Student Support Counsellor - Lodging Program for Students Who Are Blind

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Competition # PDSB26-053

The W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind is a community-based school for students who are blind, visually impaired, and deafblind, under the Ministry of Education, Provincial and Demonstration Schools Branch with the tradition and reputation for meeting the academic, personal, social, emotional, and developmental needs of the individual children.

The student lodging program is an extension of the school program for students who do not live close enough to access daily transportation and runs from Monday – Friday during the school year.

Academic and student lodging programs support each other in the provision of a comprehensive curriculum. The School Principal and Student Support Manager work together toward a successful experience for all students.

Learning continues after the daily academic program in after school programs that promote:
• Language & communication
• Life skills
• Social skills
• Independence

Student support staff are invested in facilitating every student's growth and independence.

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of students who are blind and/or visually impaired? Do you have a background in child development, experience in a childcare related field and the ability to facilitate effective programs for students who are blind and/or visually impaired? If so, this career opportunity with the Ministry of Education, Provincial and Demonstration Schools Branch, may be of interest to you.

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About the job

• Provide supervision, guidance, intervention, and instruction for students who are blind, and/or visually impaired in planned and organized programs in student lodging in a school setting.
• Plan, organize and implement customized individual and group programs designed to meet the personal, social, emotional, and developmental needs of students who are blind and/or visually impaired using a multi-disciplinary approach.
• Supervise, guide, and instruct students who are blind and/or visually impaired.
• Provide sound physical care and maintain a safe/secure environment for students in the student lodging program.

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What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

• Post-secondary educational certificate and/or equivalent training, education and working experience in a childcare related field.
• Current certification in Standard First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Defensive driving and Behaviour Management Systems (BMS).

Skills and Knowledge

• Experience working with students who are blind and/or visually impaired.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate effective individualized developmental, social/life skill programs to meet the needs of students who are visually impaired and who may have additional challenges.
• Knowledge of orientation and mobility needs of students who are visually impaired.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation/policies/procedures/guidelines/practices that address student care and safety.
• Excellent communication skills to communicate effectively with students, parents, staff, and other professionals.
• Sound judgment and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds to assist with student transfers.
• Willingness and ability to work shifts.

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How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer  accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please  contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

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Additional information:

Note:

• About security checks:
  A criminal or other federal offence record does not automatically disqualify you from the position. We consider each situation based on the position's responsibilities.
  If a check is needed and you've lived outside of Canada in the past 5 years for 6 or more months in a row, or if you are not a Canadian resident, you'll need to provide an out-of-country police clearance certificate from the country you lived in.
  Employment screening checks are only reviewed and evaluated by the Transition and Security Office, which also maintains them and keeps them strictly confidential.

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Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.

All external applicants (including former employees of the Ontario Public Service) applying to a competition in a ministry or Commission public body must disclose (either in the cover letter or resume) previous employment with the Ontario Public Service. Disclosure must include positions held, dates of employment and any active restrictions as applicable from being rehired by the Ontario Public Service. Active restrictions can include time and/or ministry-specific restrictions currently in force, and may preclude a former employee from being offered a position with the Ontario Public Service for a specific time period (e.g. one year), or from being offered a position with a specific ministry (either for a pre-determined time period or indefinitely). The circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment.

Information collection notice

We are collecting your personal information to assess how well you meet the qualifications for employment with the Ontario Public Service, and for related recruitment purposes. The collection of personal information is necessary to the proper administration of OPS Careers, which is an authorized common service in accordance with s. 6 of the Ministry of Government Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.25.

Please do not include any more personal information than is needed for your application (for example, do not include your photograph or social insurance number).

If you have any questions about how your information is collected, used, shared or saved, please contact us.