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 out of home care, and how these are applied in organisations and individual practice:
challenges associated with potential tensions between own and organisational values
children in the workplace and child-focused practice
codes of conduct
discrimination
duty of care
mandatory reporting
privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
policy frameworks, including National Standards for Out-of-Home Care
records management
rights and responsibilities of workers, employers and clients, including legal services available to the client and notification protocols
specific legislative frameworks that apply to out of home care
work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations
work health and safety
current and emerging research on out of home care
different pathways and types of plans for children, and their application in different situations, including:
restoration/reunification
open adoption
guardianship
kinship care
short/long term
age specific approaches
principles and practices underpinning out of home care, including:
safety, welfare and well-being of child/young person as paramount
current national standards
permanency planning
restoration and reunification
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principles
consideration of culture, cultural identity, disability, language, religion and sexuality of the child or young person
involvement of the child/young person
role of birth parents, family and significant others
family and social dynamics which may impact on care placements
child and adolescent development, including:
stages of child development, including physical, emotional, cognitive, psychological and social development
life story work
attachment theory
grief and loss
identity issues and the importance of birth family
strategies for communicating with children, young people and their families
risk assessment, comprehensive psychosocial assessment and family assessment, including the indicators, types and dynamics of harm
types of supports provided to carers and in what circumstances.