Student Support Services

6. Student Support Services statewide service priorities

A statewide approach to SSS priorities is critical to ensuring consistency across service delivery and priorities. When a referral is received, the SSS team prioritise it according to the SSS statewide service priorities. It is then allocated to the most appropriate SSS team member to action. Across Victoria, as a workforce, SSS have the following 4 statewide service priorities.

1. Critical incidents

• Emergency management, imminent risk of serious injury students or staff, acute emotional trauma
• Response to school and/or Area emergency management plan
• Youth suicide (Headspace to be involved)

2. Acute issues/complex cases

• Support schools with immediate strategies as a result of a new or changing student presentation (for example, escalating behavioural issue, a changed disability, mental health or medical presentation, Child Protection matters and so on) or a time sensitive decision
• Support to schools with Out-of-Home Care Educational Needs Analysis
• Support to schools with complex cases relating to emotional trauma, extreme challenging behaviour or serious mental health issues
• Support for teachers to support student engagement and learning outcomes

3. Prevention/capability building

• Professional learning for teachers, for example, language development, learning difficulties, behaviour management group programs – for example, social/emotional/behavioural
• Student engagement/attendance support to schools
• School Wide Positive Behaviour Support

4. Short to medium term intervention

• Support schools to develop reasonable adjustments for students over time as part of ongoing student support planning
• Learning difficulties – assessments/reports/strategies
• Speech pathology intervention
• Wellbeing issues