Application
This unit deals with the required skills and knowledge to promote and apply strategies to address social determinants that underpin and contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues, in the context of delivering primary health care services.
The unit applies to those Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers providing 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 social determinants of health | 1.1 Research the social determinants of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health 1.2 Analyse social determinants of health with consideration of equity, social gradient and justice issues 1.3 Investigate specific impacts of social, political, economic and environmental factors on the health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients |
2. Promote awareness of social determinants of health | 2.1 Provide information about social determinants of health as part of primary health care service delivery 2.2 Encourage Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities to be self-determining and support their empowerment 2.3 Assist Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities to achieve greater access and equity across a range of social, educational, economic and health systems and services 2.4 Promote awareness of social determinants of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health across community service networks 2.5 Encourage community control in the delivery of health services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people |
3. Implement strategies to address social determinants of health | 3.1 Identify where organisational policies reflect ways to address the identified determinants of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health 3.2 Deliver primary health care services in line with community requirements 3.3 Encourage and support clients to access health services and resources 3.4 Support local community values, beliefs and gender roles in the delivery of health services 3.5 Utilise existing partnering relationships to promote primary health care for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients |
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:
identified and promoted an understanding of the social determinants of health when working with at least three Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients by:
- researching and clarifying social, political, economic and environmental factors impacting on the health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients
- applying strategies, policies and resources relevant to improving the health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities through addressing the social determinants of health
- contributing to health service delivery aspects of community development initiatives
- establishing relationships with community groups, agencies and organisations involved in community development initiatives
evaluated the effectiveness of at least one strategy used to address social determinants.
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role.
This includes knowledge of:
organisational policies and procedures and legislation or regulations relating to:
- client confidentiality
- referral, including various levels of urgency, and follow-up of client
- mandatory reporting
- notifiable communicable diseases
- limits of own ability and authority
- reporting procedures
- documentation
social, cultural, political and environmental determinants of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health. This includes:
- importance of land, tradition and cultural practice
- impact of socio-economic factors on health
- social and political factors that perpetuate disadvantage
- importance of personal achievement, education and supportive family/social networks
- barriers to improving environmental determinants of ill health
- impact of loss, grief and trauma
- issues of food security/access
means to address access and equity issues, such as:
- strategies to maintain strong culture and supportive social networks and maximise educational, employment and social opportunities for children
- understanding the political context of health care systems and access to benefits such as Medicare and pharmaceutical benefits
- community development initiatives
aspects of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health, including:
- community perceptions of major health issues affecting them and underlying causes
- perceptions of non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people relating to major Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health issues and underlying causes
primary health care model
key comparative health statistics.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated working:
in a health service or centre
as part of a multidisciplinary primary health care team
with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.
In addition, simulations and scenarios must be used where the full range of contexts and situations cannot be provided in the workplace or may occur only rarely. These are situations relating to emergency or unplanned procedures where assessment in these circumstances would be unsafe or is impractical.
Simulated assessment environments must simulate the real-life working environment where these skills and knowledge would be performed, with all the relevant equipment and resources of that working environment.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
Assessment must be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in this unit of competency and who is:
an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker
or:
accompanied by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care.
Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance. | |
Learning | in order to locate, access, interpret, and translate information on social determinants into an appropriate and suitable medium for target audiences |
Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.