COVID-19 — Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces

Advice

This guide is intended to bring together key operational information for region and area-based Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces (HWIW) in relation to COVID-19. Please refer to the Resources tab for links to the relevant Victorian government and Department websites, policies and supports for this topic

Given the evolving nature of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this advice is subject to change.

HWIW comprise:

• Student Support Services
• Primary and Secondary School Nurses
• Visiting Teachers
• Koorie Engagement Workforce
• other region or area-based staff whose key role is to provide support to schools.

School employed health and wellbeing staff collaborate and work with HWIW to provide support to students and teachers at each school.

The advice presented here is designed to be read in conjunction with the COVID-19 advice for Victorian government schools. All staff are encouraged to review the School Operations Guide to understand the operations of schools.

This guidance replaces all previous guidance provided to HWIW.

Related policies

• COVID-19 – Human Resources
• COVID-19 – School Operations
• Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management in Schools – COVID-19 employee health, safety and wellbeing supports for schools

Contact

For general advice schools should contact their Health and Wellbeing Key Contact in the first instance.

For general advice regarding the work of HWIW, schools and HWIW should contact the Inclusive Education Professional Practice Branch at practice.model.HWIW@education.vic.gov.au

For enquiries related to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Department staff and managers are advised to contact the OHS Advisory Service on 1300 074 715 or safety@education.vic.gov.au

Guidance

This guidance provides information and advice on how the Department’s Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces (HWIW) deliver services to support students and schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This guidance has been prepared having regard to the directions issued by the Victorian Chief Health Officer (CHO) about current advice in relation to COVID-19. Given the evolving nature of the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this advice is subject to frequent changes. All staff are encouraged to review the latest advice and directions at DHHS – COVID-19, current advice on COVID-19 (staff login required) and the Victorian Government’s COVID-19 advice for schools, teachers and principals.

The guidance contains the following chapters:

• HWIW service provision in Victorian government schools
• HWIW working in schools during COVID-19 OHS guidance
• Health and Wellbeing Key Contact function

HWIW service provision in Victorian government schools

Introduction

This guidance provides advice on how Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces (HWIW) provide services to schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. HWIW will continue to provide support to schools, students, and parents/carers, including through their work with regional staff.

Services will be delivered both remotely and onsite, depending on current advice from the Victorian Chief Health Officer, to ensure that essential services that are required onsite can still be delivered in schools and on operational requirements and the service that needs to be provided.

As the COVIDSafe guidance for service delivery, onsite attendance and work permits may change regularly, HWIW staff should ensure that they access the current corporate guidance (staff login required) and COVID-19 advice for Victorian government schools.

Consent arrangements

Where existing processes require consent for providing a health and wellbeing service directly to a student, schools should seek parent/carer (or mature minor/adult student) consent for these services in the usual way. If the service is to be provided remotely, the school should seek further consent to provide remote services using the consent form for student access to remote DET health and wellbeing supports (staff login required).

Where existing processes do not require consent, schools do not need to seek permission for remote delivery but should provide general information to parents/carers about how one-to-one wellbeing supports will be delivered.

On-site service provision

Any on-site visits must be undertaken in accordance with the HWIW working in schools during COVID-19 OHS guide and the school’s COVIDSafe Plan. This includes signing in using a QR code, adhering to density limits, wearing face masks, practicing good hand hygiene and physical distancing. Staff should not attend on-site if unwell.

All department staff are required to have completed the eLearn module School infection prevention and control during COVID-19 (staff login required).

Supporting concerned or worried staff

The department is following the advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer and is committed to ensuring the health and safety of everyone working in a school.

The department has developed additional OHS guidance for HWIW that outlines steps HWIW can take to protect their safety.

In the first instance, staff should discuss any concerns with their line manager.

The department is committed to providing support that is relevant to the current circumstances, and help address and manage staff health, safety, and wellbeing needs.

Existing support services remain available to staff, including the Employee Assistance Program which provides 24/7, free, confidential counselling for department staff and their immediate family (18 years and over). To book, call 1300 361 008 or use the live chat function on the Lifeworks Australia website.

The ‘Staying Safe and Well’ webinar series is available for all staff and covers topics such as recharging your batteries, safeguarding against burnout and switching on your growth mindset. Recordings and tip sheets are also available for past sessions.

Please visit the Health and hellbeing webinars intranet page (staff login required) to learn more about these supports.

