Unit of competency details

CHC08 Version 3 

CHC08 Version 4 

Description 

CHCPROT603A Plan and manage provision of out of home care

CHCPROT603B Plan and manage provision of out of home care

Unit updated in V4.

ISC upgrade changes to remove references to old OHS legislation and replace with references to new WHS legislation. No change to competency outcome.

Descriptor 

This unit describes the knowledge and skills required by workers who are responsible for case management of children and young people who are living in out of home care

It covers the planning and providing for care placement of children and young people

Application 

This unit applies to statutory child protection work in a range of security contexts

Employability Skills 

This unit contains Employability Skills

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Work within established principles of out of home care provision

1.1 Provide opportunity for child or young person to express their views on all matters concerning his or her welfare

1.2 Ensure all actions and decisions take into account the culture, disability, language, religion and sexuality of the child or young person

1.3 Assist child or young person in care to ensure that his or her name, identity, language, cultural and religious ties are preserved

1.4 Apply the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander placement principle to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people

1.5 Actively support birth parents, family and significant others wherever possible, to continue to play a significant role in their child's life while he or she is in care

2. Develop care/case/ placement plan in consultation with child/ young person, family, carers and other service providers

2.1 Ensure the safety, welfare, well being of child or young person is the paramount consideration in all planning

2.2 Actively involve children, young people, carers, family and significant others in decision-making processes

2.3 Take into account immediate, medium and long term needs of the child/young person, family and carer in planning

2.4 Select placement in accordance with needs of child/young person and care plan

2.5 Undertake planning in line with all legislative and organisation requirements

2.6 Communicate care/case plan to child or young person, carers, family members, and other bodies as required by legislative and organisation requirements

2.7 Apply permanency planning principles in all case planning processes

2.8 Complete all necessary documentation and store in accordance with legislative and organisation standards and procedures

2.9 Consider restoration/reunification in case planning process

3. Implement care/case/ placement plan

3.1 Prepare child/young person for placement

3.2 Brief child/young person's family and the new carers and prepare for the placement

3.3 Maintain record-keeping systems re the placement in line with organisation and legislative requirements

3.4 Organise resource allocation to support the placement in line with organisation procedures

3.5 Monitor, address and support immediate and longer term developmental needs of the child or young person throughout the placement

3.6 Support carers in their provision of day-to-day care for the child or young person

3.7 Support carers to meet the changing and developing needs of the child/young person

3.8 Support carers at times of critical incidents and on other occasions of stress

3.9 Support child's identity and development of social relationships through approaches such as life story work

3.10 Implement contact with family and significant others, including siblings and community, according to the care/case plan

3.11 Take immediate and appropriate action that complies with legislative and organisation requirements and interagency protocols, to address alleged abuse in care or other critical situations which may arise

4. Monitor and review care/case/ placement plan

4.1 Ensure regular review mechanisms are in place and implemented according to legislative and organisation requirements

4.2 Regularly assess and review developmental needs of child or young person, including health, education, social and emotional needs

4.3 Undertake ongoing monitoring of child or young person and carers

4.4 Provide opportunities, both formal and informal, for child/young person, to meet in private with case worker and talk about their placement

4.5 Provide information to parents/family or significant others about progress of child

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

These include knowledge of:

• Provision of care protocols, procedures and policies
• Awareness of statutory mandates and consequent responsibilities
• Impact of care placements
• Family and social dynamics which may impact on care placements
• Principles of effective casework
• Understanding of child and adolescent development
• Understanding of attachment theory (including grief and loss)
• Principles of permanency planning
• Understanding of identity issues and the importance of birth family
• Aboriginal child placement principles
• Understanding of legal implications and responsibilities of statutory work
• Understanding of state and federal jurisdictions, including all courts within the jurisdictions
• Understanding of workings of court, legal systems and legal processes
• Detailed understanding of child protection policy and procedures including inter-agency protocols
• Detailed understanding of legislation relevant to child protection including permanency planning and adoption
• Understanding of risk assessment, comprehensive psychosocial assessment and family assessment
• Understanding of indicators of harm, types of harm, definitions and dynamics of harm
• Understanding of theories on vulnerability and resilience of children and young people
• Understanding of the change process
• Understanding of stages of child development (physical, emotional, cognitive, psychological and social including attachment theory
• Understanding of family dynamics in different cultures
• Understanding of recording and reporting systems
• Understanding of how to access interpreters for clients and their families who are from non-English speaking background or who are hearing or speech impaired

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Demonstrate best practice in out of home care as identified by national standards and research
• Operate within applicable standards, policies and procedures and legislative requirements

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

These include the ability to:

