Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces

Policy

This policy is intended to bring together key operational information for schools on the regional and area-based Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces (HWIW), including providing guidance on the Health Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC) function.

Details

The department values the health, wellbeing and inclusion of all students. The department’s priority initiatives include mental health, disability and inclusion and self-determination reforms, and the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0), placing wellbeing alongside learning at the heart of education outcomes.

The HWIW work as integrated, multidisciplinary teams to provide support to government schools across Victoria. They support schools in meeting the engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and learning needs of students. Each workforce within the HWIW has specific expertise to provide effective service delivery.

The HWIW is comprised of education and allied health professionals with specialist skills, knowledge and expertise in a range of health, wellbeing and learning needs of students and schools:

• Student Support Services (SSS) is comprised of psychologists, social workers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and behaviour analysts
• primary and secondary school nurses
• Visiting Teacher Service (VTS)
• Koorie Engagement Support Officers
• other region or area-based staff whose key role is to provide health and wellbeing support to schools.

Each workforce has a specialised role, function and referral process for schools to engage their services. More information about the referral process for the VTS and SSS can be found in the guidance chapters of this policy. For information on primary and secondary school nurses, Koorie Engagement Support Officers, and other region or area-based staff whose key role is to provide health and wellbeing support to schools – see the Related policies section.

The Health and Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC) is an individual HWIW staff member allocated to each school to support schools to engage HWIW supports and assist in the management of the school’s wellbeing approach as a whole. The HWKC enables schools to access timely advice regarding information and support for student, cohort and whole-school needs on matters of health, wellbeing, and inclusion. Further information on the role of HWKCs can be found in the Guidance tab.

To engage with SSS (except in emergencies or critical incidents) schools must:

• follow the referral process outlined in the Guidance section
• obtain informed consent using the SSS and VTS consent form
• complete the Student information form and provide any other relevant documentation
• lodge the referral on the Student Online Case System (SOCS).

For SSS response to emergencies or critical incidents, refer to the Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies) policy.

To engage with the Visiting Teacher Service, schools must:

• obtain informed consent using the SSS and VTS consent form
• lodge the referral on SOCS.

Related policies

• Behaviour – Students
• Disability Inclusion Funding and Support
• Disability Inclusion Profile
• EAL – Provision for Newly Arrived Students
• Equal Opportunity and Human Rights – Students
• FISO 2.0
• Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Koorie Education
• LGBTIQA+ Student Support
• Mental Health in Schools
• Student Resource Package – Target Initiatives
• Student Voice, Agency and Leadership
• Student Support Groups
• Supporting Students in Out-of-Home Care
• Victorian School Nursing Program

HWIW must provide services in a safe and respectful manner, consistent with the department's policies related to equal opportunity and human rights for both staff and students, including:

• Equal Opportunity and Human Rights – Students
• Inclusive Workplaces
• Human Rights Charter (employees)
• Health, Safety and Wellbeing (employees)
• Protecting Children – Reporting and Other Legal Obligations
• Reportable and Notifiable Conduct
• Respectful Workplaces

Contact

For advice regarding the health and wellbeing supports available for students, schools should contact their Health Wellbeing Key Contact via their regional office.

For general enquiries relating to the HWIW, contact the Health, Wellbeing, Inclusion and Resilience team who will direct your query: health.wellbeing.inclusion.resilience@education.vic.gov.au

Guidance

This guidance explains how the Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces (HWIW) help schools with student needs relating to engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and learning. To access Student Support Services and the Visiting Teacher Service, obtaining informed consent is necessary. The guidance contains the following chapters:

• Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces service provision in Victorian government schools
• Health and Wellbeing Key Contact function
• Student Support Services referral process
• Informed consent to access Student Support Services and the Visiting Teacher Service

Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces service provision in Victorian government schools

Service operations

Secure electronic information and record keeping

Schools must create, store and manage records related to Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces (HWIW) engagement securely, in line with the department’s Records Management policy. This applies to both hard copy and electronic records. HWIW staff employed by regions must ensure that all records are protected to the extent required by the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and create, store and manage records in line with the Corporate Records Management Policy (staff login required). All student records created by department employees remain the property of the department.

Working collaboratively in the education context

The department encourages a multidisciplinary approach in delivering health, wellbeing and inclusion services. HWIW consider in-depth the needs of schools and students. HWIW work in partnership with each other, their area and regional colleagues and external services to improve health, wellbeing and learning outcomes.

