Application
This unit describes the required skills and knowledge to provide social and emotional support to clients and staff, and to promote the importance of maintaining social and emotional wellbeing in the workplace.
It covers social and emotional support required by those involved in face-to-face delivery of primary health care services.
The 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 communities.
This unit equips Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers to provide support related to social and emotional wellbeing and does not infer that they are qualified counsellors.
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. Assess social and emotional needs | 1.1 Seek relevant information to determine client’s current mental/emotional state and history 1.2 Observe behaviour and body language and note unusual behaviour 1.3 Communicate effectively with the client using culturally appropriate and safe language and interactions, to identify underlying social and emotional needs and issues 1.4 Make a risk assessment in relation to potential for suicide, self-harm and/or violence 1.5 Develop a social and emotional health care plan that addresses client’s needs, in consultation with the client and relevant health care team 1.6 Maintain confidentiality in line with organisation requirements 1.7 Identify issues requiring mandatory notification and report to an appropriate authority |
2. Support a client’s social and emotional wellbeing | 2.1 Implement and review client’s social and emotional health care plan in line with their needs and organisation procedures 2.2 Provide relevant information to support the client to make informed decisions about addressing social and emotional wellbeing issues 2.3 Support individual clients to implement, maintain and review self-care strategies 2.4 Monitor and review application of stress reduction techniques and activities by clients, as required to maintain and/or enhance effectiveness 2.5 Provide referral as required, to maintain and/or enhance social and emotional wellbeing in line with individual, community and organisation requirements |
3. Provide social/emotional support in the workplace | 3.1 Encourage and support staff to address the personal impact of dealing with client social and emotional wellbeing issues 3.2 Make debriefing sessions readily available and conduct with staff in groups and/or one-on-one 3.3 Support staff to access professional assistance as appropriate, including referrals 3.4 Provide education and awareness programs as required to support staff and enhance their self-awareness and support personal development 3.5 Support staff to acknowledge the impact of the shared history of transgenerational trauma 3.6 Manage serious or potentially serious issues referred by other staff with sensitivity and professionalism |
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:
provided support and promoted social and emotional wellbeing for at least three clients by:
communicating in a culturally appropriate and safe manner at all times with each client to gain confidence, trust and client history
assessing social and emotional wellbeing issues, including making a risk assessment of each client
providing immediate and ongoing support and monitoring as required to address issues
referring clients appropriately as part of treatment
working with each client to identify and implement self-care strategies for social and emotional wellbeing
providing information to each client about social and emotional wellbeing
maintaining client confidentiality
supported at least two staff members who provide social and emotional wellbeing to clients by:
communicating in a culturally appropriate and safe manner to conduct debriefing and supervision of staff
assisting staff with decision-making and problems with client’s treatment and progress
encouraging staff to access services for their own social and emotional wellbeing
interacting appropriately with staff within professional boundaries and according to organisation procedures and policies
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:
effective techniques for providing social and emotional support, including self-help and stress management strategies
effective communication skills to:
build rapport
question and probe to identify underlying social/emotional health issues
clarify issues
provide feedback
listen empathetically
provide support
special needs of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and their clients, such as:
issues relating to dispossession, stolen generations and cultural loss
social issues relating to overcrowded housing, community pressures on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers
available and effective referral services for counselling and associated social/emotional support
organisation policy and procedures to provide social/emotional support to staff (in-house and through referral)
key aspects of human psychology and mental health care
culture and spirituality issues
legislative and confidentiality requirements.
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. |
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency. |