This unit of competency supports a stipendiary or cadet steward to manage the job functions associated with non-race day duties.

Competencies attained in this unit apply to the greyhound, harness or thoroughbred code of the industry. Consequently when performance criteria are applied they will relate to the greyhound code or the harness code or the thoroughbred code, and statements of attainment for this unit will reflect this distinction.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Oversee training operations.

1. Trackwork and training operations are monitored.

2. Staff welfare is verified.

3. Animal welfare is verified.

4. Site security and safety are evaluated.

5. Swab irregularities are investigated.

Carry out kennel or stable inspections.

6. Cleanliness and hygiene of kennel or stable are verified.

7. Health and wellbeing of staff are verified.

8. Medications, treatments and feed stuffs are checked for presence of prohibited substances .

9. Compliance of medication register with rules of racing and security is verified.

10. Kennel or stable inspection reports are completed and lodged.

11. Kennel or stable security is confirmed.

Conduct of industry participants is regulated and controlled.

12. Lease agreements are confirmed.

13. Obligations of licensed and registered persons, owners, agents and others are explained.

14. Applications for license or registration are reviewed.

15. Assistance is provided to drivers, riders or others after critical incidents .

16. Assistance is sought for personal recovery or debrief after critical incident.

Required skills

adhering to safe handling and work practices when working around greyhounds or horses

assessing industry requirements associated with trackwork and training operations, including safety, security, licensing or registration, and staff and animal welfare

communicating with other stewards, racing officials, licensed and registered personnel and others using assertive communication techniques to gather, interpret and relay information related to steward non-race day duties

completing duties in accordance with safe operating procedures and nominated time frame

complying with organisational policies and procedures

enforcing the rules of racing

identifying different items of industry-approved greyhound and horse race gear and assessing their condition in terms of safe use and need for repair

identifying individual animals by industry signalment and documents

identifying signs of ill health, injury or pain in racing animals

managing trackwork incidents and emergencies

monitoring and maintaining OHS and environmental work procedures

providing clear and concise reports on trackwork and training in verbal and written formats

reading and interpreting workplace documentation, including rules of racing

relating to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with varying physical and mental abilities

teamwork skills to ensure completion of job tasks

using initiative, discretion and judgements to solve racing issues and problems

written communication skills to complete workplace documentation and reports.

Required knowledge

avenues and procedures for personnel to access grief counselling

communication procedures for communicating with other stewards and industry personnel, including reporting lines within the workplace and wider racing industry

ethical conduct standards of relevant racing principal authority

greyhound or racehorse identification features

hazards and potential hazards in the workplace and risk control procedures

industry terminology related to steward non-race day duties, racing operations and wider racing industry

OHS and environmental legislative requirements

organisational policies and procedures

principles of effective communication

purpose of gear and reasons for identifying and reporting problems with condition, fit and safety

racing industry animal welfare requirements

relevant rules of racing

reporting requirements for irregularities and problems

roles and activities of licensed and non-licensed racing industry personnel

symptoms of and ways of checking for common signs of injury, ill health or distress in racing animals.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit and include evidence of the following:

knowledge of the requirements, procedures and instructions that are to apply when performing the non-race day duties of a stipendiary steward

implementation of procedures and timely techniques for the safe, effective and efficient application of stipendiary steward non-race day duties

working with others to undertake and complete the required procedures that meet required outcomes.

Evidence should be collected over a period of time in a range of racing kennels or stables, trackwork and training contexts and include dealings with an appropriate range of situations.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Competency must be assessed in a racing workplace that provides access to the required resources. Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints. It is to comply with relevant regulatory requirements or Australian Standards requirements.

Assessment of the practical components of this unit will be by observation of relevant skills.

The following resources must be available:

commercial kennel and stable establishments, racecourse trackwork and training activities, and related facilities

materials and equipment relevant to assessing candidate's ability to perform the non-race day duties of a stipendiary steward

work instructions and related documentation.

Method of assessment

Assessment methods must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the Racing Training Package.

