Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
22/07/2026 3:49 PM AWST
22/07/2026 3:49 PM AWST
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Use telephone communication skills to assess caller's needs
Use telephone communication skills to assess caller's needs
Unit of competency
National Code
CHCRCP401A
CHCRCP401A
State Code
WC994
WC994
TGA Status
Deleted
Deleted
DTWD Status
Deleted
Deleted
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
15/07/2014
Field of Education
090513 - Counselling
Original Release Date
15/07/2014
Nominal Hours
50
Description
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to conduct a telephone based assessment of callers’ needs using effective communication/interpersonal skills
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
Establish a relationship with the caller using a professional manner
- 1.1 Establish and maintain professional boundaries with the caller
- 1.2 Explain and apply privacy and confidentiality principles, practices and procedures according to organisation guidelines
- 1.3 Establish the identity of the caller and their relationship to the person with care needs
- 1.4 Consistently use active listening skills to help develop a rapport with the caller and establish trust
- 1.5Show respectful, empathic understanding to clarify the nature and depth of the caller’s feelings
- 1.6 Ensure all communication with the caller reflects an understanding and respect for individual differences and needs
- 1.7 Develop an empoweringrelationship which assists the caller to clarify options, seek support and decide on next steps to address and/or meet current needs
Apply strategies to manage the call
- 2.1 Identify the need for and engage an interpreter service when required
- 2.2 Identify and respond to the nature of the call
- 2.3 Listen for and respond to non-visual feedback from the caller
- 2.4 Adjust tone or manner to respond to caller’s individual needs
- 2.5Identify cueswhich may indicate caller stress or distress
- 2.6 Differentiate between abuse from the caller and the caller’s expression of anger/frustration
- 2.7 Implement strategiesto effectively manage any abuse from the caller and defuse the caller’s anger/frustration
- 2.8 Adjust communication processes as required when assessing callers with special needs
- 2.9 Maintain the focus of the caller on the provision and receipt of information relevant to their needs
- 2.10 Identify situations where telephone communication is inadequate and plan for alternative assessment
Manage the completion of the telephone call
- 3.1 Recap and clarify the caller’s understanding of the conversation
- 3.2 Confirm with the caller that the information that they have provided is complete
- 3.3 Confirm with the caller the next steps in the process
- 3.4 Sensitively manage to break the rapport with the caller and bring the call to a timely end
- 3.5 Document information within identified time frames and according to relevant guidelines
- 3.6 Pass on the information gathered to other health professionals as required
Address own personal factors likely to impact on telephone communication
- 4.1 Identify and respond to barriers to listening to the caller
- 4.2 Identify and develop personal attributes and attitudes likely to facilitate communication
- 4.3 Demonstrate awareness of personal issues or attitudes likely to impact negatively on the call and manage appropriately
- 4.4 Use constructive strategies for dealing with strong caller emotions and stressful situations
- 4.5 Discuss own reactions to these strong caller emotions or stressful situations with peers and/or supervisor
- 4.6 Use a range of effective self-care strategies for responding to strong emotions and stressful situations
- 4.7 Use peer support to seek advice and knowledge, brainstorm and problem solve collaboratively
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.
The caller may include:
Advocate
Care recipient
Carer
Family member
Friend
Significant other
Active listening skills may include:
Appropriate brief encouragers which help the caller relate their story and concerns
Balancing the frequency of questions
Hearing the caller’s concerns
Paraphrasing (reflection of content)
Reflection of feelings/thoughts, behaviours and experience (content)
Summarising and closure
Understanding the caller’s context
Using open and closed questions to expand or clarify understanding
Empoweringrelationshipmay include:
Active listening
Avoid use of labelling
Exploring options and potential consequences with the caller
Facilitating informed caller choices
Focus the caller on identifying immediate needs and concerns
Identify achievable tasks to be addressed after the call
Identifying, affirming and focussing on the caller’s strengths and opportunities
Reframing, summary and closure
The nature of the call may include:
A request for information
A request for advice
A request for services
An emergency
Non-visual feedbackincludes:
Background noise
Manner of speech, including rate and type of language used
Paralingual clues
Silence
Tone/pitch of voice
Cues which may indicate caller stress or distressinclude:
Crying
Inability of the caller to articulate problems
Inability of the caller to identify or accept possible solutions to needs
Raised tone of voice
Talking at the same time/not listening to responses
Terminology of negative words (e.g. burden, prisoner, trapped and can’t cope)
Strategies to effectively manage any abuse appropriately includes:
Provide a warning that the behaviour is unacceptable
Report to manager according to organisation guidelines
Terminate the call appropriately
Strategies to defuse the caller’s anger/frustration include:
Acknowledge and validate the caller’s feelings
Identify opportunities to implement active listening skills
Identify priorities to be addressed and recognise the possible need for additional contact to work through issues
Manage tone, pitch and pace of voice
Recognise that the caller is angry/frustrated
Remain calm while allowing the caller to express their anger/frustration, within limitations
Take opportunities to empower the caller and assist them to reach a solution to resolve any identified issues
Callers with special needsinclude but are not limited to:
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander callers
CALD callers
Callers who have cognitive impairment
Callers who have hearing impairment
Callers with dementia
Callers with mental health problems
Callers with a speech impediment or decreased verbal communication
Callers living in rural and remote locations
Callers who may have experienced social exclusion and/or trauma
Situations where telephone communication is inadequate may include:
Environmental factors impacting on the caller’s ability to engage over the telephone
Particular needs facing Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and CALD callers
Severe emotional distress
The need for an in-depth assessment
Next steps in the process may include:
Establish actions and timeframes
Clarification of the caller’s expectations of respite/support
Follow-up contact
Identification of responsibility for actions
Referral to another service
Barriers to listening to the caller may include:
Environmental factors
Inability to connect with the caller on a personal level
Lack of understanding of the individual’s context
Pre-conceived perceptions of the caller and their situation
Talking at the same time/not listening to responses
Use of jargons
Strategies for dealing with strong caller emotions and stressful situations may include:
Awareness of personal vulnerabilities which may be triggered during a call
