The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:
legal and ethical considerations for counselling of children, and how these are applied in organisations and individual practice:
children in the workplace and child-focused practice
codes of conduct
discrimination
duty of care
practitioner client boundaries and implications of unequal balance of power
privacy, confidentiality and disclosure, including:
potential limitations and issues surrounding who is the client
managing disclosures
records management
specific legislative frameworks that apply to working with children, including:
child protection
work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations, including situations where usefulness of counselling may be limited and referral is required
work health and safety
stages of child development and their relevance to child and young person counselling
attachment and family systems theories and how these are applied to working with vulnerable and traumatised children
concepts of couple, family and child dynamics in normal and abnormal developmental forms
impacts of separation and divorce on parents and children and other family members
impacts of conflict, particularly high level and/or ongoing conflict, on children, and the use of child-focused approaches to intervene and minimise the impacts
indicators and dynamics of domestic and family violence and complexities of interpersonal interactions, including power, abuse and conflict in family and sibling relationships
common concerns in child and young person counselling processes
factors relevant to the context of children and young people in counselling, including:
current or previous parental separation
family court and/or relationship history
children’s behaviour and developmental level
other factors that may indicate a history of violence
feelings of depression, anger, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, emotional distress or sleep disturbances
presenting issues including assessment with parents/care givers
ways to create a child-friendly environment, including physical resources that support practice
child-focused counselling approaches, when and how these are used, including:
use of play therapy
storytelling
strengths, limitations and contraindications of specific therapeutic theories and models, including risk of harm associated with approaches that incorporate assumptions of family dysfunction and application of adult techniques to children and young people
considerations for the counselling process when working with diverse children and young people, including factors relating to:
age and stage of development
culture
ethnicity
gender
sexual orientation
spirituality
communication and counselling techniques used with children and young people
processes and tools for abuse screening and safety planning
counselling and case work processes, including those related to:
contracting and what needs to be agreed
documentation
interactions with other professionals and service providers
interactions with the child/young person, their family, significant others and carers
type and scope of referral options and pathways to support clients seeking interventions and supports beyond or in conjunction with counselling
own prejudices and stereotyping attitudes and their potential influence on counselling practice.