Unit of competency details

Descriptor 

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to manage a clinical health practice according to the size and scale of the business

Application 

This unit applies to work in a range of health settings where health services are provided with direct client contact involved

Application of this unit should be contextualised to reflect any specific workplace requirements, issues and practices

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. Establish the practice

1.1 Prepare a business plan 

1.2 Establish policies and procedures 

1.3 Ensure required resources  are available

1.4 Comply with statutory and regulatory requirements 

2. Implement financial management procedures

2.1 Manage the finances of the business

2.2 Establish systems for financial documentation

2.3 Record information for financial reports

3. Implement practice management strategies

3.1 Implement operational strategies 

3.2 Implement marketing strategies 

3.3 Plan and manage meetings

3.4 Monitor stock levels and supplies 

4. Implement personnel management strategies

4.1 Implement support strategies  to support staff

4.2 Develop human resource strategies 

4.3 Manage payroll and employee  records if necessary

4.4 Manage diversity appropriately

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:

• All relevant statutory and regulatory requirements which affect the proposed small business including relevant child protection legislation
• Appropriate practices to ensure efficient use of power and other resources
• ATO requirements
• Business risks and measures to manage or minimise risks
• Business systems
• Contractual rights and responsibilities
• Effective monitoring systems
• Forms and sources of finance
• Industrial awards and agreements
• Insurance requirements
• Key operational concepts and procedures
• Legal and regulatory aspects of employing or contracting human resources
• Legal rights and responsibilities
• Meeting procedures
• Methods of monitoring performance
• Operational factors relating to the business (provision of professional services, products)
• Options for meeting human resource requirements and the implications of each option
• Planning and control systems (sales, advertising and promotion, distribution and logistics)
• Production and planning techniques
• Record keeping duties
• Specialist services available and charges
• Stock control methods and procedures
• Support networks
• Various methods producing financial reports, payroll procedures and employee statutory records

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability 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:

• Accurately record financial transactions
• Apply time management skills
• Assess competencies of clinic staff appropriate to size/scope of clinic
• Assess human resources appropriate to size/scope of clinic
• Demonstrate self awareness skills
• Manage finances
• Manage meetings
• Prepare and manage payroll and maintain payroll records
• Prepare business plans
• Prepare cash flow forecasts
• Promote, implement and manage work attitudes and practices that reflect awareness of the importance of a range of aspects of sustainability
• Provide clinic guidelines, policies and procedures
• Review clinic job descriptions and hierarchical structures
• Review training/career pathway strategies appropriate to size/scope of clinic

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 :

• Observation of performance in the workplace or a simulated workplace (defined as a supervised clinic) is essential for assessment of this unit
• Assessment may contain both theoretical and practical components and examples covering a range of clinical situations
• 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
• Assessment of sole practitioners must include a range of clinical situations and different client groups covering at minimum, age, culture and gender
• Assessment of sole practitioners must consider their unique workplace context, including:

• interaction with others in the broader professional community as part of the sole practitioner's workplace
• scope of practice as detailed in the qualification and component competency units
• holistic/integrated assessment including:
• working within the practice framework
• performing a health assessment
• assessing the client
• planning treatment
• providing treatment

Context of and specific resources for assessment :

• Assessment should replicate workplace conditions as far as possible
• Simulations may be used to represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
• Where, for reasons of safety, access to equipment and resources and space, assessment takes place away from the workplace, simulations should be used to represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
• Resources essential for assessment include:

• an appropriately stocked and equipped clinic or simulated clinic environment
• relevant texts or medical manuals
• documented process to enable the access and interpretation of up-to-date information
• relevant assessment instruments
• appropriate assessment environment
• skilled assessors

Method of assessment 

• Observation in the work place (if possible)
• Written assignments/projects or questioning should be used to assess knowledge
• Case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practice
• Clinical skills involving direct client care are to be assessed initially in a simulated clinical setting (laboratory). If successful, a second assessment is to be conducted during workplace application under direct supervision
• Explanations of technique

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

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.

