Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to evaluate parent/carer needs and work collaboratively to help them develop their parenting skills and confidence using a strengths-based approach.
This unit applies to individuals working in a range of community services contexts. It has particular application to those involved in relationship education.
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. Evaluate parent/carer needs | 1.1 Review information that identifies current client parenting situation 1.2 Provide information and use targeted questioning to assist fathers, mothers and carers to explore their current situation and challenges as individuals and as a family 1.3 Encourage parents/carers to recognise their beliefs, values and perceptions about children, their own roles and the place of children in their lives 1.4 Identify situations beyond scope of own role and make referrals according to organisation procedures 1.5 Reflect on information provided and use as a basis for work |
2. Facilitate development of team parenting skills | 2.1 Assist parent/s to identify their own strengths and areas for development 2.2 Work with parents to develop strategies and tools to build on their own and each other's strengths 2.3 Identify and work collaboratively to find solutions to the particular challenges faced by separate and single parents |
3. Develop parenting skills in parents of very young children | 3.1 Assist parents to identify relevant areas for development of their parenting confidence and competence by reviewing areas of concern 3.2 Use and share tools and strategies to assist parents to develop parenting confidence and competence 3.3 Assist parents to review current skill development and identify further appropriate opportunities for development 3.4 Identify and use internal and external resources for additional sources of assistance 3.5 Document advice and support provided according to organisational procedures |
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:
worked collaboratively with at least 3 sets of parents/carers presenting with different situations to develop parenting skills, including:
first time parents/carers
carers who are not fathers or mothers
separate/single parents
parents/carers from diverse cultures
worked with parents/carers experiencing challenges arising from at least 3 different types of stress.
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 for working with parents/carers, and how these are applied in organisations and individual practice:
codes of conduct
duty of care
mandatory reporting
privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
records management
rights and responsibilities of workers, employers and clients
work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations
work health and safety
models and theories for working with parents, including infant attachment theory and the impact of good attachment on child development
roles of fathering and mothering, parenting, parenting skills and the important role played by fathers, mothers/carers and parents in the life of their child/children
types of issues and stresses that may affect fathers, mothers, caregivers and families of very young children, and their key indicators including:
addictions
attachment
breast feeding challenges
changes in relationship
cultural or religious considerations
developmental delays
financial stresses and economic factors
housing
levels of natural supports
lifestyle changes
mental health
post-natal depression
relationship changes
relationships between siblings and baby
sleep deprivation
social isolation
value placed on the role of father, mother, caregiver
child development and corresponding needs of babies and very young children including key social, physical, psychological, cognitive and emotional development
general health and well being requirements for babies including general requirements for sleep, nutrition, stimulation and settling
types of tools and strategies that may assist clients develop parenting skills, including:
developing understanding of other perspectives
respecting roles played by others
time management skills
honest, assertive and respectful communication
active listening
importance of compromise
maximising equitable opportunities to meet personal needs
building confidence and competence in parenting skills
recognising the importance of the relationship between the partners and ensuring time to maintain this relationship
sources for referral and ways in which these can be accessed
own experience, biases, values and beliefs and their potential impact on ability to work effectively with various client groups.
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 other people.
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.