The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects of assessment:

The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills

Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace

Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible

Method of assessment:

Group discussion and/or written responses about key concepts and language terms used in narrative therapy approaches

Observation, questioning and evidence gathered from the workplace environment

Role-plays demonstrating externalising practices

A small group project and presentation on narrative community work being done with the Indigenous community

Consistency of performance:

Assessment may include observations, questioning and evidence gathered from the workplace

Assessment may be conducted on one occasion, but must include the worker interacting and cooperating with the normal range of other workers from the workplace

Conditions of assessment:

This unit includes skills and knowledge specific to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture

Assessment must therefore be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in the unit of competency or who has the current qualification being assessed and who is:

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander him/herself

or:

accompanied and advised by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care

Context of assessment:

This unit is most appropriately assessed in the workplace or in a simulated workplace and under the normal range of workplace conditions

Resources required include:

Access to appropriate narrative therapy and community work documentation (in particular narrative community projects that have involved the outsider witness practices) and teaching/learning resources relevant to the task

Access to resource materials required for presentation

Some aspects of this unit can be assessed both during class and in the workplace, under normal range of workplace conditions

Access to facilitators/educators who have adequate knowledge of narrative therapy

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential 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:

Being multi-storied - problem and preferred stories

Both local and general Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander history, e.g. history of colonisation, assimilation, removal etc

Externalising practices and conversations

How stories shape us

Key concepts and language terms characteristic to narrative therapy approaches

Making visible the politics of community life, and the tactics of internalisation

Stories come from a social political cultural historical context

The impact of cultural knowledge on approaches to narrative work

Unique contributions of indigenous and colonised people's work to the development of narrative therapy approaches.

What makes a story

Worldviews that inform narrative therapy approaches

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Apply externalising ideas to community work

Apply understanding of key concepts and language terms characteristic to narrative therapy approaches

Apply understanding of the unique contributions of Indigenous and colonised people's work to the development of narrative therapy approaches

In addition, the candidate must be able 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 the ability to:

Apply cultural protocols

Apply externalising ideas to community work

Deal with cross-cultural issues

Use culturally appropriate communication

Use narrative therapy approaches to questioning

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Cultural respect

This competency standard supports the recognition, protection and continued advancement of the inherent rights, cultures and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

It recognises that the improvement of the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must include attention to physical, spiritual, cultural, emotional and social well being, community capacity and governance

Its application must be culturally sensitive and supportive of traditional healing and health, knowledge and practices

Community control

Community participation and control in decision-making is essential to all aspects of health work, and the role of the health worker is to support the community in this process

Supervision

Supervision must be conducted in accordance with prevailing state/territory and organisation legislative and regulatory requirements

References to supervision may include either direct or indirect supervision of work by more experienced workers, supervisors, managers or other health professionals

A person at this level should only be required to make decisions about clients within the organisation's standard treatment protocols and associated guidelines

Legislative requirements

Federal, state or territory legislation may impact on workers' practices and responsibilities. Implementation of the competency standards should reflect the legislative framework in which a health worker operates. It is recognised that this may sometimes reduce the application of the Range of Variables in practice. However, assessment in the workplace or through simulation should address all essential skills and knowledge across the Range of Variables

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers may be required to operate in situations that do not constitute 'usual practice' due to lack of resources, remote locations and community needs. As a result, they may need to possess more competencies than described by 'usual practice circumstances'

Under all circumstances, the employer must enable the worker to function within the prevailing legislative framework

Community work may include:

Community consultation

Community development

Community based projects

Community participation approaches

Social and emotional well being issues may include:

Grief and loss

Trauma and abuse

Relationships

Family violence

Substance misuse

Family and identity

Disability

Rich story development includes:

Curiosity about the actions that communities take that are different to the problem story

Curiosity about the intentions communities have and what they give value to

Drawing these two aspects of story together to empower communities