Doctors in Secondary Schools – School program lead funding (Reference 64)
The Doctors in Secondary Schools Program funds general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses to attend 100 Victorian government secondary schools up to one day a week to provide medical advice and health care to those students most in need.
School program lead funding
Schools will be required to appoint a Leading Teacher to hold overall responsibility for program coordination duties for the school.
Schools will be provided with the funding equivalent to 0.2 FTE at Leading Teacher Level 3.1 pay rate to support this for the school year.
The responsibility for coordination of the program within the school can also rest with an Assistant Principal, if that is more appropriate than a Leading Teacher. However, if a school appoints an Assistant Principal to the School Program Lead role, the school will still receive the same amount of funding as if a Leading Teacher were appointed.
Eligibility
Schools with the following campus types are eligible for DiSS Funding at school level.
- Secondary
- Primary/Secondary Combined
The 2 schools below schools are also eligible for this funding:
- Croydon Community School
- Oakwood School
Funding is calculated at the Indicative budget cycle, through credit funding.
Calculation
Funding = Leading Teacher Level 3.1 × 0.2 FTE
*Student Resource Package (SRP) Indexation has been applied to the rate annually since commencement, noting payroll tax and superannuation has also been applied to the allocation.
Responsibilities of the school program lead
The Doctors in Secondary Schools Program Lead is responsible for providing leadership in the school around the implementation of the program, and plays a crucial role in leading the partnership between the health and education sectors as part of the DiSS program. This includes:
- support the GP to deliver youth-friendly primary health care to the student population
- collaborate with the practice nurse to ensure effective management of the service, including appointment systems
- integrate the GP service into the broader health and wellbeing offering of the school
- provide leadership around parent/ carer/ broader school community involvement in the Doctors in Secondary Schools program
- supporting the programs strategic planning to ensure a high-quality service that is trusted, fully utilised and youth friendly
- promoting the service to the students and the broader school community and linking the clinical team with other members of school staff
- ensure compliance to relevant privacy legislation and provide a child safe environment in accordance with the Child Safe Standards
- build a positive relationship with the local GP practice and facilitate partnerships with community health providers for the benefit of the student population
Further information
Reviewed 21 June 2023