1 of 8 level: 6 credit: 6 planned review date: June 2006 sub-field: purpose: entry information: accreditation option: moderation option: Social Services People credited with this unit standard are able to: facilitate decision making for the alternative care placement; facilitate planning for the alternative care placement; facilitate implementation of the alternative care placement plan; and facilitate closure of involvement in the plan. Open. Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA, industry and teaching professional in the same field from another provider. A centrally established and directed national moderation system has been set up by Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce). special notes: 1 People awarded credit in this unit standard are able to implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the social services according to the authority and resources available to them, and are able to demonstrate application of this competence to the context of assessment for this unit standard (for further clarification, please refer to Unit 7928, Implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the social services).
2 of 8 2 Those who may be the subject of alternative care placements include children, young persons, and adults (including elders). They may require alternative care placements for: parenting purposes, or as a consequence of - abuse, neglect, or violence; self endangerment; physical or mental illness; disabilities; or alcohol or drug issues. People awarded credit for this unit standard demonstrate competence in one context, with any combination of the above factors. 3 Glossary Abuse, neglect, and violence includes abusive, neglectful, violent, or controlling behaviour that may be economic, emotional, physical, social, verbal, spiritual, and/or sexual in nature. It also includes role abuse, which means the abuse of power by an individual or agency that has a professional, service, or status-based role in relation to survivors. Abuse, neglect, and violence may occur within or outside of families and whānau. Other key people may include a co-worker, supervisor, cultural or gender adviser, care and protection resource people, legal advisers, health advisers, other specialist assessors or advisers. Parties to the alternative care placement may include those who may be the subject of alternative care placements (where that person is capable of active participation), their family or whānau (including birth parents in the case of adoptions), prospective adoptive parents, foster parents or guardians, and actual and prospective care givers.
3 of 8 Role and responsibilities in the plan may include development of ongoing agreements or plans for continued contact between parties, facilitation of ongoing relationships between parties, support of parties and the placement, monitoring, reporting in accordance with legislative or organisational requirements, education, advice, information giving, networking, brokerage, and advocacy. Service provider standards include but are not limited to: service provider strategic plans, kaupapa, governing legislation, staff manuals, kawa, or tikanga. 4 All communications are treated confidentially, except where there is an ethical, legal, or organisational duty on the social service worker to report abuse, neglect, and violence, or other risks. Service users are informed of the scope and limits of confidentiality as defined by criteria established by legislation, ethical practice, and service provider guidelines. In the context of this unit standard, sources of criteria established by legislation, ethical practice, and service provider guidelines may include but are not limited to: Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989, Domestic Violence Act 1995 Section 43, Health Act 1956 Sections 22B and 22C, Official Information Act 1982, Privacy Act 1993, service provider codes of conduct, codes of practice issued by the Privacy Commissioner, social service codes of ethics, and service provider guidelines, protocols, staff manuals, strategic plans, kawa, or tikanga.
4 of 8 5 Other statutes and criteria relevant to this unit standard: Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Act 1966, Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989, Domestic Violence Act 1995, Family Proceedings Act 1980, Guardianship Act 1968, Health Act 1956, Health and Disability Services Act 1993, Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001, Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Act 2001, Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992, Old People's Homes Regulations 1987, Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988, and Inter Country Adoption Policy criteria. People awarded this unit standard demonstrate knowledge of the provisions of statutes and criteria relating to alternative care according to relevance to the assessment context. 6 People awarded credit in this unit standard show that their actions are guided and supported by valid theory for social service practice. Evidence is required of social service theory that is derived from authoritative sources, which may include but are not limited to: body of knowledge related to social service work; cultural theory; practice research. Elements and Performance Criteria element 1 Facilitate decision making for the alternative care placement. performance criteria 1.1 Facilitation of alternative care decision making has as the first consideration the safety and wellbeing of the person who is the subject of alternative care.
