Required skills

complete procedures required before the discharge of an animal as appropriate and in accordance with state or territory legislation

deal with conflict situations with owners and members of the public

develop a working rapport with animals

employ safe humane and environmentally responsible organisational systems and procedures when working with and handling animals

identify abnormal animal behaviour

maintain the highest standards of pound management hygiene infection control and animal care

read and follow OHS and infectioncontrol procedures and other policies and procedures and record details and information in an accurate manner

undertake clerical and administrative duties

undertake temperament assessment of animals

use and record the use of chemicals and medicines in accordance with relevant state or territory legislation

literacy skills to read and follow organisational policies and procedures including OHS animal welfare infection control and waste management follow sequenced written instructions record accurately and legibly information collected and select and apply procedures to a range of defined tasks

oral communication skillslanguage to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning active listening asking for clarification and consulting with or seeking advice from supervisor

numeracy skills to estimate calculate and record routine workplace measures

interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities

problemsolving skills to use available resources and prioritise daily tasks

use safe manual handling techniques andor equipment

use safe waste handling and disposal procedures

Required knowledge

animal behaviour for temperament assessment

animal health and hygiene

animal identification techniques

animal requirements relating to feed water and housing

hazards associated with the usemisuse of medicines

indicators of animal wellbeing

indicators of diseases and zoonoses signs and effects

organisational policies and procedures

pound environment

relevant legislative requirements including codes of practice and Australian standards

workplace hygiene standards disinfectants cleaning agents cleaning techniques and cleaning equipment and materials

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria required skills and knowledge range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package

Overview of assessment

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

The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit Assessors should ensure that candidates can

carry out the admission of animals including gathering information about animals assessing temperament health and condition and processing documentation

clean and maintain hygiene of the pound including animal enclosures fixtures fittings and walkways

maintain pound supplies

handle animals in an ethical and humane manner

provide animals with appropriate housing nutritional food water and treatment regimes

communicate effectively with clients animal owners staff and veterinarians

carry out discharge procedures in accordance with relevant legislation

access and use management systems to keep and maintain accurate records

The skills and knowledge required to carry out pound procedures must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in an animal control and regulation workplace or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions

There must be access to animals normally found within a pound and the appropriate equipment andor resources to enable one to demonstrate competence

Method of assessment

To ensure consistency in ones performance competency should be demonstrated to industry defined standards on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances cases and responsibilities and over a number of assessment activities

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment Suggested strategies for this unit are

written andor oral assessment of candidates required knowledge

observed documented and firsthand testimonial evidence of candidates application of practical tasks

simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions

thirdparty evidence

workplace documentation

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector workplace and job role

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands eg literacy and numeracy demands and the needs of particular target groups eg people with disabilities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people women people with a language background other than English youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds

Animals received at the pound may include:

Information about an animal may include:

OHS risks when working with animals may include:

Examples of supplies that may need to be maintained include:

Preparing for discharge may involve:

Clerical duties may include: