CHCCS513A: Maintain an effective community sector work environment

Descriptor: This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required by those working at a management level to maintain an effective work environment in a community sector work context
It includes monitoring, coordinating and promoting ethical, safe and effective work practices in line with established work requirements
Employability Skills: This unit contains Employability Skills
Application: This unit applies to work in a range of community service settings such as:

specific communities
community, regional or remote service provider
department of a large institution or organisation
specialised service or organisation
private provider

Application of this unit should be contextualised to reflect specific workplace requirements and practices

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. Promote ethical work practices	1.1 Monitor decision-making to ensure ethical guidelines are followed and underlying ethical complexity is recognised 1.2 Ensure staff understanding and compliance with the principles of duty of care and legal responsibilities in all work undertaken 1.3 Ensure appropriate action is taken to address any breach or non adherence to standard procedures or adverse event 1.4 Monitor work practices to ensure confidentiality of any client matter in line with organisation policy and procedure, regulatory requirements and/or code of practice 1.5 Promote respect for rights and responsibilities of others through considered application of work practices 1.6 Apply and promote knowledge and understanding of employee and employer rights and responsibilities in all work practices 1.7 Identify potential conflict of interest in the workplace and take action to avoid and/or address
2. Support culture of effective communication	2.1 Monitor and address communication issues in the workplace 2.2 Monitor oral and written communication in the workplace to ensure confidentiality of client and staff matters 2.3 Monitor workplace communication to support accuracy and understanding of information provided and received 2.4 Promote recognition of individual and cultural differences in the workplace and support any adjustments to communication needed to facilitate the achievement of identified outcomes 2.5 Promote and support a client-centred approach to community services work throughout interpersonal communication with clients and colleagues 2.6 Promote and assist with the resolution of conflict and interpersonal differences in the workplace
3. Facilitate staff education relevant to the community sector	3.1 Contribute to staff knowledge of different sectors within community services and how the inter-relationships between these sectors may be used to enhance their work 3.2 Maintain and share knowledge of current issues which impact on community services in own work area/organisation and as related to different models of work 3.3 Promote greater understanding of community services work and issues among key stakeholders and representatives from relevant target groups 3.4 Facilitate staff knowledge of and commitment to the central philosophies and values of the community services industry
4. Monitor professional work standards	4.1 Monitor implementation of organisation policies and procedures relating to awards, standards and legislative requirements of staff 4.2 Identify areas for improving work practices and support implementation in line with organisation policies and procedures 4.3 Check compliance of work undertaken with relevant accreditation and professional standards applying to work undertaken and address issues where pertinent 4.4 Facilitate staff understanding and focus on achieving organisation goals and objectives in work undertaken 4.5 Ensure issues requiring mandatory notification are identified and reported appropriately and within organisation’s specified timeframes
5. Work effectively within the community services system	5.1 Establish effective relationships with workers from different sectors and levels of the industry in line with work role requirements 5.2 Apply knowledge of the roles and functions of relevant community services structures, organisations and systems 5.3 Maintain knowledge of current issues influencing the community services system, including issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and contemporary cultural issues 5.4 Work with an understanding of funding mechanisms, and how the organisation’s operations are financed
6. Take opportunities to develop own competence	6.1 Monitor own skills/knowledge in relation to ongoing and changing work requirements 6.2 Identify areas for personal development in line with community services industry developments, organisation requirements and personal interest 6.3 Take initiative to access and/or create development opportunities to support organisation need and personal career development 6.4 Undertake available formal and informal skill/knowledge development and maintenance activities

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
These include knowledge of:

Own and others’ responsibilities within the workplace
Definition of duty of care, confidentiality of information and ethical decision-making in relation to specific work roles and responsibilities; what constitutes a breach of these and potential ramifications of breach and non-reporting
Values, principles and ethics underpinning work in the sector including:
- holistic and client-centred support and services
- client needs and rights including duty of care
- principles of access and equity
- principles of human rights
- principles of client safety
Detailed implications of relevant legislation, including:
- occupational health and safety (OHS)
- access and equity
- anti-discrimination
- privacy
- child protection
Role, function and objectives of the organisation, and relevance to specific work role
Organisation procedures relating to:
- safety issues and prevention in community services work
- emergency response
- security
Details of accreditation processes and quality improvement practices
Understanding of relevant organisation procedures, policies, awards, standards and legislation and how to access them
Knowledge of contemporary employment terms and conditions in the workplace
Contemporary approaches to work in the industry, associated rationales and supporting behaviours
Current issues facing clients and the sector
Responsibilities in relation to child protection and other mandatory reporting requirements where relevant
Awareness and management of personal bias, beliefs and values
Understanding and management of difference and diversity in relation to individual needs, discrimination and social vulnerability
Understanding and application of legal and ethical framework in the community services industry
Understanding and application of professional boundaries and need to refer appropriately

