Course Title: Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2014

Course Code: EMPL5933C

Course Title: Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

School: 365T Global, Urban & Social Studies

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4337 - Certificate IV in Youth Work

Course Contact : Jennifer Brooker

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4115

Course Contact Email:jennifer.brooker@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Teacher:  Anne Fitzpatrick

Phone: 99250329

Email: anne.fitzpatrick@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 20

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Course Description

This course describes the communication and work practice skills and knowledge required to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health industry context.  It deals specifically with cross-cultural awareness and issues involving working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, organisations and communities.
 


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

HLTHIR404D Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

Element:

Communicate effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Identify communication issues and ensure they are addressed to develop and maintain effective relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and/or co-workers
3.2 Employ appropriate communication strategies to support a culturally safe environment for delivery of health services
3.3 Identify ineffective and/or inappropriate communication strategies and remodel them to support delivery of health services.
3.4 Identify and utilise resources to facilitate effective communication within the workplace
3.5 Engage the services of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interpreters, health workers and colleagues as cultural brokers as required to meet duty of care.

Element:

Reflect an awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures in work practices.

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Acknowledge and respect the impact of events and issues in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander history during service delivery
1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of and respect for the diversity of culture, skin and language groups, family structures, art and religion in Indigenous cultures as part of service delivery.

Element:

Reflect an awareness of own and other cultural realities in work practices.

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Identify the potential impact of cultural factors on service delivery to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients
2.2 Address cultural realities in order to facilitate full participation in service delivery by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and/or co-workers
2.3 Negotiate appropriate strategies to effectively accommodate cultural differences in the workplace
2.4 Identify and utilise resources to facilitate effective service delivery in a cross cultural context
2.5 Ensure work practices used in a cross cultural context are grounded in an awareness of one's own culture and the cultural realities of others
 

Element:

Reflect cultural safety in workplace and professional relationships.

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Ensure workplace and professional relationships are based on mutual respect, tolerance of diversity and a shared understanding of cultural safety
4.2 Identify critical issues influencing workplace and professional relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander co-workers and clients
4.3 Identify and utilise effective strategies to develop and maintain effective relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander co-workers and clients as appropriate
4.4 Take responsibility for revisiting strategies to assist in the resolution of any difficulties, differences or misunderstandings that may occur.

Element:

Work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.

Performance Criteria:

5.1 Develop and implement strategies to increase participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in health service delivery
5.2 Ensure delivery of health care, services and programs reflect culturally safe and appropriate practice
5.3 Ensure health care, services and programs encourage self-determination and community control to ensure improved health outcomes
5.4 Identify and utilise resources to promote effective partnerships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, organisations and communities
5.5 Support the development of effective partnerships between staff, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities to facilitate accessibility, affordability, accountability, acceptability of appropriate healthcare and workplace services.


Learning Outcomes


On successful completion of this course you will have developed and applied the skills and knowledge required to demonstrate competency in the above elements.


Details of Learning Activities

The course is delivered in scheduled classes.


Learning activities include:


• class discussions to review presentations, YouTube videos and web links
• analysis of relevant reading material
• peer learning
• peer teaching
• group discussion
 


Teaching Schedule

Workshop1 Cultural realties in Australian society and impacts in the workplace

Identifying my culture and its impact in the workplace

Duty of care, Equal Opportunity and Anti-discrimination legislation supporting culturally safe work practices
 

Workshop 2 Effective relationships in a culturally diverse workplace

Reflect an awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture
 

Workshop 3 Communication skills for a culturally safe workplace

Communicating with Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people

Communicating with diverse cultural groups
 

Workshop 4 Establishing cross cultural partnerships in community services delivery to work effectively with diverse clients, families and communities

Negotiating cross cultural misunderstandings for the effective provision of community services
 

 

This course is deliveredr concurrently with HLTHIR403C Work effectively wtih culturally diverse clients and co-workers. The assessment tasks for this course relate only to Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

You will be provided with the resources and tools for learning in this course, including printed handouts and readings, You Tube and weblinks . These resources will also be available through Blackboard. You will also have access to the resources in the library.


