Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to coordinate animal owner appointments or bookings and undertake office administration and basic financial tasks for an animal care facility.

This unit applies to new entrants to the animal care and management industry. Animal care may occur in a wide variety of workplaces, including breeding or boarding kennels and catteries, companion animal training, grooming establishments, animal shelters or similar.

This unit applies to individuals who work under general supervision and exercise limited autonomy. They undertake defined activities and work in a structured context.

No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil

Unit Sector

General Animal Studies (GAS)

Elements and Performance Criteria

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.

Unit Mapping Information

Links

Companion Volumes, including Implementation Guides, are available at VETNet: - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=b75f4b23-54c9-4cc9-a5db-d3502d154103

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

An individual demonstrating competency must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria in this unit.

There must be evidence that the individual has provided reception services for a one-day period, completing all reception tasks required of the role, including:

• taken bookings, followed up clients and provided telephone and mail services
• maintained cleanliness and hygiene of reception area
• operated office equipment
• undertaken financial procedures
• communicated effectively with clients and facility staff
• provided basic animal care assistance
• assisted with stock control
• created, maintained, updated and stored client records
• applied safe work practices to own work.

Knowledge Evidence

An individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge required to perform the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:

• effective communication methods to use with clients across a range of interactions, including:

• inquiries about products and services
• collecting payments
• advising of problems with payments
• dealing with initial complaints about products, service or staff
• dealing with distressed clients
• instructions from clients about products and services required
• providing information within the limits of business policy and personal responsibility
• referring clients to senior staff
• reporting on animal welfare or progress
• relaying potentially upsetting news

• appropriate telephone communication techniques
• type of information added to client records, including:

• animal identification
• animal health information
• owner information

• routine tasks carried out in an animal care facility, including:

• collecting admission and discharge information
• documenting items to be kept with animal
• moving animals to housing or handling area
• handing animal over to other staff or returning to client
• fitting collars, head collars, leads and/or clothing
• measuring size for clothing or other items
• weighing animal

• range of species handled by the facility
• safe and humane animal restraint and handling techniques
• office equipment and software packages typically used in animal care facilities
• the facility’s financial and administrative procedures.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment of skills must take place under the following conditions:

• physical conditions:

• an environment that accurately reflects a real workplace setting

• resources, equipment and materials:

• a range of animals
• equipment and resources appropriate to work undertaken in an animal care environment

• specifications:

• access to organisational policies and procedures

• relationships (internal and/or external):

• interactions with clients
• interactions with supervisor.

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.

Links

Companion Volumes, including Implementation Guides, are available at VETNet: - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=b75f4b23-54c9-4cc9-a5db-d3502d154103