Visiting Teacher Service

Policy

This policy outlines how schools can access the Visiting Teacher Service (VTS) and how it operates as part of the department’s multi-disciplinary area teams supporting schools and students under the Department of Education’s Disability Inclusion reforms.

Summary

• Visiting teachers are specialist teachers with expertise and experience in supporting students with disability and/or additional needs.
• Access to the Visiting Teacher Service (VTS) is managed via a referral process initiated by a student’s school through the Student Online Case System (SOCS).
• Eligibility for the VTS is based on specific criteria related to a student’s disability or support needs. For more information, refer to the Guidance tab.
• The school must secure informed consent from the student’s parent/carer to access the VTS, unless the student is a mature minor. The consent form is available on the Resources tab. The school must attach the completed and signed consent form to the referral in SOCS.
• The regional VTS team reviews referrals and decides whether to allocate a visiting teacher. If no visiting teacher is allocated, the regional VTS team informs the referrer and provides guidance on alternative support options.

Details

The Visiting Teacher Service (VTS) consists of specialist teachers with expertise in specific disabilities and experience in supporting students who require tailored educational adjustments. They provide strategies to support schools to engage students with disability and additional needs and contribute to the building of knowledge and skills in inclusive education to ensure every student at every ability thrives at school and in life. They promote inclusion by providing expertise and support to schools, teachers, and students, with a focus on strengths-based approaches and individualised needs.

Visiting teachers work in multi-disciplinary teams to support schools and teachers to implement evidence-based practices to meet the needs of diverse learners. Visiting teachers provide expert advice and support to schools through planning, development, delivery and evaluation of the curriculum to align with the department’s Disability Inclusion reforms.

Visiting teachers work in the areas of:

• physical disability
• health impairment
• deaf or hard of hearing
• vision impairment.

Some regions offer supplementary service streams for students with autism or learning difficulties. Schools can consult their Health Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC) or a visiting teacher team member to confirm availability in their area. Refer to Office locations: Department of Education to contact the regional office for HWKC or visiting teacher contact details.

Visiting teachers support schools and students by:

• providing individualised support
• contributing to key deliverables of the department’s Disability Inclusion reforms
• supporting equitable access to education
• making recommendations on reasonable adjustments to the curriculum and learning environment
• coordinating access to inclusion initiatives
• building capacity in implementing the department’s Disability Inclusion reforms focusing on effective curriculum and pedagogy
• assisting classroom teachers to identify and address the assigned student’s needs, including providing specialist advice for Disability Inclusion Profile meetings
• using and embedding innovative and assistive technologies to improve access to the curriculum
• providing case support and assistance to other visiting teachers and regional staff about specific impairments.

To make a referral to the VTS, schools must follow the steps outlined in Referring to the Visiting Teacher Service on the Guidance tab.

For information on other professional supports available, refer to the Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces policy.

Related policies

• Child Safe Standards
• Disability Inclusion Funding and Support
• Disability Inclusion Profile
• Eating and Drinking Supervision
• Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0)
• Health Care Needs
• Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces
• Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
• Mental Health Fund and Menu
• Mental Health in Schools
• Program for Students with Disabilities
• Restraint and Seclusion
• Sensory Rooms and Equipment
• Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives: Inclusion Outreach Coaching initiative (Reference 136)
• Student Support Groups
• Student Support Services
• Students with Disability

Relevant legislation

• Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic)
• Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic)
• Child Wellbeing and Safety (Information Sharing) Regulations 2018 (Vic)
• Children Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic)
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)
• Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth)
• Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic)
• Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic)
• Family Violence Protection (Information Sharing and Risk Management) Regulations 2018 (Vic)
• Health Records Act 2001 (Vic)
• Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)

Contact

For further information on the Visiting Teacher Service, schools should:

• first contact their Health and Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC) via their regional office. Refer to Office locations: Department of Education
• if further assistance is needed, contact the VTS Manager or Senior Education Improvement Leader (SEIL). Refer to the Regional Map and Data (RMAD) (staff login required)
• for general VTS enquiries, email the Health, Wellbeing, Inclusion and Resilience team at health.wellbeing.inclusion.resilience@education.vic.gov.au

Guidance

This guidance contains the following chapters:

• Eligibility and supports provided by the Visiting Teacher Service
• Referring to the Visiting Teacher Service

Eligibility and supports provided by the Visiting Teacher Service

Visiting teachers provide individualised support to students and schools while contributing to key deliverables of the department’s Disability Inclusion reforms. They collaborate with and coach classroom teachers and school leaders to implement adjustments. This supports students with disability or additional needs to fully access their learning and engage with the curriculum.

Visiting teacher service delivery includes direct student support, assistance to schools in developing individualised learning, and consultation with school staff and families as required.

Visiting teachers enhance teacher capacity by:

• sharing effective strategies
• providing professional development opportunities
• supporting the integration of inclusive teaching practices in alignment with broader educational reforms, including the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0) and the department's Disability Inclusion reforms.

