Student Support Services

5. Accessing Student Support Services

The Student Support Services (SSS) referral process (PDF) identifies students with the greatest needs and matches these with the expertise of SSS members.

The SSS referral process involves 3 steps.

1. Pre-referral

School

• Check the Student Online Case System (SOCS) for previous referrals related to the student
• Review previous recommendations or school-based actions
• Collect relevant information regarding the student, for example, Individual Education Plans (IEPs) (refer to template IEPs in the Resources tab) and teacher observations.

SSS and school

The SSS Key Contact and school work together to:

• Discuss concerns and plans made to date, for example Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or Behaviour Support Plans (BSPs)
• Identify strategies to provide immediate support to the student
• Identify whether referral is appropriate and the types of service required. This may include a referral to SSS, visiting teacher service or another departmental or external service such as mental health
• Identify sections of the Student Information Form relevant to the student.

2. Referral

School

• Complete only the relevant sections of the Student Information Form. Refer to the SSS Handbook (PDF) for examples of how to use the form
• Get consent from the student’s parent/carer(s)
• Submit referral and consent on SOCS.

SSS

• Hold SSS team intake meeting
• Advise school of the intake outcome, assigned SSS and service delivery timeline

Cases are prioritised against SSS statewide priorities, Area plans and discussion with schools.

If the intake decision is that a service other than SSS is more appropriate, this will be discussed with the school and advice on referral processes is given.

3. Service delivery

SSS and school

• Establish aims for the service delivery and support to the student
• Provision and regular review of service with all stakeholders
• Decide how to determine when the service has met the needs of the student and communicate with all stakeholders that the service is ending.