Application
This unit describes the required knowledge and skills for primary health care workers to assist Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities to understand their rights and communicate their needs within a self-determination framework. This includes the use of interpreter and translation services to liaise with service providers to enable clients to access a range of health services. This unit does not assume the individual worker has interpretation and/or translation qualifications to provide these services themselves.
This unit applies to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers working as part, and under the supervision, of a multidisciplinary primary health care team to provide a range of primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.
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 specify the level of performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Identify the rights, needs and options available to the client | 1.1 Use culturally appropriate and safe communication to assist the client to identify their needs in relation to health issues and services 1.2 Support client to identify needs that are not being met by existing services or supports 1.3 Provide client with information about their rights and options for meeting their needs 1.4 Assist client to identify their preferred option and negotiate other options, as required |
2. Assist the client to present their own needs | 2.1 Assist client to make contact with relevant persons and agencies 2.2 Provide client with information and support them to present their rights and needs 2.3 Encourage client to communicate in their preferred language, and provide support as required 2.4 Assist client to put their views to relevant persons and agencies to meet their needs as required 2.5 Follow organisational procedures to arrange for interpreting and translation services as requested or required by clients |
3. Advocate for the client when self-advocacy is not possible | 3.1 Identify relevant individuals or agencies and contact them about the specific issue 3.2 Clearly represent the client’s point of view to those involved 3.3 Use clear, appropriate and accessible language that values and respects each individual 3.4 Discuss progress and outcomes with client 3.5 Use translation and interpretation services to ensure the client’s understanding and involvement in the process, as required 3.6 Maintain client confidentiality at all times when communicating client information |
4. Liaise with health service providers to meet client and community needs | 4.1 Inform multidisciplinary health service teams of ongoing and/or changing individual and community needs and issues that may impact on service provision 4.2 Communicate local community values, beliefs and gender roles to service providers, as required 4.3 Explain to service providers, as required, the role of traditional healers in the community 4.4 Consult health service providers about the organisation and delivery of health services in the community 4.5 Undertake consultation to provide clients with reasonable and timely access to general and specialist health services required outside their own community |
5. Promote the rights, needs and interests of the client | 5.1 Regularly discuss rights and needs of clients with other workers and supervisor 5.2 Make suggestions to other workers and supervisor about ways to improve services to clients 5.3 Implement changes as required |
Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance. | |
Reading | in order to interpret and synthesise information and provide to client |
Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.