The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency:

Demonstrated ability to apply the key principles and good practice approaches to ensuring that the safety of people who have experienced domestic and family violence is established as the primary focus of the training program

In particular, evidence must be obtained on the ability to:

articulate the principles of safety of all people and to monitor and enact these principles over the period of the intervention

identify any actual or potential risk to people and to act on these appropriately and within stated protocols, guidelines and legal considerations

monitor risk to people over the period of the intervention

document the processes and practices used to monitor the safety of people

undertake and record a responsibility assessment with the user of domestic and family violence

apply the principles of limited confidentiality to work with user of domestic and family violence who have used violence and abuse

interact with workers concerned with the safety of people

Evidence of competency will also require demonstration of knowledge related to current accepted good practice in relation to working with people who have used violence and abuse

Access and equity considerations:

All workers in community services should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work

All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment

In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment:

Evidence will be determined by selection from the Range Statement, justified in terms of work requirements, work roles and responsibilities and occupational specialisations.

Resources may include:

Literature and information relating to the theory and practice of providing integrated domestic violence services and interventions for users of violence and abuse

Internet resources

Agency/organisation policies and procedures

Literature and information relating to the legislative and criminal justice system in relation to domestic violence

Access to interventions for users of violence and abuse

Method of assessment:

Evidence for assessment of competence may be gathered by appropriate combination of the following:

demonstration of competency within the working environment in delivering services to clients living with and affected by domestic and family violence

realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on 'what if?' scenarios

observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questions on essential knowledge and skills and consideration of required attitudes

where performance is not directly observed and/or is required to be demonstrated over a period of time and/or in a number of locations, any evidence should be

authenticated by colleagues, supervisors, clients or other appropriate persons

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include knowledge of:

Principles for working with user of domestic and family violence who behave violently and abusively

Tactics and dynamics of violence and abuse

Principles of good practice in relation to providing integrated services for working with users of domestic and family violence and abuse

Intervention practices

Intervention models

Limited confidentiality rationale and processes

Domestic violence theories

Legal and criminal issues relating to domestic violence

Statutory requirements

Gender and power issues/politics of abuse

Inter and intra agency protocols and policies

Assessment and intervention instruments

Risk assessment

Professional codes of ethics

Current research relating to domestic violence

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Undertake risk and responsibility assessments

Provide group working and facilitation skills including conflict management, mixed gender co-facilitation

Utilise and apply counselling skills

Provide crisis intervention skills

Complete casework, case planning tasks

Liaise and collaborate with other services

Effectively apply challenging and confrontation skills when working with users of domestic and family violence and abuse

Use a range of instruments and processes for assessment and intervention

Communicate sensitively with diverse groups of people

Apply critical /analytical thinking to work practices

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Key principles, within the context of the intervention, may include:

The safety of the partner and children who have experienced violence is paramount

Accountability to partner and children's experience of violence and abuse is central to the intervention process

The user of domestic and family violence must be held responsible for their own actions, violence and abuse

All interventions need to be respectful to other people

A person's experiences of violence and abuse is central to and informs the intervention process

An intervention may consist of a number of processes including:

Initial intake and assessment

Responsibility assessment

Risk assessments

One on one counselling

Group work, exit assessment

Intervention outcome reports

Contact with partner/previous partner

Reporting and documentation provided to women/men and/or their advocate, women's services, courts, police, on safety matters

Information relevant to the safety of other people may relate to:

Incidents of criminal assault

Threats to harm another person

Breaches of domestic violence orders

Sentencing and other court outcomes that may impact on safety

Child protection issues

Concerns a worker may have about the user of domestic and family violence's behaviour or attitudes that could impact on the safety of partner and children

Other agencies may include:

Women's domestic violence services

Men's support services

Prosecuting Authorities

Police

Courts

Child protection agencies

Acceptance of responsibility by the user of domestic and family violence may include:

The user of domestic and family violence acknowledging their violent and abusive behaviour

The user of domestic and family violence being able to describe all forms of their violent and abusive behaviour including coercive and controlling behaviours

The user of domestic and family violence acknowledging their choice to behave in violent and abusive ways

The user of domestic and family violence's demonstration of understanding the significance and impact of their behaviour

The user of domestic and family violence's ability to demonstrate respectful thinking and relating and how they are able to interrupt own unhelpful patterns of thinking

The user of domestic and family violence's compliance with and acceptance of any domestic violence orders

The user of domestic and family violence's ability to demonstrate their choices for violence free relating and the development and actioning of realistic and achievable goals

The user of domestic and family violence's ability to demonstrate their changes and own the changes

The user of domestic and family violence abstains from attributing blame and causality for their behaviour on others

The user of domestic and family violence's preparedness to make their past violence and abuse public knowledge

Case notes may include details of:

Attendance

Telephone contact

Initial assessment

Domestic violence orders and the conditions of any statutory requirements

Assessment of responsibility

Signed contract to engage in the intervention including limited confidentiality agreement

Ongoing assessment

Risk assessments - self, partner, children and workers

The user of domestic and family violence's strategies to promote the safety of others

The workers actions to promote the safety of others

Group work notes relating to participation

The user of domestic and family violence's goals for change and implementation plans

Summary of the efficacy of the intervention process and outcome

Risk assessment includes consideration of the following factors:

History of criminal charges

Changes in situational factors (e.g. separation, court orders, contact with children)

Disclosures by the user of domestic and family violence of suicidal/self-harm thoughts or plans

Compliance/non-compliance with orders in relation to others

The perceptions and judgements of others in assessing any risk to safety

Specific behaviours reported by the user of domestic and family violence which are indicative of violence and abuse (physical, financial, sexual, social, emotional, spiritual)

Any threat to the life or person of a party

Alleged commission of a serious crime against a person

Possessions of firearms

History of violence and abuse

Substance abuse

Processes to respond to threats may include:

Memorandums of understanding between agencies/organisations

Agreements for report/information sharing expectations between agencies/workers

Statutory obligations (intervention orders, mandatory reporting)

Policy and procedure guidelines/requirements or agencies/organisations

Information and support may be provided to the other person in order to:

Inform the person about limited confidentiality and the priority give to them safety

Inform the person of processes to warn of threats to own and others safety throughout the user of domestic and family violence's participation in the intervention

Inform the person of the principles of accountability and responsibility

Inform the person of the intent of the intervention

Give information to the person regarding services that will prioritise safety

Information provided by others (affected by the family and domestic violence) to inform the intervention may include:

Information from others about their perceptions and judgements of any risk to own and others safety

Information from others of preferences for contact with the workers

Feedback from others on the appropriateness of the program

Information from others of preferences for a process to inform of any further threats to their safety