Unit of competency details

Unit Descriptor 

This unit describes the competencies required to work with community members to determine community health information needs and to implement and evaluate routine health promotion/ education and screening programs within that community with a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health and maternal and infant care

Application 

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

It is imperative that cultural issues, including gender and kinship issues, are respected in the delivery, assessment and application of this competency unit

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. Participate in the determination of community health information needs

1.1 Question community representatives to determine current health needs and priorities

1.2 Question community to determine effectiveness of existing health promotion/education programs

1.3 Relay community feedback  to the organisation or service provider

1.4 Consider cultural practices and beliefs when determining information needs

2. Participate in the preparation of health information  for community

2.1 Develop ideas for community health promotion collaboratively according to organisation guidelines 

2.2 Consult community about planning the delivery of health promotion and education

2.3 Use feedback from community consultation as a basis for planning community health information programs

2.4 Discuss plans for health information program with supervisor and record in line with organisation guidelines

3. Participate in the delivery of health promotion and education services

3.1 Consult community about who should deliver health information

3.2 Communicate community requirements to supervisor in line with organisation guidelines

3.3 Conduct health promotion and education in partnership with the community

3.4 Ensure service delivery meets community, legislative and organisation requirements

3.5 Ensure health promotion and education activities support clients to take a self-care approach to health in line with individual needs and organisation and community requirements

4. Participate in the delivery of information about nutritional health

4.1 Identify food sources and availability to address individual and community needs throughout the year

4.2 Identify factors affecting food security, availability and access and assess their impact

4.3 Provide information about basic core food groups (including traditional bush foods) and the main nutrients they provide, using the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating  and the ATSI Australian Guide to Healthy Eating 

4.4 Use Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating  as a basis for identifying nutrition requirements for specific groups

5. Participate in routine health screening services

5.1 Explain screening procedure to client

5.2 Obtain feedback  from client to determine whether procedure is understood

5.3 Make client as comfortable as possible

5.4 Prepare screening equipment

5.5 Perform basic routine screening in line with community, legislative and organisation requirements

6. Participate in the evaluation of health promotion and education services

6.1 Consult community about the effectiveness of health promotion and education

6.2 Ensure evaluation includes effectiveness of health promotion resources, involvement of community as partner and community response to information provided

6.3 Consult community to identify any obstacles to application of the information

6.4 Discuss feedback with other members of the team and supervisor

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:

• A broad knowledge base relating to individual and community health, including:

• biology and development
• the relationship between good health and nutrition, physical activity and other impacting factors across the lifespan
• psychology
• disease and treatment options
• vaccine preventable diseases and the potential impact of non-immunisation
• culture and tradition

• Community processes
• Confidentiality as it applies to the community/organisation
• First aid
• Knowledge and understanding of local community traditions, values, cultural beliefs and expectations, and how these affect the way the health worker must practice
• Political, social, environmental and economic factors underlying community development
• Processes related to health promotion and education
• Relevant workplace policies, procedures and programs for screening, health promotion and education

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Communicate health information effectively in a one-on-one or group environment
• Consult with community representatives and clarify needs in relation to health promotion
• Help to prepare relevant and accurate health information to address these needs
• Undertake basic health screening

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:

• Apply a broad skills base relating to intervention in areas of knowledge in context of local community
• Apply first aid skills to the level of unit HLTFA301B Apply first aid  or equivalent
• Communicate effectively (verbal skills essential, written not essential) and establish a relationship of trust with clients, including:

• negotiation
• public speaking
• conflict resolution
• representation

• Reflect on and improve own level and application of skills and knowledge to achieve desirable outcomes and maintain own capabilities
• Take into account opportunities to address waste minimisation, environmental responsibility and sustainable practice issues
• Use basic research skills to obtain, summarise and provide feedback on community information

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

Health promotion /education services may include  (for example ) promotion of :

• Child and adult immunisation
• Diabetes care
• Drug and alcohol use
• Nutrition
• Child health broadly
• Women's health
• Men's health
• Older people's health
• Oral health
• Eye health

Factors affecting food availability and access may include :

