5 lines of handwritten text

10 lines of handwritten text = of a foolscap page

50 lines of handwritten text = 1foolscap handwritten pages

100 lines of handwritten text = 3 foolscap handwritten pages

200 lines of handwritten text = 6 foolscap handwritten pages

Does not refer to or utilise appropriate or correct sources of information

The student will complete the written activity provided to them by the assessor.

The Written Activity Checklist will be completed by the assessor.

The student will demonstrate a range of skills and the assessor will observe where appropriate to the unit.

The Observation Checklist will be completed by the assessor.

The student will answer a range of questions either verbally or written.

The Questioning Checklist will be completed by the assessor.

1. Physical: Physical needs

2. Psychological

3. Spiritual: Ceremonial observances

Formal and informal religious observance

Need for privacy

Need for an appropriate environment to reflect and / or participate in spiritual activities

Culturally appropriate spiritual support assists care recipients to express their unique spirituality in an open and non-judgemental environment by helping them to maintain important practices, beliefs and networks

4. Cultural: RECOGNISE AND RESPECT THE PERSON’S SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL DIFFERENCES:

In all cases when working in a community service or health environment you will need to consider and respect a person’s social, cultural and spiritual differences if you are going to work with them effectively

Ceremonial and festive observances

 Dress and dietary observance

 Need for continued interaction with cultural communityIt is then the care workers role to ensure that dignity is respected by giving them the privacy they require.

It is important that you ensure your work practices accommodate a client’s modesty and privacy according to cultural requirements.

Accept cultural and religious ceremonies and link in to them

Celebrate different cultures by sharing food from that culture or having cultural days

Get guest speakers to talk about different cultures

Learn a language (even a few words) to make people feel more welcome

5. Sexual: From the discussion above, it is clear that you should avoid imposing your own values and attitudes regarding sexuality on others, including your clients. Your own values may not be consistent with those of your client, and if you impose these conflicting values on your client this can cause them problems – including psychological harm. RECOGNISE, RESPECT AND ACCOMMODATE THE PERSON’S EXPRESSIONS OF IDENTITY AND SEXUALITY AS APPROPRIATE IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR AGE OR STAGE OF LIFEA client’s circumstances may have a significant impact on their expression of identity and sexuality. Expression of identity and sexuality may include:

Access to assistive / protective devices

Love and affection

Need for privacy and discretion

Physical appearance

Touch

Maslow’s hierarchy is described as follows:

1. Physiological needs, such as needs for food, sleep and air.

2. Safety, or the needs for security and protection, especially those that emerge from social or political instability.

3. Belonging and love including, the needs of deficiency and selfish taking instead of giving, and unselfish love that is based upon growth rather than deficiency.

4. Needs for self-esteem, self-respect, and healthy, positive feelings derived from admiration.

5. And “being” needs concerning creative self-growth, engendered from fulfillment of potential and meaning in life.

1. Prebirth: Potential – The child who has not yet been born could become anything – a Michaelangelo, a Shakespeare, a Martin Luther King – and thus holds for all of humanity the principle of what we all may yet become in our lives.

2. Birth: Hope – When a child is born, it instills in its parents and other caregivers a sense of optimism; a sense that this new life may bring something new and special into the world. Hence, the newborn represents the sense of hope that we all nourish inside of ourselves to make the world a better place.

3. Infancy (Ages 0-3): Vitality – The infant is a vibrant and seemingly unlimited source of energy. Babies thus represent the inner dynamo of humanity, ever fueling the fires of the human life cycle with new channels of psychic power.

4. Early Childhood (Ages 3-6): Playfulness – When young children play, they recreate the world anew. They take what is and combine it with the what is possible to fashion events that have never been seen before in the history of the world. As such, they embody the principle of innovation and transformation that underlies every single creative act that has occurred in the course of civilization.

5. Middle Childhood (Ages 6-8): Imagination – In middle childhoood, the sense of an inner subjective self develops for the first time, and this self is alive with images taken in from the outer world, and brought up from the depths of the unconscious. This imagination serves as a source of creative inspiration in later life for artists, writers, scientists, and anyone else who finds their days and nights enriched for having nurtured a deep inner life.

