POSITION DESCRIPTION

Preschool Field Officer (PSFO)

Organisational Context

Gateways mission is to empower and support children and adults with a disability / additional need and their families to maximise their:

  • Quality and enjoyment of life
  • Potential
  • Positive relationships within the community

Core Values

The following organisational values apply equally to relationships with children / adults with a disability / additional need, their families, staff, volunteers and other organisations and the broader community.

Commitment and Cooperation

Opportunity and Openness

Respect and Reliability

Excellence and Empathy

Gateways Therapy & Inclusion Support Objectives

1.To provide responsive, individualised services and support which promote each child and family’s
Quality and enjoyment of life.
  • Potential.
  • Positive experiences within the community.
  1. To promote community understanding, support and positive interactions with children with a disability/additional need and their families.
  1. To promote a learning focused, valuing and cooperative organisation that promotes the development and wellbeing of staff and volunteers.

The Gateways Board of Management is responsible to families with children with a disability/additional need, funding bodies and the community for all aspects of service provision and management of the organisation.ThePreschool Field Officer will report directly to the Therapy & Inclusion Manager. This responsibility is delegated through the Chief Executive Officer to staff. The accountability structure is as follows:

Autism Assessment Team / Glenelg /Southern Grampians PSFOs / Barwon PSFOs
Kindergarten Inclusion Support Convenor/Coordinator / Kindergarten Inclusion Support Specialist Consultant / Early Intervention –
South West Team

Duties and Responsibilities

  • To engage with the early childhood educator, not to work one on one with children.
  • To actively build capacity in those early childhood educators directly working with children every day.
  • To ensure that early childhood teachers and educators continually improve their capacity to provide young children who have additional needs with the experiences and opportunities that promote their learning and development, and enable them to participate meaningfully in the program.
  • To help educators to build their confidence, knowledge and skills to provide an inclusive program that is responsive to the needs of all children.
  • To assist educators to respond to the needs of children and their families, PSFO professionals should understand the factors that influence effective adult learning and build respectful collaborative partnerships that recognise and build on educators’ strengths.
  • To support a kindergarten educator’s identification of a child with additional needs through contributing to the assessment of the child’s capabilities as well as their learning and development needs.
  • To support a kindergarten educator’s confidence and capacity to respond to a parent’s concerns regarding their child’s development.

Provision of planning support that respects, acknowledges and complements the educator’s expertise in supporting children’s learning and development

Coaching of an educator to assist with planning and implementation of an inclusive kindergarten program that supports a child with additional needs

Building professional partnerships and collaborative relationships with kindergarten educators

Modelling of specific skills, suggestions and strategies with educators

  • Assistance to an educator to embed child specific teaching and learning approaches and opportunities into the everyday kindergarten environment

Identification of referral pathways and facilitation of linkages for families to the range of child and family supports, including more specialised assessment and services where indicated.

Other

  • Participate in relevant team meetings, committees, reference groups etc as required.
  • Provide regular program data as required.
  • Other duties as directed by or negotiated with the Therapy & Inclusion Support Manager.
  • Report to the Therapy & Inclusion Manager on any risks that may arise in program provision that may potentially impact on the organisation.
  • Ensure confidentiality of client records and information is maintained at all times.
  • Ensure adherence to the OH&S Policies and report any concerns to the Therapy & Inclusion Manager.

Further Role Development

The role, specific tasks and responsibilities of the PSFO may alter over time to meet changing service or agency needs.

Key Functions
  1. The PSFO program is designed to provide support and professional services to Victorian government funded kindergartens to build their capacity to provide for the access and participation of children with additional needs in inclusive kindergarten programs.
  2. The PSFO program helps educators to build their confidence, knowledge and skills to provide an inclusive program that is responsive to the needs of all children.
  3. The PSFO program ensures that early childhood teachers and educators continually improve their capacity to provide young children who have additional needs with the experiences and opportunities that promote their learning and development, and enable them to participate meaningfully in the program.

Selection Criteria

PSFOs should be a degree qualified early childhood educator with experience in delivering high quality inclusive kindergarten programs and have the following capabilities:

  1. A practical and theoretical knowledge of both program planning and program delivery in kindergarten settings.
  2. An understanding and ability to apply the practice principles and child outcomes of the VEYLDF in their PSFO role.
  3. A strong understanding of typical and atypical child development as well as the potential impact of additional needs on a child’s learning, wellbeing and development.
  4. Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
  5. A sound understanding of program strategies and adaptations to support children’s learning.
  6. Expertise and knowledge of specialist referral networks that bridge the gap between kindergarten and specialist services.
  7. A strong understanding of inclusive practice to support responsiveness to the diverse needs of all children in the context of kindergarten programs.
  8. An understanding of the impact of trauma and disadvantage on a child’s development and the importance of relationships in fostering a child’s learning and development.
  9. An understanding of how to facilitate change and experience with capacity building strategies including collaboration, consultation and coaching.
  10. A demonstrated ability to work in collaborative partnerships with other professionals, build and manage a diverse range of networks and form positive working relationships with early childhood professionals.
  11. A demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the barriers and enablers of inclusion in kindergarten settings.
  12. Experience in responding to the diversity of children, families and educators including recognising and building on strengths.
  13. A demonstrated understanding of the NDIS service model and referral pathways.
  14. A demonstrated skill to contribute to the design and implementation of quality improvement mechanisms at both a practice and organisational level.
  15. A demonstrated skill in working with information technology, including experience and knowledge in Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Outlook, maintaining and using client databases including recording case notes, performing online training, accessing the staff intranet, and access payroll and human resource information.
Additional Requirements

Current drivers licence - essential.

Capacity to work outside normal hours if required.

Registration with VIT

Working With Children Check

Successful CrimCheck and assessment by the Disability Worker Exclusion Scheme

Terms and Conditions of Employment

  • Conditions in accordance with the Gateways Support Services Inc. Early Childhood Teachers and Assistants Agreement 2016.
  • An Employee Working with Children Check mandatory.
  • Subject to successful Criminal Record Check.
  • Salary packaging is offered in accordance with the organisation’s salary packaging policy.

Preferred Qualification

Mandatory qualification in Early Childhood Education with a minimum 5 years experience.

Qualification in Special Education, an advantage.

Position Description – Preschool Field Officer

February 2018

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