• Social and domestic factors
• Community infrastructure
• Individual factors, such as:

• income
• level of knowledge
• physical ability
• transport

Australian Dietary Guidelines for specific groups apply to :

• Infants
• Children
• Adolescents
• Adults
• Older adults

Provision of health care information includes :

• Promotion of:

• benefits of good nutrition and physical activity
• factors that act as enablers and barriers to participation in physical activity (ref. national physical activity guidelines)
• smoking cessation and safe use of alcohol
• safe sex
• avoiding hazards for children
• ways to seek help
• accessing health services/ programs available to the community

• Information on nutrition, such as:

• benefits of obtaining a nutritionally adequate diet
• information on healthy food&cooking
• food content labelling
• risks of food-borne disease
• how to avoid contamination during food preparation
• safe food hygiene and storage

• Information on environmental health, such as:

• basic hygiene practices (personal, home and family)
• pest and animal management
• basic water, sewerage and waste management
• food safety

• Reinforcement of specific information provided by health service provider to support health care plan and requiring client compliance, such as:

• requirements of treatment program or medication regime
• specific dietary requirements and/or health care practices

• Sexual/reproductive health information, such as:

• safe sex practices
• common methods of birth control
• use of common contraceptives
• availability of help in relation to making decisions about unwanted pregnancy

• Information on healthy lifestyle and risks during pregnancy, including:

• Smoking cessation
• restrictions on alcohol
• balanced diet
• moderate physical activity
• iron and folate supplement

continued  ...

Provision of health care information includes :
(continued )

• Maternal and infant health information, such as:

• common physiological and emotional changes after childbirth
• activities to enhance post natal health care
• benefits of breast-feeding
• advantages/disadvantages of infant formula feeding and correct preparation of formula
• care of the newborn baby
• hearing health issues

• Information on nutrition for children, such as:

• appropriate age to introduce solid foods
• appropriate foods to introduce
• basic advice on healthy food
• healthy snacking for toddlers and pre-school age children

• Information on treatment of treatment of common childhood conditions, such as:

• nappy rash
• gastro-enteritis
• scabies and school sores
• chronic suppurative otitis media
• growth delay

• Information on oral health, such as:

• oral hygiene
• oral disease and its effects on the body
• prevention of dental caries, gum disease and oral cancer

Basic routine screening services may include :

• Routine screening by age, sex, ethnicity and regional disease prevalence using common clinical procedures under supervision
• Screening practices in line with relevant local, organisation and national guidelines as per 'Evidence base to a preventative health assessment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' (RACGP/NACCHO publication)
• Conditions to be screened for may include:

• diabetes
• overweight and obesity
• hypertension
• proteinuria
• hearing
• STIs
• oral health

Information may be obtained from :

• Client
• Family
• Significant others
• Community
• Other professionals
• Relevant documentation, such as:

• National Physical Activity Guidelines (for adults, children, adolescents and older adults

Significant others may include :

• Members of family
• Carers
• Any person with the right to speak for the client
• Government and non government organisations
• Key members of the community

Organisation guidelines may include :

• Clinical protocols
• Occupational health and safety guidelines
• Procedures manuals
• Infection control guidelines
• Legislation
• National guidelines

Other health personnel may include :

• Other health workers
• Nurses
• Doctors
• Specialists
• Allied health professionals
• Members of the community who provide health care for client
• Dental personnel

Documenting and recording may include :

• Verbal reports
• Reporting in writing
• Taping
• Filming
• Photographs

Environment may include :

• Remote
• Urban
• Rural
• Coastal
• Island
• Inland
• Clinic
• Community centre
• Patient's home, workplace or location

Feedback may be provided :

• In writing
• Verbally
• Using symbols or drawings
• As a recording using sound or visual media

Resources may include :

• People
• Brochures
• Displays
• Stories
• Videos
• Tapes
• CDs
• Computerised information
• Whiteboards etc

Key people are :

• Identified by the local community and community controlled organisations

Agencies include :

• Government and non-government organisations
• Community controlled organisations
• Other agencies that provide health and community services