Overview of Assessment

Assessment for this course is based on responding to written questions about the strengths of aboriginal culture, the impacts of colonisation and stolen generations and culturally respectful ways of working effectively with the community.


Assessment Tasks

For this course you will be required to complete two assessment tasks:

Assessment task 1- for this task you will be required to respond to written questions about the strengths of Aboriginal culture, and the impacts of colonisation and Stolen Generations on the community today.

Assessment task 2 – for this task you will be required to respond to written questions about the differences in service delivery approaches between mainstream and Aboriginal community services organisations, and to develop ways to communicate effectively, form partnerships and work in a culturally appropriate manner with the Aboriginal community.
 


Assessment Matrix

Assessment task 1 Element 1 Reflect an awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures in your work practices
  Element 2 Reflect an awareness of own and other cultural realities in work practices
Assessment task 2 Element 3 Communicate effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  Element 4 Reflect cultural safety in workpalce and professional relationships
  Element 5 Work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Other Information

Attendance
The major learning experience involves a combination of in-class exercises complimented by practical placement. It is strongly advised that you attend all sessions in order to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring the maximum opportunity to gain the competency.


Feedback
You will receive verbal feedback for verbal presentations and written feedback for written presentations by teacher on your work. This feedback also includes suggestions on how you can proceed to the next stage of developing your competency.
Student feedback at RMIT :
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=9pp3ic9obks7
 

Student Progress
Monitoring academic progress is an important enabling and proactive strategy to assist you to achieve your learning potential. Student progress policy :
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=vj2g89cve4uj1
 

Cover Sheet for Submissions
You must complete a submission cover sheet for every piece of submitted work. This signed sheet acknowledges that you are aware of the plagiarism implications.
 

Applying for Special Consideration
If you are seeking an extension of more than seven calendar days (from the original due date) you must lodge an Application for Special Consideration form, preferably prior to, but no later than two working days after the official due date. Late applications will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. For information about Special Consideration and how to apply, see: http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/specialconsideration
 

Penalties for Late Submission
If you have not been granted an extension or special consideration, late submission will be penalised as follows:
1. Assessment tasks submitted after the due date of submission shall receive a penalty of five per cent of the grades available for that assessment per day for each day late.
2. No assessment task shall be accepted more than three weeks after the due date without special consideration.
 

Assessment Appeals
If you believe your assessment result or final result is wrong please contact the course coordinator and provide the reason why you think your result is incorrect. Valid reasons for seeking a review of results include:
• You believe an error has occurred in the calculation of the grade; or,
• You believe the assessment did not comply with criteria published in the Course Guide; or,
• You believe the assessment did not comply with University Policies on Assessment (i.e. an error in process has occurred).
• Full details of the procedure (including appeals procedure) can be located at this RMIT site: http://www.rmit.edu.au/policies/academic#assessment
 

Academic Integrity
Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship through respecting the work of others whilst having the freedom to build new insights, new knowledge and ideas. RMIT University upholds the values of academic integrity as fundamental to the scholarship undertaken by all members of its community. Whenever you refer to another person’s research or ideas (either by directly quoting or paraphrasing them) you must acknowledge your source.
If you are even in doubt about how to properly cite a reference, consult your lecturer or the academic integrity website: http://www.rmit.edu.au/academicintegrity The RMIT library provides tools to assist with your referencing http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/info-trek/referencing
 

Plagiarism and Collusion
Plagiarism and collusion constitute extremely serious academic misconduct, and are forms of cheating. You are reminded that cheating, whether by fabrication, falsification of data, or plagiarism, is an offence subject to University disciplinary procedures. Plagiarism is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person as though it is your own. It is a form of cheating and is a very serious academic offence that may lead to expulsion from the University. Plagiarised material can be drawn from, and presented in, written, graphic and visual form, including electronic data, and oral presentations. