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: www.rivernileschool.vic.edu.au

POSITION DESCRIPTION

We are seeking a Classroom Wellbeing Worker to work directly within a classroom, supporting students to stay engaged and participate in learning.

This role is allocated to one class and focuses on responding to student wellbeing needs as they arise throughout the day. The role works alongside teachers and the wellbeing team to support students who may be disengaged or experiencing challenges that impact their learning.

This is a hands-on, practical role that involves working closely with students, supporting them in the moment and helping them remain connected to learning.

The Classroom Wellbeing Worker works within a classroom and collaboratively with teachers and wellbeing staff to:

• support students to engage in learning
• respond to wellbeing needs in real time
• assist students who are disengaged or at risk of disengagement
• support students to return to learning following interruptions

Position reports to

Wellbeing Coordinator

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Student Support and Engagement:

• Build consistent relationships with an allocated classroom group to support trust, connection and engagement
• Support students to complete learning tasks
• Break down instructions and check understanding during learning activities
• Support students at key points when encountering learning barriers
• Reinforce expectations, routines and positive participation in class
• Support students to develop independence, including asking for help and managing their learning

Addressing Barriers to Learning and Participation:

• Notice and respond when students are disengaged, overwhelmed or unable to participate
• Support students to develop personal and learning related goals, and build skills that improve confidence, regulation and participation
• Follow up with students to understand what is getting in the way of their learning
• Put simple supports in place such as offering breaks, changing the environment or prompting use of agreed strategies
• Communicate patterns with teachers and wellbeing staff
• Support agreed strategies in class such as seating, scaffolds or routines
• Check whether supports are helping and adjust as needed
• Raise concerns when students continue to struggle or need more support

Inclusion and Adjustment Support:

• Support students to use adjustments in class such as visual supports, scaffolds, translated materials or modified tasks
• Notice when students are not using or benefiting from adjustments and prompt alternative supports
• Prompt and remind students to use agreed supports during learning
• Help set up or prepare materials needed for student access to learning
• Follow agreed strategies for students with additional needs
• Keep records of supports being used in class on agreed platforms
• Make recommendations based on how students respond to adjustments

Wellbeing and Student Support:

• Respond to students who are distressed, disengaged or unable to remain in class by supporting the use of regulation strategies
• Provide and supervise wellbeing breaks, supporting students to regulate and stabilise
• Maintain clear expectations and routines for students accessing wellbeing breaks
• Support students to return to learning following breaks or wellbeing check ins
• Assist students to manage emotions, behaviour and social situations in the school environment
• Support students to access internal and external supports where needed
• Share relevant wellbeing information and concerns with appropriate staff
• Escalate complex or ongoing concerns to appropriate staff

Teamwork and Communication:

• Work closely with teachers and wellbeing staff to support students consistently
• Contribute to communication with teachers and wellbeing staff, including participation in student Individual Learning Plans
• Share observations about student engagement, behaviour and learning
• Attend team meetings and contribute relevant updates
• Follow agreed plans and approaches with students
• Ask for guidance or raise concerns when students need additional support

Planning and Record Keeping:

• Contribute to student plans by sharing observations and updates
• Record supports provided and any changes in student engagement
• Keep notes up to date in line with school processes
• Support staff by providing information needed for student documentation

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

1. Student Support:Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships with students and support their engagement in learning
2. Supporting Participation: Ability to identify when students are disengaged and use practical strategies to support participation
3. Wellbeing Support:Experience supporting young people with emotional or behavioural challenges, including helping them regulate and return to learning
4. Teamwork and Communication:Ability to work collaboratively with teachers and wellbeing staff and communicate effectively
5. Organisation: Ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain accurate records
6. Approach and Values: Commitment to utilising cultural awareness with people from refugee and refugee like backgrounds and implementing a trauma informed response.
7. Additional Question: Describe a time you supported a student who was disengaged or unable to participate in learning. What did you do and what was the outcome?

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

• A qualification in youth work, community services, education support or a related field is desirable, but not essential
• Experience working with young people in a school, youth, community or wellbeing setting
• Experience supporting young people who may be disengaged from learning or experiencing social, emotional or behavioural challenges
• Experience working in a classroom or group setting is highly regarded
• Understanding of or experience working with culturally diverse communities and young people from refugee backgrounds is desirable
• Relevant experience, including working with Culturally or Linguistically Diverse (CALD) students or communities with complex needs.
• Current Working with Children Check
• 100-point Proof of Identity.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Victorian Child Safe Standards.
• We warmly welcome applications from individuals with a refugee or asylum seeker background.

Employment Conditions

• 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.

Next steps

Applications should be sent via the job portal through the Apply now button below.

You may email [email protected] using the subject line: Classroom Wellbeing Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs for further information.

If you're interested in this opportunity, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the advertisement will close once a suitable candidate has been appointed.