6. Late Childhood (Ages 9-11): Ingenuity – Older children have acquired a wide range of social and technical skills that enable them to come up with marvelous strategies and inventive solutions for dealing with the increasing pressures that society places on them. This principle of ingenuity lives on in that part of ourselves that ever seeks new ways to solve practical problems and cope with everyday responsibilities.

7. Adolescence (Ages 12-20): Passion – The biological event of puberty unleashes a powerful set of changes in the adolescent body that reflect themselves in a teenager’s sexual, emotional, cultural, and/or spiritual passion. Adolescence passion thus represents a significant touchstone for anyone who is seeking to reconnect with their deepest inner zeal for life.

8. Early Adulthood (Ages 20-35): Enterprise – It takes enterprise for young adults to accomplish their many responsibilities, including finding a home and mate, establishing a family or circle of friends, and/or getting a good job. This principle of enterprise thus serves us at any stage of life when we need to go out into the world and make our mark.

9. Midlife (Ages 35-50): Contemplation – After many years in young adulthood of following society’s scripts for creating a life, people in midlife often take a break from worldly responsibilities to reflect upon the deeper meaning of their lives, the better to forge ahead with new understanding. This element of contemplation represents an important resource that we can all draw upon to deepen and enrich our lives at any age.

10. Mature Adulthood (Ages 50-80): Benevolence – Those in mature adulthood have raised families, established themselves in their work life, and become contributors to the betterment of society through volunteerism, mentorships, and other forms of philanthropy. All of humanity benefits from their benevolence. Moreover, we all can learn from their example to give more of ourselves to others.

11. Late Adulthood (Age 80+): Wisdom – Those with long lives have acquired a rich repository of experiences that they can use to help guide others. Elders thus represent the source of wisdom that exists in each of us, helping us to avoid the mistakes of the past while reaping the benefits of life’s lessons.

12. Death & Dying: Life – Those in our lives who are dying, or who have died, teach us about the value of living. They remind us not to take our lives for granted, but to live each moment of life to its fullest, and to remember that our own small lives form of a part of a greater whole. 5

 Advocates

 Carers

 Clergy / pastoral care providers

 Family members

 Friends

 Veteran’s / war widow organisations

To be able to provide information to your clients on the cultural and spiritual networks available to them, it is important that you are aware of the cultural and spiritual networks available in your local community (including both existing and new, as they occur). As noted above, networking – that is, engaging – with other professionals in the community services and in related fields is important in this respect, as these networks will be able to provide you with valuable information on events and services which might be suitable for your clients. Also, as discussed, you may research suitable opportunities online and in local newspapers / magazines, etc.

b. Cultural issues may also be affecting your client’s ability to socialise and therefore may be impacting on their well-being. People in care often have limited ability to socialise due to illness or incapacitation but in some cases, there may be language barriers that can affect people. English may not be their first language and it is possible that they are isolated because of this. Of course, these two issues are not the only ones that can impact of mental and physical well-being. You should consider all aspects of the person if you notice a deterioration in

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mental and physical health in your clients and record and report them to your supervisor.

c. It is a well-known fact that people who are struggling financially have a higher rate of illness than those who are not. You may often find that the well-being of your client’s is affected by the financial struggles they face. People who need home care do not work, perhaps live on disability income or aged pensions, where their disposable income is limited. People often isolate themselves because they do not have the finances to be socially active. This can increase depression and physical illness in your clients. If you recognise signs of mental illness, depression or other signs that might be negatively impacting your client, consider their financial state as at least one aspect that could be impacting their well-being.

o Nutrition and hydration

o Exercise

o Hygiene

o Lifestyle

o Oral health

 Has a markedly clumsy manner when compared with others of same age

Vision signs:

 Has difficulty following objects (or people) with eyes

Hearing signs:

 Fails to develop sounds or words that would be appropriate for their age

Signs of mental health issues may include but are not limited to:

 Changes in cognition:

o Hallucinations or delusions

o Excessive fears or suspiciousness (paranoia)

o Confused thinking

 Changes in mood:

o Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities

o Thinking or talking about suicide

 Changes in behaviour:

o Bizarre behaviour (strange posturing, ritualistic behaviour)

o Intention harming or killing of animals (especially in children)

o Hyperactivity

o Physical changes:

o Deterioration in hygiene or personal care

o Unexplained weight gains or loss

o Sleeping too much or being unable to sleep

Consultation and questioning of the client should be conducted in an exploratory and clinically professional manner at all times, if you feel that a client is presenting with issues that are outside your scope of responsibility or expertise then appropriate referrals must be made in line with organisational, legal and ethical guidelines.

