Unit of competency details

Unit Descriptor 

This unit involves the skills and knowledge required to plan health support in support of organisational operations. Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements are applicable to this unit.

Application of the Unit 

This unit of competency was written to support Defence operations that are likely to involve casualties and are therefore supported by health elements. However, the skills and knowledge are applicable to a variety of deployed operations such as health support for natural disasters and humanitarian activities.

The candidate will bring well developed management and communication skills as well as specialist skills in health coordination and the management of health services. This type of coordination would typically occur in an organisational headquarters with full access to information technology and staff support services. All activities are carried out in accordance with relevant organisational policy and procedures.

Employability Skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the required performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1 Analyse the health requirements 

1.1 Operational situation and tempo are analysed in order to establish the scope and intent of health support

1.2 Information is sourced and analysed to identify the health support planning factors

1.3 Information systems are utilised to compile and analyse casualty planning data

1.4 Health risk assessments are prepared to classify the health risks to the organisation and to inform the development of the health estimate

1.5 Casualty estimates are produced to inform health planning and compilation of the health estimate

1.6 Health estimates are produced to support a number of courses of action to support command appreciation

2 Develop the health support plan 

2.1 Health support organisational structure is developed to meet the health estimates within organisational resource constraints

2.2 The lines of health support and types of health support are identified along with clear lines of responsibility and agreed casualty exchange points

2.3 The imperatives of health support are applied to the development of the health support plan and identification of a preferred course of action

2.4 Health support control measures are determined to provide adequate regulation of casualties and to support casualty survivability

2.5 Health information requirements are planned and integrated into the health support plan to ensure health information is collected and analysed to inform ongoing health planning

2.6 Health administration requirements are planned and integrated into the health support plan

2.7 Health plan is developed to detail the provision of services and the establishment and operation of operational health elements

2.8 Health plan is communicated to stakeholders

3 Integrate the health plan 

3.1 Liaison with other stakeholders is undertaken to ensure the health plan is integrated into the larger logistic or operational plan

3.2 Health plan is adjusted in accordance with changing operational tempo or the need to synchronise with other logistic functions

3.3 Specialist health input and recommendations are provided to management regarding health support and the employment of health support capabilities

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 

This describes the essential knowledge and skills and their level required for this unit.

Required knowledge :

• Organisational policy and procedure pertaining to health support

• Principles of health support

• Preparedness requirements of health personnel and equipment

• Policy and procedure relating to surface evacuation

• Tasks and composition of health elements and their points of interaction

• Health stores and equipment including resupply systems and procedures

• Patient tracking and administration

• Environment consideration in planning health support

• Health intelligence sources, collection and analysis processes

• Health capabilities

• Health planning inputs to the staff planning process

• Estimation of casualty numbers and types

• Requirements relating to the management of health waste

• Supply, handling, storage of blood products

• Legislative and regulatory environment pertaining to materiel logistics and health services delivery

• The functionality and operation of logistic information management systems

• Risks to health support

• Staff planning process

• Writing conventions

• Integrated logistics support (ILS)

Required skills :

• Interpret instructions and apply this to the development of actions and tasks

• Analyse the complexities of a task

• Identify the operation's intent and recognise how own planning contributes to operation success

• Work cooperatively as a member of a team

• Undertake analysis to determine where internal and external factors impact on the health support requirements, and adjust planning accordingly

• Use numeracy skills to accurately analyse and validate information

• Use organisational skills to manage own planning tasks in concert with other staff planners

• Use problem-solving skills to apply a broad range of problem-solving strategies to planning outcomes

• Move forward despite the difficulty of the planning task

• Interpret policy and procedures

• Make decisive, informed decisions that align with organisational requirements

• Use appropriate information technology and software

• Prepare and issue written instructions

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required knowledge and skills, the range statement and the assessment guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

• The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria of this unit

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

• Competency should be demonstrated on at least one occasion covering the scope of the unit of competence
• Resources for assessment include:

• a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or other simulated practical and knowledge assessment, and/or
• access to an appropriate range of relevant operational situations in the workplace

• In both real and simulated environments, access is required to:

• relevant and appropriate materials and equipment, and
• applicable documentation including workplace procedures, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals

Method of assessment 

• Assessment of this unit must be undertaken by a registered training organisation
• As a minimum, assessment of knowledge must be conducted through appropriate written/oral tests
• Practical assessment must occur:

• through activities in an appropriately simulated environment, and/or
• in an appropriate range of situations in the workplace

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.