A range of other resources to support the health and wellbeing staff can be found on the Employee health, safety and wellbeing support during COVID-19 (staff login required) page.

Keeping assessment materials and shared resources clean

Good hand hygiene, physical distancing and wearing a face mask is considered the best approach to reduce transmission of COVID-19 through shared resources and materials. Staff should continue to utilise current practices to maintain hygiene with shared equipment and resources. All staff and students are encouraged to use hand sanitiser and wash hands regularly throughout the day. All equipment and resources should be cleaned with sanitising wipes before and after use.

To support HWIW when they are working on-site in schools, the department has developed additional OHS guidance for HWIW that outlines steps HWIW can take to protect their safety.

Secure electronic information and record keeping

When working remotely, HWIW must access and store all records securely in line with the department’s Corporate Records Management Policy (staff login required). This applies to both hard copy and electronic records, and HWIW must ensure that all records are protected to the extent required by the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). All health records created by department employees remain the property of the department.

Remote service provision

Schools must seek specific consent for health and wellbeing services to be delivered remotely to students via this form: Consent for student access to remote DET health and wellbeing supports (staff login required).

Health and wellbeing services may be delivered via telephone or video conference, and should be conducted in a private and uninterrupted space.

The mode of delivery must be in accordance with the parent/carer’s consent. HWIW staff should use Webex as the department’s preferred platform when using video conference, and ensure the following:

• sessions are not recorded – staff should use usual note taking processes where possible
• the meeting has all access controls locked down to prevent uninvited people from joining.

Where there are concerns about one-on-one engagement, staff may arrange to have another adult present, for example, another staff member or parent/carer.

HWIW working in schools during COVID-19 OHS guide

To ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of department employees and to minimise the risk exposure to biological hazards, the department has developed this OHS guidance to support Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces (HWIW).

Directions issued by the Victorian Chief Health Officer

This advice has been prepared having regard to the directions issued by the Victorian Chief Health Officer about restrictions on movement across the state and advice on personal safety.

Given the evolving nature of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this advice is subject to change. All staff are encouraged to review the latest advice and directions issued by the Victorian Chief Health Officer at DHHS — COVID-19.

Staff are encouraged to continue accessing the Employee health, safety and wellbeing support during COVID-19 (staff login required).

Face masks and personal protective equipment (PPE)

Face masks should be worn as per the Victorian Chief Health Officer guidance. As guidance may differ across the state staff should check the latest government directives and guidance.

When directed by the Victorian Chief Health Officer, HWIW should follow the guidance and wear face masks in school settings unless an exemption applies, or there is a requirement for ‘clear enunciation or visibility of their mouth’ (for example, when undertaking a speech therapy intervention or working with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing). Face shields/screens are not a suitable alternative to a face mask.

All regional staff, including HWIW, are encouraged to maintain good hand hygiene practices. Hand sanitiser is readily available in all schools and should be provided for the staff member if required.

Mandatory staff testing

Staff must check current guidance regarding mandatory testing when moving between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. Refer to the COVID-19 advice for Victorian government schools.

Guidance for vulnerable staff or those caring for vulnerable family members

See guidance for vulnerable staff or those caring for vulnerable family members in the COVID-19 advice for Victorian government schools.

HWIW should consult the department’s COVID-19 – Human Resources webpage for up-to-date information. Managers should refer all queries about leave associated with high-risk employees by contacting employee.relations@education.vic.gov.au

Specific actions you can take

All department staff are required to complete the eLearn module School infection prevention and control during COVID-19 (staff login required).

HWIW are expected to apply this guidance as appropriate to their work environment in schools or early childhood settings.

Health and Wellbeing Key Contact function

Every government school has been allocated a Health and Wellbeing Key Contact (HWKC).

Introduction

Following the success of the HWKC model in Term 2, 2020, the HWKC model continues to support schools to deliver flexible and remote learning and provide support to vulnerable and at-risk students.

In many areas, the HWKC will be an existing Student Support Services (SSS) team member, but in some cases other health, wellbeing and inclusion staff will be utilised to undertake this function.

Function overview

Schools are responsible for the delivery of a consistent high-quality curriculum and assessment learning program and student support and wellbeing program that includes access to specialist expertise for individual students where necessary or beneficial. School wellbeing staff are the primary point of contact for student wellbeing needs.

