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 by contacting the Disability Inclusion Facilitator Service (DIFS or facilitator service) at:

• 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.

Submitting a Disability Inclusion Profile request

To commence the profile process, schools will be required to submit a profile request at Disability Inclusion Facilitator Service. Schools will be required to provide basic identifying and biographical information about the student and information about the school.

Once the request has been submitted, the facilitator service will provide the school with a link to an online form 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. Delays in providing this information may lead to delays in the scheduling of a profile meeting.

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. Schools should discuss this with their regional implementation team or regional disability coordinator.

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 to finalise the school’s request to undertake a profile for a student:

• a completed and scored Vineland-3 for the student (completed within 12 months of the request date)
• a signed consent form from the 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 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), due to disability 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).

Evidence of ongoing support from one or more disability or inclusion 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
• 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.

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 to register for a profile meeting 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 request.

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’ to confirm their status, in addition to the consent form. For a copy of this form and further guidance on informal carers refer to the Decision Making Responsibilities for Students Policy.

Whilst 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.

Schools must submit a signed copy of the consent form to the facilitator service when requesting the profile and prior to requesting the profile meeting.

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).

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 (HW)/student support services (SSS) key contact or through the school’s local SSS team
• complete a Vineland-3 assessment within the school if the schools 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 below: Pre-existing Vineland-3.

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. SSS consent is not required in addition for a Vineland only request.

Schools will be responsible for keeping results and the DI consent form on the student’s school file. Schools must submit a signed copy of the consent form to the facilitator service when requesting the profile and prior to registration. Refer to above for the facilitator service details or contact on 1800 951 430.

Any other requests for SSS support will follow the existing referral pathways, including obtaining SSS 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 SSS 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.

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 through the profile request process.