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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Elements define the essential outcomes
2. Engage child/young person in the counselling process
   • Set an appropriate physical environment to engage children and young people in counselling
   • Use age appropriate engagement techniques to gain child’s and/or young person’s trust
   • Use communication strategies that are appropriate for the children/young people’s developmental stage, culture and emotional needs
   • Maintain an ethical relationship with children/young people according to practice standards and legislative requirements
   • Enable children to identify problem areas and effectively participate in the counselling process
   • Assess parental family/influences and engage with parents appropriately
3. Respond appropriately to allegations and disclosures of abuse
   • Respond to disclosures and allegations according to legislative requirements and organisation procedures
   • Document factual information and observations as required by the organisation and any statutory child protection legislation
   • Identify and assess risk for clients in relation to family domestic violence and other child protection concerns
4. Conceptualise the presenting problem
   • Identify the factors impacting on the child or young person
   • Develop hypotheses to explain child/young person’s presenting problems
5. Implement case work processes
   • Develop a clear plan of how sessions will be conducted in collaboration with children and young people
   • Develop measurable outcomes, treatment goals, treatment plans and after session plans with children and young people’s input using perspectives relevant to working with children and young people
   • Work collaboratively with other stakeholders, including family members, other significant persons and professionals not present
   • Record plans and complete other case documentation according to practice setting policies, professional standards and legislative obligations
   • Use therapeutic interventions to engage and work with children and young people
   • Monitor and review progress of sessions towards child/young persons goals
6. Terminate counselling sessions
   • Recognise when the counselling is no longer serving the interests or needs of the client an family
   • Discuss with the client/s when counselling no longer appears to serve the clients interest or needs and either renegotiate the professional relationship or terminate the service
   • Engage client/s in determining any further external interventions as identified and arrange appropriate referrals
7. Seek feedback from the client/s about the counselling service provided
   • Review counselling progress and provision regularly with the client in a developmentally appropriately way
   • Obtain feedback from the client at the conclusion of the counselling service
   • Use a range of developmentally appropriate feedback strategies to encourage client contribution to improved counselling practice
   • Review and reflect on client feedback and incorporate this information as part of supervision for the purpose of practice improvement

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:

performed the activities outlined in the performance criteria of this unit during a period of at least 50 hours of client work in a family counselling service

provided counselling to children and young people, including those:

of different ages

from diverse backgrounds

experiencing high levels of familial and parental conflict

used specialised counselling communication skills and age-appropriate communication to establish relationships with children and young people

produced accurate and comprehensive case records, files and reports.

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Knowledge Evidence

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.

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