HLTPOP009
Provide information and support on environmental health issues


Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to provide information and support to community and householders on environmental health issues or hazards that may be of concern.

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. Address information needs of the community and householders

1.1 Monitor and observe potential environmental health hazards or risks in the community and households as part of own work role

1.2 Identify and discuss any issues of concern with community and householders to determine information needs and level of support required

1.3 Discuss any difficulties or obstacles that may exist which have prevented the community and householders from being able to address issues of concern

2. Provide information and support

2.1 Provide information and support about environmental health to community and householders

2.2 Report any problems, difficulties or obstacles that are outside of area of responsibility or expertise in accordance with organisation policy and procedure

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:

identified and provided information and support to at least 2 householders about environmental health issues.


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:

policies and procedures for providing culturally appropriate information

alternative ways of providing information when cultural relationships prevent interaction

germ theory and disease transmission

environmental health hazards and risks

strategies for disease prevention

scope of own role and responsibilities

methods for determining information needs, including identifying how much community members and householders already know and what information still needs to be provided to assist them in making informed choices or decisions

procedures for reporting difficulties or obstacles to disease prevention, including:

non-durable health hardware already installed in houses that constantly break

houses that have been poorly constructed or designed, and as a result are contributing to a range of health problems

large numbers of family visiting the household at any one time

lack of ongoing repairs and maintenance to health hardware

issues in relation to ‘shame’, including community members and householders not being able to afford to buy health hardware items, or inability to read labels and direction of use

cultural issues, including sleeping with dogs because they are a very important part of a person's culture and life

not having access to fridges and freezers to store food

not having access to washing machines to wash clothes.


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.