CHCFAM503B: Work with a child focused approach

Unit Descriptor: This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to ensure that the role and needs of children and young people are considered by both practitioners and parents and that the interests of the child are paramount
Employability Skills: This unit contains Employability Skills
Application A key tenet of the family law system and associated service provision is acting and promoting the best interests of the child

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. Support parents to maintain child focused approaches to planning and actions	1.1. Focus on children’s issues as a matter of priority 1.2 Ensure the child is centre of support and intervention plans 1.3 Engage parents using a range of communication techniques to establish an understanding of required contact behaviour 1.4 Manage parents inappropriate attempts to exchange information 1.5 Manage inter parental disputes and assist parents to recognise the needs of children and young people are separate to that of their own emotional needs 1.6 Seek clarification and understanding of court orders to determine legal parameters of any service provision or interventions 1.7 Reconcile competing ideas on the best interests of the child with the resident and non resident parent
2. Create and maintain child focused environment	2.1 Plan activities and interactions with parents ensuring they are developmentally age appropriate for the child 2.2 Provide resources for safe interactions of child and parents 2.3 Provide service that ensures the child’s needs and wants are central to the case activities 2.4 Engage the reluctant and non participative child
3. Evaluate and monitor child focused practice	3.1 Provide guidance and direction to less experienced staff 3.2 Review practices and policies to ensure child focused practices are implemented 3.3 Obtain feedback from parents and children of the service as part of the evaluation processes and methodologies

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:

The stages of child development and relevance to work with vulnerable children
Attachment and family systems theories and how these are applied to working with vulnerable and traumatised children
Importance of peer relationships for vulnerable and isolated children
Principles of empowerment and application of these to the work practices
Indicators, effects and dynamics on family relationships and implications of:
- family violence and abuse
- substance use
- mental illness
- disability
Child’s physical and emotional reactions to separation, conflict , violence, and trauma
Case management principles of assessment, planning, monitoring and review
Principles and practice standards for working within the child’s best interests as stated in Family Law Act
Workers legal responsibilities and duty of care to children/young people and parents/carers when engaging in relationship supports and interventions.
Research and identify the parenting and family dynamics in different cultures. Where necessary seek appropriate cultural expertise to ensure practices are culturally appropriate
Child rights to protection, active right to participate, to choose course of action and make decision at their level of ability in any planning processes
Indicators of abuse, types of abuse, children who are particularly vulnerable and reporting systems in accordance with relevant state legislation
Range of service options for referral to relationship support and interventions services
Applications and relevance of concepts of parent alienation in separation and divorce
Effects of loss , grief and depression on children experiencing family conflict
Indicators and responses to child anxiety including childhood resilience

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Respond to children and young people experiencing the following as a result of family conflict, parental separation and/or divorce:
- grief/loss and depression
- post traumatic stress disorder
- domestic and family violence
- sexual abuse and neglect
- cross gender issues
Undertake case management, including assessment of child and family needs, analysing information gathered for the development, facilitation and monitoring of a client case plan within own level of responsibility
Undertake a needs assessment interview with children and/or young people to determine individual needs that will contribute to course of interventions and/or support within own level of responsibility
Bring parties back to the issues of impact on the children – reframe future
Use geno grams and socio grams to clarify complex family relationships
Engage children in assessment, within own level of responsibility, using:
- age appropriate language and questioning techniques
- non-verbal communication
- empathy and rapport building
Observe and report on client situations, behaviours and interactions for the purpose of informing case management, support , interventions and where necessary reporting processes including those issues for risk management and client protection
Provide effective client referrals to other support services or as part of case management processes
Assist families to engage in communication exchanges that contribute to positive relationship building
Adhere to boundaries for roles and actions of both the client and the worker using accepted standards of the organisation and within the relevant legislative frameworks
Establish a professional relationship with children and parents

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:

Work autonomously for short periods of time
Apply and model communication skills including:
- listening and understanding
- speaking clearly and directly
- writing to audience needs
- negotiating responsively
- empathising
- persuading effectively
- being appropriately assertive

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.

Children’s issues may include:	Type, frequency and length of contact with parents Preference for recreational and social activities Education and peer relations Contact and relationship with significant others and/or extended family Place of residence Preferred communications styles with parents and significant others
Communication techniques may include:	Assertion Active listening Summarising Paraphrasing Non-verbal communication: gestures facial expression posture and positioning eye contact Written information, pamphlets, reports, articles
Inappropriate attempts to exchange information may include:	Threatening staff and or other clients to disclose information Providing documentation to staff that breaches confidentiality Attempting to engage with staff to for the sole purpose of obtaining information about another party to the case Attempting to use gifts and bribery to exchange information Manipulating and coercing children to seek information from staff and others Illegal attempts to access confidential files
Manage inter parental disputes may include:	Ensuring safety of vulnerable clients by ensuring confidentiality of either party, not having contact with parties directly in the same environment Using assertiveness and negation skills to diffuse immediate conflict situations Modelling appropriate cooperation and communication skills to parents in conflict Reinforcing the organisations policy on rights and responsibilities of both clients and workers where necessary Undertaking risk assessments for violence and abuse Presenting the child’s expressed wants and needs to ensure that parents refocus on the best interests of the child
Court orders may relate to	Parental contact and residency Child Protection Domestic and family violence issues
Developmentally age appropriate activities means:	Plan activities that consider the developmental age and milestones of the child. Including chronological age, social, emotional and intellectual development. Activities will also provide for the specific needs of the individual child where disability, culture or health concerns are present.
Resources for safe interactions may include:	Child appropriate equipment and activities Appropriate environment to engage with parents Access to organisation policies and procedures Recent and relevant research on: marital conflict separation and divorce effective communication in marital conflict interventions Access to court orders where relevant Documented history of marital/post separation conflict
Provide guidance and direction to less experienced staff may include:	Establishing and participating in peer support systems in the organisation Peer supervision arrangements Case review processes Mentoring or buddy arrangements Shadowing more experienced staff members
Evaluation processes and methodologies may include:	Direct observation Client interviews Survey forms Focus groups

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.