Education services guidelines

These guidelines should be read in conjunction with the information at Working with the TAC.

Definitions

Childcare refers to services provided within a childcare facility.
Educational institution includes 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool, regular school, special school, and post-compulsory institutions.
3-year-old preschool is a non-government funded preschool program that is a registered children's service. Children may attend 3-year-old preschool in the year prior to attending preschool.
4-year-old preschool is a state government funded program for children in the year before they start primary school. Preschool may be held in a kindergarten or childcare centre.
Regular school is a government funded school that is registered with the Department of Education and Training (Dept of Education) or a non-government (independent, i.e. Catholic or private) school that is registered with the Registered Schools Board.
Special school is a government funded special school that is registered with the Dept of Education or a non-government (independent, i.e. Catholic or private) special school that is registered with the Registered Schools Board. There are three types of special schools:
- Special developmental school is a school for students who have an intelligence quotient (IQ) below 50, who have a demonstrated need for intervention by one or more therapists as part of their educational program.
- Alternative setting school is a school for students with a physical, sensory (eg. vision or hearing impairment), or other disability and a demonstrated need for intervention by one or more therapists as part of their educational program that is registered with the Dept of Education.
- Special school is a school for students who have an IQ between 50 and 70 and have a demonstrated need for intervention by one or more therapists as part of their educational program
Integration support programs provided in regular schools to increase the student's capacity to develop self-monitoring and learning strategies, and to ensure the student's inclusion in primary and secondary school. The program can include an integration aide and integration teacher time.
Post-secondary means education beyond compulsory schooling, such as a university degree or a pre-apprenticeship course.
Tutoring is a service provided in addition to the school program that provides individual support with a specific subject or specific study skills. Tutoring aims to enable a client to resume their pre-accident level of academic achievement or level consistent with the transport accident injuries and may be funded for the student at school, or in tertiary education. Tutoring does not include tasks that are the responsibility of a parent or guardian such as supervising homework and helping to access the local library, other resources or project materials.

Who can provide education support services?

You can provide education support services if you are:

An inclusion support facilitator, employed by an inclusion support agency contracted by the Australian government.
An integration aide, with a certificate 3 in integration aide/integration support, grade 1 in third year of integration experience.
An integration teacher, who is a classroom teacher with a recognised undergraduate qualification in primary or secondary school teaching, in fifth year of teaching experience.
A tutor who is:
- A teacher registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
- A teacher, lecturer or tutor employed by an educational institution.
- An employee of a tutoring agency that has demonstrated, adequate professional indemnity, public liability and workers compensation insurance, and agreed to comply with and accept the Victorian Human Rights Charter and the TAC privacy and secrecy provisions.
A special education consultant, who is a teacher with post-graduate qualifications in the relevant specialist area.
An educational psychologist, who is a psychologist with post-graduate qualifications in the relevant specialist area

All education support providers must have appropriate police checks and meet other compliance requirements where relevant, such as Working with Children checks.

What we can pay for

We can help pay the reasonable cost of education support services, with our approval, when they are required as a result of a transport accident injury.

Services requiring our approval include:

Integration programs in childcare, preschool, primary and secondary schools, such as an integration aide or teacher time.
Special school funding.
Tutoring.
Special education consultant services.
Specialist professional providers, such as allied health professionals, education specialists or other specialist professionals.

We can help pay for education support services for your client when:

Your client has a need for education support as a direct result of their transport accident injuries.
Your client is able to participate in an education program.
The support service promotes your client's independence in the education setting.
The support services have clearly defined and measurable learning and development outcomes.
The services are appropriate for your client’s age and developmental abilities.
It is the most appropriate way for your client to achieve rehabilitation goals.

When reviewing requests from an education psychologist or education consultant to pay for education support services, we will consider:

Your client's pre-accident development and learning history.
Services which your client accessed, was on the waiting list for or was assessed as needing, prior to their transport accident.
Your client's ability to participate in education as a result of their transport accident injuries.
Learning goals and outcomes.
The assessment of an independent therapist, special education consultant or other specialist professional in child education and development.
Education programs to which your client is currently entitled.
Centrelink entitlements in determining the reasonable cost of a childcare or preschool place.
Federal and state government funding entitlements.

