Disability Inclusion Profile

Requesting a Disability Inclusion Profile meeting

Once the student support group (SSG) has agreed to request a profile meeting, the school is responsible for requesting a meeting via the Disability Inclusion Facilitator Service Portal (DIFS Portal). DIFS can be contacted via:

• Phone: 1800 951 430 (9 am to 5 pm business days)
• Email address: contact@difs.com.au
• Schools can submit a new profile request at: Disability Inclusion Facilitator Service.

For schools planning to submit 5 or more profile requests at a time, schools should use the bulk profile request form (XLSX). Schools can contact DIFS (see above) to discuss this option.

Submitting a Disability Inclusion Profile request

To commence the profile process, schools will be required to submit a profile request through the DIFS Portal. Refer to the DIFS Portal User Guide (PDF).

Schools should advise the facilitator when the profile request is for a student with a deteriorating medical condition(s), a Koorie student or a student in out-of-home care. For students with deteriorating medical conditions, schools should seek support from their regional disability inclusion coordinator.

Once the request has been submitted, the school will need to complete screening questions to determine if the student meets the requirements for a profile. The school should complete these screening questions and provide a response as quickly as possible to the facilitator service through the DIFS Portal. Delays in providing this information may lead to delays in the scheduling of a profile meeting. Refer to: the DIFS Portal User Guide (PDF).

If a school is planning to submit a profile request but waiting until they have 10 weeks of supporting information on adjustments and supports, the school should complete and collate the screening documents ahead of time. In some situations, a school may choose to submit a profile request before completing 10 weeks of adjustments in the school setting. This may be because they have other supporting information that demonstrates the student’s high functional needs and previous adjustments and supports that have been provided and shown to be effective. This may streamline the scheduling of the profile meeting and will allow for a meeting to be booked in to coincide with when all supporting information is collected ready for the profile meeting.

Additionally, if a student is an existing student and adjustments have been in place for 10 weeks previously. schools do not need to wait 10 further weeks before submitting a profile request.

Screening requirements for a Disability Inclusion Profile meeting for a student currently enrolled in a Victorian government school

For students currently enrolled in a Victorian government school, the following information will be requested at the screening questions stage by the facilitator service:

• a completed and scored Vineland-3 for the student (completed within 12 months of the request date)
• a signed consent form from the student’s parent/carer(s)
• a current individual education plan (IEP) (updated in the past 3 months)
• SSG minutes (from the most recent meeting and any historical minutes).

Schools will also need to declare that the student will, or has received, supplementary, substantial or extensive adjustments, as per the definitions provided in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) for a period of at least 10 weeks cumulatively over the past 12 months.

Screening requirements for a Disability Inclusion Profile meeting for a new student due to commence in a Victorian government school

For new students due to commence in a Victorian government school, the following information will be requested at the screening questions stage by the facilitator service to process the request:

• a completed and scored Vineland-3 for the student (completed within 12 months of the request date)
• evidence of ongoing support from one or more inclusion or disability support services
• a signed consent form from the parent/carer(s).

Refer to: New students entering the Victorian government school system.

In addition, other supporting information such as an equivalent document to an IEP or other planning documents, the equivalent of SSG minutes from another setting, or other documents such as a transition and learning development statement for kindergarten children can be uploaded at this time, with appropriate parent/carer(s) consent.

If this documentation cannot be obtained by the parent/carer(s) or new school, the new school should contact the facilitator service for support.

Disability Inclusion Profile consent form and privacy information

Schools may request all relevant information from parent/carer(s), including healthcare information required for a profile request in accordance with the department’s Privacy and Information Sharing Policy.

Schools must obtain consent from the student’s parent/carer(s), or the adult/mature minor student before requesting a profile meeting. This must be provided when schools make the profile request. The signed form should be kept on the student’s file.

The consent form (DOCX) can be signed by any of the following people:

• a parent or other person with parental responsibility for ‘major long-term issues’ as defined by the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) or the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic). For students in statutory out-of-home care, check the authorisation instrument from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) to establish whether the carer can sign the consent form. If in doubt, check with the DFFH case manager or LOOKOUT
• if none of the above people are available, an informal carer may sign this form if the student is in an informal care arrangement and the parent is unavailable. An informal carer is a relative or other responsible adult with whom the child lives and who has day to day care of the student
• a student over the age of 18 years
• a student who the principal considers to be a mature minor for the purposes of making the decision to receive the services.

For guidance on decision making responsibilities for students, including for students with informal and formal care arrangements, such as students in statutory out-of-home care, refer to the Decision Making Responsibilities for Students Policy. Informal carers should sign an Informal Carer Statutory Declaration (PDF) to confirm their status, in addition to the consent form.

