Unit of competency details

Descriptor 

This unit describes the competencies needed to provide information and support to householders/ community members with environmental health issues or hazards that may be of concern

Application 

This unit applies to work in a public health context and must be applied in compliance with relevant legislation and regulations

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. Address information needs of the community and householders

1.1 Monitor and observe potential environmental health hazards  or risks in the community and household as part of work role

1.2 Discuss any issues of concern  with community members and householders to determine information needs , and level of support required

1.3 Discuss any difficulties or obstacles that may exist which has prevented the householder/ community member from being able to address issues of concern

2. Provide information and support

2.1 Provide information and support to community members as required or requested in accordance with identified job role, and worker's roles and responsibilities

2.2 Report any problems, difficulties or obstacles  that are outside of area of responsibility or expertise in accordance with organisational policy and procedures

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:

• Alternative ways of providing information e.g. seeking the assistance of Aboriginal Health Workers, or others in the community to help provide information or support if cultural relationships such as "poison cousins" prevents interaction
• Basic knowledge of germ theory and disease transmission
• Own roles and responsibilities
• What are environmental health hazards and risks and why

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Recognise the way in which diseases are transmitted and identify strategies for prevention

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:

• Effectively communicate with community members, the employing organisation and in some instances outside agencies or relevant others
• Monitor and identify potential environmental health risks and hazards as part of job role
• Recognise the way in which diseases are transmitted, and strategies for prevention
• Take into account opportunities to address waste minimisation, environmental responsibility and sustainable practice issues

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
• Assessment of this unit of competency needs to occur more than once and/ or over a period of time
• Assessment of performance must be in relation to issues relevant to the indigenous environmental workers job role and area of responsibility
• If this unit is being assessed in the context of personal and domestic hygiene gender issues and cultural sensitivities need to be considered

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 take place on the job
• Access to:

• resources, tools or equipment in order to be able to demonstrate or show householders or community members possible strategies to deal with any issues of concern if required

Method of assessment :

• Assessment may include:

• observations
• questioning
• evidence gathered from the work place

• Assessment may also include the way in which competency is applied to other environmental health specific units over a period of time

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.

Monitoring potential environmental health hazards or risks will depend upon the Indigenous Environmental Health Workers job role , and context  (area ) of environmental health within the workers responsibility .

These environmental health hazards or risks may include , but are not limited to :

• Non functional health hardware in the house e.g. toilets, taps, drains, pipes, washing machines, hot water service, etc.
• Problems associated with poor housing design and construction e.g. waste water pooling in other areas of the house as a result of inappropriately graded wet areas, living areas built to close to wet areas, lack of adequate food preparation surfaces and storage, shelving in houses, etc.
• Overcrowding
• Pooling water from leaking taps or rubbish lying around in the yard or community which could potentially become a breeding ground for mosquitoes
• Littering in the community and/ or not enough bins in the community
• Sick dogs sleeping with people
• Problem with dust blowing around in people's yards and the general community
• Domestic and personal hygiene issues
• Unsafe food storage and handling practices

Issues of concern refers to :

• Any environmental health issue or hazard identified by the worker as part of their work role which directly relates to the need to provide information and/ or support to householders and/ or community members

Determine information needs may refer to :

• Identifying how much householders and community members already know about the potential disease threats in relation to the issue of concern or hazard
• Identifying what information still needs to be provided to householders and community members to assist them in making informed choices or decisions

Some difficulties or obstacles may refer to :

• Non durable health hardware already installed in houses that constantly breaks
• Houses that have been poorly constructed or designed, and as a result are contributing to a range of health problems
• Large numbers of family visiting the household at any one time
• Lack of ongoing repairs and maintenance to health hardware
• Issues in relation to "shame" e.g. house holder or community member not being able to afford to buy health hardware items eg. toilet paper, shampoo, soap, cleaning agents, or inability to read labels and direction of use on detergent bottles and cleaning agents
• Cultural issues e.g. sleeping with dogs because they are a very important part of a person's culture and life
• Not having access to fridges/ freezers to store food
• Not having access to washing machines to wash clothes

Provide information and support may include :

• Informing and showing householders basic plumbing skills e.g. changing washers, reseating taps, unblocking drains, etc.
• Informing and showing householders/ community members possible strategies to utilise the yard area to reduce the impact of overcrowding e.g. cooking areas, sheltered areas, wind breaks, shelving out of reach of dogs, etc.
• Informing and showing householders/ community members potential mosquito breeding items that may be lying around in the yard or community e.g. broken upside down cars that are collecting water, tins, pet water containers that haven't been changed regularly, etc.
• Informing and showing householders and community members the importance of protecting themselves from mosquito bites
• Informing and showing community members strategies to prevent the transmission of disease in a food storage and handling context e.g. importance of washing hands after going to the toilet, not sneezing or coughing on food, covering food, not leaving food out over night near the campfire or on the stove, not re-freezing food that has already been thawed out, etc.
• Informing and showing community members strategies to prevent the transmission of diseases that may be highlighted/ accentuated by personal and domestic hygiene issues e.g. correct detergent or cleaning agent to use for the task required, way in which to clean the house and the various items within it, correct use of white goods such as washing machines, etc.

Reporting may be :

• Verbally in either first language or English
• Written in either first language or English
• By showing supervisor the problem if and when appropriate

Organisation may refer to :

• Community council
• Community clinic
• Other employer bodies/ agencies