The Health Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC) function supports schools to access services and supports to enhance student learning and wellbeing outcomes. As part of a multidisciplinary approach, the HWKC assists schools to prioritise and implement universal and targeted approaches to health, wellbeing and inclusion. For more information, refer to the Guidance chapter Health Wellbeing Key Contact function.

Health Wellbeing Key Contact function

Purpose of the HWKC function

The Health Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC) meets regularly with the school contact to identify trends in student, cohort and whole-school health and wellbeing needs. The HWKC helps schools to plan a course of action designed to meet needs, improve outcomes and manage risk. This includes:

• mobilising and strengthening the school's current internal resources
• accessing regional resources to build staff capability and provide time-limited direct support to students and families
• identifying external services who can better meet student needs.

Description of the HWKC function

The HWKC enables schools to access timely advice regarding supports for student, cohort and whole-school need on matters of health, wellbeing and inclusion. Every government school is allocated a HWKC by their area leadership. A HWKC can be any member of the Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces (HWIW). The HWKC function may be provided by someone who is employed as a Student Support Services (SSS) staff, Visiting Teacher, Koorie Engagement Support Officer or another regional role – it is a function of their core role in the area.

Benefits of engaging the HWKC

The key benefits to schools of engaging with their HWKC are:

• increased knowledge of and access to department specialist resources and external supports, in a proactive and timely way
• strengthened multidisciplinary practices and collaboration with regional staff
• enhanced identification of appropriate supports due to improved use of data-based decision making, proactive and preventative planning, and monitoring of student wellbeing and learning.

The role of the HWKC

The HWKC has regular conversations with a consistent school contact. The HWKC and school contact use evidence to identify trends, problem solve and plan for proactive and preventative student, cohort and whole-school health, wellbeing, and inclusion needs. This includes:

• providing advice and guidance through tiered interventions
• accessing regional resources to build staff understanding of the workforces and support available
• identifying external services who can better meet student needs
• supporting schools to reflect on the effectiveness of interventions.

The HWKC supports the school contact to:

• clarify student, cohort and whole-school needs and assist them to prioritise and plan a course of action
• provide general guidance on how to access support for critical incidents
• reflect on the supports available within the setting and how to mobilise these
• access department and/or external services
• identify specialists to deliver the needed professional learning services
• work with school leadership to identify targets for the School Strategic Plan (SSP) and Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) relating to health, wellbeing and inclusion need and identify services that best support the school leadership team in their planning.

The HWKC does not:

• engage in the direct delivery of health, wellbeing and inclusion services to schools or students
• undertake case management – case management is performed by the school contact
• deliver professional development services to schools or teachers
• monitor school performance – this is monitored through the SSP
• triage critical incident responses – there is a department-wide process for seeking support for managing critical incidents that is separate from the HWKC function. Refer to Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies).

The difference between the HWKC and the SSS Key Contact

The purpose of the HWKC function and the SSS Key Contact function are different.

The SSS Key Contact focuses on available SSS supports, while the HWKC has a broader health and wellbeing focus.

In some regions and areas, the HWKC function may be embedded into existing SSS Key Contact meetings. For example, the SSS Key Contact meeting may also achieve the objectives of the HWKC function to assist schools to identify supports available within the school and how to mobilise these, and how to access appropriate department specialist supports (outside the SSS), resources and external services. While they may be the same person, the purpose of each meeting is different.

HWKC meetings

Purpose

The HWKC meeting uses evidence to identify trends, problem solve and plan for proactive and preventative student, cohort and whole-school health, wellbeing and inclusion needs. These discussions may then lead to the school connecting with or referring to any of the HWIW to address those needs.

Initiating a meeting

The HWKC will initiate contact with the school to offer HWKC meetings.

If a school declines HWKC meetings twice in a term, the HWKC will contact the school directly to discuss potential benefits from their support.

If the school accepts the invitation, the HWKC and school contact are to reach agreement on how the administrative roles for HWKC meetings will be met, such as scheduling the calendar invitations for HWKC meetings.

If you are unsure who your HWKC is and would like to set up a meeting, you can contact your regional office.