The HWKC will work with the school’s nominated student wellbeing contact (for example, Student Wellbeing Coordinator, Primary Welfare Officer etc.) to support the school to plan and respond to the needs of:

• students with mental health and wellbeing concerns
• students deemed to be at risk
• students who require additional supports and adjustments.

A HWKC works with schools to ensure they can access the services required using a tiered model of support as described below. Where there is a need for additional support from the region, this will be identified and facilitated by the HWKC on behalf of the school.

A HWKC may be assigned to one or more schools subject to operational requirements of the area. Each area will establish an appropriate team and management structure to support a HWKC to undertake this function, and maintain a list of all HWKC staff and their assigned schools.

Accountabilities

The HWKC is accountable for:

• facilitating regular meetings with a school’s nominated student wellbeing contact (approximately fortnightly)
• documenting meeting outcomes using the HWKC meeting record (DOCX)
• collaborating with the school on appropriate strategies to plan and respond to specific needs at each tier, including, but not limited to:
  • reviewing the needs of individual students at risk and selecting appropriate strategies to address these
  • identifying students who have disengaged from learning and develop appropriate re-engagement strategies
• working with other HWIW to support teachers in the development of educational programs, particularly in respect to students with additional needs
• liaising with community service organisations, Department of Health, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, hospitals, specialist programs and other professionals regarding the support needs for students as needed
• other accountabilities as determined by the area to meet local operational needs.

To be successful in undertaking the function, a HWKC needs to effectively collaborate with HWIW and school improvement teams across their area and seek support from regional and area colleagues to identify appropriate supports for schools.

The HWKC is expected to provide proactive outreach and be highly responsive to the needs of schools and students, responding to most requests within one business day.

Tiered support

To achieve the outcomes of achievement, engagement and wellbeing, a HWKC plans and delivers all services in collaboration with schools in a tiered system of support. These divide support into three tiers of increasing intensity, organised according to student need.

Response options at each tier can help schools consider the range of interventions that can be applied at the whole school level, for specific cohorts and for individual students.

It is important to remember that even if students need tier 3 supports, they never stop needing tier 2 and tier 1 supports in addition to tier 3 supports.

Area based teams, including HWIW, are available to collaborate with schools on which interventions are most appropriate to meet their needs and to work with schools to support implementation.

The tiered framework approach is based on international best practice and is consistent with:

• the continuum of intervention for health and wellbeing familiar to SSS
• response to intervention tiers familiar to Visiting Teachers
• the public health tiered response model, including health promotion, prevention and early intervention familiar to Primary and Secondary School Nurses

Tiered approach to disengagement

An example of how tiered interventions may be applied to the issue of disengagement is as follows.

HWKC meetings

HWKC meetings may include, but are not limited to:

• identification of students or groups of students at risk who require additional assistance and the type of support they require
• collection of information on a student’s engagement and learning progress or difficulties
• review of relevant information available to the school which might help to clarify issues affecting student learning or wellbeing, such as specialist reports
• development of individual student education plans outlining a range of actions and strategies to address concerns during flexible and remote learning
• evaluation of the effectiveness of individual education plan actions and strategies during flexible and remote learning
• identification of appropriate whole-school approaches, programs or interventions that provide universal service provision
• consultation or referral to appropriate or specialised community agencies and programs
• consultation or referral to appropriate services such as SSS, Visiting Teachers, Primary or Secondary School Nurses, and Koorie Engagement Support Officers.

Meeting records

The HWKC meeting template should be used to record key information discussed at Key Contact meetings. It provides a consistent means of recording information that can be shared with the school or other area-based staff to support the needs of the school and its students in line with the Department of Education and Training’s Privacy Policy and Need to Know Framework (staff login required).

The meeting record collects the following information:

• Demographic information — name of school, school contact and HWKC details. This information is entered once only.
• Tier 1: Preventative and health-promoting practice — document areas of concern where whole-school actions may address the issue. This section is copied and completed for each meeting.
• Tier 2: Targeted and additional practices — document areas of concern affecting a cohort of students and actions to support that cohort. This section is copied and completed for each meeting.
• Tier 3: Intensive individualised practice — document case work for individual students and the actions taken to support the student. This section is copied and completed for each meeting.
• Other information — document other information or resources provided. This section is copied and completed for each meeting.

