropriate professional boundaries in all interactions with students.
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
Qualifications and Requirements
A qualification in youth work, community services, counselling, social science or a related discipline is highly desirable.
The successful applicant will preferably demonstrate:
- experience working with adolescents in a school, community or youth-services setting
- experience supporting students with complex wellbeing, engagement or attendance needs
- knowledge of adolescent development, trauma-informed practice and de-escalation
- experience coordinating referrals and working with external services
- strong case-management, documentation and communication skills
- a current Working with Children Clearance
- current first-aid qualifications or a willingness to obtain them.
Applications must include
A specific response to the key selection criteria and position details. Preferably no more than one criterion per page, size 11 Arial (or equivalent) font where possible.
Please attach applications including:
1. A cover sheet providing contact information including home address, email and phone number as well as the phone number of the work address at which the applicant can be contacted.
2. A CV with a summary of experience and qualifications.
3. Specific Key Selection Criteria response
4. The names, email addresses and contact details for three referees who can provide information regarding the applicant in relation to the key selection criteria.
For ease of handling by the school, all documents (cover letter, CV and key selection criteria responses) can be saved as one pdf and uploaded to School Jobs. Please also ensure that your name is included in the header of each document.
- 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