• Advocate on behalf of children, young people and families
• Interpret policies, procedures, standards and statutory obligations
• Use communication techniques such as; active listening, reflection, summarising, questions and statements, gaining agreement on actions and explaining outcomes
• Use solution focused interviewing techniques
• Interview and engage children, young people , their families and foster carers in communication exchange.
• Effectively and impartially collect and analyse information according to risk assessment frameworks or models.
• Articulate rationale for decision-making
• Interpret legalese into language understood by client and significant others
• Set boundaries for roles and actions
• Demonstrate empathy and rapport building
• Use age appropriate language and questioning techniques
• Facilitate participative goal setting and case planning
• Utilise conflict resolution skills
• Manage grief and change processes
• Engage and establish a professional relationship with children and young people
• Monitor own level of stress and implement stress management strategies
• Work appropriately with cross cultural issues
• Present factual, non-emotive information succinctly.
• Demonstrate appropriate use of supervision and consultation
• Maintain documentation as required, including effective use of relevant information technology in line with work health and safety (WHS) guidelines

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 for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency:

• The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
• This unit of competence must be assessed in the workplace and under the normal range of workplace conditions
• Consistency in performance should consider the range of clients and specific needs that will encountered in the workplace

Access and equity considerations:

• All workers in community services should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work
• All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
• In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment:

• This unit can be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other community services units of competency is encouraged
• Resource requirements for assessment include access to:

• an appropriate workplace or an environment capable of accurately simulating the workplace for assessment purposes:

Method of assessment:

• In cases where the learner does not have the opportunity to cover all relevant aspects in the work environment, the remainder should be assessed through realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on 'What if?' scenarios
• Assessment of this unit of competence will usually include observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questioning on Essential knowledge and skills and consideration of required attitudes
• Where performance is not directly observed and/or is required to be demonstrated over a 'period of time' and/or in a 'number of locations', any evidence should be authenticated by colleagues, supervisors, clients or other appropriate persons

Related units:

This unit should be assessed in conjunction with related unit:

• CHCCM506C Undertake case management in a child protection framework

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.

Out of home care can include the child or young personstaying with/in:

• Relatives, friends and acquaintances
• Foster care
• Residential care
• Shared family care
• Kinship care

Care plan can include:

• Day to day care issues
• Protective planning
• Restoration/reunification
• Residence of child or young person
• Contact with family, including siblings, and other significant people
• Education and training
• Religious practice
• Intensive support/special needs
• Medical treatment and healthcare
• Cultural needs/identity issues
• Type of placement proposed, including temporary care pending permanent placement
• Agency responsible for care of child
• Support services to be provided to child or young person
• Leaving care or after care needs
• Timeframes and processes for review

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander placement principle is:

• Principles of self-determination and participation i.e. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have ownership in relation to decisions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children/young people
• Principles of culturally appropriate placement
• Principles of recording requirements of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children and young people and all records are kept permanently

Name, identity, language, cultural and religious ties include:

• Child or young person's cultural background is recorded appropriately
• If an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child is placed in a non-aboriginal placement contact is maintained with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community
• Cultural and religious practices are maintained and reinforced throughout the placement

Legislative and organisation requirements include:

• State and commonwealth legislation
• Codes of conduct and organisation beliefs and philosophies
• International conventions on the rights of children and young people
• State and national standards for out of home care
• Interagency protocols

Prepare child/young person for placement includes:

• Appropriate information provided about

• carer and carer's family
• child or young person and their needs (including medical, social, educational, physical and emotional)
• safety issues regarding the care of the child or young person

• Providing empathy, understanding, and opportunity to talk
• Adequate clothing, food, toys, equipment for placement

Needs of the child or young person may include:

A range of developmental and individual needs of the individual child or young person including:

• Physical health
• Education and/or training
• Family and social relationships
• Self care skills
• Assistance in understanding the reason they are in care
• Cultural acknowledgement, input and education

Support provided to child or young person include:

• Regular opportunities to discuss placement issues with a trusted and supportive adult
• Establishment of a safe and trusting relationship with a responsible adult/s who can act as an advocate if appropriate
• Encouragement and opportunities to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes
• Ongoing identification, addressing and monitoring of the range of developmental needs
• Encouragement to participate in support or advocacy networks with other children/young people in out of home care

Support carers includes:

• Regular planned opportunities to discuss placement issues
• Access assistance at time of crisis or stress
• Opportunity for critical incident de-briefing
• Regular training on issues relevant to care of children and young people
• Encouragement to participate in support networks with other carers
• If caring for a child or young person from a diverse background carers are assisted to support and positively reinforce the child/young person's cultural background and identity

Review refers to:

• Reviews are undertaken in line with legislative and organisation requirements