School attendance support

Koori Education Coordinator

Schools, parents and community can obtain assistance with Koorie cultural inclusion, Koorie education guidance and support through their region by contacting the Koorie Education Coordinators (KEC) with enquiries.

Service Support Managers (SSM) can also be contacted to assist with referrals for Koorie Engagement Support Officers (KESO).

KECs are able to arrange for a regional KESO to be assigned to any school where contact with Koorie families may be requested.

KESOs are area-based professionals who are members of the local Aboriginal community with an understanding of Aboriginal culture and the history of their community. KESOs provide advice to schools about culturally inclusive learning environments, coordination of services to support engagement and improved outcomes for Koorie children and young people.

Contact a KESO here

Carer Gateway

Carer Gateway provides a range of free services and support just for carers. Services are delivered in-person, online and over the phone. Our dedicated team of Carer Gateway service providers across Australia, which you may already be familiar with, provide in-person services across Australia. They can support Young Carers who may be experiencing difficulties with education due to their caring responsibilities. Find the Carer Gateway information here

Catholic Care

We support students, families and schools to understand and deal with complex issues that can cause non-attendance and school and help reduce young people's anxiety around school attendance. Click here for more information.

Centre for Multicultural Youth

Aimed at highschool students in the South East with 70% or less non-attendance at school. Provides intensive case management, builds relationships with schools, advocates, offeres resorative practices and assertive outreach to support disengaged learners and their families. You can find more information here

Navigator program 

Navigator supports disengaged young people by working with the young person, their family and support network to address issues underlying disengagement and help them re-engage with their education.

Navigator is delivered by contracted community service organisations that work closely with local schools and department area teams. In each area, the program is tailored to its local community and services.

Participation in Navigator is by referral and anyone can make a referral. Referrals must be made by completing an online referral form. The local area Navigator Coordinator can also assist with making a referral.

The following information outlines the requirements relating to referring a young person to Navigator.

Eligibility criteria

A young person must be eligible to participate in Navigator. To be eligible, a young person must meet the following criteria:

1. be 12 to 17 years of age (inclusive)
2. be enrolled in, or intend to enrol in a Victorian education setting (including non-government schools)
3. have attended 30% or less of the previous school term, or equivalent, or not be attending an education setting at all or
4. be 10 to 11 years of age and study or intend to study in the department areas of Bayside Peninsula, Hume Merri-bek, Loddon Campaspe and Western Melbourne (the Navigator Program is being piloted for a younger cohort. Referrals for young people aged 10 to 11 in these areas who also meet the criteria b and c can be submitted via the online referral form).

More information on the Navigator program here

Virtual School Victoria

VSV exists to meet the educational needs of Victorian students whose circumstances prevent them from accessing mainstream schooling. Click here for more information.

Headspace

Understanding School Refusal (School Can't). Young people sometimes experience these emotions and that is ok. Headspace have a range of resources and information to support young people experiencing these.

Signs to look out for
What contributes to School Refusal (School Can't)
How to support your young person
Self care for parents

Click here for more information

Raising Children Network 

• What is school refusal (also known as school can't)
• Signs and causes of school refusal (school can't)
• Working with families around school refusal (school can't)

Click here for more info 

School Refusal Clinic

The School Refusal Clinic click here

The School Refusal Clinic