While the consent form requires only one signature, where reasonably possible schools should seek consent from all parents or carers who have decision-making responsibilities for the student. Where there is a dispute between those responsible for whether the child should undertake a profile, the best interests of the child or young person should be considered.

In these circumstances principals are encouraged to seek advice from the department’s Legal Division.

Where schools consider a profile meeting would be in the best interests of the student and are unable to obtain parent/carer consent, principals are encouraged to seek advice from the department Legal Division.

For a copy of the profile consent form and privacy information, refer to: Disability Inclusion Profile consent form and privacy information (DOCX).

Easy English resources are available to support parent/carer(s) understand the profile process (PDF) and the profile meeting (PDF). Please note these cannot be used as consent.

Relevant contacts

Legal Division – principals may seek legal advice from the department’s Legal Division about decision making responsibilities for students:

• phone: 03 9637 3146
• email: legal.services@education.vic.gov.au

Privacy – schools may contact the department's Privacy Team for advice when seeking student’s personal health information:

• phone: 03 8688 7967
• email: privacy@education.vic.gov.au

Disability Inclusion Facilitator Service:

• phone 1800 951 430
• email: contact@difs.com.au

Inclusive Education Division – for general enquiries, schools may contact: disability.inclusion@education.vic.gov.au

Completing a Vineland-3 assessment

A completed Vineland-3 Teacher Form Comprehensive Version for the student is required as part of the profile request.

The school can either:

• request a Vineland-3 assessment be completed by their health and wellbeing or student support services key contact or through the school’s local student support services team
• complete a Vineland-3 assessment within the school if the school has a staff member who is registered with Pearson and has an undergraduate, masters or doctorate in speech pathology, psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, special education, medical or behavioural science.

A pre-existing Vineland can also be submitted if it was completed within 12 months (refer to section below).

All students are required to complete the Vineland-3 as part of the Disability Inclusion Profile process.

Schools who require a Vineland-3 assessment only for the purpose of a profile will need to make this request via the Student Online Case System (SOCS) – noting ‘Vineland for the purpose of DI’. Schools will need to ensure that DI parent/carer consent has been received to request a Vineland-3 and upload the consent to SOCS at this time. Student support services consent is not required in addition for a Vineland only request.

Schools will be responsible for keeping results on the student’s school file.

Any other requests for support from student support services will follow existing referral pathways, including obtaining student support services consent.

Except for new student enrolments, the Vineland-3 must be completed by the teacher who knows the student best. The teacher must have known the student for at least 8 weeks.

A Vineland-3 parent/caregiver form is not permissible unless in exceptional circumstances, for example where a student has been home schooled. A parent/caregiver form may be completed for some students for other purposes, for example diagnostic assessment. These students will also need a Vineland-3 Teacher Form Comprehensive Version completed for them. If the school is uncertain about this process, they may discuss with the facilitator service.

The completed Vineland-3 is scored by the eligible school-based practitioner or the student support services team. Refer to Pearson for further information about who is eligible to complete the Vineland-3.

The professional who scores the form is not required to complete a report. The score may be provided to the school in the form of a statement in an email. All calculated standard scores are required to be provided (Adaptive Behaviour Composite Score and the Domain Standard Scores) as part of the profile request. Schools must retain a copy on the student’s confidential student services file.

Vineland-3 for pre-prep students

For prep students due to undertake the profile prior to commencing school, as per current practice, schools may also ask kindergarten teachers to complete a Vineland assessment. If this is not possible, another practitioner who has provided service to the student, for example an early childhood intervention professional or disability support worker, may complete the Vineland-3.

Pre-existing Vineland-3

If a Vineland-3 Teacher Form Comprehensive Version has been completed within the past 12 months a new Vineland-3 is not required. The existing score can be provided as supporting information at the time of the profile request. Parent/carer(s) consent will need to be obtained to enable this score to be used for Vineland-3 reports not held by the school.

Facilitator approves Disability Inclusion Profile screening questions

The facilitator service will confirm that the request contains all required information.

If the school has provided all the required information and the request requirements are met, the school will receive communication from the facilitator service with information about next steps, including providing supporting information and completing the profile information form and the optional school-wide adjustment form (DOCX).

Following the receipt of all required information, the facilitator service will provide confirmation of the complete profile request. Schools will be advised if the request requirements have not been met and the reason(s) for this.

Disability Inclusion regional implementation teams and other area workforces are available to support the profile request process.