Student Support and Wellbeing Services – Prequalification Scheme

⁠⁠⁠This is a Notification Only. Further details on Application publish dates and accessing Application documents can be found in the Additional Details / Instructions section below.

The NSW Department of Education is planning to establish the Student Support and Wellbeing Services – Prequalification Scheme (the Scheme). The Scheme will consist of pre-qualified providers with the aim to streamline the process for schools to access support and wellbeing services to support their work with students and families.

The Scheme will initially be open for providers to pre-qualify under the following streams. Providers may apply for one or multiple streams.

1. Student Engagement and Attendance
Student attendance and engagement is a government priority. Student engagement and attendance has a direct impact on student performance at school and subsequent post school outcomes for students.

Engagement or re-engagement programs are those that provide tailored education and support for students who are disengaged or have been identified as at risk of disengaging from school. These programs or services can include strategies that target behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement and attendance and may be universal or targeted.

2. Specialist Allied Health and Therapy Supports for Students With Disability
Work with students with disability and their teachers to support students’ skill development, independence, speech or swallowing, posture and mobility, or neurosensory motor development. This may include providing therapeutic assessments, plans and/or training for school staff to support students with disability to access and participate in learning. Relevant professions include occupational therapy, speech pathology and physiotherapy.

3. Behaviour Support for Students with Disability
Work with students with disability and their teachers to identify and implement strategies to develop positive behaviour and manage challenging or inappropriate behaviour. This may include completing functional behaviour assessments, developing specialist behaviour support plans, and/or training school staff in positive behaviour support strategies to support students with disability to access and participate in learning.

4. School Counsellors & School Psychologists
Provide psychological counselling and assessment services to students from Pre-School to Year 12. This includes counselling using evidence-based interventions to improve the wellbeing of students; undertaking cognitive, emotional and behavioural assessment to contribute to the development of appropriate school-based support for students; working collaboratively with learning and support teams, parents and carers, and other agencies, to enhance learning and wellbeing outcomes for students.

5. Complex Case Management
Schools may have students enrolled with complex needs that impact on their learning outcomes. These students may be involved with, or need to be connected with a range of service providers to meet their varied wellbeing needs.

Complex Case Management services are those that assist schools to provide support to students with complex needs. This involves ensuring that students have access to holistic, coordinated services and support in order to achieve a positive impact on their learning outcomes and life opportunities. These services may include Case Management, referral services, facilitation of conflict resolution or conciliation and negotiation of resolution to identified issues.

Providers pre-qualified will be established on the Scheme under the NSW Human Services framework.

There is no funding directly allocated to this scheme.

Schools will use the Scheme to select their preferred suppliers and will be responsible for funding and managing their own engagements.