Unit of competency details

Unit Descriptor 

This unit is to deal with the skills and knowledge required to assist clients to communicate information to health care providers and vice versa (including interpreting and translating where required) and to liaise with service providers in order to enable client access to a range of health services

Application 

This unit is intended to address skills and knowledge required by those working with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities at Certificate III level, under direction, to deliver a specific range of health care services

Direction may be provided by close supervision or established guidelines that limit discretion

This competency unit incorporates skills and knowledge covered in:

• HLTAHW202B Support clients to obtain access to health services

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. Support clients  in the use of a preferred language 

1.1 Encourage and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients to communicate in their preferred language

1.2 Accurately translate verbal and/or written information to address the needs of service providers and/or clients

1.3 Provide interpreting services as required to support relationships between service providers, carers, clients and the community

1.4 Advise clients as required of persons or organisations who may assist in interpreting a particular language

1.5 Assist clients as required to contact persons or organisations who can interpret a particular language

2. Translate verbal or written information into a form that is understood

2.1 Respond to requests for assistance with interpretation in line with organisation guidelines

2.2 Assess the need for interpretation and discuss with appropriate persons 

2.3 Translate information from one language to the language(s) of the other person(s) involved

2.4 Regularly check the clarity of the communication, before and after the translation

2.5 Use clear, appropriate and accessible language that values and respects each individual

3. Facilitate communication between clients and service providers 

3.1 Assist clients to explain their needs and issues and negotiate available options

3.2 Explain reasons for information needed by service providers to clients as required

3.3 Explain in detail services offered by specific health service providers to clients

3.4 Assist in ensuring the client has understood the information provided by the service provider

4. Liaise with health service providers in meeting client and community needs

4.1 Inform multi-disciplinary health service teams of ongoing and/or changing individual and community needs and issues that may impact on service provision

4.2 Communicate local community values, beliefs and gender roles to service providers as required

4.3 Explain the role of traditional healers in the community to service providers, if required

4.4 Consult health service providers about the organisation and delivery of health services in the community

4.5 Undertake consultation to provide clients with reasonable and timely access to general and specialist health services required outside their own community

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:

• Language or languages, written and/or spoken, as required within the community and the workplace
• Medical terminology relevant to the workplace
• Other terminology relevant to the care being provided, such as oral health care
• The culture of the client, caregiver and health service provider
• The communication style of the client, caregiver or health service provider

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Provide language support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients in line with identified needs and workplace requirements
• Communicate effectively with both Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and health service providers

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:

• Use effective verbal and non-verbal communication
• Apply skills in:

• observation
• mediation
• questioning
• rephrasing
• interpreting and clarifying
• translation from one language to another language, if required

• Reflect on and improve own level and application of skills and knowledge to achieve desirable outcomes and maintain own capabilities

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 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

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 :

Competence should be demonstrated working individually, under supervision or as part of a primary health care team working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients

Assessment should replicate workplace conditions as far as possible

Related units :

This unit may be assessed independently or in conjunction with other units with associated workplace application

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.

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

Preferred language may include :

• The language in which a person feels most comfortable communicating their needs, thoughts, feelings and opinions, including:

• community language
• English
• sign language

Translation and interpreting services include :

• Literal translation of written or spoken words of one person into the language of another person
• Conveying the needs, feelings, opinions and ideas expressed by one person into a form that is understood by other persons

Clients may include :

• Persons receiving health care
• Persons who request assistance from the health worker
• Family members and/or carers acting on behalf of clients
• Members of the community

Service providers may include :

• Health practitioners
• Managers or other staff of health services/ organisations, including administrative/operative staff
• People/workers providing a supportive or caring service to meet the holistic health care needs of the community or individuals

Appropriate persons may include :

• The client, caregiver or health service provider
• A person directly affected by the communication
• A person who was or is party to the communication
• The manager of a worker who is party to the communication, in some circumstances
• An interpreter whom the community has assigned the role of clarifying communications