CHCCD420A: Work to empower Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities

Unit Descriptor: This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander workers to work powerfully in a community work and/or service delivery context to empower the community
Employability Skills: This unit contains Employability Skills
Application: This unit is basic to community work and the delivery of community services by members of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities
The unit applies to those Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander workers who may work individually and as part of a team, whether the services are delivered through visits to the community, in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community clinics or in mainstream services

Element	Performance Criteria
Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.	The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.
1. Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities	1.1 Work with understanding of the cultural issues and complexities of working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities 1.1 Take into account the national/local history and cultural aspects of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people as a factor in work 1.2 Identify historical, cultural, social, political, economic and environmental factors and their continuing impact on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in contemporary society 1.3 Reflect in work practice current strategies, programs and models that address Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander issues and support community control
2. Apply community development frameworks and models to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander context	2.1 Identify the role of relevant Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander services and organisations 2.2 Involve Aboriginal and/or Torres strait Islander people and communities in the delivery of services they have determined as needed 2.3 Involve Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in achieving access and equity to services 2.4 Establish and maintain networks with relevant agencies and associated community services to support and empower Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities
3. Work in a culturally safe manner	3.1 Consider and respect local community values, cultural beliefs and gender roles when working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people 3.2 Apply cultural safety protocols in implementing government policies, undertaking research and data collection and working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people 3.3 Identify cultural factors that may produce stress and have a potential to impact own work practices and report to organisation as appropriate to support service delivery and personal well being 3.4 Work safely within own responsibility and competence and in line with community protocols, organisation policies and regulatory requirements
4. Work with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to apply strategies and policies which deal with identified issues and needs	4.1 Identify aspects of organisation service strategies, policies, bodies and resources relevant to work in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities 4.2 Apply strategies and policies to address identified needs of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and communities 4.3 Identify barriers to access and equity in relation to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander services 4.4 Take available opportunities to advocate on behalf of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and/or communities 4.5 Maintain confidentiality of client information

Required Skills And Knowledge

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively perform task skills; task management skills; contingency management skills and job/role environment skills as outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit

These include knowledge of:

Relevant Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander programs and services, including:
- those relevant to service area
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community perceptions of major issues affecting them and underlying causes
- perceptions of non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people relating to major Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander issues and underlying causes
- key health and social statistics (national, state and/or local) for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people compared to those of non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population (such as expectation of life at birth, infant mortality rate, alcohol and other drug (AOD) statistics, housing ratio rates and rate and severity of unintentional injuries)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander history, including:
- history, social structures, cultural beliefs and values of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia
- effects of colonisation as experienced by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
- historical dilemmas faced by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people (acknowledge or deny Aboriginality)
- impacts of government policies and legislation and their impact on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities, families and individuals
Social, cultural and environmental determinants and strategies to address Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health status, including:
- traditional Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural practices and lifestyle and their impact on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health
- importance of land, tradition and cultural practice to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health
- impact of socioeconomic factors on health and welfare
- social and political factors that perpetuate disadvantage
- importance of personal achievement, education and supportive family/social networks
- strategies Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families may employ to maintain strong culture and supportive social networks and maximise educational, employment and social opportunities for their children
- impact of environmental factors on health
- injury prevention and safety promotion
Barriers to improving well being and health status
Lifestyle and behavioural determinants of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander welfare and strategies to address them, including:
- known behaviours that pose a significant risk to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander lifestyle practices
- education and promotion of healthy lifestyle practices
- principles of well being applied to work and study practices
Relevant aspects of the community services and health care system, including:
access to benefits

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Work consistently in a culturally safe manner with and on behalf of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients in line with identified community needs and workplace requirements
Work with an understanding of the impact of historical, social, political, spiritual and environmental factors on the health and well being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
Take into account social, political and environmental factors that influence the health and well being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients

In addition, the candidate must be able to demonstrate relevant task skills; task management skills; contingency management skills and job/role environment skills
These include the ability to:

Make appropriate referrals, providing accurate and relevant details to clients and referral agencies
Reflect on and improve own level and application of skills and knowledge to achieve desirable outcomes and maintain own capabilities
Determine potential relational issues and conflicts between work role and community role
Apply language, literacy and numeracy competence appropriate to the work role and the relevant Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community

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.

Cultural respect	This unit of competency supports the recognition, protection and continued advancement of the inherent rights, cultures and traditions of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples It recognises that the improvement of the health and well being status of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people must include attention to physical, spiritual, cultural, emotional and social well being, community capacity, self-determination and governance Its application must be culturally sensitive and supportive of traditional healing and health, knowledge and practices
The history of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people includes:	Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander customs and lifestyle before European colonisation Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander experience of colonisation and invasion Post-colonial legacy of social and economic disadvantage Survival and maintenance of culture, kinship and connection with the land Evolution and scope of the role of the Aboriginal health worker up to the contemporary context
Community control refers to:	Community participation and control in decision-making is essential to all aspects of community services work, and the role of the community services worker is to support the community and/or key decision-makers in this process Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community control is: the guiding principle and model for the delivery of services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people a sector of the Australian community services industry with its own history a practice which underpins Aboriginal community strengthening and survival a statement of self-determination
Agencies and associated community services may include:	Community controlled health services Women’s/men’s centres Government health services Welfare agencies Emergency services Police Education and training organisations Non-government and private enterprise Community Government Councils Elected community organisations Homeland/outstation service providers Churches
Cultural safety refers to:	Maintaining the traditional and contemporary protection of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities’: intellectual property human rights resources ownership of materials Community and self-protection of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander workers
Cultural factors that may produce stress include:	Community and/or own expectations that may involve, for example: extended work hours functions outside health work role unrealistic accountability/responsibility for resolving community problems community and family pressures conflict between work role and community and family responsibilities Multiple accountabilities to employer, family, personal and community Conflict between community and family responsibilities and obligations and work role
Organisation policies and regulatory requirements may include:	Privacy and confidentiality guidelines Treatment manuals Occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines Infection control guidelines
Barriers to access and equity in relation to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander services may include:	Racism, including community and institutionalised racism Discrimination Socioeconomic status Access to essential services and infrastructure Lack of coordination of government at all levels Inadequate resources/funding Lack of community control and ownership Lack of political leverage Language barriers Disease focus of mainstream health care delivery Differences in concept of ill health Geographic access to Primary Health Care and specialist health services Cultural barriers, such as family and kinship barriers Language/literacy
Social, political, economic and environmental factors that impact on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health include:	Health outcomes Stolen generations Colonisation and invasion Land rights and native title Dispossession Acts of government including assimilation policies Racism and discrimination Media Employment Poverty Mortality/morbidity Police-community relations Housing Education Substance misuse Acculturation Political leverage Levels of unintentional injury
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community service, strategies, policies and resources may include:	National, state/territory and regional Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander strategies, policies, joint planning bodies relevant to a range of community services National Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisation and their state/territory affiliates Resources available nationally, locally and at the state/territory level

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.