Application
This unit outlines the skills required to assess offender needs and assign them to a group program. It outlines the skills requirements for designing and coordinating a program of activities for groups and managing the processes and outcomes of those groups. .
This unit may apply to staff actively involved in the facilitation of group work that aims to address offending behaviour. The role may be carried out in a custodial environment or community program setting.
The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to, particularly those related to interacting with offenders, group programs and use of resources.
A person working in this role is mostly autonomous and draws upon support from a range of established and new resources. The role is complex, involving application of high level organisation, communication and analysis skills.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions section. |
1. Assess offenders’ needs and programs | 1.1 Assess referred offender's suitability for the program based on their history and background. 1.2 Use information about offenders to allocate them to a group according to needs of the offenders and conditions of the programs. 1.3 Identify the need for additional groups or programs and check with program purpose and resources. |
2. Design and coordinate a program of activities | 2.1 Check current time commitments and resources for flexibility and capacity to expand. 2.2 Check the objectives, outcomes and processes of group programs for consistency with the organisation’s policies and objectives and program outcomes. 2.3 Plan a structured sequence of activities and timetable to achieve the objective of the group program within the resources available. 2.4 Consult team members for feedback on the planned program and indications of support. 2.5 Identify resources needed for the program and allocate according to priorities and availability. |
3. Manage process and outcomes of the group | 3.1 Provide information to group in a language and style they will understand. 3.2 Negotiate group rules and confirm agreement with group to encourage commitment, cooperation and active participation. 3.3 Check the background of members of the group for indicators of concerns, patterns of behaviour, strengths and barriers and consider these in the approach taken. 3.4 Encourage members of groups to take responsibility for agreement on objectives, targets and outcomes. 3.5 Plan the location of the group meetings to promote comfort, trust, privacy, energy and focus. 3.6 Direct the strengths and energy of the group to maintain positive direction, cooperation and achievements. 3.7 Encourage active participation and appropriate responses and model positive behaviour through the selection of effective communication techniques. 3.8 Monitor behaviour and mood of members for signals, and anticipate and provide appropriate responses. 3.9 Provide clear and relevant information to the group at a suitable language and comprehension level. 3.10 Analyse own values for their impact on own attitudes and interactions to detect and avoid bias. |
Foundation Skills
The foundation skills demands of this unit have been mapped for alignment with the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). The following tables outline the performance levels indicated for successful attainment of the unit.
ACSF levels indicative of performance :
Further information on ACSF and the foundation skills underpinning this unit can be found in the
Competency Field
Intervention