CHCIC302A: Support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families to participate in children’s services

Descriptor: This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to support participation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and families in children’s services
This support includes contributing to other children’s understanding and acceptance of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture and history and removal of potential barriers to their participation in children’s services

Employability Skills: This unit contains Employability Skills

Application: This unit is intended for children services workers to encourage and promote understanding and acceptance of inclusion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in environments where they may or may not work directly with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and families

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. Identify influence of own cultural identity on interactions with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and communities	1.1 Identify significant events in own family history which may influence own current beliefs and values 1.2 Identify aspects of the environment which influence own cultural identity 1.3 Examine aspects of family history and personal cultural identity for impact on personal values and potential impact on interactions with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and families
2. Apply understanding of impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and communities	2.1 Identify and analyse Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander historical issues of current workplace at local, regional and state levels 2.2 Identify contemporary impacts of historical issues on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people 2.3 Research the diversity of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander populations in community and children’s services organisation
3. Support the cultural identity of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and families	3.1 Identify and consult with appropriate persons to obtain knowledge of local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander groups 3.2 Obtain knowledge about the cultural identity of any Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and families currently involved in or receiving services from the children’s services organisation 3.3 Process information in a culturally sensitive way including identification of how and with whom information can be shared 3.4 Provide opportunities for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and families to share context and cultural knowledge 3.5 Provide opportunities for children and families to enhance their experience of cultural diversity 3.6 Demonstrate respect for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander languages in the workplace context
4. Create environments to support children’s cross-cultural understanding and relationships	4.1 Plan and implement experiences that foster positive attitudes to inclusiveness and cultural diversity 4.2 Encourage all children to be aware of and to respect Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture and history 4.3 Promote establishment of constructive relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and their families based on mutual respect, trust and celebration of diversity 4.4 Role model open, inclusive, equitable and ethical communication and interactions with all children and families 4.5 Promote the need to support involvement of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families and communities in all aspects of children’s participation in the organisation 4.6 Observe children’s interactions and participation to identify the need for additional cultural support and cross-cultural understanding
5. Support the implementation of experiences that are inclusive and recognise and celebrate difference	5.1 Gather information about children and their families to guide implementation of learning experiences to meet children’s cultural needs and cross-cultural understanding 5.2 Review experiences and resources to ensure they accurately represent different cultures and are not discriminatory 5.3 In consultation with supervisor, plan and implement experiences that build on diverse backgrounds of students and their families 5.4 In consultation with supervisor, plan and implement experiences that focus on events, customs, belief that are relevant to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities
6. Support children in developing personal identity, self-esteem and positive self image	6.1 Support experiences and environments where relationships between children, workers and other adults can be established 6.2 Communicate and interact with children to build their confidence, self-esteem, self image and self efficacy 6.3 Implement group activities in consultation with the supervisor to allow children to use collaborative processes to solve problems 6.4 Engage with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peers, mentors or other staff to support individual children where appropriate 6.5 Follow community protocols when engaging with community members

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:

Impact of colonisation on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
Equity and diversity principles
Difference between cultural groups
Organisation policies and initiatives designed to support participation for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and families
Anti-discrimination and stereotyping
Information sources for local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, where appropriate
Local protocols for interacting with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community, where appropriate

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Interact in culturally appropriate ways with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
Use a range of inclusive strategies that encourage engagement of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and celebrate diversity
Use a range of strategies, in consultation with the supervisor, that encourage all children to develop cross-cultural understanding and respect and that support and build self-esteem of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families

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:

Use observation skills to be able to identify any additional approaches that may be provided to support participation
Communicate effectively to liaise between differing cultural contexts
Use a range of communication styles to suit differing audiences and purposes

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.

Significant events may include:	Schooling experience Divorce Family composition Migration Health Financial factors Housing arrangements Death of a family member Attendance, high mobility between child care centres and long absences in between
Aspects of the environment may include:	Weather Political circumstances Government policy Religious freedom Education opportunity Freedom of speech Dominant/minority groups Equal rights Media Songs Ceremony
Cultural identity refers to the relationship with:	Place People Environment Belief system History Tradition Society
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander historical issues may include:	Stolen generation Invasion and colonisation Healthcare Education White Australia Policy
Diversity may include:	Population Language Law Ceremonies Literacy Employment Living conditions Lifestyles Customs Beliefs
Information may include:	Languages spoken Attendance records Health status Learning performance Family situations Name of traditional custodians of the land Names of elders and local families
Cultural diversity refers to:	The range of knowledge, skills and experiences brought to a situation by all members of a group The range of perspectives, responses and ideas possible within a diverse group
Languages may include:	Aboriginal languages and dialects Torres Strait Islander languages and dialects Torres Strait Creoles, Yumpla tok Aboriginal English Kriol and other Australian creoles
Approaches to student support outside of the childcare environment may include:	Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations Cultural groups Sporting groups Parent support groups
Community resources may include:	Elders Tradition Oral histories Artefacts Music and dance Paintings and artwork Land and ‘country’ Places Strictures Community members Organisations
Culturally appropriate refers to:	Local context Social norms of the cultural group In the context of ‘Country’ Kinship structures Verbal and on verbal communications protocols Gender specific issues Language Use of information Beliefs systems
Protocols may include:	Talking to the right people Land ownership Family/kinship/clan/group
Community members may include:	Elders Family and relatives Organisations Others in the community

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.