Disability Inclusion Profile

Identifying students to undertake a Disability Inclusion Profile

The Disability Inclusion Profile (profile) is available to existing students in Victorian government schools where the student:

• has an individual education plan (IEP) in place, that has been reviewed and updated within the past 3 months – IEPs are also known as individual learning plans, individual learning improvement plans and Koorie education learning plans
• has a student support group (SSG) that meets regularly (at least once per term)
• has received supplementary, substantial or extensive adjustments to enable participation in learning due to disability for a period of at least 10 weeks prior to a profile meeting or 10 weeks cumulatively over the past 12 months. Refer to section below: Definition of disability and classification of supplementary, substantial and extensive adjustments.

The profile is also available for new students entering the Victorian government school system (prior to their commencement in school) in particular circumstances. Refer to the section below: New students entering the Victorian government school system.

Undertaking a profile meeting is not compulsory for any student. It is the responsibility of the school in partnership with the SSG to determine whether to undertake the process.

The profile is not limited to students who are eligible for tier 3 student-level funding. It is available to and may benefit a broader group of students that meet the requirements set out above. Refer to: Tier 3 student-level funding.

Once the SSG has agreed to request a profile meeting, the school is responsible for requesting the meeting. Refer to: Requesting a Disability Inclusion Profile meeting.

Schools should be mindful that certain students with disability should be treated with priority, including students with disability in statutory out-of-home care, in accordance with the partnering agreement between the Department of Education and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH), or students with disability who are Koorie or are from families that have English as an additional language. Refer to the Supporting Students in Out-of-Home Care Policy and the Koorie Education Policy.

Definition of disability and classification of supplementary, substantial, and extensive adjustments

To access the profile, existing students in Victorian government schools are required to have received supplementary, substantial or extensive levels of adjustments, as per the definitions provided in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD), to enable participation in learning due to disability. These adjustments must be in place for a period of at least 10 weeks prior to a profile meeting, or 10 weeks cumulatively over the past 12 months (as noted in the requirements above).

A diagnosis of disability is not required to access the profile and there are no mandatory assessments or reports required to prove eligibility for a profile meeting.

For the purposes of the profile process, disability is defined in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA) and Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth) (the Standards). This is a broad definition and includes intellectual, mental and physical impairments and behaviours that are a symptom or manifestation of the disability. The Standards apply to all students with disability.

This broad definition includes loss of bodily functions, damage to bodily functions, disease or illness, and disorders of thought processes, emotions, judgement or behaviour. It also includes an imputed disability. The Standards apply to all students with disability.

Adjustments can be student-specific or school-wide. The frequency, intensity and personalisation of adjustments increases through the levels of adjustment. Refer to: Supporting information guidance for schools (DOCX) for further information.

This definition is also used as part of the NCCD process.

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on Students with Disability

The NCCD is an annual collection of information about the adjustments that Australian schools make for students with disability. Schools can use the NCCD to help in identifying students to undertake the profile. The NCCD process supports schools to classify adjustments into 4 levels:

• quality differentiated teaching practice
• supplementary
• substantial
• extensive.

The NCCD also allows schools to determine the broad category of disability for each student from one of four categories:

• physical
• cognitive
• sensory
• social/emotional.

For more information, refer to: Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability.

Refer to: Notification of Disability Inclusion Profile outcome for more information on how the Disability Inclusion Profile informs the NCCD.

New students entering the Victorian government school system

For new students entering the Victorian government school system (for example, prep students or students transferring from other school systems), schools should work with families, students, and other professionals to support a smooth and positive transition to school.

Schools can request a profile meeting for new students entering the Victorian government school system prior to their commencement in school where the student is receiving ongoing support from an inclusion or disability support service. Refer to: Evidence of ongoing support from an inclusion or disability support service.

However, it is recommended the profile is completed once the student starts school and after at least 10 weeks of planning and implementation of adjustments have occurred. For prep/foundation students, this will build upon information and approaches identified in the student’s transition learning and development statement. Refer to: Transition – Early Childhood to School.

The recommended 10 week period applies to students in all settings, including primary, secondary and specialist settings.

Ten weeks provides the student time to adjust to the school and provides a more accurate understanding of the student’s functional needs in the school environment.

The profile works best when it is completed in the learning context that the student requires adjustments for. A profile completed for a student when they are in preschool, another school, or home setting may not accurately capture the student’s needs in the school they are transitioning to, as the new school environment will differ from that of the previous setting.

For students who have enrolled at a new school and are eligible, tier 3 funding will be backdated to the student’s enrolment if the profile process is completed within 2 terms. This means that all required documentation and supporting information is provided to the facilitator service. The meeting does not have to be held within 2 terms.

Establishing a new student support group and developing an individual education plan

Where a SSG does not exist for a participating student (for example, a new enrolment), the school is required to establish one. Refer to the Student Support Groups Policy.

A school will need to work with the SSG to develop an IEP. Refer to the Individual Education Plans (IEPs) Policy.

Evidence of ongoing support from an inclusion or disability support service

Evidence of ongoing support from one or more inclusion or disability support services can include one or more of the following sources:

• written medical advice/personal care advice from the student’s treating medical and/or allied health practitioners
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) progress report (existing) and assessments from a therapy/disability service provider – from the last 24 months.
• goals within a kindergarten inclusion support plan
• a record of involvement/service from a specialist or disability service provider. This may include, for example, allied health professionals and the preschool field officers program for kindergarten children with additional needs, disability health and wellbeing programs. This can also include students with documented high functional needs transferring from other jurisdictions or Catholic and Independent sectors.

Where a profile meeting is scheduled prior to the student commencing at their new school, evidence of adjustments provided in another setting will also be requested by the facilitator service to support the profile process. Provision of such documents must be made in accordance with the department’s Enrolment Policy. This may include:

• equivalent of an IEP or other planning documentation from another setting
• equivalent of SSG minutes from another setting
• other documents containing information related to the student’s learning and development, such as the transition learning and development statement for students transitioning from early childhood to school or an early ABLES learning report.

Timelines for undertaking the Disability Inclusion Profile

Schools can request a profile meeting at any time for students that meet the requirements set out above.

Schools should consider prioritising profile meetings in Term 1 and Term 2 for students who may be eligible for tier 3 student-level funding. Refer to: Tier 3 student-level funding.

Disability Inclusion regional implementation teams and other area workforces are available to support schools to identify and prioritise students for profile meetings throughout the school year.

Transition timelines

From the time schools start their first profiles they have 3 years to complete a profile for students in their school who are eligible under the PSD.

Schools are encouraged to discuss planning for their transition with their Disability Inclusion regional implementation teams.

For some schools with large concentrations of students currently supported through the PSD, meeting this timeline may be challenging. A longer transition timeline can be agreed with Disability Inclusion regional implementation teams in some cases.