Childcare and preschool

We can help pay the reasonable cost of services provided in a childcare facility including:

The childcare or preschool place, if this would not have been necessary before the accident.
Integration support, when recommended by a suitably qualified provider.
Additional days of childcare or preschool, as recommended by a suitably qualified provider for a client who attended childcare or preschool before the accident.

We consider the childcare or preschool service to be responsible for providing the care that is appropriate to your client's development and capabilities.

Post-compulsory institutions

We can only help pay for education support services in post-compulsory institutions where your client requires more support than is normally available through the Disability Liaison Officer at the institution.

Special schools

When your client attends a special school as a result of their transport accident injuries, we can help pay for:

The additional funding for education support services (the Educational Support Allocation) assessed by the Educational Needs Questionnaire (ENQ). The Educational Support Allocation is part of the school's global budget and includes services provided by therapists employed by the school.
Additional treatment by a specialist professional where this is part of your client's approved rehabilitation program.

The Department of Education and Training will make a recommendation to us about the level of support required by your client, based on the ENQ to determine the level of funding.

Where your client was already receiving ENQ funded services (mainstream or special school), we can only pay the cost of any extra services required as a result of the transport accident injuries.

Tutoring

We can help pay for tutoring to support your client to:

Catch up on studies missed, due to an absence from school that is a result of transport accident injuries, such as a long hospital admission or continued absences due to an outpatient rehabilitation program.
Consolidate classroom learnings, where an accident-related learning need has been identified.

Special education consultants

We can pay a special education consultant for five hours to assess your client and school’s need for education support services.

The school must submit a Supplementary School Support (Special Education Consultancy) Application if further special education consultancy services are required after the initial five hours.

The application must include:

Your client’s current functional status, and how this has changed from their pre-accident functional status.
The goals of the service, and how and when they will be achieved.
The expected changes in the school’s capacity to cater for your client’s individual learning and education needs, following the proposed special education consultancy services.
How the changes from required interventions will be measured, and the proposed time frame of intervention for each outcome.

We can help fund a special education consultant to:

Travel to your client’s home or school. Travel time can be paid for travel to and from your practice address and your client’s home or school. If more than one client is visited in a single travel period, total travel costs should be apportioned equally between clients.
Write reports that have been requested by us.
Visit a client who is an inpatient at a private hospital when:
- The visit is requested by the treating medical practitioner.
- The hospital has consented.
- The cost is not included in the hospital bed fee.
Provide additional services to assist with a handover to an educational institution.

We will not fund a special education consultant to perform tasks that are the responsibility of:

The education institution, such as developing the individual education plan, arranging Student Support Groups (SSG) and one-on-one teaching services.
The treating team, such as psychological support and interpretation of medical and therapy information for the school and emergency crisis services.
The student or their family, such as communicating with the school.
Ongoing monitoring of an education program.
Tutoring services.

We expect that the educational institution will incorporate any recommendations made by a specialist provider into a client's Individual Education Program.

Other things to note

If your client has a severe injury, the discussion, referral and approval of services may form part of the independence planning process between your client’s treating team and our TAC coordinator.

How much we can pay

We can help pay for services in line with our Special education services fees.

What we cannot pay for

We cannot pay for:

Childcare provided on a one-to-one basis.
Normal 3-year-old preschool and 4-year-old preschool enrolments, or the repeating of 4-year-old preschool, primary or secondary schooling for non-transport accident reasons.
Services that your client accessed, was assessed as needing or was on the waiting list for, prior to their transport accident.
School or education fees, for courses that your client was enrolled in prior to their transport accident and where a prolonged absence due to transport accident injuries has occurred.
Integration aide and teacher time during school holidays. However our schedule includes an allowance for school holidays.
School modifications, as all schools are responsible for ensuring that school buildings and facilities are accessible to all students.
Any education service to which your client is already entitled under the applicable state legislation, including services and programs provided in schools such as Reading Recovery programs or Managing Individual Pathways (MIPs) program.
Services and programs provided in post-compulsory institutions to which your client is already entitled, including general study skills development services and support accessed through the Disability Liaison Office like tutoring, lecture notes, dictaphones and notetakers.
Education expenses levied by the educational institution, including school fees, fees for excursions or school camps, stationery and uniforms.
Special education consultant services in a special school.
Special education consultant services when your client is transitioning to work or a day program.
One-on-one support for your client in a special development school where we are already contributing to the assessed ENQ rate.

