Elements and Performance Criteria

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.


Key principles, within the context of the intervention, may include:
The safety of the partner and children who have experienced violence is paramount
Accountability to partner and children's experience of violence and abuse is central to the intervention process
The user of domestic and family violence must be held responsible for their own actions, violence and abuse
All interventions need to be respectful to other people
A person's experiences of violence and abuse is central to and informs the intervention process


An intervention may consist of a number of processes including:
Initial intake and assessment
Responsibility assessment
Risk assessments
One on one counselling
Group work, exit assessment
Intervention outcome reports
Contact with partner/previous partner
Reporting and documentation provided to women/men and/or their advocate, women's services, courts, police, on safety matters


Information relevant to the safety of other people may relate to:
Incidents of criminal assault
Threats to harm another person
Breaches of domestic violence orders
Sentencing and other court outcomes that may impact on safety
Child protection issues
Concerns a worker may have about the user of domestic and family violence's behaviour or attitudes that could impact on the safety of partner and children


Other agencies may include:
Women's domestic violence services
Men's support services
Prosecuting Authorities
Police
Courts
Child protection agencies


Acceptance of responsibility by the user of domestic and family violence may include:
The user of domestic and family violence acknowledging their violent and abusive behaviour
The user of domestic and family violence being able to describe all forms of their violent and abusive behaviour including coercive and controlling behaviours
The user of domestic and family violence acknowledging their choice to behave in violent and abusive ways
The user of domestic and family violence's demonstration of understanding the significance and impact of their behaviour
The user of domestic and family violence's ability to demonstrate respectful thinking and relating and how they are able to interrupt own unhelpful patterns of thinking
The user of domestic and family violence's compliance with and acceptance of any domestic violence orders
The user of domestic and family violence's ability to demonstrate their choices for violence free relating and the development and actioning of realistic and achievable goals
The user of domestic and family violence's ability to demonstrate their changes and own the changes
The user of domestic and family violence abstains from attributing blame and causality for their behaviour on others
The user of domestic and family violence's preparedness to make their past violence and abuse public knowledge


Case notes may include details of:
Attendance
Telephone contact
Initial assessment
Domestic violence orders and the conditions of any statutory requirements
Assessment of responsibility
Signed contract to engage in the intervention including limited confidentiality agreement
Ongoing assessment
Risk assessments - self, partner, children and workers
The user of domestic and family violence's strategies to promote the safety of others
The workers actions to promote the safety of others
Group work notes relating to participation
The user of domestic and family violence's goals for change and implementation plans
Summary of the efficacy of the intervention process and outcome


Risk assessment includes consideration of the following factors:
History of criminal charges
Changes in situational factors (e.g. separation, court orders, contact with children)
Disclosures by the user of domestic and family violence of suicidal/self-harm thoughts or plans
Compliance/non-compliance with orders in relation to others
The perceptions and judgements of others in assessing any risk to safety
Specific behaviours reported by the user of domestic and family violence which are indicative of violence and abuse (physical, financial, sexual, social, emotional, spiritual)
Any threat to the life or person of a party
Alleged commission of a serious crime against a person
Possessions of firearms
History of violence and abuse
Substance abuse


Processes to respond to threats may include:
Memorandums of understanding between agencies/organisations
Agreements for report/information sharing expectations between agencies/workers
Statutory obligations (intervention orders, mandatory reporting)
Policy and procedure guidelines/requirements or agencies/organisations


Information and support may be provided to the other person in order to:
Inform the person about limited confidentiality and the priority give to them safety
Inform the person of processes to warn of threats to own and others safety throughout the user of domestic and family violence's participation in the intervention
Inform the person of the principles of accountability and responsibility
Inform the person of the intent of the intervention
Give information to the person regarding services that will prioritise safety


Information provided by others (affected by the family and domestic violence) to inform the intervention may include:
Information from others about their perceptions and judgements of any risk to own and others safety
Information from others of preferences for contact with the workers
Feedback from others on the appropriateness of the program
Information from others of preferences for a process to inform of any further threats to their safety

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 unit of competency:
Demonstrated ability to apply the key principles and good practice approaches to ensuring that the safety of people who have experienced domestic and family violence is established as the primary focus of the training program
In particular, evidence must be obtained on the ability to:
articulate the principles of safety of all people and to monitor and enact these principles over the period of the intervention
identify any actual or potential risk to people and to act on these appropriately and within stated protocols, guidelines and legal considerations
monitor risk to people over the period of the intervention
document the processes and practices used to monitor the safety of people
undertake and record a responsibility assessment with the user of domestic and family violence
apply the principles of limited confidentiality to work with user of domestic and family violence who have used violence and abuse
interact with workers concerned with the safety of people
Evidence of competency will also require demonstration of knowledge related to current accepted good practice in relation to working with people who have used violence and abuse


Access and equity considerations:
All workers in community services should be aware of access, equity and human rights 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 issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on 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 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities


Context of and specific resources for assessment:
Evidence will be determined by selection from the Range Statement, justified in terms of work requirements, work roles and responsibilities and occupational specialisations.
Resources may include:
Literature and information relating to the theory and practice of providing integrated domestic violence services and interventions for users of violence and abuse
Internet resources
Agency/organisation policies and procedures
Literature and information relating to the legislative and criminal justice system in relation to domestic violence
Access to interventions for users of violence and abuse


Method of assessment:
Evidence for assessment of competence may be gathered by appropriate combination of the following:
demonstration of competency within the working environment in delivering services to clients living with and affected by domestic and family violence
realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on 'what if?' scenarios
observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questions on essential knowledge and skills and consideration of required attitudes
where performance is not directly observed and/or is required to be demonstrated over a period of time and/or in a number of locations, any evidence should be
authenticated by colleagues, supervisors, clients or other appropriate persons