Unit of competency details

Descriptor 

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to provide basic assistance to an allied health professional. This unit of competency provides a general introduction to working as an assistant in the allied health area

Application 

The application of knowledge and skills described in this competency unit may relate to functions such as assisting an allied health worker in any professional function

The knowledge and skills relate to functions that do not include the assistant carrying out an assessment or therapeutic process or intervention

Work at this level requires direct supervision

For training and assessment pathways, experience in workplace application of the skills and knowledge identified in this competency unit should be provided as required to support allied health professions

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. Provide relevant information to clients

1.1 Understand the role of the allied health professional and assistant

1.2 Adhere to confidentiality policies at all times.

1.3 Provide basic accurate information to clients /prospective clients  regarding allied health services 

2. Prepare for therapy session

2.1 Discuss therapy/treatment program and confirm with appropriate supervising allied health  professional

2.2 Obtain information from relevant sources according to organisation policies and supervising allied health  professional

2.3 Check resources/equipment  required for therapy program to ensure suitability and working order

2.4 Recognise and minimise environmental hazards in accordance with organisation requirements

2.5 Prepare the client for therapy under direction of relevant supervising allied health  professional who may not be present

3. Provide assistance with therapy  session

3.1 Assist with therapy tasks according to instructions of allied health  professional who may not be present

3.2 Maintain general therapy precautions

3.3 Seek clarification/feedback as required

3.4 Take appropriate actions to ensure comfort, safety and privacy of the client

3.5 Reinforce, clarify and explain therapy goals to clients under supervision  of allied health  professional

3.6 Support and coach clients  to achieve identified therapy goals under supervision of allied health professional

3.7 Deal with accidents/incidents appropriately and report to the supervising allied health  professional

4. Use therapy equipment  correctly and safely

4.1 Use equipment according to instructions set by supervising allied health  professional

4.2 Follow OHS guidelines for particular pieces of equipment

4.3 Use equipment according to manufacturer and supervising allied health  professional instructions

5. Feedback appropriate therapy information  to supervising allied health  professional

5.1 Pass on significant information to appropriate supervising allied health  professional

5.2 Document information according to organisation policy and procedures

6. Assist in the design and construction of simple therapy materials/equipment 

6.1 Assist the allied health  professional to identify gaps in therapy material resources and develop solutions

6.2 Update therapy materials on a regular basis as instructed

6.3 Construct aids/adaptations in accordance with allied health  professional's instructions

7. Complete required administrative duties

7.1 Maintain statistics in accordance with organisation policies and procedures

7.2 Maintain stock levels in accordance with organisation policies and procedures

7.3 Book in clients for appointments in accordance with organisation policies and procedures

8. Apply a primary health care approach

8.1 Demonstrate a holistic understanding of health as wellbeing, rather than focusing on disease or its absence

8.2 Work with an awareness of multiple determinants of health, including housing, education, nutrition and communication

8.3 Support and facilitate the involvement of the client and, where appropriate, the community in planning and provision of services

8.4 Promote good health and a preventive approach to maintaining health as part of own work role, where appropriate

8.5 Demonstrate recognition of and support for the importance of access and equity in provision of health services in line with own work role

8.6 Reflect evidence based practice in own provision of health care services

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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:

• Relevant organisation policies and procedures
• Client care plans, goals and limitations of therapy
• Roles, responsibilities and limitations of self and other allied health team members and nursing, medical and other personnel
• Therapy tasks/programs associated with particular client population
• Contraindications for therapies
• Community and government resources for client population
• Allied health resources available for client population
• Appropriate use of allied health equipment and resources
• OHS policy and procedures
• Infection control policy and procedures
• Basic therapy techniques (particular to relevant allied health profession)
• Knowledge of differences between occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech pathology
• Basic knowledge of human behaviour and social/interpersonal behaviour

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Work within roles and responsibilities of the relevant allied health service
• Comply with relevant policies, protocols, guidelines and procedures of the organisation
• Follow instructions effectively
• Complete set instructions effectively and efficiently
• Request clarification/feedback appropriately
• Work effectively as part of a team and/or working effectively without the AHP being present where appropriate.
• Keep legible and logical documentation and relays information
• Use correctly and safely assigned therapy equipment

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:

• Communicate effectively with other team members and understand their various roles
• Assist with basic therapy techniques
• Apply skills in time management, personal organisation and establishing priorities
• Work under direct supervision
• Use effective interpersonal "people" skills
• Analyse activities break down activities into component parts
• Use initiative
• Assist with manual handling and client movement
• Respond appropriately to difficult or challenging behaviour
• Use problem solving skills as required
• Display empathy with client and relatives

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

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 competency unit :

• 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

Access and equity considerations :

• All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity 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 health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of 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 health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment :

• Assessment must include evidence of workplace performance
• Relevant guidelines, standards and procedures
• Resources essential for assessment include:

• Other organisation policies and procedures
• Duties statements and/or job descriptions
• Documentation
• Equipment
• Infection control procedures
• Workplace health and safety guidelines

Method of assessment 

• Observation of some applications in the work place (as is appropriate/possible)
• Written assignments/projects
• Questioning

RANGE STATEMENT 

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.

Supervision refers to :

• Instructing, advising, and monitoring another person in order to ensure safe and effective performance in carrying out the duties of their position
• The nature of supervision is flexible and may be conducted by various means including:

• in person
• through use of electronic communications media such as telephone or video conferencing

• Frequency of supervision will be determined by factors such as:

• the task maturity of the person in that position or clinical placement
• the need to review and assess client conditions and progress in order to establish or alter treatment plans in case of students and assistants
• the need to correct and develop non clinical aspects such as time management, organisation requirements, communication skills, and other factors supporting the provision of clinical care and working within a team

• A person under supervision does not require direct (immediate) and continuous personal interaction, but the method and frequency will be determined by factors outlined above

Clients may include :

• Infants
• Children
• Adolescents
• Adults
• Elderly
• Visitors
• Staff
• Prospective clients to the service or services
• Relatives/carers of client

Client services may include interaction with :

• Other staff members
• Team members
• Service units or departments
• Family members and friends of clients
• Carers
• Volunteers in a health services environment
• Professional representatives or agents of the client such as medical specialists, social workers, therapists, interpreters, teachers and/or spiritual, community or other representative

Allied health services may include :

• Physiotherapy
• Psychology/clinical psychology
• Podiatry
• Occupational therapy
• Speech pathology
• Dietetics
• Social work
• Audiology
• Physical education
• Pharmacists
• Prosthetists
• Orthotists
• Hydrotherapy services

Confidentiality policies may include :

• Fees
• Health fund entitlements
• Welfare entitlements
• Payment methods and records
• Public environments
• Legal and ethical requirements
• Writing details ie. medical and consent forms
• Conversations on the telephone
• Secure location for written records
• Offering a private location for discussions
• Information disclosed to an appropriate person consistent with individual's level of responsibility

Workplace settings may include :

• Hospital (inpatient and outpatient)
• Community health centres
• Rehabilitation service
• Therapy centres
• Multi-purpose centre
• Nursing home/hostels
• Residential care
• School
• Child care centre/preschool
• Allied health private practice
• Client's home (community based/rural and remote services)
• Hydrotherapy pools

Allied health equipment may include :

• Physiotherapy equipment
• Respiratory equipment
• Tilt tables
• Braces
• Electrotherapy devices
• Electrical equipment
• Hydrotherapy
• Manual handling
• Exercise equipment
• Positional equipment eg. slings/splints
• Wheelchairs/frames and walking sticks and crutches
• Audiovisual equipment
• Feeding equipment
• Plastering equipment
• Woodworking equipment
• Sewing machines
• Computers

Occupational therapy equipment may include :

• Splinting equipment
• Wheelchairs/frames and walking sticks/crutches
• ADL equipment
• Exercise equipment
• Various activity equipment
• Computer programmes
• Audio-visual equipment
• Positioning furnishing equipment
• Computer/other technical equipment
• Variety of activity equipment

Speech pathology equipment may include :

• Artificial larynx
• Augmented communication equipment
• Paediatric feeding devices
• Feeding equipment

Allied health professional instructions may be :

• Written
• Verbal
• Diagrammatic

Assistance with therapy tasks may be :

• Working directly with (in the presence of may be directly with or in parallel to) the allied health professional and according to their instruction
• Working without the allied health professional being present but according to instruction of the allied health professional
• Maintaining reserve of appropriate assessment and client record forms

Relevant sources of information may be :

• Clients
• Client relatives/friends/carers
• Allied health professionals
• Community/support group
• Nurses
• Care plans
• Discharge plans
• Appropriate training programs

Information passed on to appropriate allied health professional must be as :

• Case notes
• Verbal or written handover
• Memo
• Checklists
• Other forms according to procedures for individual organisations

Recording of appointments may include but is not limited to :

• Manual ie. appointment book
• Electronic ie. computer based program