Also see general items we cannot pay for.

For more information

Access our policy for Education support services and returning to school.


Education services guidelines These guidelines should be read in conjunction with the information at Working with the TAC. Definitions Childcare refers to services provided within a childcare facility. Educational institution includes 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool, regular school, special school, and post-compulsory institutions. 3-year-old preschool is a non-government funded preschool program that is a registered children's service. Children may attend 3-year-old preschool in the year prior to attending preschool. 4-year-old preschool is a state government funded program for children in the year before they start primary school. Preschool may be held in a kindergarten or childcare centre. Regular school is a government funded school that is registered with the Department of Education and Training (Dept of Education) or a non-government (independent, i.e. Catholic or private) school that is registered with the Registered Schools Board. Special school is a government funded special school that is registered with the Dept of Education or a non-government (independent, i.e. Catholic or private) special school that is registered with the Registered Schools Board. There are three types of special schools: Special developmental school is a school for students who have an intelligence quotient (IQ) below 50, who have a demonstrated need for intervention by one or more therapists as part of their educational program. Alternative setting school is a school for students with a physical, sensory (eg. vision or hearing impairment), or other disability and a demonstrated need for intervention by one or more therapists as part of their educational program that is registered with the Dept of Education. Special school is a school for students who have an IQ between 50 and 70 and have a demonstrated need for intervention by one or more therapists as part of their educational program Integration support programs provided in regular schools to increase the student's capacity to develop self-monitoring and learning strategies, and to ensure the student's inclusion in primary and secondary school. The program can include an integration aide and integration teacher time. Post-secondary means education beyond compulsory schooling, such as a university degree or a pre-apprenticeship course. Tutoring is a service provided in addition to the school program that provides individual support with a specific subject or specific study skills. Tutoring aims to enable a client to resume their pre-accident level of academic achievement or level consistent with the transport accident injuries and may be funded for the student at school, or in tertiary education. Tutoring does not include tasks that are the responsibility of a parent or guardian such as supervising homework and helping to access the local library, other resources or project materials. Who can provide education support services? You can provide education support services if you are: An inclusion support facilitator, employed by an inclusion support agency contracted by the Australian government. An integration aide, with a certificate 3 in integration aide/integration support, grade 1 in third year of integration experience. An integration teacher, who is a classroom teacher with a recognised undergraduate qualification in primary or secondary school teaching, in fifth year of teaching experience. A tutor who is: A teacher registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching. A teacher, lecturer or tutor employed by an educational institution. An employee of a tutoring agency that has demonstrated, adequate professional indemnity, public liability and workers compensation insurance, and agreed to comply with and accept the Victorian Human Rights Charter and the TAC privacy and secrecy provisions. A special education consultant, who is a teacher with post-graduate qualifications in the relevant specialist area. An educational psychologist, who is a psychologist with post-graduate qualifications in the relevant specialist area All education support providers must have appropriate police checks and meet other compliance requirements where relevant, such as Working with Children checks. What we can pay for We can help pay the reasonable cost of education support services, with our approval, when they are required as a result of a transport accident injury. Services requiring our approval include: Integration programs in childcare, preschool, primary and secondary schools, such as an integration aide or teacher time. Special school funding. Tutoring. Special education consultant services. Specialist professional providers, such as allied health professionals, education specialists or other specialist professionals. We can help pay for education support services for your client when: Your client has a need for education support as a direct result of their transport accident injuries. Your client is able to participate in an education program. The support service promotes your client's independence in the education setting. The support services have clearly defined and measurable learning and development outcomes. The services are appropriate for your client’s age and developmental abilities. It is the most appropriate way for your client to achieve rehabilitation goals. When reviewing requests from an education psychologist or education consultant to pay for education support services, we will consider: Your client's pre-accident development and learning history. Services which your client accessed, was on the waiting list for or was assessed as needing, prior to their transport accident. Your client's ability to participate in education as a result of their transport accident injuries. Learning goals and outcomes. The assessment of an independent therapist, special education consultant or other specialist professional in child education and development. Education programs to which your client is currently entitled. Centrelink entitlements in determining the reasonable cost of a childcare or preschool place. Federal and state government funding entitlements. Childcare and preschool We can help pay the reasonable cost of services provided in a childcare facility including: The