Disability Inclusion Profile

Preparing for a Disability Inclusion Profile meeting – roles and responsibilities

School staff

The school principal or principal’s nominee, teachers, and other participating school staff are required to prepare for the profile meeting.

A profile preparation tool (DOCX) is available to support schools preparing for a profile meeting. This tool has been developed specifically for secondary schools but can be used by all schools as needed.

Participating staff are encouraged to refer to the student voice tool to help them have a discussion with the student about their strengths, aspirations, and functional needs. Refer to: student voice tool (DOCX) and inclusive student voice toolkit (DOCX).

Participating staff should review the Disability Inclusion Profile and other resources available in the Resources tab, and make notes ahead of the meeting where possible.

Principals or their nominees are also required to collate and upload any supporting information ahead of the profile meeting.

The principal or principal’s nominee should work with the student’s family to:

• ensure they understand the purpose of the profile meeting
• support them to prepare for (if relevant) and be able to participate in the meeting
• help them understand what is involved and address any concerns they may have
• help them explain the purpose of the meeting and how the meeting will work to the student.

Refer to: Disability Inclusion schools communications pack (DOCX) (staff login required).

Parents/carers

Preparation for the profile meeting is encouraged but not mandatory for the student’s parents/carers.

Parents/carers already know so much about their child that enables them to meaningfully contribute to the discussion. However, families may spend time before the meeting thinking about their child’s strengths, aspirations, and functional needs.

Prior to the meeting parents/carers can also nominate an advocate to support and/or represent them and their child, if required. All additional attendees must be agreed upon by the school and the parents/carers.

Parents/carers are encouraged to refer to the parent voice tool (DOCX). Easy English resources are also available to support parents/carers understand the profile process (PDF) and the profile meeting (PDF).

Students

Student voice is an important part of the Disability Inclusion Profile process. It is important that the student plays an active role in the profile process and contributes directly or indirectly to the discussion, either in person or via a trusted adult.

Students may require support to participate in the profile meeting. Schools should consider the appropriate method and person to support students in this context. This may involve:

• collaborating with staff and the student to plan how best to prepare the student to contribute to the meeting.
• helping the student learn about what a profile meeting is, using mediums and communication strategies that are accessible and engaging for them. This could be through using visuals that explain the meeting, role-playing what happens in a meeting, or using augmentative and alternative communication techniques and aids where students present with speech and/or language impairments.
• giving the student options for their contribution to the meeting. This could include:
  • partial or full attendance
  • communicating with a trusted adult (such as a parent or teacher) who will speak for them in the meeting
  • drawing pictures or taking photos about their strengths and learning aspirations and the support that helps meet their learning goals
  • writing about themselves
  • completing a student voice tool (DOCX) template
  • engaging with the inclusive student voice toolkit (DOCX) for guidance on a variety of multi-modal approaches to capture student voice
• ensuring the student’s contribution is ready for the meeting.

Students may contribute prior to the profile meeting through communication with their teacher, family or another trusted adult, who then presents this information at the profile meeting. This should be done in a way that is most appropriate to the student.

In some rare cases student voice may not be able to be captured in the process. If this is the case, then the parents/carers or teacher can provide the student’s perspective in the process.

Resources to support student voice:

• Positive Partnerships: Individual education plans – student voice – an example of including autistic students in individual education plan (IEP) meetings
• Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS): Communicating with young people with disability
• Student voice practice guide
• Student voice tool (DOCX)
• Inclusive student voice toolkit (DOCX)
• Disability Inclusion Profile social script (DOCX)
• Disability Inclusion Profile – Easy English (PDF)

Facilitators

Prior to the meeting, the facilitator will familiarise themselves with the core pieces of supporting information they have about the student and the school, to build a preliminary understanding of the student’s needs and adjustments required to enable participation in their education. The facilitator will use their professional judgement to identify any other documents that could be reviewed ahead of the profile meeting.

All participants

Inclusive education means that all members of every school community are valued and supported to fully participate, learn, develop and succeed within an inclusive school culture. Inclusive education acknowledges that some children and young people have intersecting identities or additional needs that schools may need to take into consideration before and during the profile meeting.

For further information on the Disability Inclusion vision for inclusion, refer to vision for inclusive education (PPTX).

Cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

The cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities during the profile meeting is essential. Facilitators have been trained to ensure the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people throughout the profile process.

The Koorie Engagement Workforce can be consulted to support schools to build their capability in creating culturally inclusive schools and may be available to attend profile meetings if necessary. Refer to the Koorie Education policy.

LGBTIQA+ student support

Students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex, queer, questioning and asexual (LGBTIQA+) have a right to feel safe and included at school. Schools are required to take reasonable steps to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex, gender and sexuality. The department’s LGBTIQA+ Student Support policy outlines strategies that must be embedded to support LGBTIQA+ students. This policy may support your school in preparing for and participating in a profile meeting.

Please contact Safe Schools on (03) 9637 3699 or safe.schools@education.vic.gov.au for more information and advice.

Support for culturally and/or linguistically diverse students and families

All Victorians are entitled to mutual respect and understanding regardless of their cultural, religious, racial and linguistic backgrounds. Education plays a critical role in promoting social cohesion and building resilience in communities. Schools provide an environment where respectful relationships, acceptance of diversity, knowledge of other cultures and an understanding of global issues and events can be developed. Schools should work to ensure that the profile meeting is culturally inclusive and safe.

Schools must offer interpreting and translation services to parents and carers who have limited or no English language skills to communicate key information about their child’s education. Refer to the department's Interpreting and Translation Services policy.

Information about the Disability Inclusion reform and profile are available in 33 community languages.