Meeting attendance

The school can decide who is the most appropriate staff member(s) to attend the HWKC meeting. Generally, this is a staff member(s) with a leadership role or with oversight of the school’s learning, wellbeing and inclusion needs. This includes having access to and responsibility for using student data to plan instruction and intervention to meet student health, wellbeing and inclusion needs.

Meeting frequency

Schools can discuss the frequency of meetings with their HWKC. Meeting frequency may vary depending on need and other priorities. All schools are offered at least 2 HWKC meetings per term.

Meeting outcome

The HWKC meeting determines the most appropriate supports, resources and services to meet the health and wellbeing needs discussed. The HWKC and school contact may reflect on outcomes from previous meetings and discussions to determine other cohorts or students who would benefit from available supports, resources and services.

Process for making referrals following a HWKC meeting

HWKCs support the school to identify the relevant workforces, such as HWIW (including SSS, Visiting Teachers, Senior Wellbeing and Engagement Officers, Koorie Engagement Support Officers or other departmental supports or programs) and external agencies they need to engage to best support school and student needs. Schools are responsible for contacting or completing the required referral process to the identified HWIW.

Record keeping

The school is responsible for storing HWKC meeting notes or records in accordance with the Records Management – School Records policy. The school may share personal and health information of students, staff and others to carry out school and department functions, for other related purposes and in other limited circumstances such as where there is a risk to health and safety. Refer to the Privacy and Information Sharing policy for further advice.

The HWKC refers to these notes or records when entering the HWKC meeting information into the HWIW Data App. If the HWKC identifies a need to create any other notes related to the HWKC meetings, the creation and storage of these notes must be in accordance with the Corporate Records Management Policy (staff login required). Refer to Records management for corporate staff (staff login required) for more advice.

Historical HWKC records and existing notes created by the school or HWKC as part of the HWKC function are records that must be kept according to the Records Management policy.

SSS Key Contact meetings

Purpose

The SSS Key Contact meeting (if required) determines the need for a referral to Student Support Services (SSS) – the discussions typically centre on school and student needs that SSS can respond to (and forms part of the pre-referral process for SSS intake). In areas where SSS Key Contact meetings are not provided frequently, your HWKC can connect your school with a SSS representative.

Initiating a meeting

The SSS Key Contact will initiate contact with the school to offer SSS Key Contact meetings.

Meeting attendance

The school can decide who is the most appropriate staff member(s) to attend the SSS Key Contact meeting. Generally, this is a staff member with a leadership role or with oversight of the school’s learning, wellbeing and inclusion needs. Not all areas provide SSS Key Contact and HWKC meetings, as the functions may be delivered during the HWKC meeting.

Meeting frequency

Meeting frequency is negotiated and agreed between the school and the SSS Key Contact and should consider the frequency and timing of the HWKC meetings.

Meeting outcome

The SSS Key Contact meeting determines the need for a referral to SSS.

SSS Key Contacts may also facilitate a more in-depth discussion of student and school needs to plan for a more detailed course of action. SSS Key Contact meetings may also involve similar questions to HWKC meeting, but actions and outcomes are addressed in relation to referrals to SSS.

Process for making referrals following a SSS Key Contact meeting

The school is responsible for making referrals to SSS using the SOCS platform once it has been determined that a SSS referral is most suitable to address the student’s or school’s health, wellbeing and inclusion needs.

The SSS intake team will review the referral documents and allocate the referral to a SSS team member. If additional supports from wider HWIW or external agencies would be more appropriate to address the needs stated in the referral, the school will be contacted and advised where to direct the referral.

Record keeping

Schools should speak to the SSS branch manager or SSS team leader to confirm how the SSS Key Contact meeting notes or records are to be created and stored.

Student Support Services referral process

For Student Support Services response in the event of a critical incident or emergency

In the event of an incident or near-miss relating to the wellbeing of students, schools must follow the Managing and Reporting School Incidents policy. Schools are advised to lodge a report on eduSafe Plus and call the Incident Support and Operations Centre (ISOC) at 1800 126 126 for support relating to managing high-risk, critical incidents or emergencies relating to students.

The Student Support Services (SSS) team may engage with the school to provide immediate support outside of the referral process discussed in this policy, following a report being entered on eduSafe Plus or a call to ISOC where the incident has been reported as high or critical risk. For more information schools should refer to the Managing and Reporting School Incidents policy.

For staff support following an incident or near miss, refer to Employee Wellbeing Support Services.

