Lead - Healthcare

Summary:

The Lead - Healthcare will support the healthcare department in ensuring that every child and adult with intellectual disability receives high-quality, evidence-based, person-centred therapeutic and rehabilitation support, with a clear focus on functional outcomes, participation and inclusion. The role will bring together clinical excellence, innovation, capacity building and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Alignment

• Lead the Healthcare vertical and define its short- and long-term strategy in alignment with JVF's overall vision and goals.
• Develop a clear healthcare and rehabilitation philosophy centred on participation, independence, functionality, dignity and inclusion.
• Build an interdisciplinary approach across therapy, medical, educational and social work teams.
• Provide clinical leadership and guidance to therapists and other healthcare professionals.

Assessment & Personalized Interventions

• Strengthen evidence-based, standardised assessment systems to understand individual needs and establish meaningful goals.
• Ensure that assessments are used to inform intervention and decision-making
• Collaboratively build mechanisms for regular review of progress via the IEP and modification of interventions based on evidence and outcomes

From Therapy to Participation

• Ensure focus of healthcare interventions stays from therapy delivery alone to meaningful functional outcomes in everyday life.
• Develop mechanisms to track whether therapeutic interventions are translating into improved participation and functioning.
• Work closely with educators and families to ensure that therapeutic strategies are reinforced in classrooms, homes and community settings.
• Promote a strengths-based and person/ family-centred approach

Parent & Caregiver Partnership

Parents and caregivers are critical partners in achieving meaningful outcomes for persons with intellectual disabilities.

• Build a model of parent/caregiver engagement as a therapeutic partnership, rather than treating parents only as recipients of information.
• Equip parents with practical knowledge, strategies and tools that enable them to support their child's development, independence and participation at home and in the community.
• Build parent capacity to advocate for and support their child's participation and inclusion.

Evidence-Based Practice & Innovation

• Stay abreast of emerging research, global best practices and innovations in disability

healthcare and rehabilitation.

• Identify practices, tools, technologies and therapeutic approaches that have potential

relevance to JVF's population.

• Evaluate and introduce research-based practices in a structured manner with clearly defined objectives
• Build partnerships with universities, research institutions, hospitals and clinical experts to bring new knowledge and build capacity at JVF.
• Encourage a culture of clinical inquiry, experimentation, reflection and continuous improvement.

Teacher Partnership

Healthcare team are a critical support to the teachers

• Build strong collaboration between therapists and teachers to build an interdisciplinary model where both work towards common student outcomes.
• Equip teachers to identify functional needs and incorporate therapeutic strategies into everyday teaching and routines.
• Develop practical tools, demonstrations, coaching and training to build teacher capability.
• Build teacher capability to support students communication, mobility, behaviour, sensory needs, independence and participation within the learning environment.
• Establish mechanisms for therapists and teachers to jointly review student progress and adapt interventions.

Capacity Building & Team Development

• Build a high-performing, learning-oriented healthcare and rehabilitation team.
• Mentor and develop therapists, doctors, psychologists, social workers and other healthcare professionals.
• Establish competency frameworks and continuous professional development pathways.
• Organise regular case discussions, peer learning, workshops, clinical reviews and knowledge-sharing forums.
• Encourage interdisciplinary working and shared accountability for outcomes.

Research, Partnerships & External Ecosystem

• Identify opportunities for collaborative research, pilots, publications and knowledge generation.
• Represent JVF in relevant disability, healthcare and rehabilitation forums.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Ensure the delivery of best-in-class therapy, rehabilitation and medical support across JVF's campuses and programs.
• Establish clinical quality standards, protocols and review mechanisms.
• Identify variations in practice and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure appropriate referral pathways for needs that fall outside JVF's internal capabilities.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in an allied health discipline, medicine, psychology or a related healthcare/rehabilitation field.
• 1012+ years of relevant experience, with significant experience in the disability sector.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams.

What Success Looks Like:

The Lead – Healthcare will be successful when:

• Every individual receives high-quality, person-centred and evidence-informed healthcare and rehabilitation.
• Therapy goals are increasingly linked to real-life participation, independence and inclusion.
• Teachers and parents are capable and confident partners in achieving therapeutic and functional outcomes.
• Healthcare professionals work as an integrated multidisciplinary team rather than as independent specialists.
• JVF continuously adopts, tests and evaluates relevant research-based practices and innovations.
• Clinical quality is consistent across JVF's campuses.
• Healthcare outcomes are measured through meaningful changes in functioning and participation, not simply service utilisation.
• JVF develops a reputation for excellence and innovation in disability healthcare and rehabilitation.

Core Competencies

• Passion for Disability & Inclusion - Deep commitment to improving the lives of persons with disabilities and advancing their participation, dignity, independence and inclusion.
• Clinical Excellence - Strong clinical judgement, professional standards and commitment to evidence-based practice.
• Curiosity & Innovation - Continuously seeks new evidence, practices and technologies and is willing to challenge established ways of working.
• Strategic Thinking & Foresight - Can build a long-term vision for healthcare while translating it into practical systems and action.
• Influencing & Communication - Can influence diverse stakeholders and communicate complex clinical concepts in accessible, practical ways.