The Homestead Senior Secondary College Wellbeing Team provides a proactive and comprehensive Student Wellbeing Program that builds and promotes a sense of belonging and resilience for all students. The Wellbeing Team is committed to building students' strengths and a secure learning environment where all students feel culturally, emotionally, and physically safe.
The Wellbeing team offers a safe and inviting environment for students to seek help and access support services, it is aligned with the Department of Education’s approach to improving student outcomes by using a ‘student centred' approach and improving accessibility, by bringing services within the gates of the school.
The Wellbeing Team
We have a small but growing Wellbeing Team, which means we know our students well.
The team consists of:
- Rebecca Collins: Assistant Principal of Wellbeing, Teaching and Learning, Wellbeing Leading Teacher
- Katie Jaz: Disability Inclusion Learning Specialist
- Bethany Collier: Wellbeing Counsellor
- Emma Howarth: Psychologist & Mental Health Practitioner (MHP)
Referral to the Wellbeing Team
Students
- Students can self-refer to the Wellbeing Team by visiting the Wellbeing Space opposite the locker bays on level 1.
- Principals, teachers and support staff can arrange for a referral to the Wellbeing Team if they have concerns about a student’s wellbeing.
- Students can complete a self-referral form via the Star icon on Compass.
Parents
- Parents can request an appointment for their child with the Wellbeing Team by contacting the team via phone on 7379 9600.
- Parents can also complete a referral form which can be accessed via the following link
- In some instances, a student may be referred to an external support service. We also respect the fact that some students and parents may prefer to seek professional support independent from the school setting. The Wellbeing Team will work collaboratively with external services, as necessary. In all cases, we encourage parents to communicate with the school if there is a significant issue affecting their child’s health or wellbeing.
Student Wellbeing Services
The members of the Wellbeing Team are experienced in a range of areas and are passionate about helping students navigate their way through the various social and emotional challenges they may face.
These challenges may include:
- Social difficulties
- Emotional challenges
- Behavioural difficulties
- Learning needs
- Family challenges, including family break-up
- Grief and loss
- School refusal
- Risk-taking behaviours
- Mental health issues
- Child safety concerns (See Child Safety section below)
Services Available Through the Wellbeing Team
- Individual counselling for students
- Early intervention services for small groups (where appropriate)
- Positive mental health promotion with school-wide programs and events relevant to student wellbeing
- Therapeutic, individual and group focused programs supporting stress management, academic anxiety and other pressures associated with the late teen years
- Student Support Group meetings, with parents and young people, to support any learning, behavioural, social, or emotional concerns they have.
- Referral to external support services, including, if appropriate, specialist assessment and treatment services
- Hardship supports for students in need, such as books, uniforms etc. and linking it with further community supports
Students with Additional Needs and the Disability Inclusion Program
Disability Inclusion (DI) is a new way for Victorian government schools to support students with disability. It involves initiatives to help teachers and school staff across Victoria build their knowledge and skills in inclusive education and provide schools with more funding to support students to learn at school. Disability Inclusion also introduces the Disability Inclusion Profile (DIP), which helps schools understand a student’s strengths, what they need to help them learn, and how the school can support them. This video explains the profile, how it works and your role as a parent or carer.
Homestead Senior Secondary College has a commitment to improving the learning outcomes for all students, by acknowledging and catering for their diverse learning needs. We provide an inclusive educational program that ensures all students have access to a quality education. For students funded under the Department of Education’s Disability Inclusion Program (formerly known as the Program for Students with a Disability), we have a growing team of experienced Education Support staff that work with students in the classroom. Additional staff are employed as required to meet the needs of our students. For more information on this program, please read the Disability Inclusion pack.
If you have any questions about Disability Inclusion, please contact Katie Jaz on 7379 9600 or via email at: Katie.Jaz@education.vic.gov.au.
Wellbeing Partnerships
Mental Health Practitioner
Homestead Senior Secondary College offers a Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) three days a week. The MHP service is by appointment and will require a consent form to be signed by the relevant parent/guardian/carer. This form will be provided by contacting wellbeing or the relevant student manager who will discuss the service further. An MHP can assist with:
- Mental Health prevention and promotion
- Short term support for students including direct counselling and early intervention services
- Small group therapy for those at risk or experiencing mental health concerns
- Coordinating supports with other services for students with complex needs
- School wide health promotion
- Professional advice and liaison with school staff to support students in the classroom
- Support for students/families linked with the MHP service for SSGs, student support plans, IEP or other school processes that relate to the students social-emotional goals
Emma Howarth is our MHP and works from Monday to Wednesday. For more information regarding Emma and accessing her services, please contact us on 7379 9600.