Expectations

• A Meeting Record should generally be completed during the HWKC Meeting or by the end of the next working day.
• Only relevant summary information should be recorded.
• Keep the information brief and focused on actions (if needed, other notes can be recorded separately).
• Add to an existing Meeting Record for each subsequent school meeting so all information is retained in the same file.
• A copy of the Meeting Record should be emailed to the school (school contact and principal) following each meeting.

Sharing information about students: Who needs to know?

You can lawfully share information about a student with other staff members, in accordance with child protection, privacy and information sharing obligations to enable the school or area-based team members to:

• provide for and support the student’s education
• support the student’s social and emotional wellbeing and health
• reduce the risk of reasonably foreseeable harm to the student, other students, staff or visitors (duty of care)
• make a reasonable adjustment for the student’s disability (anti-discrimination law)
• provide a safe and secure workplace (OHS law).

Area staff must consider steps to ensure information is protected from misuse and loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by saving information appropriately and maintaining proper access controls.

Resources

To suggest a link to be added to this list, please contact the Inclusive Education Professional Practice Branch at practice.model.HWIW@education.vic.gov.au

Current advice on COVID-19 for department staff

The department regularly updates its advice for department staff on the intranet. The link below also includes resources to support staff health and wellbeing.

• Current advice on COVID-19 (staff login required) for corporate staff
• Current advice on COVID-19 (staff login required) for school staff

Corporate staff access to offices, schools, Early Childhood Education Services and other locations

The department regularly updates its advice for department staff on the intranet.

Office access and authorised worker permits – information for corporate (staff login required)

COVID-19 information for schools and school staff

The Victorian Government COVID-19 website has a large amount of information for schools and school staff which is regularly updated.

COVID-19 advice for schools, teachers and principals

COVID-19 advice for Victorian government schools

The COVID-19 advice for Victorian government schools sets out comprehensive advice on school operations during COVID-19. It is available from the Policy and Advisory Library (PAL).

COVID-19 advice for Victorian government schools

Health and safety measures

Information on health and safety measures in schools including face masks, infection prevention and control eLearning module, school bus services, outside school hour care services and pre-teacher placements.

Health and safety measures

Personal protective equipment

Guidance for staff on the use of personal protective equipment in education settings in the context of COVID-19 (DOCX) (staff login required)

HWIW operations

• Child safety, reportable conduct and duty of care in remote online learning environments (staff login required)
• Consent form for student access to remote DET health and wellbeing supports (DOCX)
  • English (DOCX) (staff login required)
  • Arabic (DOCX)
  • Arabic (PDF)
  • Hindi (DOCX)
  • Hindi (PDF)
  • Simplified Chinese (DOCX)
  • Simplified Chinese (PDF)
  • Traditional Chinese (DOCX)
  • Traditional Chinese (PDF)
  • Vietnamese (DOCX)
  • Vietnamese (PDF)
• DET HR COVID-19 Webpage
• Employee Declaration Working across multiple sites or for multiple employers (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces Practice Model (staff login required)
• Health and Wellbeing Key Contact Meeting Record (DOCX)
• Health and Wellbeing Webinars (staff login required)
• School infection prevention and control during COVID-19 eLearning module (staff login required)
• SSS Consent Form

Policy

• Child Safety — Four critical actions for schools (PDF)
• Educational Needs Analysis (OOHC)
• Individual Education Plans
• Mature Minors and Decision Making
• PSD Guidelines
• Records Management Policy (staff login required)
• Student Support Groups
• Student Support Groups via video or teleconferencing (DOCX) (staff login required)

Support

• Kids Helpline (call 1800 55 1800)
• Talking to your child about COVID-19
• Inclusive Education for Students with a Disability
• Victorian Deaf Education Institute
• Statewide Vision Resource Centre

Workforces

• Student Support Services
• Primary and Secondary School Nurses
• Visiting Teachers
• Koorie Engagement Support Officers
• Koorie Education Coordinators
• LOOKOUT Education Support Centres
• Board certified behaviour analyst
• School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) Coaches
• Respectful Relationships Workforce
• Regional Health and Wellbeing Staff, including but not limited to:
  • Regional Disabilities Coordinator
  • Senior Wellbeing and Engagement Officer
  • Health Wellbeing Support Officer
  • Regional Engagement Coordinator
  • Inclusive Classrooms Online Professional Learning Coordinator (OLPC)