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Address breaches of duty of care, confidentiality, ethical guidelines and other relevant policies and legislation
Monitor and promote professional and ethical work practices in the workplace

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:

Apply functional literacy skills needed for written and oral information about workplace requirements
Use communication skills as required by specific work role, including:
- interpreting and following verbal and/or written instructions
- seeking clarification of tasks
- providing information
- reporting incidents in line with organisation requirements
Monitor safety issues relevant to own work context
Analyse implementation of workplace procedures and their outcomes to identify areas for improvement
Apply decision-making and problem solving skills as required to monitor decision-making processes and provide constructive input to assist others
Use initiative in responding to challenging situations and individuals
Use high level interpersonal communication skills with clients and other stakeholders
Contribute to team development where appropriate
Work in a non-judgemental manner and promote similar behaviour in others
Take a responsible approach to professional development, including:
- taking responsibility for accessing opportunities to expand and develop own skills and knowledge
- supporting the discussion of new ideas and techniques in a range of settings
- sharing information and contributing to learning of others

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.

Work role requirements may include:	Level of responsibility Organisation guidelines Individual awards and benchmarks Legislation relevant to work area Accreditation standards
Organisation policy on confidentiality may relate to:	Storage of records Destruction of records Access to records Release of information Verbal and written communication
Organisation procedures, policies, awards, standards and legislation may include:	Sector specific legislation and standards, for example: home and community care standards aged care accreditation standards disability service standards housing regulation and standards Federal and state legislation Quality management policy and practice Current Australian standards Accreditation and service provision standards of other relevant industry organisations
Client may include:	Individual clients Family and/or significant others Communities or groups
Stakeholders and representatives may include:	Clients Friends, peers and target group Families and care givers Local community Community organisations Government representatives and service providers Specialists/experts Peak bodies and networks in the sector Services Management, colleagues, supervisor, team members
Different sectors within community services may include but are not limited to:	Aged care Disability services Alcohol and other drugs Family and domestic violence Mental health Housing Community development Community work Youth work and juvenile justice Children’s services Child protection Employment services
Different models of work in the sector may include:	Developmental Service delivery Client-centred Participatory Community development Community education Case management Working with families
The central values and philosophies may include:	A holistic and person-centred approach, embracing: promotion of well being of staff, clients and communities early identification of problems delivery of appropriate services commitment to meeting the needs and upholding the rights of people commitment to empowering the person and/or the community ethical behaviour preventative strategies exercise of responsibilities and accountabilities within the context of duty of care for clients
A commitment to access and equity must be demonstrated by:	A non-discriminatory approach to all people using the service, their family and friends, the general public and co-workers
Employee rights and responsibilities may relate to:	Duty of care responsibilities Leave entitlements Attendance requirements Obeying lawful orders Confidentiality and privacy of organisation, client and colleague information Adherence to OHS Protection from discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace The right to union representation Organisation policies and procedures
Employer rights and responsibilities may relate to:	Legislative requirements for employee dismissal i.e. Workplace Relations Act Legislative requirements to provide a safe work environment free from discrimination and sexual harassment (see State and Commonwealth anti-discrimination legislation) Enterprise workplace agreements Relevant State and Territory employment legislation i.e. wage rates, employment conditions
Issues requiring mandatory notification may include:	Protection of children and others identified to be at risk Issues defined by jurisdictional legislation and/or regulatory requirements Issues specifically identified by under organisation policies
Identifying and implementing improved work practices may include:	Reporting and implementing suggested improvements Seeking and addressing customer feedback Monitoring tasks Responding to surveys and questionnaires Assessing/observing/measuring environmental factors Checking equipment Developing and implementing child safe, child friendly resources, environment and work tools to support staff and volunteers working with people under 18 years of age Application of safety practices, including for work in a range of contexts, such the client’s home
Basic home fire safety includes knowledge of:	High fire risk groups Behaviour that may contribute to fire injury and/or fatality Role of a working smoke alarm Types of smoke alarms Optimum placement of smoke alarms Smoke alarm testing and cleaning Referring client for smoke alarm installation and maintenance
Designated knowledge/skill development may relate to:	Hazard control OHS Manual handling First aid Cultural awareness Child protection Infection control Cardiopulmonary resuscitation emergency response and notification protocols Fire emergency response procedures for notification and containment of fire, use of fire fighting equipment and fire safety procedures Security procedures Quality improvement policy and practice Discrimination, harassment and bullying in the workplace Formal and informal resolution of grievances Waste management Customer service, including the provision of a child friendly environment that values, respects and welcomes children and young people Communication, conflict resolution
Communication strategies may include:	Active listening Appropriate language Appropriate communication aids Appropriate modes of communication Appropriate demeanour and body language Appropriate tone and presentation Observation Questioning, clarifying, advising Providing appropriate and accurate information

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.