Elements and Performance Criteria

The contexts of working with clients include:
Contact with a service on a voluntary or involuntary basis
Contact with a statutory activity eg. Notification, first juvenile offence
Within an intervention
Within a support activity or service

Implementation of a working relationship will be carried out within requirements established by:
Commonwealth and state legislation
International conventions relating to the rights of children and young persons
Organisational policy and procedures
Relevant program standards
Organisational codes of conduct, ethics

Critical aspects of assessment:
Facilitating exploration of issues
Establishing role definitions
Identifying and working constructively with conflict and resistance
Monitoring own positions and reactions
Clarifying differences in perception
Problem exploration within a pro active framework

Essential knowledge:
Relevant policy, procedures and legislation
Cultural protocols and systems
Statutory requirements
Group processes
Appropriate social work theories
Client worker relationships
Range of services - programs available

Essential skills:
Working with conflict, resistance and levels of risk
Empathy, engagement and rapport building
Effective listening
Goal clarification
Communicating interest, respect and concern
Articulating clearly boundaries of own role
Recognising signs and triggers for dependency
Devise and develop tasks to help clients understanding and problem solving efforts
Constructive use of personal and professional authority and influence to support or confront
Interpersonal skills

Resource implications:
Access to appropriate workplace where assessment can take place or
Simulation of realistic workplace setting for assessment

Consistency in performance:
Assessment may include observations, questioning or evidence gathered from the workplace
Assessment may take place on one occasion

Context of assessment:
This unit will be most appropriately assessed in the workplace or in a simulated workplace and under the normal range of workplace conditions