Inclusive Support Worker

Inclusive Support Worker Part Time

BACKGROUND

The River Nile School (RNS) is a specialist independent inclusive senior-secondary school delivering Applied Learning curriculum to young refugee and asylum seeker women who have had disrupted schooling or are struggling to cope with mainstream school. We are also a registered charitable organisation that delivers everything we do with our students for free.

RNS provides a high-challenge high-support learning environment with a strengths-based approach. It offers small class sizes and teachers and student support staff work collaboratively to achieve the best possible outcomes for each student with individualised learning and wellbeing programs for all students. RNS adopts a holistic model for supporting the unique educational and support needs of each student so developing strong student-staff relationships is essential. As our students come from backgrounds where they may have experienced significant trauma and torture we adopt a trauma-informed approach to our practice.

School website:

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Inclusive Support Worker (Health access & Learning) provides practical respectful support to a student with physical disability to enable safe participation in school life. The role focuses on mobility support personal care (toileting) transfers and fatigue awareness while also contributing to classroom support for other students when direct health support is not required.

This role is not a 1:1 learning support position. When the student is settled and independent in learning activities the Support Worker supports the classroom environment more broadly under teacher direction.

Position reports to:

Assistant Principal of Wellbeing

Specific Responsibilities and Duties

Student Health & Personal Care

• Support toileting routines as required including assisting with nappy changes in a dignified private and culturally appropriate manner
• Work collaboratively with the student supporting independence where possible (the student can complete parts of the change independently)
• Maintain hygiene safety and comfort during all personal care tasks
• Monitor fatigue and support pacing rest breaks and repositioning as needed

Mobility & Transfers

• Assist the student with manual wheelchair mobility around the school while awaiting provision of an electric wheelchair
• Support safe transfers including entering and exiting taxis
• Assist with repositioning and pressure relief as needed acknowledging the students strong upper-body capacity
• Follow guidance from allied health professionals including Occupational Therapy recommendations

Classroom & School Support

• When direct health support is not required assist teachers with general classroom support (e.g. distributing materials supporting group activities supervision)
• In consultation with teaching and other staff toassiststudents in specific learning areas e.g. English as an Additional Language (EAL) acquisition and Literacy support.
• Work in partnership with teachers to implementappropriate adjustmentsto learning materials or the environment to meet the needs of the student and maximise learning asidentifiedin Individual Learning Plans (ILPs).
• Promote inclusion by supporting the students participation alongside peers rather than separating or isolating her
• Maintain clear communication with classroom teachers about timing of support needs

Communication & Collaboration

• Document and provide feedback to the students care team
• Document relevant health support tasks in line with school procedures
• Document NCCD adjustments as per RNS procedures

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

1. Ability to support student access to learning including mobility support and assisting in the classroom when direct health support is not required.
2. Ability to provide personal care support including toileting in a respectful way that maintains dignity privacy and professional boundaries.
3. Ability to present a calm positive and professional manner and maintain confidentiality at all times.
4. Physical capacity to safely assist with wheelchair mobility transfers and toileting tasks using safe manual handling practices.
5. Experience or understanding of working with adolescents and young adults who have experienced trauma disadvantage disability and/or refugee backgrounds.
6. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team with good communication organisation and basic ICT skills.

Your Mindset

• You believe every young person deserves a thriving future.
• You respect and value the perspectives of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) young people and are interested in working with those with complex needs to help them achieve their potential.
• You are extremely comfortable working in a flexible evolving changing work environment staying focused on outcomes and adapting your approach as needed.
• You are collaborative valuing and respecting relationships within and across our entire team and with our external partners.
• You take the initiative solve problems and have close attention to detail.

Qualifications Experience Credentials and Checks

1. Desired qualifications in individual support disability care or other related to community services.
2. Working with Children Check.
3. 100-point Proof of Identity.
4. Recent experience in a school or similar environment.
5. We warmly welcome applications from individuals with a refugee or asylum seeker background.

Cultural & Gender Considerations

Due to personal care requirements this role requires a female support worker

Cultural considerations are important and the role requires ongoing cultural awareness sensitivity and respect.

Employment Conditions

3 days per week Monday Thursday and Friday (could be extra if student wants to participate in camps)

Competitive salary access to tax-effective salary packaging training and development opportunities and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Appointment of the successful candidate will be subject to:

• Reference checks
• A satisfactory Pre-Employment Disclosure Declaration; and
• evidence that the applicant has completed training in aspects of Child Safety (a DET link to on-line training for Non-Government schools will be provided).
• A 6-month probationary period will apply and induction and professional support will be provided.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Applications including a cover letter resume and response to the key selection criteria should be sent via the job portal. You may email for further information.