Special Education Advisor

Job Type: Permanent- Location: Whakatane, NZ**Help shape the future of Education**
- He mea _**_tārai _**_e mātou te _**_mātauranga _**_kia _**_rangatira _**_ai, kia _**_mana taurite_**_ ai ōna _**_huanga_**
- We work to _**_shape _**_an _**_education _**_system that delivers _**_equitable_**_ and _**_excellent outcomes_**

At Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education, we work to provide services and support nationally, regionally and locally to the education sector, and in some cases, directly to ākonga and whānau.

We shape the policies, settings and performance of the education system for early learning, schooling and tertiary.

**We are making significant changes to how we deliver our purpose.**

So that we:

- Take practical action to give effect to te Tiriti o Waitangi.
- Give priority to regional and local voice.
- Deliver greater responsiveness, accessibility and integrated services and support.
- Improve feedback loops and information flows.

Our organisation is made up of talented and committed people around Aotearoa, from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. While we work in different groups and on different things, we all strive every day to make the biggest difference we can for our ākonga in our education system.

**Mō tēnei tūranga | About this role**

We are looking for a Special Education Advisor to be part of a close-knit, community-focused team that maximises learning and promotes social inclusion for children and young people with learning support needs.

As a Special Education Advisor, you will play a critical role in our region’s Learning Support team by:

- Identifying patterns or contributing factors that may be influencing learning, wellbeing and behaviour.
- Working collaboratively with a team around the child, including educators, parents, caregivers and whānau, to enhance understanding about the child and their behaviours.
- Helping the adults around the child to make changes to the learning environment so that their behaviour can be more effectively managed, and the situation can be stabilised/made safer. This includes supporting the child to develop more pro-social ways of responding, and improve their participation, wellbeing and learning outcomes.
- Facilitating access to wider services and support, in response to individual needs, for example speech and language therapy and local agencies.
- Collaboratively assessing, planning, developing, supporting and monitoring the implementation of effective individual (or group) learning plans.
- Enhancing inclusive practices in early learning services, schools and other educational settings.

We cover a large area and work from Matata to Whangaparaoa with pristine beaches and beautiful coastal views.

Applicants who live in Tauranga, Rotorua or the surrounding Bay of Plenty areas and who are willing to commute may also be interested in this role.

We also offer:

- Flexible working arrangements where everyone feels valued & supported.
- The ability to purchase extra days leave.
- A range of employee network groups.
- An inclusive environment that encourages your personal cultural competency journey.
- Development and learning, including mentorship programmes and internal secondments.
- Wellness initiatives to support your overall health and wellbeing.

**Mōhou ake | About you**

To be successful in this role, you will need to have the following capabilities and competencies:

- a teaching qualification with a minimum of three years’ teaching experience
- a Postgraduate Diploma in Special Education or Education Psychology is desirable
- extensive knowledge, experience and skills in supporting children and young people with severe and challenging behaviours and learning needs in a classroom or other relevant setting
- experience in and willingness to work collaboratively and support other education professionals and agencies to meet the needs of children and young people with additional needs
- excellent communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively with children, young people and their families/whānau and teachers across a diverse range of settings
- experience working in Māori-medium settings or the ability to work across Māori informed practice models would be advantageous
- a genuine commitment to evidence-based interventions which demonstrate inclusive education practice and contribute to raising student achievement
- a full current driver licence as travel across the region is a requirement of this role.

**Mātau rōpū ake | About our group and team**

Te Mahau | Te Tai Whenua (Central) is a frontline group that collectively provides leadership and integrated services to the sector and others.

Learning Support is a critical part of the Te Mahau | Te Tai Whenua (Central) Group in the Ministry. We are charged with leading the education sector in ensuring that children and young people with additional learning needs are supported to achieve their full potential through