 The primary purpose of integrated service delivery approaches is to improve outcomes for our clients. How this is achieved, and the factors that are important, will vary according to the service settings, agency capabilities and specific needs of the clients. They may include:

 Improving communication between agencies to monitor client progress and changes and be more responsive to these.

 Identifying areas of duplication, working at cross-purposes, or what is creating confusion for clients about who is doing what.

 Developing one plan for the client which includes the work being done by/with all agencies. This plan may also include actions and responsibilities the client agrees to do.

 Building understanding and capacity between the agencies – such as sharing practice frameworks and legal and funding limitations – so they can work together more effectively and generally support each other in their service delivery.

 Identifying systematic issues that create problems for clients, and for services in their efforts to meet client needs. This may include identification of client groups or needs that “fall between the gaps”. Ideally, there will be a process whereby these issues can be brought to the attention of decision-makers.

 Development of streamlined processes which can provide more seamless services to clients, such as a common referral or assessment process.7

There are also governance and management rules that apply to community service organisations. For access to all the current standards please go to:

http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-the-department/documents-and-resources/policies,-guidelines-and-legislation/human-services-standards-evidence-guide-and-resource-tool

http://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/home/about_us/client_service_standards.

https://www.qld.gov.au/community/community-organisations-volunteering/community-care-standards/

Flexible Funding models have been created to provide a new flexible way to fund many of the nation’s health priorities.

The creation of the Funds will, over time, reduce red tape, increase flexibility and more efficiently provide evidence-based funding for the delivery of better health outcomes in the community.

For further information on flexible funding models go to: http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/funded-agency-channel/about-service-agreements/simplifying-funding-and-reporting/flexible-funding

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BLOCK FUNDING MODEL

A fundamental principle of the new block funding arrangements is that changes to the service mix will be determined at the local level and negotiated between organisations and the Department of Health.

Changes should focus on the local community’s needs but also take into account broader health objectives, along with the capacity of the ACCHO.

Each ‘ACCO Services’ activity or ‘bucket’ includes sub activities that describe the programs or ‘jam jars’.

In a block funding model, ACCHOs will have the flexibility to move funds from one ‘bucket’ to another, as well as have one ‘jam jar’ to another, to address local priorities.

The service standards and guidelines for each program area will still apply.

For a full description of block funding arrangements go to: http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/funded-agency-channel/about-service-agreements/simplifying-funding-and-reporting/flexible-funding

ACTIVITY BASED FINDING

The key principles of ABF are the accurate and transparent allocation of funding to health services based on the activity they perform. This requires an ability to define, classify, count, cost and fund activity in a consistent manner.

Three key elements form the building blocks of ABF.

 Classification – grouping activity that uses a similar amount of resources into clinical meaningful classes

 Counting – applying the same rules and units to measure the amount of activity that occurs

 Costing – measuring in dollars the amount of resources used to provide each output in the classified group

For a full outline on activity based funding models go to:

https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/hospitals-and-health-services/funding-performance-accountability/activity-based-funding

work role boundaries”

Community service workers are often required to make decisions according to the ethics and philosophies of their organisation. Behaving in a way that is ethical and adhering to the policies and procedures of the organisation are a good starting point for providing high standards of care for the client. It is the responsibility of management to develop policies and procedures which reflect the values, objectives, and purpose of the organisation. Whilst management also have the responsibility to introduce staff to the policies and procedures, particularly to the new worker at the time of induction, it is the responsibility of the worker to familiarise themselves with the relevant information and ensure they comply.

Position descriptions are a good way for the worker to establish the scope of their work. These descriptions provide information about the scope of the work and the duties to be performed.

Policies and procedures provide valuable information about how the work should be done.

