D&R Staff
Deborah Pyke and Rob Mason have over 40 years experience in the delivery of education and support to young people and families. For the last ten years they have been responsible for leading student support teams in Primary and Secondary schools in the Northern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne.
As a team, Deborah and Rob bring together specialised teaching and social work expertise drawn from working closely with schools in the development and delivery of student wellbeing programs.
They have particular skills and experience in the development of support for students at risk, and for diverse cultural groups, including newly arrived and refugee students and Indigenous students. In addition they have been responsible for leading student support staff in the delivery of counselling and casework supports to students and families in schools.
Rob Mason (BSW RMIT; MSW La Trobe University)
(Member - Australian Association of Social Workers, AASW)
Rob has been working as a qualified social worker since 1984. For the last ten years he has been employed by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development as a Social Worker in the Northern Region of Melbourne. Prior to this he has worked extensively with young people and families here and in the United Kingdom.
His skills include: risk assessment with challenging behaviours; counselling and casework support to young people; group work; family engagement; team leadership, staff support and professional supervision; policy work and community development. He also brings experience working intensively with young people in the fields of supported housing and homelessness, drug and alcohol support.
Deborah Pyke (BA Dip Ed)
Deborah has worked in Government Secondary schools in Victoria and the United Kingdom since 1975 as a Language and ESL teacher. She has spent five years in the English Language School system as a teacher and Teacher-in-charge, including time working with pre-settlement refugees in Thailand and creating orientation programs to aid refugee transition into Victorian schools. During her time at her most recent school, Northcote High School, she has assumed various roles including ESL Coordinator and Equal Opportunity Coordinator. For the last eight years she has led and supported the Student Wellbeing Team as Student Welfare Coordinator.