Unit of competency details

Unit Descriptor 

This unit describes the competencies required to deliver health care programs to address identified needs in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities

Application 

This unit is intended to address skills and knowledge required by those working with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities at Certificate IV level to deliver a specific range of health care 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. Undertake health checks

1.1 Consider and respect community values and beliefs and gender roles and taboos in conducting health checks and screening

1.2 Use appropriate screening protocols to target disease patterns for particular age, sex, ethnicity, regional and other societal groups

1.3 Provide well -person's health checks  and associated health information opportunistically on client presentation to a health service

1.4 Obtain community, individual and carer consent to conduct health checks

1.5 Investigate significant variations  detected through screening and other health checks and interpret in line with clinical protocols

1.6 Provide information in plain language to clients regarding the results of the health checks and/or screening

1.7 Provide information in plain language to clients about health problems common to their particular client group

2. Provide health care program to address common problems

2.1 Take a team approach to primary health care, including appropriate referral to specialist care providers and other agencies

2.2 Identify common health problems as part of the program and treated and/or referred in line with clinical protocols, community, organisation and legislative/regulatory requirements

2.3 Support clients and families in accessing health care services and associated benefits as required

2.4 Provide guidance, support and assistance to individuals and families coping with social and emotional issues according to identified needs and cultural protocols

2.5 Promote quality use of medicine 

2.6 Provide clients with information relevant to promoting and maintaining health in a way they understand readily

2.7 Check client understanding of information through appropriate questioning

2.8 Ensure health care programs support clients to take a self-care approach to health in line with individual needs and organisation and community requirements

3. Manage the delivery of health programs

3.1 Provide health care programs to the community in ways consistent with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community values and beliefs

3.2 Integrate promotion of health screening, surveillance and education activities with provision of curative care (eg. in clinic or hospital environments)

3.3 Organise follow up care for clients with identified health problems using computer and/or paper based registers

3.4 Produce lists of clients with significantly over-due health care checks and employ active recall strategies

3.5 Identify and address social and environmental interventions that may improve health in partnership with the community and other agencies

3.6 Establish and maintain links with support agencies, resource networks and associated health services in the local and regional area

4. Participate in the evaluation of health programs

4.1 Collect and document data to contribute to the evaluation of health programs

4.2 Interpret data according to program and organisation requirements

4.3 Prepare reports from data collected and provided to management in line with organisation guidelines

4.4 Maintain client and community confidentiality in line with organisation and community requirements

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:

• Health screening and surveillance methods relevant to the area/region, including:

• use of equipment
• testing procedures
• interpretation and analysis of results of testing
• 'normal' range of results
• record keeping for effective follow up and management (eg. disease registers, tagging client files, computer-generated prompts)

• Symptoms and management of common existing and potential health problems for the community
• Use of a range of health management protocols and practices
• Effective strategies to monitor and manage identified health problems in line with community needs and sensitivities
• Familiarity with a range of conditions, diseases and disorders, including:

• child and youth health issues
• sexual and reproductive health problems for males and females
• sexually transmissible infections
• substance misuse
• rape, family violence and sexual abuse

• Familiarity with basic pathophysiology, disease patterns and management priorities for a range of diseases common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, such as:

• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes mellitus
• chronic renal disease
• chronic liver disease
• chronic obstructive lung disease
• major types of chronic physical, psychiatric and mental disability
• oral diseases

• Physiological and related changes associated with ageing, how they manifest physically and likely impact on clients
• Developmental milestones, significant health problems and immunisation policies/procedures pertaining to children in the local area / region
• Methods of evaluating health programs and providing feedback to health service management and the community in line with organisation and community requirements
• Occupational health and safety practices and procedures relevant to the work (eg. manual handling)
• How to contact and access available health and support services in the region

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Deliver primary health care programs to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities, including:

• Undertaking health checks relevant to the program content area
• Ensuring the program addresses specific client and community needs for guidance, support and information
• Ensuring delivery is consistent with community needs, values and beliefs
• Contributing to evaluation of the program

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:

• Explain and describe procedures and illnesses/disorders to clients using clear, simple language
• Apply literacy and numeracy skills to read and write reports, interpret simple statistics, charts and test results, write letters and maintain client records
• Work with groups in the community to seek input and feedback on health services
• Use computer-based and/or paper-based client record systems
• Observe, obtain and interpret client information in relation to health issues, behaviour and health services
• Communicate with clients, colleagues, community members and other agencies and to negotiate with them as required

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

Well -person's health checks refer to :

• Periodic health examinations that aim to promote health and prevent disease, based on best available evidence and consideration of local circumstances

Significant variations detected refer to :

• Results outside the normal range of values

Quality use of medicine may include :

• Providing information
• Ensuring regular medication reviews
• Disposing of outdated or unwanted medicine
• Assistance with dosage administration aids

Health care benefits may include , but are not limited to :

• Relevant benefits available through the health care system, including:

• Medicare benefits
• Pharmaceutical benefits
• Related social benefits

Social and environmental factors that may improve health include :

• Creating employment, educational or employment opportunities
• Restrictions on liquor licensing and alcohol trading hours
• Improved relations between police and communities

Screening and health information may be offered in relation to :

• Chronic diseases, such as undiagnosed Type II diabetes and renal disease
• Cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking status, blood pressure, obesity, hyperlipidaemia, proteinuria, weight and family history
• Child health issues, such as immunisation status, eye and ear functions and hearing, oral health, developmental status, skin and other infections, haemoglobin estimation, physical and/or behavioural signs/symptoms of abuse/ neglect
• Aged-care related health problems, such as vision/ hearing/dentition, physical mobility and dexterity, mental state, blood pressure, incontinence, skin ulceration
• Potentially common health problems across the community, such as:

• dental health
• eye and ear health issues
• communicable diseases
• mental health
• health issues for those with disabilities
• nutritional health issues
• substance misuse

• Designated 'men's health' and women's health' issues, including issues in sexual and reproductive health and social and emotional well-being
• Health issues for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients in custody