Elements and Performance Criteria

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.
Intake screening process includes:
Collection of personal data about the carer
Collection of required minimum data
Determination of eligibility of service
Establishment of next steps for assessment
Identification of priority for assessment
Referral to another service
Level of assessment refers to:
Quick assessment for emergency situations
Shallow and broad assessment process which includes broad, general questions of all the assessment domains
In-depth assessment includes specific exploration of identified domains
Assessment process may require the use of tools which may include:
ACCNA-R
Caregiver Reaction Assessment scale (CRA)
Carer Strain Index (CSI)
K10
Self Rated Burden scale (SRB)
Zarit
Organisation or state specific assessment tools:
service coordination tool template (SCOTT)
ongoing needs identification tool (ONI)
Carers with special needsinclude but are not limited to:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and CALD carers
Carers who have cognitive impairment
Carers who have hearing impairment
Carers with dementia
Carers with mental health problems
Carers with a speech impediment or decreased verbal communication
Carers living in rural and remote locations
Carers who may have experienced social exclusion and/or trauma
Carer’s needs may include:
Advocacy
Case management
Counselling
Guided referral for other service
Information on available services
Respite services (direct and indirect)
Complex care issues may include but are not limited to:
Abusive situations by either the carer or care recipient
Behaviours of concern by the care recipient
CALD issues
Family dynamics
Hidden carers
High-level support needed for the care recipient
Situations where the needs of the carer and care recipient are in conflict
Young carers
Identify and prioritise the carer’s need for a service includes taking into account:
Adequacy of available respite to the carer
How much time the carer needs to spend caring
Increasing needs of the care recipient
Level of the carer emotional stress/strain (using a screening tool)
Number of care recipients being cared for
Other informal and formal support available or currently provided
Presence of other events affecting the carer’s capacity to care
Reason the carer has made contact
Special difficulties, including behaviours of concern
Whether early intervention or education and training may significantly reduce the risk of serious deterioration or future crisis
Whether the carer has physical or mental exhaustion or illness (using a screening tool)
Whether the carer’s health is deteriorating
Active listening skills may include:
Appropriate brief encouragers which help the carer relate their story and concerns
Balancing the frequency of questions
Hearing the carer’s concerns
Paraphrasing (reflection of content)
Recognising when higher levels of care may be indicated
Reflection of feelings ,thoughts, behaviours and experience (content)
Summarising and closure
Understanding the carer’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 carer
Facilitating informed carer choices
Focus the carer on identifying immediate needs and concerns
Identify achievable tasks to be addressed after the assessment
Identifying and affirming carer’s strengths and opportunities
Reframing, summary and closure
Strategies for dealing with strong carer emotionsand stressful situations include:
Awareness of personal vulnerabilities which may be triggered during an assessment process
Containment skills
Debriefing
Externalise carer emotions
Managing tone, pitch and pace of voice
Seeking advice from supervisor
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 assessment-related experiences
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 culturally and linguistically diverse (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:
relevant assessment tool for assessment and data collection
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:
This unit should be assessed in conjunction with the following related unit:
CHCRCP403A Support carers to access information and services