Student Wellbeing Counsellor
- Identifying mental health issues/concerns, offering guidance and helping students navigate through personal issues while also providing coping strategies
- Providing a safe confidential space for students to express their concerns, emotions and challenges
- Promoting positive mental health amongst students as well as referring students externally where necessary
- School wide health promotion
- Collaborating with students, teachers, parents and other professionals to create a supportive environment for students
- Contributing to the development of school-wide programs that promote students-wellbeing
Student Support Service Officers (SSSO)
The Student Support Services comprise of a broad range of allied health professionals including psychologists, speech pathologists and social workers. They work as part of an integrated health and wellbeing team within networks of schools, focusing on providing group-based and individual support, workforce capacity building and the provision of specialised services.
The Wellbeing Team will work with families to access these services if they are required to support student learning needs. Wait list times will depend on individual circumstances.
Wellbeing Programs
The Wellbeing Team and staff facilitate and/or support a range of proactive, preventative and early intervention programs across the school.
Below are examples of some of the health, wellbeing and inclusion programs scheduled during the year.
Whole School Programs
- Breakfast Club – Run by student volunteers and staff, with resources kindly provided by Foodbank, this program promotes good health and positive community relationships and allows students to start the day off well, together. Breakfast Club food is available in the library area on a daily basis.
- Presentations – Various topics relevant to promoting student social-emotional learning and mental health are delivered by the wellbeing team or relevant external providers (e.g. Victoria Police, Headspace)
- Rainbow Group – To raise awareness and support for sexual and gender diversity and inclusiveness in the school community. A student-led initiative to support LGBTQIA+ and allies within the school community, to foster leadership and empowerment.
- Parent Support - We offer parents support and counsel in their role as carers of students at Homestead.
- Restorative Support - We provide support and mediation for students in conflict with each other.
- Transition Support - Supporting student’s smooth transition to school and managing their anxiety. This includes school tours and wellbeing meetings.
- Re-Engagement Support – A holistic approach to support students who may have disengaged from their education. We offer targeted support for long term school refusal and absenteeism, providing students and family with support to reconnect with the school, supported by programs such as Navigator.
- Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships – this covers age appropriate social and emotional learning.
Wellbeing Events that we Celebrate as a School
- Cultural Day – Celebrating our cultural diversity.
- Harmony Day - To promote inclusivity.
- Health & Wellbeing Days – To promote health, wellbeing and have fun participating in various workshops.
- R U OK? Day – To raise awareness of engaging in regular and meaningful conversations with others. https://www.ruok.org.au/get-involved
- Wear it Purple Day – to celebrate gender diversity and to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for rainbow young people. https://www.wearitpurple.org/
Initiatives we are proud to be a part of
- Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relations (RRRRs) - To develop students’ social, emotional, and positive relationship skills.
- The Safe Schools program helps schools foster a safe environment that is supportive and inclusive of LGBTQIA+ students.
- Mental Health First Aid - Training has been undertaken by all staff and aims to increase their foundational knowledge of mental health and emerging concerns.
- Teen Mental Health First Aid - Teen Mental Health First Aid Training undertaken by Year 10 Students to build capacity to recognise when their peers are experiencing mental health crisis and seeking help from a responsible adult.
Community Contacts
- Orange Door WMA (family violence and parenting/family support) 1800 271 045 Child First 1300 775 160 XXX (Crisis accommodation) 9703 0044
- Wyndham Youth Services: 8734 1355 https://www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/services/youth-services
- Women's Health West (Women, children and young people's family violence services) 9689 9588
- Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues 8594 1550
- Foundation House (support for refugees/asylum seekers) 8788 3333
- Uniting Wyndham (Housing Support) (03) 9051 2000
- Headspace, Werribee 8001 2366
- Parentzone (Anglicare) 1300 984 011
- Relationship Australia 1300 364 277
- Taskforce Drug & alcohol counselling 9532 0811
- QLIFE (support for LGBTI) 1800 184 527
- YSAS (Youth Support & Advocacy Service) 1800 458 685
- Western Melbourne Child and Family Services Alliance 1300 775 160
24 Hour Emergency Numbers
- DFFH Child Protection Western Region Intake (Mon-Fri 9 am to 5 pm) 1300 664 977
- DFFH Child Protection (After Hours) 131 278
- Directline drug/alcohol info 1800 888 236
- Family Drug Helpline 1300 660 068
- Family Violence Service ‘Safe Steps’ 1800 015 188
- Grief Line 12 noon-3 am 1300 845 745
- Kids Help Line 1800 551 800
- Life Line 13 11 14
- Police / Fire / Ambulance 000
- Psychiatric Triage Team – Mental health issues 1300 369 012
- Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1800 806 292
- Suicide Help Line 1300 651 251
- Parent Line 13 22 89
- Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Child Safety
Homestead Senior Secondary College is continually developing an organisational culture that protects children from abuse and reflects its commitment to child safety. Our Commitment to Child Safety and Child Safe Code of Conduct can be found here.
Further information about the Child Safe Standards can also be found on the DET Victoria Website here.
