Application
This unit describes the knowledge and skills required to provide support and information to children and young people living in a home where domestic and family violence occurs. It requires an awareness of the potential effects of domestic and family violence on behaviour and development.
This unit applies to health and community service workers providing services according to established organisation procedures. These workers may not be specialised family violence workers.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand Standards and industry codes of practice.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements define the essential outcomes | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Establish confidence and rapport with children | 1.1 Use interpersonal skills to establish rapport and develop a trusting relationship with the child/young person 1.2 Encourage children and young people to communicate their feelings, experiences and fear 1.3 Show sensitivity to cultural, family, individual differences and any specific needs 1.4 Conduct interactions with children/young people in a welcoming environment and atmosphere that could be considered safe by children/young people 1.5 Make children and/or young people aware of their rights, service and support options 1.6 Apply organisation standards and procedures and comply with legislative and statutory requirements |
2. Explore issues and develop plans | 2.1 Use interpersonal skills to ensure the needs of children/young people are accurately identified 2.2 Analyse and immediately respond to any indications of risk or threats to safety according to organisation standards and procedures and legislative and statutory requirements 2.3 Identify own limitations in assessing and addressing the child/young person’s needs and, where appropriate, seek assistance from appropriate persons 2.4 Ensure all relevant information is collected and assessed for complexity, urgency and safety, to identify priorities for service delivery 2.5 Develop and document support plans with each child/young person that take into account their needs or wishes, and, where appropriate, the wishes of their care-giver |
3. Provide support, advocacy and information | 3.1 Use strategies that account for children’s age, developmental level and their physical and emotional safety 3.2 Provide services and referrals to support key relationships for the child/young person 3.3 Put in place mechanisms that support appropriate parenting 3.4 Provide support services and information to the family according to individual needs 3.5 Provide short term follow up to the child/young person to help maintain their safety and to address any further needs 3.6 Advocate, where appropriate, for the child/young person’s needs and rights to safety in interactions with the care-giver 3.7 Complete record-keeping and reporting in accordance with organisation standards and procedures and legislative and statutory requirements |
Evidence of Performance
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:
provided support to at least 3 children affected by domestic and family violence according to legal and ethical requirements using a process of:
establishing a relationship with the child
exploring issues and concerns
developing a support plan
providing ongoing support and information
identified and responded appropriately to 3 different situations where there are immediate safety concerns
used age-appropriate interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with children, including:
questioning
active listening
rapport building
storytelling
used age-appropriate resources and techniques, including:
information resources
physical resources
activities.
Evidence of Knowledge
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 (national and state/territory) for working with children affected by domestic and family violence, and how these are applied in organisations and individual practice:
codes of conduct
duty of care
human rights
mandatory reporting
privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
records management
rights and responsibilities of:
workers and employers
individuals, families, the community and society to minimise or prevent domestic violence
specific legislation that applies, including:
child protection
work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations
work health and safety
potential effects of witnessing/experiencing domestic violence on children and young people including the effects on their overall development
age and developmentally appropriate resources and strategies
development and language levels of children at different stages/ages
the links between domestic violence and other forms of child abuse such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse and neglect
services available for children/young people and their families
organisation procedures, practices and standards for:
client assessment
allocation of services
case management
interviewing
use of resources
programmed intervention
referral
factors related to domestic violence victimisation that impact upon the care-giver’s ability to parent effectively
groups represented within the local community (cultural, religious, language, sexual identity, age and disability) and an understanding of the issues that arise when working with those groups
referral sources and associated protocols
own values and attitudes and their potential impact on clients.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions. The following conditions must be met for this unit:
use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including:
client information
organisation policies and procedures
modelling of industry operating conditions, including:
scenarios that involve interactions with children.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.