• Allied Health or Early Childhood Educator role
• Support families within the Early Childhood Approach pathway.
• Locations: Wangaratta and Wodonga locations
• Fixed term full time.
  
• $85.000 to 100.000 per year + super + salary packaging

Come and join an experienced, passionate and supportive paediatric team (Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Early Childhood Educators) who provide early intervention and assist children and their families to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This is an opportunity to be part of a collaborative team that makes a real difference to the lives of many children and their families across the region.

• Amazing flexible working from home arrangements available, with travel to community settings.
• Be part of a brilliant culture that is welcoming of diverse abilities.
• Full-time position available (fixed term until June 2024)
• Generous salary packaging, purchased leave and car arrangements available

Your new organisation

At Merri Health, we strive to enrich diverse communities through the provision of quality health care and support services. A career at Merri will see you contributing to a culture that affects change for our clients and the wider community. We are committed to supporting the talent and skills of our employees because we know their capability is the key to our success.

Your new role

The incumbent of this position will play a key role in delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Partners in Community (PIC) Early Childhood Approach service in the Ovens Murray regional area of Victoria. The Early Childhood Coordinator will be responsible for working closely with children and their families, undertaking developmental assessments to support the child’s development, provide short term early childhood early intervention, and detailed reporting, ultimately improving the child’s capacity to fully participate in life.

The Early Childhood Coordinator will form part of a Team that will play an important role in:

• Assisting children (0-6) with developmental delay (0-6) or disability (0-9), their families and carers to build and pursue their goals, exercise choice and control and engage with the NDIS, and;
• Ensure that children (0-96) with developmental delay or disability are supported in their local communities and mainstream services by building greater awareness and social inclusion for children with developmental delay or disability and their families.

You will be responsible for:

Merri Health is working in partnership with the National Disability Insurance Agency to deliver the NDIS Early Childhood Early Approach (ECA) Partnership across Ovens Murray.

As an Early Childhood Coordinator you will be responsible for:

• Providing Early Childhood Approach Services to children aged 0-9 with developmental delay and/or disability in line with ECEI best practice.
• Undertake formal and informal developmental and functional assessments for children 0-9 years
• Facilitate referrals to universal services to connect children with a disability or development delay and their families to external supports, services and groups
• Support families and the broader community in understanding the NDIS, access pathways, and other services available in the community
• Engage in the NDIS access & planning process with families which includes collaborating with the family to:
  
  • Collate information relating to the child’s developmental needs and the functional impact these have upon the family, and document these clearly in the appropriate format
  • Design goals relevant for the child’s NDIS Plan
  • Support families to understand the content of their NDIS Plan once developed, and provide practical support in relation to implementing the plan and accessing the required services
  • Be the first point of contact to respond to concerns or queries from families.
• Provide Early Childhood Approach Services in the child’s natural settings such as the home environment, childcare centres, kindergarten etc.
• Provide supports and strategies to families to enable them to follow through the intervention within the home
• Provide supports, education, and strategies to educators to enable them to continue to provide intervention within their relevant settings in an inclusive manner
• Maintain case notes and other documentation as required by the NDIS and Merri Health.

To succeed in this role you will have:

To be successful with Merri you will go above and beyond to achieve great results for our clients, the organisation and yourself. We’re looking for individuals with:

• Demonstrated understanding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the needs of families and children with a disability and/or developmental delay/concerns.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in allied health, or early childhood education.
• Demonstrated understanding and/or experience of working in early childhood, child developmental assessments and writing reports
• Awareness and understanding of the functional and social impact of disability
• Excellent time management skills
• History of working with families and delivering support compassionately
• Ability to identify key stakeholders and build strong effective working relationships and partnerships (internally and externally)
• Demonstrated commitment and ability to maintain an ethical, inclusive and non-judgemental approach to service delivery
• High level information management competency in using computers/tablets including Word, Excel and Outlook
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiating skills with the ability to make timely and thought-out decisions
• Capacity to work creatively and independently, demonstrate initiative and actively develop a supportive team environment.

What we offer:

Please visit out 'work for us' page to learn more.

How to Apply

If you're interested in learning more about us, please visit our website. If you have any questions or are ready to apply, we would love to hear from you. Click 'Apply Now' to submit your application before the closing date.

What else do I need to know

Preferred candidates will be subject to comprehensive reference and pre-employment background checking conducted by Merri Health prior to an offer of employment, including criminal record history check, NDIS worker screening and other employee screening and credential checks as determined by the position description. All candidates must have the right to work in Australia. Merri Health is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to ensuring a safe environment for children and young people. We encourage individuals of diverse backgrounds including but not limited to those from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, the LGBTIQA+ community and those living with a disability to apply.