Business plan may include information on :

• Budget forecasts
• Business goals and objectives
• Legal structure
• Management strategies
• Marketing strategies
• Required resources
• Specialist services to be provided or recruited
• Staffing requirements
• Statutory and regulatory compliance
• Strategies to make the organisation child safe and child friendly

The comprehensiveness and extent of detailed documentation required in the business plan will depend on a range of factors which may include :

• Different stages in the development of a business
• Level of risk involved including the provision of services to clients under 18 years of age on a one to one basis
• Market focus of the business
• Need to raise finance and requirements of lenders
• Proposed size and scale of the business

In accordance with requirements for the scale of the operation policies and procedures may include :

• Child protection requirements including background checks
• Child safe, child friendly policy including code of conduct, managing complaints
• Communication procedures
• Documentation procedures
• Emergency procedures
• Financial procedures
• Human resources policies
• Policy and procedure guidelines developed and/or provided by industry associations
• Security procedures
• Stock control procedures
• Treatment protocols

Required resources may include :

• Administrative equipment and materials
• Communications equipment
• Marketing materials
• Physical location
• Practice/medical equipment
• Staff

Statutory and regulatory requirements may include local , state and national legislation and regulations affecting business operations such as :

• Anti-competition/monopoly and consumer-based legislation
• Anti-Discrimination Act
• Business registration
• Codes of practice standards
• Equal Employment Opportunities Act
• Fire, occupational and environmental legislation
• Planning and other permissions
• Relevant state and territory child protection legislation
• Taxation, copyright and trademark regulations
• Therapeutic Goods Act

Manage the finances of the business includes monitoring and making decisions on :

• Assets
• Current financial state of the clinic (or owner/operator)
• Financial inputs required (sources and forms of finance)
• Financial performance to date (if applicable)
• Likely return on investment
• Projections of likely financial results (budgeting)
• Risks and measures to manage or minimise risks

Financial documentation may include :

NB These will vary in complexity according to the scale of the business and the level of support employed from accountants and financial consultants 

• Asset registers
• Banking documentation
• Costing procedures
• Credit transactions
• Creditors and debtors systems
• Draft financial forecasts/budgets
• Payroll records
• Petty cash
• Stock records

Financial reports may include :

NB These will vary in complexity according to the scale of the business and the level of support employed from accountants and financial consultants 

• Budget reports
• Cash flow forecasts
• Detailed ledger accounts
• Profit and loss statements
• Reconciliations
• Taxation documentation

Operational strategies may include :

• Daily operation procedures
• Environmental strategies
• Management and administrative systems and procedures
• Marketing approaches, which may include advertising a child friendly environment
• Office systems
• Staffing procedures

Marketing strategies may include :

• Advertising
• Development of marketing/promotional materials, including child friendly literature
• Pricing strategies
• Promotional and public relations activities
• Publicity and media relations

Stock may include :

• Information materials provided to clients
• Materials and equipment required to prepare and dispense medicines
• Materials and equipment used in the treatment of clients
• Medicinal preparations provided to clients Stationery and administrative supplies
• Other promotional materials

Support strategies may include :

• Catering to personal limitations
• Collegial support group or network
• Defining boundaries
• Gaining adequate supervision
• Maintaining discussions with colleagues
• Personal or professional support
• Setting, reviewing and adjusting goals

Human resource strategies may include :

NB These will vary in detail according to number of personnel involved either as practitioner partners or employees 

• Implementation of statutory requirements
• Performance management strategies
• Personnel documentation
• Planning and facilitation of meetings
• Recruitment targets, policies and procedures
• Support networks
• Time and stress management
• Training and assessment
• Workplace communications
• Workplace health and safety

Employee records may include :

• Employee records (including tax file number, remuneration, leave and training records, records of disciplinary action, time and wages sheets)
• Job/position descriptions
• OHS records
• Prohibited persons declaration when working with people under 18
• Records of taxation and superannuation payments made
• Relevant awards and/or industrial agreements.

Manage diversity involves :

Valuing and utilising the different skills , backgrounds and capabilities of self and staff and developing strategies to encourage and enable their effective integration into the business . Diversity may include for example :

• Competencies
• Culture
• Education
• Gender
• Language
• Network of contact
• Work history
• Work preference