5 of 8 1.2 The process of facilitation and advice giving establishes all information and issues that are relevant to decision making by parties to the alternative care placement. information and issues that are relevant to decision making by parties to the alternative care placement may include but are not limited to - provisions and jurisdiction of statutes and criteria relevant to the placement; role, function, and any legal responsibilities of the social service worker and service provider; legal and social consequences of the placement on all parties; cultural and gender issues and protocols; placement preferences; short and long term effects of the placement on all parties; guardianship rights of parties; potential conflicts of interest between parties; resources available to support the placement. 1.3 Parties to the alternative care placement are responded to in ways that positively acknowledge their needs and issues. needs may include but are not limited to - to be respected, affirmed, supported, physical comfort, safety, privacy; issues may include but are not limited to - separation, grief, infertility. 1.4 Parties to the alternative care placement are responded to through the use of interpersonal skills that acknowledge the characteristics of each party. characteristics may include but are not limited to - physical, spiritual and mental characteristics; age and stage of development; culture; disability; gender; health status; language; sexual orientation. 1.5 Parties to the alternative care placement are responded to through the use of interpersonal skills which acknowledge verbal and non-verbal communications and elicit information relevant to decision making. interpersonal skills may include but are not limited to - attending, listening, following, clarifying, encouraging, questioning and discussion, paraphrasing, reflection of feeling and content, summarising.
6 of 8 1.6 Information sought is sufficient for the purpose of facilitating decision making for the placement. information may include but is not limited to - the nature of the proposed placement; assessment of the suitability of the proposed placement; risk factors for abuse, neglect, violence, self endangerment; characteristics of parties to the placement, their family or whānau, and other social systems. 1.7 Decision making is facilitated in accordance with service provider standards. element 2 Facilitate planning for the alternative care placement. performance criteria 2.1 Facilitation of planning for alternative care has as the first consideration the safety and wellbeing of the person who is to be the subject of the placement. 2.2 The facilitation process establishes all information and issues that are relevant to planning by parties to the alternative care placement. information and issues that are relevant to planning may include but are not limited to - information and advice on potential placements; birth family information; information on potential adoptive parents in terms of stated preferences in adoption situations; cultural and gender issues; time issues; resources available to support potential placement situations. 2.3 The alternative care placement is planned in terms of decisions made by parties to the alternative care placement, ethical practice, service provider standards, and consultation with other key people. 2.4 The alternative care plan identifies resources that are available to achieve the safety and wellbeing of the person in the placement, a time frame that is consistent with the use of available resources, the roles and responsibilities of parties to the alternative care placement plan, contingencies and procedures to be followed in relation to contingencies, and methods of evaluating progress.
7 of 8 element 3 Facilitate implementation of the alternative care placement plan. performance criteria 3.1 Facilitation has as the first consideration the safety and wellbeing of the person who is the subject of the placement. 3.2 Facilitation by the social service worker is in accordance with her/his role and responsibilities in the plan. 3.3 Facilitation encourages self-determination of parties to the plan and discourages dependency by them on the social service worker or service provider. 3.4 Facilitation is focussed on assisting parties to the plan to identify progress in implementation of the alternative care placement. 3.5 Facilitation assists key people in the implementation of the plan to identify progress in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the person who is the subject of the placement. 3.6 Facilitation assists parties to the plan to review the plan, identify further options, and where necessary to amend the plan in terms of the evaluation of progress. element 4 Facilitate closure of involvement in the plan. performance criteria 4.1 Facilitation of closure has as the first consideration the safety and wellbeing of the person who is the subject of the placement. 4.2 Completion of the social service worker s or service provider s involvement in the plan is established according to consultation with the parties.
8 of 8 4.3 Facilitation of the closure process identifies relevant issues for future involvement. relevant issues for future involvement may include but are not limited to - factors that may lead to resumption of contact; future roles, functions, and services available from the social service worker or service provider; means of re-establishing contact with social service worker or service provider; other sources of referral. Comments to: Careerforce PO Box 2637 Wellington 6140 Please Note: Providers must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority before they can offer programmes of education and training assessed against unit standards. Accredited providers assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those unit standards. [Please refer to relevant Plan ref: 0222]