For all other referrals

The referral process outlined below is essential to access SSS services and to ensure that timely support is provided. It allows the SSS workforce to gain a better understanding of the student’s needs and to allocate the referral to the appropriate SSS professional for recommendations, support and interventions.

SSS referral process

To request access to SSS, schools must complete the 3 key steps detailed below.

1. Pre referral process

Schools must:

• check the Student Online Case System (SOCS) for previous referrals or active cases related to the individual student
• review previous recommendations or school-based actions and history of any previous referrals for individual student referrals
• discuss the potential referral with their SSS Key Contact (SSS KC) or Health Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC) at the regular meeting. They will assist in determining if a referral is appropriate. To find the full list of current SSS KCs, please refer to the Regional Map and Data website (staff login required).

2. Making the referral

Schools must:

• obtain informed consent from the relevant parties which could be: the student, parent, caregiver or legal guardian to provide SSS services (refer to Informed consent to access the Student Support Services or Visiting Teacher Service)
• complete the relevant sections of the Student information form (SIF) with the appropriate school staff, parents, carers or legal guardians
• share the Student information form with the SSS KC for further discussion and clarification
• lodge a new case referral on the SOCS
• upload the Student information form and signed consent form into the SOCS referral for allocation by the SSS Team Leader or SSS Branch Manager.

3. SSS allocation

The SSS Branch Manager or Team Leader will:

• discuss the SOCS referral at a SSS team intake meeting
• advise the school of the intake outcome, assigned SSS professional and service delivery timeline
• inform the school if the service request is better suited for a service other than the SSS, so that a referral can be made to the appropriate service.

Once allocated, the SSS allied health professional will:

• establish aims for service delivery and recommended SSS support and complete these
• provide regular updates and reviews of the SSS service with the school wellbeing contact through SSS KC, HWKC meetings or as required
• provide a copy of recommendations, assessments or reports to the school and parent, caregiver or legal guardian
• communicate with the school and parent, caregiver or legal guardian (as appropriate) when the service support is complete
• close the case on SOCS.

Informed consent to access the Student Support Services and the Visiting Teacher Service

Purpose of informed consent

To access Student Support Services (SSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service (VTS), parents, caregivers, legal guardians or mature minors must provide a signed document to indicate informed consent. Informed consent ensures that parents, caregivers, legal guardians or mature minors know that the information collected is confidential in line with the department’s Privacy and Information Sharing policy. Informed consent clarifies which services their student will receive. If additional services are added beyond those originally consented to by the parent, legal guardian, caregiver or mature minor, consent will need to be revisited. Consent will remain valid until withdrawn.

When collecting personal and health information, informed consent must be given prior to the student accessing services through SSS or VTS. Refer to the chapter on consent in the Privacy and Information Sharing topic, to identify how informed consent is obtained, used and how information may be disclosed.

For referrals to SSS and VTS, schools must obtain informed consent using the SSS and VTS Consent form which is then uploaded to SOCS when the referral is lodged.

Mature minor consent

If a student under the age of 18 wants to engage with the SSS or VTS independently of their parents, caregivers or legal guardians, the Mature Minors policy may be applied on a case-by-case basis. The school principal or other school professionals must assess whether the student has sufficient maturity to provide informed consent to access the SSS and VTS. If the school determines that the student meets the requirements of the policy to be considered a mature minor, the student can sign the consent form to engage with the SSS and VTS.

Consent for parents, caregivers or legal guardians or mature minors who require interpretation or translation

Schools must organise a qualified interpreter for parents, caregivers, legal guardians or mature minors when interpretation services are required to gain informed consent as per the department’s Interpreting and Translation Services policy. Refer to the Guidance on accessing interpreting and translation services if the parent, caregiver or legal guardian requires interpretation to provide informed consent, prior to signing the required forms.

Referral documents

The following resources must be used when accessing the Student Support Services (SSS):

• Student information form (DOCX)
• SSS and VTS consent form (DOCX)
• Student Online Case System (SOCS)
• Student Support Services: Policy

The following resources must be used when accessing the Visiting Teacher Service (VTS):

• Visiting Teacher Service
• SSS and VTS consent form (DOCX)
• Student Online Case System (SOCS)

Resources

• Student Support Services and Visiting Teacher Service consent form (DOCX)
• Student information form (DOCX) (for SSS only)
• Student Online Case System (SOCS)