Community workers should pay particular attention to the boundaries of their work. Not only are they expected to perform to a particular standard outlined by the organisation, but they must ensure that they do not exceed the boundaries of their work role. Attempting to work beyond the level of one’s qualifications can be both dangerous to the health and safety of others, as well as to the detriment of the client. For example A person who holds a certificate 4 in community services should not be attempting to provide treatment for a client which would normally be the job of a registered nurse.

All workers need to be aware of their responsibilities and the boundaries of their work role. If at any stage you are unclear about the scope of your work then you should consult with your supervisor or manager, as well as the policy and procedure manual of the organisation.

 Be less able to function

 Feel tired and lethargic

 Lose [their] appetite or have nausea

 Not be able to sleep, or have [their]sleep interrupted by pain

 Experience less enjoyment and more anxiety

 Become depressed, anxious, or unable to concentrate on anything except pain

 Feel a loss of control

 Have less interaction with friends; be less able to enjoy sex or affection

 Have a change in appearance

 Feel that [they] are more of a burden on family or other caregivers

When you recognise indications that a client’s experience of pain is affecting their well-being, it is essential that you report this according to organisation policy and protocol. This may involve formal reports, both in written and verbal format, to your supervisor and other senior persons in your organisations, as well as your clients’ other caregivers (such as their doctor or chronic pain specialist, etc.). You should familiarise yourself with your organisations policies and protocols for reporting instances which negatively impact a clients’ wellbeing.

A client’s emotional needs may include: A sense of security and contentment.

Acceptance of loss

 Dealing with degenerative issues

 Dealing with pain, grief, bereavement, acceptance of death

 Freedom from anger, anxiety, fear, guilt loneliness

 Love and affection

 Veterans’ / war widows’ issues

A client’s psychological needs may include:

 A sense of control

 Acceptance of disability

 Freedom from undue stress

 Life stage acceptance

 Personal identity

 Self-determination

 Self-esteem

 Sense of belonging

 Veterans’ / war widows’ issues

Your organisation’s reputation is extremely important. Without a good reputation, your service will not operate. You will not receive referrals from others and the clients you have will eventually move on. Therefore, you must ensure that at all times you are addressing the needs of individual clients and the community as a whole. All of this comes under one very important banner. Your duty of care! This means your duty of care to staff, clients, the community as a whole, other organisations and much more.

Duty of care is a difficult term to define as there isn’t a legal definition of the concept (except in occupational health and safety legislation). Duty of care comes under the legal concept of negligence, and negligence belongs to the domain of common law. Common law is also known as judge-made law as the decision about guilt is decided using legal precedence and community attitudes and expectations. That is, there hasn’t been an Act of Parliament passed defining what is legal or illegal but rather the decision is based on what is considered appropriate or not appropriate at a particular time in history.8

ROLE OF AGENCY POLICY AND PROCEDURE

Organisations should always ensure that there are a clearly written policy and procedure, which enables staff to understand and perform their duty of care. Policy will vary according to the target group and agency context, but should include the following points:

 Encourage consumers, staff and significant others (such as parents and carers) to work together to cooperatively develop strategies and identify solutions for challenging duty of care issues

 Ensure that staff receive appropriate, relevant training and support to perform their duty of care

The following points are an example of what may be incorporated into policy and procedure in relation to the duty of care.

All employees need access to orientation training and induction that includes information about duty of care

Discrimination

In Australia, employers and their employees are legally obliged to uphold the human rights standards set out in a number of federal laws. Some of these human rights standards are included in the types of Acts listed below.

Some of the types of laws governing human rights include:

 Age Discrimination

 Disability Discrimination

 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity

 Race Discrimination

 Sex Discrimination

It is important for you to familiarise yourself with the relevant human rights legislation. You will be able to access your own copy of relevant legislation at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/legal/legislation

 Employees need to seek advice and support from internal or external professionals to deal with issues that challenge duty of care and dignity of risk

 Appropriate documentation relating to daily duty of care responsibilities should be maintained at all times (e.g. case notes)

 Information should be given to clients, staff, volunteers and significant others about considerations involved in evaluating duty of care issues. This should include information identifying duty of care obligations and the client’s right to experience and learn from risk taking

 Ensure that clients participate in decisions regarding their care arrangements and lifestyle choices

 Issues relating to duty of care must be discussed with a manager or supervisor

As you can see, the thrust of duty of care policy is to collaborate with the relevant people involved and to be mindful of accountability and client rights.9

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.

Universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law, in the forms of treaties, customary international law , general principles and other sources of international law. International human rights law lays down obligations of Governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups. 11

Dignity of risk is the legal requirement to ensure that all persons with a disability has the legal right to choose their own medical treatments even if the professionals involved feel that this is not the correct choice for them.

Mandatory reporting is a term used to describe the legislative requirement imposed on selected classes of people to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to government authorities. Parliaments in all Australian states and territories have enacted mandatory reporting laws of some description. However, the laws are not the same across all jurisdictions. The main differences concern who has to report, and what types of abuse and neglect have to be reported. There are also other differences, such as the state of mind that activates the reporting duty (i.e., having a concern, suspicion or belief on reasonable grounds – see Table 1) and the destination of the report. QLD, Becomes aware, or reasonably suspects

Significant detrimental effect on the child’s physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing

F: The Australian Medical Association (AMA), Code of Ethics, requires medical practitioners to maintain a patient’s confidentiality and privacy. Your workplace will also have its own policies in place on how you go about doing this.

While the terms ‘privacy’ and ‘confidentiality’ are commonly used interchangeably, they are not identical concepts. Privacy laws regulate the handling of personal information (including health information) through enforceable privacy principles. On the other hand, the legal duty of confidentiality obliges health care practitioners to protect their patients against the inappropriate disclosure of personal information. Confidentiality means keeping a client’s information between you and the client. You are not to make a client’s information available to anyone else unless they are involved in their care. This includes; family, friends, colleagues and anyone else you may be talking to.

The types of information that is considered confidential can include:

 Name, date of birth, age, sex and address

 Current contact details of family, guardian, etc.

 Bank details

 Medical history or records

 Personal care issues

 File progress notes

 Individual personal plans

 Assessments or reports

Adult clients have the right to decide what information they consider personal and confidential.

There is, however, no such thing as absolute confidentiality in the community services industry. Workers are required to keep notes on all interactions with clients and often to keep statistics about who is seen and what issues are addressed. As a worker, there

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will be times when you could be faced with some personal difficulties regarding confidentiality.10

It is desirable for confidentiality to be handled consistently throughout the service, and while the type and extent of the information conveyed by staff will vary according to the situation, certain basic principles are applicable in all instances.

Supporting a client to express their sexuality is an important aspect of your role. But how can you do so in ways that are both legal and meaningful? Consider the following information from Victoria’s “Personal relationships, sexuality and sexual health policy and guidelines” for disability workers in the state about how you can support clients to express their sexuality:

All people access a wide variety of support and materials to meet their individual needs. Sexuality is just one of many life areas where people may seek such support. The role of support workers is to provide assistance, where needed, so people with a disability can experience the same life opportunities as other people. As part of their role, support workers are expected to be able to respond to sexuality and sexual health issues by:

 Answering simple questions.

 Supporting people with a disability to understand their rights and responsibilities in this area.

 Supporting people in accessing services where needed. This may include helping people access information and services or attend appointments.

 Being aware of, and able to respond appropriately to, duty of care issues.

 Ensuring sexuality and sexual health are considered in individual planning for people with an intellectual or cognitive disability

It is essential that you find a suitable balance between supporting a person to express their sexuality and remaining within the boundaries of your legal obligations to your client. Ensure you seek support from your supervisor or manager where required.

Poor personal hygiene, including lack of skin ‘bloom’, hair loss, etc.

 Dirty clothing.

 Constantly hungry; failure to thrive; possibly obese.

 Lack of medical / dental care.

 Untreated sores / nappy rash.

 Frequent illness / low-grade infections.

 Delays in all developmental domains; erratic attendance at respite care.

 Lack of adequate supervision; extended stays at services.

 Inadequate sleep cycles; fatigue.

 Anxiety about abandonment.

 Self-comforting behaviours.

 Attention-seeking, often extreme.