Unit of competency
Modification History
Release |
Comments |
Release 1 |
This version released with ACM Animal Care and Management Training Package Version 4.0. |
Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to develop, implement, monitor and review enrichment strategies for animals, and to communicate the strategies to carers (team members/owners).
This unit applies to individuals with responsibility for developing and providing enrichment activities for animals in various facilities, including animal training, pet shops, boarding, day care or breeding facilities, veterinary clinics, stables and wildlife/exhibited animal establishments. They work autonomously and apply specialist knowledge and skills to provide solutions for predictable and unpredictable problems.
All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures according to Commonwealth and state/territory health and safety and animal welfare regulations, legislation and standards that apply to the workplace.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Pre-requisite Unit
Nil
Unit Sector
Behaviour and Training (BEH)
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements |
Performance Criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. |
Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Develop enrichment strategies |
1.1 Conduct research and consultation to profile the animal in care and determine appropriate environmental and behavioural enrichment strategies for species or breed, age and individual needs 1.2 Develop enrichment strategies with reference to known species-specific behaviour, environments and needs 1.3 Incorporate animal welfare and health and safety requirements into strategies as appropriate 1.4 Develop organisational procedures for enrichment according to the profile of animals 1.5 Align enrichment strategy budget allocation to short-term and longer-term strategies |
2. Implement enrichment programs |
2.1 Communicate enrichment strategies and procedures to carers, and provide required training 2.2 Adjust animal husbandry regimes to incorporate enrichment strategies 2.3 Provide assistance to carers in implementing physical, social and food-related enrichment programs appropriate to the species 2.4 Supervise carers providing enrichment to animals according to workplace policies and procedures 2.5 Assess behaviours requiring attention and propose strategies in relation to possible causes of the behaviour and welfare of the animal 2.6 Assess short-term and longer-term management of animals and implement appropriate environmental and behavioural enrichment programs |
3. Monitor and review enrichment strategies |
3.1 Monitor and document animal behaviour, signs of stress and responses to implementation of enrichment strategy to determine their effects on animals 3.2 Investigate and evaluate any adverse consequences to an enrichment strategy 3.3 Collate enrichment program modification suggestions in consultation with carers, and implement where appropriate 3.4 Update and document short-term and longer-term enrichment strategies in line with review findings 3.5 Align organisation budget allocation to reviewed and updated enrichment strategies |
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential for performance in this unit of competency but are not explicit in the performance criteria.
Skill |
Description |
Reading |
|
Writing |
|
Oral communication |
|
Numeracy |
|
Unit Mapping Information
Code and title current version |
Code and title previous version |
Comments |
Equivalence status |
ACMBEH402 Develop, implement and monitor enrichment strategies for animals |
ACMCAS404 Development enrichment strategies for companion animals |
Title and code updated Changes to performance criteria for clarity Assessment requirements updated |
Equivalent |
Links
Companion Volumes, including Implementation Guides, are available at VETNet: - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=b75f4b23-54c9-4cc9-a5db-d3502d154103