HLTAHW043
Facilitate access to tertiary health services


Application

This unit describes the required skills and knowledge to develop and maintain links with tertiary referral centres for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health. It includes developing and maintaining networks with health services, assisting clients requiring transport and accommodation, providing information, and participating in discharge planning.

This unit applies to those Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers working independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team to deliver primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and community.

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

Elements define the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria specify the level of performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with tertiary health services

1.1 Gather information about relevant tertiary health services, organisations and key contacts

1.2 Establish networks to meet client needs and organisation objectives as required

1.3 Maintain working relationships between and within organisations to provide benefits for clients and the organisation

1.4 Provide and share information and resources about own and other organisations as requested

2. Support clients to access tertiary health services

2.1 Provide clients with information about available tertiary health services and support, as appropriate

2.2 Assist clients and their families with transport and accommodation to access tertiary health services as required

2.3 Liaise with government and non-government agencies, departments and organisations as required

2.4 Provide advocacy to support relationships between clients and other organisations and agencies as required

3. Participate in discharge planning

3.1 Identify and communicate with key individuals involved in discharge planning at the tertiary health service

3.2 Discuss discharge planning with clients and their families

3.3 Liaise with the tertiary health service in relation to timing of discharge, transport needs, medication and client follow-up requirements

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 effectively across the range of health support services, in line with community needs and workplace requirements, to support at least three different clients in accessing tertiary health services by:

establishing and maintaining working relationships and networks with relevant tertiary health services for the benefit of clients and own organisation

providing accurate and relevant information and guidance to support each client’s understanding of and access to tertiary health services by:

gathering relevant information about tertiary health services for each client’s identified needs

providing oral and written information about the available services and processes

assisting clients with written documents

arranging and/or supporting travel and accommodation of clients accessing tertiary health services

interpreting and communicating costs to clients, if relevant

supporting discharge arrangements, including liaising between the tertiary health service and the client on each client’s behalf.


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:

relevant tertiary health services available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients needing access to specialised care, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations

arrangements needed to assist client to access available support services, including transport, accommodation and other needs incidental to accessing tertiary health services

communication strategies, including cross-cultural communication

major tertiary referral centres in the relevant metropolitan or regional centre, including:

locations

functions

services

specialities

key individuals in tertiary referral centres and their:

contact details

roles/ position

organisation standards, policies and procedures, including discharge procedures.


Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated working:

in a health service or centre

individually or as a member 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.

Numeracy

in order to gather and interpret relevant health services information, including costs to clients

Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.