Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess client suitability for self-managed contact, and then to plan and monitor the transition.
This unit applies to children’s contact services workers operating according the requirements of the Family Law Act 1975.
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. Assess suitability for self- managed contact | 1.1 Review information in existing court orders to determine client context and potential for self-managed contact 1.2 Explain options for community support outside of the children’s contact service to parents 1.3 Respectfully engage parents in the planning process for self-managed contact to occur |
2. Plan with parents to establish self-managed contact | 2.1 Help parents to identify issues and barriers to self-managed contact 2.2 Collaboratively develop and document a case plan to assist the family achieve self-managed contact without the support of the contact service according to organisation policy 2.3 Ensure the self-managed contact arrangements are agreed to by both parents and are considered to be in the best interest of the child 2.4 Model time management and planning skills to parents seeking self-managed contact 2.5 Model parenting skills and appropriate child behaviour management 2.6 Use negotiation skills to assist parents to reach agreement about self-managed contact 2.7 Ensure that plans for self-managed contact are in accordance with court orders |
3. Monitor and review transition plan | 3.1 Review the transition into self-management plan regularly 3.2 Revise and document the plan as determined by family and/or worker assessment of new or existing information 3.3 Maintain a child-focussed approach in transition planning 3.4 Encourage parents to remain child-focused and act in the best interests of the child in all aspects of transition 3.5 Follow revised plans to assist families achieve self-managed contact |
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:
• developed and documented at least 3 plans for transition to self-managed contact for different families presenting with varied circumstances and subject to different types of court orders.
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 workers in children’s contact services, and how these are applied in organisations and individual practice:
• codes of conduct
• discrimination
• duty of care
• human rights
• mandatory reporting
• privacy, confidentiality and disclosure and limitation in children’s contact services work
• records management and reporting
• rights and responsibilities of workers and employers
• specific legislation that impacts children’s contact services work, including:
o child protection legislation
o family law, including the intentions of the Shared Parenting provisions of the Family Law Act and practices that will support families to achieve these goals
o domestic and family violence laws
• work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations
• work health and safety, including risk management
• factors affecting family dynamics and particularly children, with incidents or history of high levels of parental conflict, violence, abuse or mental health concerns
• family systems and how this is relevant to the role of contact worker
• separation anxiety and attachment theory, child development, loss and grief issues and family violence and how this is relevant to the role of contact worker, particularly observing child’s emotional reaction and interactions with carers/parents
• factors that may impact both children and parents behaviour, including:
• impact of high conflict in post separation involving children
• reactions of children experiencing re victimisation and who are affected by trauma
• how the observer role can influence the interaction and behaviour of others
• transition planning techniques and formats.
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, including court orders
- family law information
- organisation policies and procedures
• modelling of industry operating conditions, including:
- scenarios that involve interactions with other people
- scenarios that involve problem-solving.
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.