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.


Supervision may include but is not limited to:
Formal and/or informal supervision sessions
Group supervision
Telephone supervision
Peer appraisals (where appropriate levels of experience exist)
Internal or external supervision
Journals
Video tapes of facilitation of groups
Co- facilitation and reports from these
Facilitating reflection on practice
Negotiation of supervision between the supervisor and the supervisee
Establishment and shared understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the supervision process
Undertaken through the development of an appropriate professional relationships
Involve the growth of the person, their professional development, gaining of knowledge, skills, attitudes for the further development of their professional practice


Principles of strengths-based practice in supervision must include:
Respect for people's dignity, uniqueness and rights
Self determination and empowerment
Recognition and use of strengths (skills, capacities, knowledge, resources, information, hopes and dreams)
Mutual learning between supervisor and supervisee


Strengths-based tools may include:
Miracle questions - 'Let's imagine.....You go to bed tonight and while you are asleep a miracle happens .....When you wake up the problem has less effect on your life. On a scale of 0 to 5, how much is the problem affecting your life? How will you know things have improved? What will be different? What will others notice is different?'
Scaling questions assists professionals and service users to identify the problem or issue, set achievable goals, have a starting point for change, notice what is already working well, identify strengths and exceptions, measure progress and allow for the introduction of metaphors
Vision and goal setting assists professionals and clients to identify where the service provider would like to move toward and how they can effect this change
Strength focuses cards assists professionals and clients to identify strengths or issues
Photo-language cards, objects and images assists professionals and service users to identify and represent significant feelings or issues
Previous success stories assists professionals and clients to identify ways that people have successfully dealt with similar problems
Relationship questions can assists professionals and clients to identify and explore a problem by shifting the focus to how key relationships in the person's life view the situation for example, 'What would your best friend (mother) say? Or 'How would your family tell there was a miracle and your problem is solved?'
Letter writing involves the documentation of change and learning in a personal style of writing a letter to the other person recognising changes in learning that you have observed in them
The five column approach to problem solving is a table that enables professionals and clients to have a guide to explore problems in different ways that build on existing strengths. The guiding questions are: What is the issue? Establish a picture of the future using the miracle question. What strengths and resources do you have to put towards the picture of the future? What strengths and resources do you need from others? What are the first steps to take towards the picture of the future? Who needs to do what and when?


Issues that can occur in supervision may include but are not limited to:
Lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities within the supervision relationship
Fundamental and irreconcilable differences of philosophy, values, beliefs or use of theoretical frameworks or models of practice between those in a supervision relationship
Unrealistic expectations on behalf of the supervisor or the supervisee
Unrealistic assessment of strengths and/or unwillingness to develop realistic self-awareness on behalf of the supervisee
Time pressures which result in insufficient contact and support provided through the supervision process

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:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Evidence of competency in this unit will need to be assessed over a period of time in order to gather evidence of performance
This will include contexts applicable to the work environment, such as actual or simulated workplace situations involving a combination of direct, indirect and supplementary forms of evidence
Assessment must confirm sufficient ability to apply strengths-based approach to the provision of supervision over a sustained period of time.


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:
This unit can be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other community services units of competency is encouraged
Resource requirements for assessment include access to:
a relevant workplace or an appropriately simulated environment where assessment may take place


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 the provision of supervision using a strengths-based approach
realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on 'what if?' scenarios, case presentations, written assessment
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
The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate
Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language barriers other than English
Where the candidate has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment
Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role