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 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.

Important: Schools are encouraged to contact their regional implementation team for advice and guidance before their first 3 profile meeting requests. Refer to Disability Inclusion Profile – key contacts and resources (DOCX). This will ensure that schools have the information and preparation they need to engage smoothly in the profile process and minimise delays.

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).

Using the portal, schools should advise the facilitator when the profile request is for:

• a student with a deteriorating medical condition(s)
• a Koorie student
• a student in out-of-home care
• an international student
• a student attending an English Language School (ELS) or English Language Centre (ELC)
• a student engaged with (or is at risk of engaging with) the Youth Justice system
• a student supported by the TAC.

For students with deteriorating medical conditions, schools should seek support from their disability 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 both 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.

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 parents/carers
• 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 parents/carers.

While the school holds the final decision on whether to submit a profile request before the student commences school, the facilitator service will confirm that guidance from the disability coordinator has been sought before processing the request. Refer to: New students entering the Victorian government school system.

The Vineland-3 assessment must include the name and position/role of the scoring practitioner.

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 consent.

If this documentation cannot be obtained by the parents/carers or new school, the new school should contact the facilitator service for support.

Please note that screening requirements are an initial step before the facilitator service requests the supporting information and profile information form. In the context of determining a ‘complete’ profile request, and eligibility for backdated funding of new enrolments, the screening requirements alone will not be sufficient. Refer to: Requirements to submit a ‘complete profile request’.

Disability Inclusion Profile consent form and privacy information

Schools may request all relevant information from parents/carers, 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 parents/carers, 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.

Schools must obtain consent from parents/carers of international students, unless the student is deemed to be a mature minor for the purposes of the meeting.

Schools must not edit or make changes to the consent form.

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 or who will have relevant information to provide at the profile meeting. 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 are unable to obtain parent/carer consent for the profile process but nevertheless consider a profile meeting would be in the best interests of the student, principals are encouraged to consider the following:

• consult the parents/carers, either over the phone or in person, to understand what their concerns are regarding the profile and/or consent process and how these might be responded to. Ensure that they clearly understand the purpose of the disability inclusion profile and their role in it
• ensure that the parents/carers have been provided with information about the profile process in an easy-to-understand format. Resources to consider using include:
  • Disability Inclusion presentation for families (PPTX) (staff login required)
  • Easy English resources about both the Disability Inclusion Profile (PDF) and the profile meeting itself (PDF)
  • Disability Inclusion Profile Parent Voice Tool (DOCX)
• if interpretation/translation services are required, refer to the department's Interpreting and Translation Services policy for guidance on accessing them
• ensure that information about the profile process is presented to Koorie parents and carers in a culturally safe manner (consider using the Communicating with parents and carers of Koorie students about Disability Inclusion (DOCX) resource)
• ensure that the parents/carers have a designated contact person whom they can reach out to at any time for clarification or assistance with information.

If schools are still unable to obtain parent/carer consent principals are encouraged to seek advice from the department’s Legal Division.

Important: Parent/carer consent is not necessary if the student is a mature minor for the purposes of consenting to the profile process. Refer to the Mature Minors and Decision Making policy.

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 and scored Vineland-3 Teacher Form Comprehensive Version for the student is required as part of the profile request. This must include the name and position/role of the scoring practitioner.

The school can either:

• request a Vineland-3 assessment be administered through the school’s local student support services team via a Student Online Case System (SOCS)
• administer and score a Vineland-3 assessment within the school if the school has a staff member who is registered with Pearson Clinical as User Level B or C and has an qualification in a relevant field (see below).

A pre-existing Vineland can also be submitted if it was completed within 12 months of the date the profile was requested (refer to 'Pre-existing Vineland-3' 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 Teacher Form of 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/carer form is not permissible unless in exceptional circumstances, for example, where a student has been home schooled or in the case of school refusal resulting in significant absences from school.

A parent/carer 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. To mitigate potential conflicts of interest, the respondent completing the Vineland-3 cannot be the individual who scores it.

Schools may not re-submit any Vineland-3 assessment which has been re-scored.

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. This should include the name and position/role of the scoring practitioner. 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 the Teacher Form of 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 Teacher form of the Vineland-3.

Pre-existing Vineland-3

If a Vineland-3 Teacher Form Comprehensive Version has been completed within 12 months of the date the profile was requested 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 consent will need to be obtained to enable this score to be used for Vineland-3 reports not held by the school.

Facilitator service approves Disability Inclusion Profile screening questions

The facilitator service will confirm that the screening 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 in the DIFS Portal and the optional school-wide adjustment form (DOCX).

Requirements to submit a ‘complete profile request’

The profile meeting can only be scheduled once the profile request is completed. To submit a ‘complete profile request’ schools are required to:

1. complete the screening requirements
2. submit the completed profile information form through the DIFS Portal
3. upload all supporting information.

Following the receipt of all required information, the facilitator service will provide email confirmation that the profile request is complete. This email will have the following subject line: ‘Disability Inclusion Profile – supporting information approved: Complete profile request’.

Schools will be advised if the request requirements have not been met and the reason(s) for this. For students who have enrolled at a new school, tier 3 funding will be backdated for eligible students if a complete profile request (as defined above) is received within 2 terms of the student commencing at the school.

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