childcare or preschool place, if this would not have been necessary before the accident. Integration support, when recommended by a suitably qualified provider. Additional days of childcare or preschool, as recommended by a suitably qualified provider for a client who attended childcare or preschool before the accident. We consider the childcare or preschool service to be responsible for providing the care that is appropriate to your client's development and capabilities. Post-compulsory institutions We can only help pay for education support services in post-compulsory institutions where your client requires more support than is normally available through the Disability Liaison Officer at the institution. Special schools When your client attends a special school as a result of their transport accident injuries, we can help pay for: The additional funding for education support services (the Educational Support Allocation) assessed by the Educational Needs Questionnaire (ENQ). The Educational Support Allocation is part of the school's global budget and includes services provided by therapists employed by the school. Additional treatment by a specialist professional where this is part of your client's approved rehabilitation program. The Department of Education and Training will make a recommendation to us about the level of support required by your client, based on the ENQ to determine the level of funding. Where your client was already receiving ENQ funded services (mainstream or special school), we can only pay the cost of any extra services required as a result of the transport accident injuries. Tutoring We can help pay for tutoring to support your client to: Catch up on studies missed, due to an absence from school that is a result of transport accident injuries, such as a long hospital admission or continued absences due to an outpatient rehabilitation program. Consolidate classroom learnings, where an accident-related learning need has been identified. Special education consultants We can pay a special education consultant for five hours to assess your client and school’s need for education support services. The school must submit a Supplementary School Support (Special Education Consultancy) Application if further special education consultancy services are required after the initial five hours. The application must include: Your client’s current functional status, and how this has changed from their pre-accident functional status. The goals of the service, and how and when they will be achieved. The expected changes in the school’s capacity to cater for your client’s individual learning and education needs, following the proposed special education consultancy services. How the changes from required interventions will be measured, and the proposed time frame of intervention for each outcome. We can help fund a special education consultant to: Travel to your client’s home or school. Travel time can be paid for travel to and from your practice address and your client’s home or school. If more than one client is visited in a single travel period, total travel costs should be apportioned equally between clients. Write reports that have been requested by us. Visit a client who is an inpatient at a private hospital when: The visit is requested by the treating medical practitioner. The hospital has consented. The cost is not included in the hospital bed fee. Provide additional services to assist with a handover to an educational institution. We will not fund a special education consultant to perform tasks that are the responsibility of: The education institution, such as developing the individual education plan, arranging Student Support Groups (SSG) and one-on-one teaching services. The treating team, such as psychological support and interpretation of medical and therapy information for the school and emergency crisis services. The student or their family, such as communicating with the school. Ongoing monitoring of an education program. Tutoring services. We expect that the educational institution will incorporate any recommendations made by a specialist provider into a client's Individual Education Program. Other things to note If your client has a severe injury, the discussion, referral and approval of services may form part of the independence planning process between your client’s treating team and our TAC coordinator. How much we can pay We can help pay for services in line with our Special education services fees. What we cannot pay for We cannot pay for: Childcare provided on a one-to-one basis. Normal 3-year-old preschool and 4-year-old preschool enrolments, or the repeating of 4-year-old preschool, primary or secondary schooling for non-transport accident reasons. Services that your client accessed, was assessed as needing or was on the waiting list for, prior to their transport accident. School or education fees, for courses that your client was enrolled in prior to their transport accident and where a prolonged absence due to transport accident injuries has occurred. Integration aide and teacher time during school holidays. However our schedule includes an allowance for school holidays. School modifications, as all schools are responsible for ensuring that school buildings and facilities are accessible to all students. Any education service to which your client is already entitled under the applicable state legislation, including services and programs provided in schools such as Reading Recovery programs or Managing Individual Pathways (MIPs) program. Services and programs provided in post-compulsory institutions to which your client is already entitled, including general study skills development services and support accessed through the Disability Liaison Office like tutoring, lecture notes, dictaphones and notetakers. Education expenses levied by the educational institution, including school fees, fees for excursions or school camps, stationery and uniforms. Special education consultant services in a special school. Special education consultant services when your client is transitioning to work or a day program. One-on-one support for your client in a special development school where we are already contributing to the assessed ENQ rate. Also see general items we cannot pay for. For more information Access our policy for Education support services and returning to school.