The Guidance Officer is a support person involved with cognitive and behavioural
assessment, education support programs, student wellbeing, mental
health issues, counselling, case management, and critical incidents.
Accessing guidance officer services
Referrals can only made through Class Teachers or in urgent cases, through the School Principal or Deputy Principal.
Concerns raised by parents/careers will usually be addressed through the Student Support Services Committee (SSS).
It
may be decided at this meeting to refer the student to the Guidance
Officer for assessments, classroom observations and or counselling
sessions. Before this can occur, a guidance consent form must be signed
by the parent.
Parents
will be informed of assessment results and recommendations for further
action. This may include referring to external agencies for further
assistance.
If this is the case the child’s parent/s will be consulted and further parent consent may be required.
Confidentiality
When
a guidance officer counsels a student, the student is assured their
conversations are confidential, unless there is a risk of harm to
themselves or others. If there are any concerns, the Guidance Officer
will discuss their concerns with parents and or external agencies for
further advice/assistance.
Roles and responsibilities of the Guidance Officer at OSS include:
Educational Support Plans and funding for students in out of home care.
Liaising with other staff and external agencies to assist with students’ social/emotional and educational needs.
Timely feedback to class teachers and parents concerning results of assessments.
Management and storage of confidential information including Student Guidance Files.
Attend regular Guidance Officer inservice to keep up to date with current best practice and DoE policies.
Analysis and interpretation of data gathered and resulting recommendations to assist students’ learning needs.
Respond to critical incidents as directed by the school principal.