Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to gather and analyse information about the child, engage the child in assessment interviews, and formulate and communicate the child’s perspective. It goes beyond child-focused practice to include direct and comprehensive interactions with the child
This unit applies to child consultants working in highly complex situations in the context of family relationship work and family law.
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. Engage with parents to gather developmental history | 1.1 Analyse existing information about the context for the child inclusive process and consult with professional colleagues 1.2 Engage parents/carers in establishing trust and confidence in the child consultant’s role using communication and facilitation skills 1.3 Take and document an appropriate history about the child in relation to the presenting concern |
2. Engage children and young people in assessment interviews | 2.1 Use verbal, non-verbal and projective interview methods to gain an understanding of child needs and views 2.2 Explain role and boundaries of self as child consultant role to children 2.3 Explain and familiarise children with organisation processes that affect them directly |
3. Formulate the child’s material into a working knowledge of their needs and experiences | 3.1 Analyse information and reach substantiated clinical understanding of the child’s experience of conflict and separation issues, weighed by their developmental level and other salient factors in the case 3.2 Formulate content and process material from the child, including documentation requirements as required by the organisation 3.3 Consider how best to communicate findings to the parents or adult parties responsible for the child |
4. Communicate needs, rights and interests of children and young people as expressed by them | 4.1 Engage significant others and assess their ability to accept child/young person opinions, views and concerns 4.2 Communicate children’s and young peoples opinions, views and concerns, using their own words and expressed efforts 4.3 Facilitate communication between children and/or young people and significant adults as appropriate 4.4 Provide timely and sensitive feedback to significant adults 4.5 Model to significant adults appropriate inclusion of children and young people needs and views in planning and decision-making |
5. Ensure safety of children and young people in participation process | 5.1 Explain own and organisation actions for ensuring safety and minimising risk to children and young people 5.2 Undertake risk and safety management of children and young people according to organisation procedures 5.3 Seek feedback about safety issues from children and young people 5.4 Debrief children and young people after incidents according to organisation procedures 5.5 Implement support systems for children and young people that support emotional and physical safety 5.6 Create and maintain a child and young person friendly environment 5.7 Identify and monitor family relationship dynamics and issues |
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 in the child consultant role with at least 5 different children impacted by parental separation, conflict or divorce to ascertain and address their needs including working with:
• abnormal developmental process and psychopathology
• situations involving domestic and family violence
• situations involving abuse of the child
• engaged children using effective:
• age appropriate language and interview techniques
• non-verbal communication
• case notes recording
• empathy and rapport building
• observation
• active listening
• verbal and non-verbal and projective interview methods
• applied critical thinking and content management skills including:
• obtaining, identifying, analysing, prioritising and evaluating information
• assessing issues and options and reasoning logically
• reading, comprehending and using relevant documentation
• writing clearly and concisely using neutral language
• used the following skills with parents/carers
• conflict resolution
• negotiation.
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 child inclusive practice, 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 child inclusive practice
• records management and reporting
• rights and responsibilities of workers and employers
• specific legislation that impacts child inclusive practice, including:
o child protection legislation
o family law, including the intentions of the Shared Parenting provisions of the Family Law Act 1975 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
• principles and practice standards for working within the child’s best interests
• differences between child-focused practice and child centred practice
• child inclusive/centred practice strategies
• impacts of family separation and attachment distress, and how to identify them through observation
• developmental sequelae of separation and conflict
• child development (social, physical, cognitive and emotional) and lifespan development, including:
• attachment theory
• developmental models
• family systems theory
• psycho-emotional development
• child psychopathology
• inner world of the child and its expression through play and behaviour
• theories on the vulnerability and resilience of children in high level parental conflict contexts
• importance of peer relationships for children
• communication models working with and engaging children
• indicators of, child physical and emotional responses to, and implications of:
• abuse and neglect
• blended families
• alcohol and other drugs
• disability
• domestic and family violence
• hostility and aggression
• grief and loss
• mental illness
• parental conflict and separation
• social isolation
• trauma
• parenting and family dynamics in different cultures
• case management processes
• child rights to protection, active right to participate, to choose course of action and make decision at their level of ability
• service options for referral.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace with the addition of simulations and scenarios where the full range of contexts and situations have not been provided in the workplace. The following conditions must be met for this unit:
• use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including:
- client information
- family law information
- organisation policies and procedures
• modelling of industry operating conditions, including:
- scenarios that involve complex interactions with children
- 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