Community Education Counsellor

About the Department:

The Department of Education are dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects the community and schools we support by treating everyone with respect and dignity. This starts with recruitment and selection. The methods of assessing suitability in the recruitment process may vary. This includes making reasonable adjustments to support applicants at all stages of the process and employee lifecycle.

Role:

Responsibilities include:

• Provide educational counselling and support services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and students across a number of schools.
• Participate in the development of activities, in and out of school, likely to enhance the involvement in education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families.
• Develop and undertake support service programs designed to meet the needs of the school/s that will encourage the educational participation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and students.
• Establish and maintain links with out of school sources of information and support services to assist in the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and students.
• Provide information to the school community about Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander social and cultural perspectives.
• Utilise, in an accountable manner, state and commonwealth funded school-based programs that focus on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students and communities.
• Provide advice and information to school administrators regarding Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander social and cultural protocols in order to meet the needs of schools and their communities.
• Ensure that relevant information concerning Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander social and cultural issues is readily available to all members of the school community.
• Participate in activities to develop productive partnerships between members of the school community.

Mandatory Requirements for and Identified Role: 

It is a genuine occupational requirement for Identified roles that the position be filled by an Aboriginal person or a Torres Strait Islander person as set out in Section 7 of the  Anti Discrimination Act 1991  for the purposes contained in Section 25 of that Act. 

Verification of Aboriginality and/or Torres Strait Island heritage 

For administrative purposes, in relation to an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identified role, an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person is a person who identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person and is either:   

• of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent;  
• accepted as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person by the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community in which he or she lives.   

By definition a person who is not an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cannot be employed (on any basis) to perform the duties of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identified role.

Applicants to this position  may have  to provide confirmation of their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage. Requesting proof of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage from applicants helps to make sure that this intention is honoured. 

How to Apply:

• Attach a brief resume including contact details for 2 referees (referees should have an understanding of your relevant work history)
• Attach a 2-page response to the  How you will be assessed section of the attached role description.

We welcome all applicants to share any support needed to ensure our recruitment process is inclusive.

Applications remain current for 12 months from the closing date and may be considered for appointment to identical or similar vacancies within the Department.

Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted.

When working in regulated employment an employee must have a current Working with Children Clearance (blue card) issued by Blue Card Services.

Salary rate shown is reflective of full-time (1.0 FTE).

The Department of Education is a family inclusive workplace.  Click here to find out more about our Inclusion and Diversity strategies. ( )