Containment skills
Debriefing
Externalise caller emotions
Manage tone, pitch and pace of voice
Supervision
Identification of alternative communication mediums
Range of effective self-care strategies may include:
Constructive feedback about assessment skills
Debriefing and defusing
Knowing when and how to ask for back-up/support
Recognition and processing of call-related experiences
Recognition of stressful situations when it is appropriate to terminate a telephone call
Reflection on practice
Self monitoring
The caller may include:
Advocate
Care recipient
Carer
Family member
Friend
Significant other
Active listening skills may include:
Appropriate brief encouragers which help the caller relate their story and concerns
Balancing the frequency of questions
Hearing the caller’s concerns
Paraphrasing (reflection of content)
Reflection of feelings/thoughts, behaviours and experience (content)
Summarising and closure
Understanding the caller’s context
Using open and closed questions to expand or clarify understanding
Empoweringrelationshipmay include:
Active listening
Avoid use of labelling
Exploring options and potential consequences with the caller
Facilitating informed caller choices
Focus the caller on identifying immediate needs and concerns
Identify achievable tasks to be addressed after the call
Identifying, affirming and focussing on the caller’s strengths and opportunities
Reframing, summary and closure
The nature of the call may include:
A request for information
A request for advice
A request for services
An emergency
Non-visual feedbackincludes:
Background noise
Manner of speech, including rate and type of language used
Paralingual clues
Silence
Tone/pitch of voice
Cues which may indicate caller stress or distressinclude:
Crying
Inability of the caller to articulate problems
Inability of the caller to identify or accept possible solutions to needs
Raised tone of voice
Talking at the same time/not listening to responses
Terminology of negative words (e.g. burden, prisoner, trapped and can’t cope)
Strategies to effectively manage any abuse appropriately includes:
Provide a warning that the behaviour is unacceptable
Report to manager according to organisation guidelines
Terminate the call appropriately
Strategies to defuse the caller’s anger/frustration include:
Acknowledge and validate the caller’s feelings
Identify opportunities to implement active listening skills
Identify priorities to be addressed and recognise the possible need for additional contact to work through issues
Manage tone, pitch and pace of voice
Recognise that the caller is angry/frustrated
Remain calm while allowing the caller to express their anger/frustration, within limitations
Take opportunities to empower the caller and assist them to reach a solution to resolve any identified issues
Callers with special needsinclude but are not limited to:
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander callers
CALD callers
Callers who have cognitive impairment
Callers who have hearing impairment
Callers with dementia
Callers with mental health problems
Callers with a speech impediment or decreased verbal communication
Callers living in rural and remote locations
Callers who may have experienced social exclusion and/or trauma
Situations where telephone communication is inadequate may include:
Environmental factors impacting on the caller’s ability to engage over the telephone
Particular needs facing Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and CALD callers
Severe emotional distress
The need for an in-depth assessment
Next steps in the process may include:
Establish actions and timeframes
Clarification of the caller’s expectations of respite/support
Follow-up contact
Identification of responsibility for actions
Referral to another service
Barriers to listening to the caller may include:
Environmental factors
Inability to connect with the caller on a personal level
Lack of understanding of the individual’s context
Pre-conceived perceptions of the caller and their situation
Talking at the same time/not listening to responses
Use of jargons
Strategies for dealing with strong caller emotions and stressful situations may include:
Awareness of personal vulnerabilities which may be triggered during a call
Containment skills
Debriefing
Externalise caller emotions
Manage tone, pitch and pace of voice
Supervision
Identification of alternative communication mediums
Range of effective self-care strategies may include:
Constructive feedback about assessment skills
Debriefing and defusing
Knowing when and how to ask for back-up/support
Recognition and processing of call-related experiences
Recognition of stressful situations when it is appropriate to terminate a telephone call
Reflection on practice
Self monitoring
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:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
This unit is best assessed in the workplace or in a realistic simulated workplace setting under the normal range of workplace conditions
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
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 CALD environments
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:
This unit can be assessed independently, however, holistic assessment practice with other community services units of competency is encouraged
Resources essential for assessment include:
workplace health and safety (WHS) guidelines
relevant organisation and legislative guidelines, standards and procedures
Method of assessment:
In cases where the learner does not have the opportunity to cover all relevant aspects in the work environment, the remainder should be assessed through realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on ‘What if?’ scenarios
Assessment of this unit of competency will usually include observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questioning 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
Related units:
It is recommended that this unit be assessed in conjunction with the following related unit or an equivalent unit on assessment of client’s needs:
CHCRCP402A Conduct assessment of carer’s needs
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
This unit is best assessed in the workplace or in a realistic simulated workplace setting under the normal range of workplace conditions
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
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 CALD environments
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:
This unit can be assessed independently, however, holistic assessment practice with other community services units of competency is encouraged
Resources essential for assessment include:
workplace health and safety (WHS) guidelines
relevant organisation and legislative guidelines, standards and procedures
Method of assessment:
In cases where the learner does not have the opportunity to cover all relevant aspects in the work environment, the remainder should be assessed through realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on ‘What if?’ scenarios
Assessment of this unit of competency will usually include observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questioning 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
Related units:
It is recommended that this unit be assessed in conjunction with the following related unit or an equivalent unit on assessment of client’s needs:
CHCRCP402A Conduct assessment of carer’s needs
No information
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| J030 | CHC42512 | Certificate IV in Community Services (Information, advice and referral) | Qualification |