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 of assessment:

The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills

Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace

Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible

Conditions of assessment:

This unit includes skills and knowledge specific to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture

Assessment must therefore be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in the unit of competency or who has the current qualification being assessed and who is:

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander him/herself

or:

accompanied and advised by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care

Context of assessment:

Competence should be demonstrated working individually, under supervision or as part of a primary health care team working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients

Assessment should replicate workplace conditions as far as possible

Related units:

This unit may be assessed independently or in conjunction with other units with associated workplace application

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

This includes knowledge of:

Influences on the development of sexuality, such as gender, spiritual and cultural values, kinship practices, individual ethics and socialisation.

Past and present sexual trends within Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal contexts

Sexual physiology and the human sexual response.

The influence on human sexuality and the sexual response of factors such as:

disability,

domestic violence

rape

Healthy sexual behaviours and attitudes and practices that may interfere with the sexual health and emotional well being:

safer sex practices and barriers to same

influence of alcohol and other drug use on sexual behaviours

Purpose of contraception and available options

Issues relating to pregnancy and childbirth

Sexually transmitted disease, including:

description/definition, statistics, signs and symptoms, universal precautions, common STDs, notifiable STDs

history of STD in the Aboriginal community and effects of STDs on the community

transmission, testing and complications related to STDs

impact on the ability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to have children

contact tracing/ partner notification

available ways to prevent, manage and/or treat these diseases

Risk factors for contracting STDs/HIV, including:

relationship between STDs and increased risk of contracting HIV

unprotected anal, vaginal and oral sex, receptive and insertive

partners, mother to baby, blood to blood

unsafe drug injection

Importance of confidentiality, the limits to confidentiality and addressing it in a community

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Communicate effectively in a group and one-on-one environment to promote healthy practices and discuss health issues

Provide accurate and relevant information and guidance about women's sexual health in line with identified individual and community needs

In addition, the candidate must be able 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

This includes the ability to:

Take a sexual history

Explain concepts related to sexuality, including:

sexuality and the human sexual response

sexual behaviour

at risk sexual behaviour

sexual discrimination

Explain and demonstrate purpose and methods of contraception

Inform clients about STDs including history, transmission, prevention, investigations, management, complications, contact tracing and confidentiality

Explore, reflect on and clarify personal experience and values in relation to sexuality

Make referrals at an appropriate time and to an appropriate person in relation to specific STDs

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.

Cultural respect

This competency standard supports the recognition, protection and continued advancement of the inherent rights, cultures and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

It recognises that the improvement of the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must include attention to physical, spiritual, cultural, emotional and social well-being, community capacity and governance

Its application must be culturally sensitive and supportive of traditional healing and health, knowledge and practices

Community control

Community participation and control in decision-making is essential to all aspects of health work, and the role of the health worker is to support the community in this process

Supervision

Supervision must be conducted in accordance with prevailing state/territory and organisation legislative and regulatory requirements

References to supervision may include either direct or indirect supervision of work by more experienced workers, supervisors, managers or other health professionals

A person at this level should only be required to make decisions about clients within the organisation's standard treatment protocols and associated guidelines

Legislative requirements

Federal, state or territory legislation may impact on workers' practices and responsibilities. Implementation of the competency standards should reflect the legislative framework in which a health worker operates. It is recognised that this may sometimes reduce the application of the Range of Variables in practice. However, assessment in the workplace or through simulation should address all essential skills and knowledge across the Range of Variables

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers may be required to operate in situations that do not constitute "usual practice" due to lack of resources, remote locations and community needs. As a result, they may need to possess more competencies than described by "usual practice circumstances"

Under all circumstances, the employer must enable the worker to function within the prevailing legislative framework

Sexual health issues may include:

Rape and sexual assault

Domestic and family violence

Child sexual abuse

Relationships

Sexual identities

Homophobia

Gender

Power and discrimination

Menopause

Consideration of options in relation to unwanted pregnancy

Provision of information about pregnancy

Difficulties associated with pregnancy

Sexually transmitted infections

Sexual behaviours

Contraception

Management of menstruation

Sexual coercion

Sexual health check ups

Ethical, legal and religious issues involved in reproductive choices may include:

Restrictions on termination of pregnancy

Access to pharmaceutical supplies

Church teachings

Factors that influence reproductive choices for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women may include:

Age of consent

Educational attainment

Informed decision making

Cultural norms for maternal age and numbers of children

Coercion

Local beliefs and traditional practices regarding pregnancy and childbirth may include:

Food restrictions in pregnancy

Role of traditional midwives

Birthing in traditional country

Risk factors for sexually transmitted infection include:

Number of sexual partners

Unsafe sex practices

Past history of sexually transmissible infections

Alcohol or substance misuse

Local disease prevalence

Frequency of being named as sexual contact of an index case.

Common methods of birth control (and their advantages and disadvantages) include:

Oral contraceptive pill (reliable, safe, need to take daily)

Condoms (reduced STI transmission, male responsibility, high failure rate)

Withdrawal (male responsibility, high failure rate)

Breast-feeding (high failure rate)

Injectable or implantable hormonal contraception (highly reliable, low effort, delayed return of fertility, irregular menses)

Post coital ('morning after') pill (nausea)

Tubal ligation

Vasectomy (reliable)