Application
This unit applies to correctional services staff working with offenders in prisons, secure custodial centres and in the community. With changes based on different organisation's needs, it can apply to staff employed in juvenile detention, immigration detention or other contexts where working with detained persons is part of the work role. Customisation will be required to accommodate the different work sites and defined work role contexts in which this unit will be applied. | |
Prerequisites
Not applicable | |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA | ||||
1Maintain the health of offenders. | 1.1 Check the special needs of offenders and how they relate to the correctional environment. 1.2 Interact with offenders to identify and check on any problems. 1.3 Give offenders the information they need to protect their health, and avoid stress and risk to their welfare. | ||||
1.4 Help offenders to cope with and resolve problems that may affect their health and welfare. 1.5 Give accurate and relevant information on health issues. 1.6 Report health and safety concerns to authorised people. 1.7 Refer offenders to specialists according to policies and guidelines. | |||||
2Promote safety. | 2.1 Assess risks to safety and respond giving priority to the protection of people involved. 2.2 Maintain current knowledge and skills in relation to emergency responses. 2.3 Assess incidents and respond immediately and effectively according to the nature of the emergency, the condition of the people involved and the degree of urgency. 2.4 Respond to requests for support and call for extra support according to emergency procedures. 2.5 Record all incidents in the form and detail required. 2.6 Provide information about the incident and participate in review of the incident and response. 2.7 Ensure that the environment is maintained to prevent and remove hazards. 2.8 Organise training in all approved safety measures and promote safe practices in all activities. 2.9 Supervise the use of personal protective clothing and footwear for all activities requiring it. 2.10 Ensure conduct and contact with offenders minimise intrusion on personal privacy and provocation of aggressive behaviour. |
Required Skills
This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit. | |
Required skills: providing offenders with information about what practice and behaviour is required of them to protect their safety and health providing specific information to offenders related to identified risks checking health, safety and hygiene practice of offenders reporting on concerns about the safety and welfare of offenders consulting offender information systems providing information to team members, management and specialist services about risks to offenders and concerns about safety and welfare managing the routine safety and protection of offenders classified at risk responding to emergencies using first aid techniques advising on personal protective clothing and footwear reporting risks and incidents. | |
Required knowledge: organisation policies, procedures and codes of conduct related to the health and safety of offenders principles of duty of care and humane treatment defined in organisational policies and procedures statutory obligations related to health and safety of offenders where defined in organisational policy, procedures and delegations a limited range of specific support services within the organisation, and general or specific external agencies and their general criteria or guidelines for service specifically related to principal offender needs principles and requirements of specific examples of offender case management record keeping and report writing according to organisation procedures, and format relevant to offender welfare specific human behaviour and development, and conditions relevant to an identified cross-section of offender circumstances. |
Evidence Required
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package. | ||
Overview of assessment | Evidence for assessment must be gathered over time in a range of contexts to ensure the person can achieve the unit outcome and apply the competency in different situations or environments. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | In addition to integrated demonstration of the elements and their related performance criteria, look for evidence that confirms: the knowledge requirements of this unit the skill requirements of this unit application of employability skills as they relate to this unit. | |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | This unit contains a wide range of variables to reflect the diverse nature of correctional services. Selection from the range of variables will reflect the specific requirements of the work site and the defined work role. Valid assessment of this unit requires: a workplace environment or one that closely resembles normal work practice and replicates the range of conditions likely to be encountered by an individual maintaining the health, safety and welfare of offenders as part of a coordinated team, including coping with difficulties, irregularities and changes to routine copies of legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines relating to maintaining the health, safety and welfare of offenders access to appropriate learning and assessment support when required. | |
Method of assessment | The following assessment methods are suggested: observation of performance in routine workplace activities within a range of agreed responsibilities and in various work locations written and/or oral questioning to assess knowledge and understanding completion of workplace documents and reports produced as part of routine work activities third-party reports from experienced practitioners completion of performance feedback from supervisors and colleagues. | |
Guidance information for assessment | Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands, and any identified special needs of the candidate, including language and literacy implications and cultural factors that may affect responses to the questions. In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess the underpinning knowledge. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts. | ||
Information may include information prepared by the organisation and information prepared by external specialist agencies dealing with the following issues: | drug or alcohol abuse smoking nutritional and dietary exposure to sun personal hygiene work and equipment safety self-harm sexually transmitted disease infection and contagion sexual health and control stress management | |
behaviour and attitude management chronic health conditions, such as asthma and diabetes early detection and referral of conditions. | ||
Health and safety concerns may relate to: | physical harm suicide and self-harm assault, aggression and violence threats of self-inflicted injury or suicide threats from dangerous substances threats from weapons infection and contagion aggravation of existing condition chronic illness accidents dangerous equipment misuse of equipment. | |
Specialists may include: | social worker and counsellor medical staff drug or alcohol service occupational health and safety officer program coordinator case manager psychiatric services sport and recreation catering maintenance education officer emergency unit first aid officer supervisor special training. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Offender management |
Competency Field
Not applicable | |
Co-Requisites
Not applicable | |
Employability Skills
The required outcomes described in this unit of competency contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit of competency is packaged, will assist in identifying employability skills requirements. | |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.