Student Support Services

Policy last updated

15 June 2020

Scope

Schools

Date:: February 2020

Policy

This policy sets out how schools access Student Support Services and how this service works as part of the department’s multi-disciplinary Area team supporting schools and students.

Summary

Access to Student Support Services (SSS) is managed through a referral process by a student’s school through the school’s SSS Key Contact Officer. This process is outlined in the Student Support Services Referral Process in the Student Support Services Handbook (PDF) (refer also to the Resources tab).
The school must obtain informed consent from the student’s parent/carer where the referral is for direct support to a student or group of students prior to SSS delivering the service. The consent form is available in multiple languages in the Resources tab.
The school must record the referral in the Student Online Case System (before the referral is assigned to SSS).

Details

Student Support Services (SSS) teams are comprised of professionals including:

psychologists
speech pathologists
social workers.

They support schools in assisting children and young people facing barriers to learning to achieve their educational and developmental potential.

SSS staff work as part of an integrated health and wellbeing team within each area, focusing on providing:

workforce capability building for school staff
group based and individual support
the provision of specialised services.

Area teams use the department's Student Support Services Handbook (PDF) (also available in the Resources tab) to support local delivery arrangements. The Handbook supports principals and the department's areas and SSS team members to implement the delivery model for SSS.

The Handbook offers guidance to SSS team members regarding working in area teams, working in portfolios and responding to area and SSS priorities. For schools, the Handbook defines the case referral approach and how schools can engage with the work of the SSS.

Relevant legislation

SSS contacts

Your assigned Area SSS Branch Manager or SSS Key Contact Officer for information listed on the Regional Maps contact list (staff login required).

Guidance

Introduction

Student Support Services (SSS) assist children and young people faced with learning barriers to achieve their educational and developmental potential. They provide strategies and specialised support at individual, group, school and area levels.

This guidance contains the following chapters:

The role of SSS
Services provided by SSS
Other professional support available
SSS key contact
Accessing SSS
Referral support

1. The role of Student Support Services

Student Support Services (SSS) comprise a broad range of professionals including psychologists, speech pathologists and social workers.

They work as part of a multidisciplinary area team to support schools in the provision of integrated health and wellbeing, providing group-based and individual support, workforce capacity building and the provision of specialised services.

SSS are embedded in area-based multi-disciplinary teams to:

support the delivery of quality universal services for all students, with extra effort directed to ensuring education and health and wellbeing services are accessible to, and inclusive of, the most vulnerable and disadvantaged
target the delivery of individual support services to those who require specialised expertise, assessment and intervention in order to overcome barriers to learning, develop the capability of schools to design health, learning, development and wellbeing strategies that focus on improving education and health and wellbeing outcomes
collaborate with multidisciplinary professional practice teams and build partnerships with community services to meet the needs of schools and students and their health, wellbeing and learning goals
respond to critical incidents involving students, staff and school communities.

2. Services provided by Student Support Services

2. Services provided by student support services

Psychologists

Support schools to develop reasonable adjustments
Provide learning and teaching advice to schools
Offer support on what is needed for the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD)
Provide support at critical incidents in schools where appropriate

Speech pathologists

Support schools to develop reasonable adjustments
Offer support for principals, school staff and parents on what is needed for the PSD and how to carry out the Language and Learning Disability Support Program

Support schools to develop reasonable adjustments
Offer support to students, families and schools through involvement in individual, group and family work
Provide support at critical incidents in schools where appropriate

Schools may also have access to other allied health officers such as occupational therapists or school nurses. They may be employed by the school, area or region.

3. Other professional support available

Schools may also get support from board certified behaviour analysts and the Visiting Teacher Service, summarised below.

Board certified behaviour analysts

Coach school staff and develop processes to respond to behaviours of concern
Carry out direct behavioural assessments such as Functional Behaviour Assessment intervention on individual students

Visiting Teacher Service

Offer specialist guidance to teachers and schools in supporting engagement and participation of students with disabilities
Work in the areas of physical disability and health care needs, hearing and vision loss

Refer to Visiting Teacher Service for more information.

4. Student Support Services key contact

Every school has a Student Support Services (SSS) key contact to assist schools in making appropriate referrals to SSS for:

consultations
capability building for staff
student wellbeing issues.

This person will be an allied health professional who is part of the SSS team.

For a list of current SSS Key Contacts, refer to the Student Support Services Handbook (PDF). Schools can also identify their SSS Key Contact through the Regional maps contacts list (staff login required) page.

5. Accessing Student Support Services

The Student Support Services (SSS) referral process (PDF) identifies students with the greatest needs and matches these with the expertise of SSS members.

The SSS referral process involves 3 steps.

1. Pre-referral

School

Check the Student Online Case System (SOCS) for previous referrals related to the student
Review previous recommendations or school-based actions
Collect relevant information regarding the student, for example, Individual Education Plans (IEPs) (refer to template IEPs in the Resources tab) and teacher observations

SSS and school

The SSS Key Contact and school work together to:

Discuss concerns and plans made to date, for example Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or Behaviour Support Plans (BSPs)
Identify strategies to provide immediate support to the student
Identify whether referral is appropriate and the types of service required. This may include a referral to SSS, visiting teacher service or another departmental or external service such as mental health
Identify sections of the Student Information Form relevant to the student

2. Referral

School

Complete only the relevant sections of the Student Information Form. Refer to the SSS Handbook (PDF) for examples of how to use the form
Get consent from the student’s parent/carer(s)
Submit referral and consent on SOCS

SSS

Hold SSS team intake meeting
Advise school of the intake outcome, assigned SSS and service delivery timeline

Cases are prioritised against SSS statewide priorities, Area plans and discussion with schools.

If the intake decision is that a service other than SSS is more appropriate, this will be discussed with the school and advice on referral processes is given.

3. Service delivery

SSS and school

Establish aims for the service delivery and support to the student
Provision and regular review of service with all stakeholders
Decide how to determine when the service has met the needs of the student and communicate with all stakeholders that the service is ending

6. Referral support

If you need help or have questions about the Student Support Services (SSS) referral process you can:

talk to your SSS Key Contact Officer
discuss further concerns with the SSS Branch Manager or Senior Education Improvement Leader (SEIL)
provide feedback via your regional SSS Principal Advisory Group.

For more information and the parental consent form, refer to the SSS Handbook (PDF).

Resources

Referral process

Referral flowchart and fact sheet — this provides schools with a simplified process diagram to assist schools to access student support services (SSS)

Consent flowchart (staff login required)

Student Online Case System (SOCS)

SOCS link (staff login required)