Health support planning factors may include:

• the casualty estimate and its possible effects on the delivery of health support
• health information and health intelligence
• resource availability and restrictions, including specialist personnel, contract health practitioners and equipment
• evacuation policy and mode availability
• availability of local infrastructure
• blood sourcing, transport and holding policy
• health capability development requirements waste disposal plan
• the link with personnel and logistic staff for handling remains
• the location of the health facilities
• marking and notification of health elements

Casualty planning data may include:

• types of casualties and casualty profile
• rate of casualty arrival
• level of conflict
• casualty flow
• numbers of casualties
• return to duty rates
• walking, sitting and litter percentages
• evacuation priorities
• anatomic wound distribution
• disease and non-battle injury experience
• assessment of hospital bed requirements
• surgical workload data
• theatre of operations beds
• casualty accumulation factor

Health risk assessment may include:

• the identification of health risks in the intended operating environment, including:

• environment health risks: weather, terrain, vegetation, animal or disease
• occupational health risks: road traffic accident or industrial injury
• operational health risks: physical injury, chemical/biological injury or psychiatric injury

• the analysis and assessment of health risks
• the treatment of risks by developing and integrating control measures within the health support plan

Casualty estimates may include:

• on-duty casualty rate
• non-duty casualty rate
• operational stress reaction
• calculation of hospital beds and holding policy

Health estimate may include:

• health information, intelligence and surveillance outputs
• casualty estimate
• health related characteristics of the operation
• health related characteristics of the environment
• summary of the health risks and risk factors

Types of health support may include:

• dental team
• environmental health team
• health assessment team
• field pathology team
• low/medium/high dependency nursing team
• primary health care team
• rehabilitation team
• resuscitation team
• surgical team
• laboratory team
• medical imaging team
• road ambulance evacuation team
• aero-medical evacuation team
• psych support team
• mortuary team
• ships medical emergency team

Health support imperatives may include:

• prevention
• immediate first aid
• resuscitation within the hour
• initial wound surgery within three hours

Support control measures may include:

• treatment and holding policies
• casualty management plans
• casualty regulation
• triage and treatment priorities
• evacuation priorities

Health plan may include:

• identification of the health mission (mission statement)
• the execution:

• general outline - broad statement of how health support is to be provided, broken down (where appropriate) into operational phases
• groupings and tasks - a list of health service elements or units in a logical sequence, detailing the health support tasks for which elements/units are responsible during the operation, by phases, where appropriate
• coordinating instructions - matters of coordination necessary for successful implementation and explanation of the plan
• timings of key events
• operating locations and boundaries
• holding or staging policies
• casualty evacuation, including procedures for surface evacuation and aero-medical evacuation
• locations and capabilities of supporting health facilities
• opening and closing times of medical facilities
• treatment of local population
• preventative medicine/environmental health measures
• movement of medical elements
• specific clinical requirements
• priorities for evacuation and treatment
• protection and working of health personnel, facilities and transport

• administration and logistics - to include holdings and resupply of medical and dental stores; repair of medical and dental equipment; and arrangements for exchange of and reserve pools for litters and blankets, blood supply documentation of casualties
• organisational structure and authority - appointment of a medical authority and alternatives, locations of medical commanders, medical communications networks, medical reports and returns, medical liaison, health planning groups and conferences

Other stakeholders may include:

• health specialists
• distribution specialist
• catering specialist
• maintenance specialist

Competency Field 

X - Logistics