Working at Melba Support Services (Melba)
- We support people with disability to live the life they want.
- We have a Zero Tolerance approach to violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
- Every member of the Melba community is committed to The Melba Way Charter, our vision, purpose and values.
- Melba aims to create welcoming and respectful workplaces that promote inclusive and collaborative working relationships.
For over 50 years Melba Support Services has been providing services to people with disability that focus on supporting people to dream big, embrace life and do what they choose and value. Melba is firmly grounded in upholding human rights and recognises that part of living a happy, healthy life is being independent and being able to do the things that bring us joy. Melba won the 2023 National Disability Award for Excellence in Service Quality.
Why Join Us?
We are a human-rights, values-based, not-for-profit community organisation committed to providing services that support individuals with disability to lead everyday lives of their choice, if this resonates with you, come join us!
Position Purpose
The Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner is responsible for the delivery of positive behaviour support services, in line with the Melba Way and contemporary evidence-based assessment, intervention and practice frameworks, to ensure a person-centred approach is delivered which focuses on the protection, maintenance, and upholding of human rights, trauma-informed support, and ensuring that where restrictive practices are identified they are used only if necessary and least restrictive, and that a positive behaviour support plan demonstrates a focus on their reduction and elimination that is proven over time.
General
- Commitment to Melba’s vision, mission, values, human rights framework and Zero Tolerance approach
- Compliance with Melba’s code of conduct, privacy, workplace health and safety policies and procedures
- A commitment to creating and fostering a workplace free from bullying, harassment or any form of unreasonable behaviour towards a person, group of people or Melba
- Conduct all duties and responsibilities in accordance with Melba’s policies and procedures
- Ensuring that all duties, responsibilities and behaviours support and comply with equal opportunity, cultural diversity and human rights values and expectations
- Your interactions with co-workers and people supported are culturally appropriate and sensitive to each individual’s needs
- Provide opportunities that support people to live a life of their choosing irrespective of their background and differences
- Perform other duties as directed bythe Outcomes Specialist – Positive Behaviour Support
Relationships
- Develop and maintain positive, empowering and respectfulworking relationships with people supported, their families, and other supporters
- Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships internally with staff, providing coaching support to co-workers and service delivery teams across the organisation in positive behaviour support
- Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with external partners, key stakeholders, and the public
- Provide support and supervision to Core-level Positive Behaviour Support Practitionerin the provision of positive behaviour support services, particularly ensuring that where restrictive practices are identified that they are used only if necessary and least restrictive, and that a positive behaviour support plan demonstrates a focus on their reduction and elimination that is proven over time.
Positive Behaviour Support
Manage a clinical case load in accordance with Melba’s contemporary trauma-informed positive behaviour support framework, evidence-based assessment and interventions, including:
- Completing and documenting assessmentsto understand the risk,causal and contributing factors of a person’s behaviours of protest
- Designing and documenting positive behaviour support strategies that are focused on upholding each person’s human rights,enhancingtheir quality of life, and considering the causes of people’s behaviours of protest within the environments and contexts that they occur
- Ensuring that where restrictive practices are identified they are used only if necessary and least restrictive,and that a positive behaviour support plan demonstrates a focus on their reduction and elimination that is proven over time
- Provide training, modelling and coaching support to empower and enable direct support professionals, operational management staffand other relevant supporters to understand Melba’s trauma informed positive behaviour support approach, implement positive behaviour support plans and strategies, and to engage in reflective practice to continually improve their practice
- Evaluate and directly monitor the implementation of positive behaviour support plans, addressing barriers to implementation of plans when required
- Design, implement, capture and analyse data in order tomonitor the effectiveness of positive behaviour support plans
- Ensure that case records are kept up to date, as required
- Keep abreast of new strategies, technologies and provide recommendations for improving service provision
- Assist in the management of organisational clinical risk byresponding to internal referrals for assistance with vacancy management/tenancy selection, intake, risk assessment, capacity building for identified clinical risks and clinical input to incident reports and responses to overseeing regulatory bodies such as WorkSafe Victoria, NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and other bodies as relevant
- Work in line with the Disability Act (2006), the NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018,the NDIS Quality & Safeguarding Commission requirements, the NDIA terms of business and Victorian restrictive practice authorisation requirements
Continuing Professional Development
Engage in regular learning opportunities to ensure practice aligns with contemporary methodologies, including:
- Participation in line management supervisionin accordance with documented supervision agreements
- Participation in clinical supervisionin accordance with documented supervision agreements
- Identification and annual review of professional development goals through a documented CPD plan
- Undertake professional development activities to achieve identified CPD goals
Occupation Health Safety and Wellbeing (OHS&W)
- Take reasonable care of their health, safety and wellbeing and that of others.
- Observe safe systems of work
- Follow OHS&W policies and procedures
- Report hazards, near misses and incidents in accordance with the agreed incident reporting system
- Contribute to a positive culture in relation to OHS&W and participate in consultative structures
Inherent Requirements of Position
Physical Requirements:
- Sitting – Regular
- Standing – Rarely
- Computer Based Task – Continuous
- Driving – Regular
- Bending and Lifting –Rarely (no lift policy for the manual of people supported)
Essential Requirements:
- Compliance with OHS regulations, legislation and Policies and Procedures
- Successful completion of Pre–Employment Safety Screening checks and mandatory training and their subsequent renewals
Key Selection Criteria & Skills/Attributes
- Demonstrated knowledge and skills in the application of positive behaviour support (at the level of proficient or above in the NDIS PBS practitioner capability framework)
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with a person-centred outcome focus
- Strong skills in both formal and informal coaching
- Working knowledge of the Disability Act 2006 (Vic) and the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding framework, as relevant to the use and reporting of restrictive practices
- The ability to manage competing priorities and to deliver outcomes within agreed timeframes and quality standards
- Proficient ability in the use of the Microsoft Office suite of programs
EssentialExperience
- Proven success in the implementation and delivery of positive behaviour support
- Demonstrated ability to provide advice, support, coaching, mentoring and training to managers and staff in particular in person centred active support, positive behaviour support through a trauma informed lens
- Demonstrated ability to influence and work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders including peers, employees, external organisations, funding bodies and government agencies
- Demonstrated experience in providing peer support and direct supervision to practitioners at other levels (highly desirable)
- Ability to work holistically; recognising the value and contribution of all, with mind to cross-discipline appreciation and collaboration
Essential Values / attitudes
- Passionate about human rights
- Collaborative and committed to partnerships
- Creative, problem solver and initiative talker
- Committed to achieving results
- A creative and lateral approach to thinking and problem-solving
- A dedicated approach to work which emphasises respect, approachability,and transparency
Qualification:
- Relevant tertiary qualification
- Endorsement as a Specialist NDIS Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner at the proficientlevel of the NDIS PBS practitioner capability framework, or an ability to meet the NDIS PBS practitioner capability framework at the proficient level.
Inclusion at Melba
Melba Support Services recognises the contribution that a diverse workforce makes to continuous improvement and service delivery and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Melba Support Services values diversity and encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders. People with disabilities and from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are also encouraged to apply. Melba Support Services is committed to making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process and day-to-day work. As a provider of supports and services to children, Melba is committed to ensuring that every child feels safe and respected. All Melba staff and volunteers have a responsibility to make sure that children’s wellbeing and safety comes first, that they are supported to achieve their potential, respected, and protected from abuse and neglect.