The suggested strategies for the assessment of this unit are:

written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge

observed, documented and firsthand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks.

Evidence is required to be demonstrated over a period of time, therefore where performance is not directly observed any evidence should be authenticated by supervisors or other appropriate persons, at least one of whom should be approved by the State Principal Racing Authority.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.

The range statement provides details of how this competency can be used in the workplaces of the racing industry to perform steward's non-race day duties. Workplaces include greyhound kennels, harness and thoroughbred stables, racecourses, training tracks, administration buildings and public areas.

Stewards oversee the conduct of all racing-related activities within the responsibilities and powers described under the rules of racing. The conditions under which this unit is delivered and assessed must take into consideration these powers and responsibilities. These powers and responsibilities are further described in the rules of racing for the relevant racing code. It is strongly recommended that training facilitators and learners refer to these powers and responsibilities as part of the range of conditions for all units covered in the steward specialist area of the Training Package.

Trackwork and training operations monitoring may include:

currency of kennelhand or stablehand, driver or rider registrations and trainer licenses

greyhound or horse welfare

personal protective equipment

security and industry compliance

staff welfare

suitability and safety of gear and saddlery

track conditions.

Staff welfare may include:

effective supervision is provided at all times

hazard identification, risk assessment and control measures are in place

required safety equipment is maintained, including:

personal protective

first aid equipment

stable evacuation procedure is clearly established and signed

staff accommodation is clean, well maintained and affords privacy for male and female staff, such as apprentice jockeys

staff are adequately trained in tasks carried out, including induction training.

Animal welfare may include:

animals are exercised in a manner deemed proper and appropriate to the fitness of the greyhound or horse

animals are maintained appropriately for the conditions, such as:

housed

rugged

animals do not display obvious signs of ill health or distress

boxes, kennels, runs and yards are clean and free of hazards

clean and dust free bedding is evident

feed and water containers are clean and free of sharp edges

safe and industry-recognised gear and saddlery are used on animals.

Site security and safety may be evaluated by:

ensuring availability of avenues for staff to address harassment, bullying and discrimination

checking available site security and safety measures, including:

visual deterrents, such as surveillance and signage are in place

designated first aid officer is on staff

employees are trained to deal with emergency and unexpected events

fire equipment is current and not obstructed

first aid kit is well maintained

emergency phone numbers are clearly displayed

evacuation procedures are clearly displayed, known and practised by staff

reviewing available security measures for staff working on their own or those working in hours of darkness

reviewing kennel or stable inspection checklists.

Swab irregularities investigation may include:

analysing options available to stewards and discussing follow-up action as required

determining the penalty or punishment in regard to the rules of racing

identifying relevant parties and communicating information appropriately

interpreting documented results

preparing reports in required format, and checking and filing documentation.

Prohibited substances may include:

substances listed in Australian and local rules of racing for the relevant racing code, which may include:

stimulants

sedatives, hormones and substances capable at any time of acting on one or more of the following mammalian body systems:

alimentary digestive system

cardiovascular system

central and peripheral nervous system

endocrine system

respiratory system

musculoskeletal system

urogenital system.

Industry participants may include:

agents and others

licensed and registered persons

officials

owners.

Obligations of licensed and registered persons, owners, agents and others may include:

Australian and local rules of racing related to:

conduct and behaviour, including:

race day procedures

staff and animal welfare

use of prohibited substances

nominations and acceptances

registration of greyhounds or horses

syndications

state and federal legislation and regulations related to:

animal welfare

anti-discrimination

equal employment opportunities

industrial awards

OHS

sexual harassment.

Assistance following critical incidents may include:

advising persons involved or immediate witnesses of ways to access counselling

identifying emergencies or accidents, and responding in accordance with race club procedures

working within safe operating procedures.

Assistance sought for personal recovery or debrief after critical incident may include:

accessing organisation counselling and debriefing avenues.

Unit Sector

Greyhound, harness and thoroughbred racing codes

This unit contains employability skills.