Eligibility for the Visiting Teacher Service (VTS) in Victoria is tailored to address the specific needs of students with disability. For a student to be eligible they must meet a consistent set of criteria related to the student's disability or specific needs.

Physical disability or health impairment

To be eligible for support, a student’s physical disability or health care needs must:

• have a significant impact on the student’s academic, physical, social, or emotional development
• be confirmed by a recent medical report from a specialist physician.

Visiting teachers provide support for students with physical disability or health care needs by:

• providing information and guidance on specific health conditions or disabilities and their impact on participation and education (for example, continence management and toileting support) and helping schools develop health and inclusion plans
• supporting teachers and schools to make reasonable adjustments to the physical environment
• facilitating the use of accessible technologies and equipment
• assisting with applications, providing recommendations, and offering advice regarding the accessibility of school facilities
• collaborating with external agencies to ensure the delivery of appropriate services.

Deaf or hard of hearing

To be eligible for support, a student’s hearing loss must be confirmed by a current audiogram and an audiologist’s report.

Additional factors that may influence the level of support include:

• degree and type of hearing loss
• age of the student at diagnosis
• impact of hearing loss on the student’s speech and language development, academic performance, and social or emotional wellbeing
• requirements and effectiveness of audiological management.

Visiting teachers provide support for students with hearing loss by:

• coaching teachers in strategies and accommodations to address communication challenges
• building the capability of schools by facilitating the use of accessible technologies and equipment
• assisting teachers and schools in making reasonable adjustments (for example, improving acoustics and ensuring appropriate audiological support)
• delivering on the educational outcomes of the Victorian Curriculum, guided by the Teacher of the Deaf Elaborations of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
• guiding schools in supporting families to engage with diagnostic services.

Vision impairment

To be eligible for support, the student’s vision impairment must be confirmed by the Statewide Vision Resource Centre’s (SVRC) Eligibility Panel and/or Educational Vision Assessment Clinic (EVAC).

Visiting teachers provide support for students with vision loss by:

• building the capability of schools by supporting the use of accessible assistive technologies and equipment
• providing explicit instruction in low vision and blindness strategies (for example, braille)
• advising schools on the Expanded Core Curriculum skill areas
• collaborating with external agencies to deliver services (for example, Statewide Vision Resource Centre).

Referring to the Visiting Teacher Service

Access to the Visiting Teacher Service (VTS) is facilitated through an online referral process initiated by the student's school. While referrals may be preceded by consultation with the school’s Health and Wellbeing Key Contact, this is not a mandatory step. Schools can make direct referrals via the Student Online Case System (SOCS).

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

1. Pre referral process

Schools must:

• check SOCS for existing referrals or active cases related to the student to avoid duplication
• review previous referrals, recommendations or school-based actions
• discuss the potential referral with their Health Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC) or a Visiting Teacher team member. They will assist in determining if a referral is appropriate. To find the full list of current regional staff, refer to the Regional Map and Data website (staff login required).

2. Making the referral

Schools must:

• obtain informed consent. Refer to Informed consent to access the Student Support Services and the Visiting Teacher Service. The consent form (DOCX) is available on the Resources tab
• lodge a new case referral on SOCS
• upload the signed consent form into the SOCS referral for allocation by the Visiting Teacher Manager.

Schools can browse or search the SOCS User Manual (staff login required) for support lodging a referral.

3. Visiting Teacher Service allocation

The Visiting Teacher Manager will:

• review the request and assess the student’s eligibility. If the student is eligible, the referral is allocated to a visiting teacher. The referral process is designed to prioritise students with the greatest needs and align them with the appropriate expertise of a visiting teacher
• advise the school if the referral has been accepted, which visiting teacher has been assigned, and the expected service delivery timeline
• inform the school if the request is better suited for a service other than the VTS, so that a referral can be made to the appropriate service.

The assigned visiting teacher will guide school staff through the service delivery process.

If schools require further help or have questions about the VTS process, they can:

• first contact their Health and Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC) via their regional office to discuss the process including eligibility. Refer to Office locations: Department of Education
• contact the VTS Manager via their regional office. Refer to Office locations: Department of Education
• contact their senior education improvement leader (SEIL) via Regional Map and Data (staff login required)
• email the Health, Wellbeing, Inclusion and Resilience team at health.wellbeing.inclusion.resilience@education.vic.gov.au

Resources

Referral process

To lodge a referral, use the following:

• Student Support Service and Visiting Teacher Service consent form (DOCX) – this form provides consent from the parent/carer or mature minor for the student to access support from the VTS and/or SSS
• Student Online Case System (SOCS) (staff login required) – all referrals to the VTS must be lodged on the SOCS platform. The VTS and SSS consent form are uploaded on SOCS as part of the referral

SOCS user support

For additional support using SOCS:

• browse or search the SOCS User Manual (staff login required)
• review the SOCS Instructional Videos on Arc (staff login required)
• call the SOCS helpdesk on 1800 614 810
• contact the SOCS helpdesk.