Responding to children at risk

CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

This unit is about supporting and protecting children and young people who are at risk of harm. This is within legislative and policy frameworks and carries a duty of care responsibility. It applies to workers in a range of job roles providing services to children and young people including in community services and health contexts.

 

How you will be assessed

You will be assessed through:

• Assessor observation on the job
• Supervisor reference (if the assessor is not the supervisor)
• Review of your workplace documents (e.g. procedures)
• Interview/assignment based on the requirements below.

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Practical

CA RE

You will be assessed in the workplace.

In addition, the assessor will use scenarios and realistic simulations and if the workplace cannot provide the full range of contexts and situations or if situations might occur only rarely (e.g. emergencies) where assessment would be unsafe or is impractical.

You need to show that you have used work practices that protect children and young people, including:

1. complied with regulations, legislation and duty of care responsibilities
2. used child-focused work practices to uphold the rights of children and young people
3. maintained confidentiality
4. responded appropriately to to protect children and young people
5. read and interpreted the procedures for reporting children at risk in line with your organization's expectations and legal requirements.

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Interview/assignment questions

RK.

Risks

1. What are the most common risk to child’s safety in your context? (Make sure you get all the important ones.)
2. What are the main signs of these different kinds of abuse: psychological, physical, sexual, neglect, domestic violence?
3. What are the main effects of each different kind of abuse?
4. What are the main dynamics of each different kind of abuse? (E.g. relationships, psychological responses) In your answer, include factors of age, gender, disability, culture, sexuality as relevant.
5. How would you respond appropriately to a disclosure of abuse?

Your procedures

1. What are your organization’s guidelines and policies for responding to risks of harm to children and young people?
2. What recording procedures do you have in your job role? (e.g. incident forms)

Ethics

1. What ethical obligations do you have? (They may be written in relevant codes of practice in your organization or professional body, or licensing, accreditation or registration standards, or service agreements.)
2. Explain ethical approaches that incorporate the conventions on the rights of the child and human rights.
3. What is your specific role and where are the ethical boundaries? (You are responsible to clearly define your role and and responsibilities and the client’s roles and responsibilities in behaving ethically and following professional relationship boundaries.)
4. What are your ethical obligations as defined by your job specification and your employer?
5. Explain your top three key principles of ethical decision-making.
6. what responsibilities do you have to clearly define your role and and responsibilities?
7. what responsibilities do you have to clearly define the client’s role and and responsibilities?

Legal

1. What are your duty of care responsibilities?
2. What are your state/territory requirements for reporting suspected abuse? How is it done?
3. In your state's system, what will happen when report a case of abuse?
4. How would you handle a case where you have to deal with two different agencies?
5. What other statutory and policy requirements relate to your job role?
6. How does the child protection system work? (Include reporting protocols, responses to reporting, interagency policies)
7. Explain briefly how the legal system works as it pertains to your job role.
8. What are the common legal issues relevant to your work with children and young people? Consider the following:
• abuse in all forms
• domestic and family violence
• neglect
• exploitation
• alcohol and other drugs (AOD) concerns
• systems abuse.

Note: Your assessor may also ask you a variety of what if questions.

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Detailed requirements

1. Identify children and young people at risk of abuse or neglect El 1/PC, RS, O, in

1. Observe signs and symptoms.
2. Ask open questions that are non-leading and non-invasive.
3. Keep aware of protective issues and use child protection procedures where appropriate.

 

2. Follow practices that help protect children and young people El 2/PC, RS, O, in

1. Respond to disclosure, information or signs and symptoms according to state legislative responsibilities and your service’s policies and procedures.
2. Routinely use child-focused practices to uphold the rights of the child and encourage them to take part in making decisions in an age appropriate way.
3. Follow current recognized good practice when communicating with children and young people and gathering information from them.
4. Maintain confidentiality as appropriate
5. Make sure that your decisions and actions are within your own level of responsibility, work role, legal requirements, and your orgaization’s policies and procedures.

 

3. Report signs of possible risk of harm. El 3/PC, RS, O, in

1. Accurately record relevant specific and general circumstances surrounding risk of harm according to your organization’s procedures, ethics and legal requirements.
2. Promptly record and report signs of risk of harm, including the circumstances of the risk according to your organization’s policies and procedures.
3. Do not be judgemental when writing reports.
4. Work collaboratively with relevant agencies to ensure the report is as effective as possible.

 

4. Apply ethical and nurturing practices in your work with children and young people El 4/PC, RS, O, in

1. Protect the rights of children and young people when giving services.
2. Identify and ask for your supervisor’s support for issues of ethical concern in practice with children and young people.
3. When working with children and young people:
1. Recognise and report signs of potential ethical concerns.
2. Use ethical and nurturing practices and observe professional boundaries.
3. Recognise and report signs of potential ethical concerns.

 

5. Other. R W

1. Read and understand forms and to make accurate reports.
2. Record in writing details of children and young people at risk and to report (using both handwritten skills and computer skills).
3. Manage tasks and contingencies on the job.
4. Comply with legislation (duty of care).
5. No applicable industry code of practice.

 

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Code for unit reqts: CA: Conditions of assessment El/PC: Element & criteria RE: Required evidence RK: Required knowledge RS: Required skills

Code for Foundation skills: L: Learning Id: Identify beliefs & thinking R: Reading W: Writing

N: Numeracy O: Oral communication N: Navigate world of work In: Interact with others G: Get work done