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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. Maintain current information.
   • Check all information available on offender and confirm the actions required from the information.
   • Confirm the services and support required to ensure that sentencing and assessment requirements will be met.
   • Assist offenders to understand the conditions of the correctional environment and court orders and clarify their expectations of the services to be provided.
   • Use continuous observation and questioning to identify indicators of increased risk in offender mood and behaviour.
   • Assist offender to express concerns and issues and respond to these according to level of risk and urgency.
   • Assess the background of the offender for indicators of special needs and factors to consider.
   • Prepare reports and documentation of all action and decisions and report all concerns promptly to the relevant support.
   • Comply with all policies, procedures and agreed practice of your organisation.
2. Reduce the risks to offenders.
   • Identify areas of concern and risk in behaviour and the environment and respond to prevent the impact on the welfare of all people involved.
   • Ensure that the environment is safe and healthy, and maintained according to agreed standards and conditions.
   • Observe the offender's routine to monitor changes in mood and behaviour and potential risks.
   • Use interaction with offender to determine changes and degree of risks.
   • Monitor movements and transfers of people according to organisation's procedures.
   • Seek specialist advice and support where needs and concerns are identified.
   • Refer offender to specialist services or programs where available.
   • Promote and maintain the rights and responsibilities of the offender as defined by the organisation and its policies.

Required Skills

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit

Required skills applying your organisations policies procedures and agreed practices aimed at protecting offenders from risk and harm checking and analysing information for factors relevant to the safety and welfare of offenders checking and analysing information for assessment of risks special needs and developmental levels providing clear accurate and relevant recording and reporting establishing a supportive professional relationship with offenders maintaining a safe and protective environment preserving the rights and responsibilities of offenders providing supervision and care based on assessed risk and justifiable degree of care adapting responses to different special needs responding to a range of different emergencies participating in consultation with specialist advisers

Required knowledge indicators of risk types of abuse and people who are particularly vulnerable including indicators of suicide mutilation and selfharm physical violence mental illness sexual abuse addiction and drug use eating disorders inappropriate relationships and sexual behaviour provocative actions and behaviour intellectual development personality issues aberrant behaviour and psychological deviance in the context of the prison environment and the correctional system procedures and requirements for reporting risks and incidents involving offenders including work site reporting processes and organisations offender information system legislation relevant to your roles and responsibilities service guidelines such as reporting sexual and other abuse responding to emergencies reporting incidents supervision and surveillance of atrisk offenders protective supervision of offenders at risk of harm access to information and restriction of access appropriate relationships with offenders appropriate relationships with colleagues rights and responsibilities of offenders referrals suicide prevention strategy organisations code of conduct code of ethics and duty of care recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody

range of specialist support services and programs available to offenders at risk processes for getting advice and assistance when there are problems

Evidence Required

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
Overview of assessment	Evidence for assessment must be gathered over time in a range of contexts to ensure the person can achieve the unit outcome and apply the competency in different situations or environments
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit	In addition to integrated demonstration of the elements and their related performance criteria look for evidence that confirms the knowledge requirements of this unit the skill requirements of this unit application of employability skills as they relate to this unit
Context of and specific resources for assessment	This unit contains a wide range of variables to reflect the diverse nature of dealing with vulnerable offenders in a correctional services setting Selection from the range of variables will reflect the specific requirements of the work site and the defined work role Valid assessment of this unit requires a workplace environment or one that closely resembles normal work practice and replicates the range of conditions likely to be encountered by an individual working with vulnerable or at risk offenders effectively as part of a coordinated team including coping with difficulties irregularities and changes to routine copies of legislation policies procedures and guidelines relating to protecting the safety and welfare of vulnerable offenders access to appropriate learning and assessment support when required
Method of assessment	The following assessment methods are suggested observation of performance in routine workplace activities within a range of agreed responsibilities and in various work locations written andor oral questioning to assess knowledge and understanding completion of workplace documents and reports produced as part of routine work activities thirdparty reports from experienced practitioners completion of performance feedback from supervisors and colleagues
Guidance information for assessment	Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands and any identified special needs of the candidate including language and literacy implications and cultural factors that may affect responses to the questions In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess the underpinning knowledge

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Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below. 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.
Services and support required may be determined by:	case management programmed intervention classification and review need and risk assessment reporting and referring systems protective care routine reports review of sentence plan investigations appeals swearing summons and warrant service of summons and breaches monitoring court process and outcomes dynamic security security system.
Areas of concern and risk may include:	suicide and self-harm physical injury and accidents assaulting and harming others illness and infection physical, emotional and sexual abuse risk taking criminal actions breaching conditions escape drug and substance abuse.

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