Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work with a particular community in the assessment of their health needs.
This unit applies to work in a public health context and workers at this level will work under supervision and within defined guidelines.
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. Assist in conducting a literature review | 1.1 Identify aims of literature review and source relevant organisation reports and key documents with a focus on health needs 1.2 Consult key stakeholders from the community and other relevant bodies for sources of information relevant to health needs 1.3 Identify and source information and data at local, State/Territory or regional level that may assist in defining and assessing the health needs of the community 1.4 Provide feedback to the work team or team leader on sources of information and assist with reviewing literature |
2. Participate in a consultation process with the community | 2.1 Contribute to discussions with key stakeholders regarding the health problem, its causes and appropriate interventions and solutions 2.2 Provide briefing materials throughout the consultation process to identify and clarify issues of interest and concern to stakeholders and own organisation 2.3 Provide feedback to the team leader or work team on the results of the consultation process |
3. Contribute to activities that assist the community to identify their health needs | 3.1 Contribute to activities that assist community to understand the factors contributing to the health issue or problem 3.2 Collect further information and data when needed for input into the analysis and presentation of results arising from the literature review and consultation processes 3.3 Collaborate with team and supervisor to recommend activities to stakeholders that would build the ongoing capacity of the community to understand and identify their health needs |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in the 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:
assisted at least 1 community to identify their health needs, including:
participating in at least 2 consultation processes with a range of stakeholders
assisting in the review of literature from a range of sources
providing at least 2 recommendations to support the ongoing capacity of community to identify health needs.
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:
legal, ethical and organisation requirements relating to identifying community health needs, including:
relevant international charters and declarations and documents
national, State/Territory and local health policies, goals, targets and priorities relevant to the community
scope of own role and responsibilities
equity issues in population health
evidence-based practice
quality assurance
social change and advocacy processes
privacy and confidentiality
responsibility to help a community respond to needs they identify which might not necessarily coincide with stated priority health needs
principles of capacity building
community health needs: state, conditions or factors in the community which, if absent, prevent people from achieving the optimum of physical, mental and social wellbeing
types of need:
normative need (based on expert opinion)
expressed need (based on inferences made from observation of use of health services)
comparative need (derived from examining the services provided in a similar population)
felt need (based on what members of the community say they need)
activities that develop an understanding of the factors contributing to the health issue or problem of the community
overview of the stages in population health project planning
theory and practice of population health, including health promotion, and health protection and prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases
consultation and participation principles and techniques, including:
interviews
nominal group process
questionnaires
Delphi Method
focus groups
forums
meetings
conflict resolution, mediation and problem solving techniques
literature review processes and sources of information
difference between and examples of qualitative and quantitative data
communities and types of data relevant to the community, including:
demographic characteristics
patterns of behaviour
lifestyle.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions. Where simulation is used, it must reflect real working conditions by modelling industry operating conditions and contingencies, as well as, using suitable facilities, equipment and resources.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
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.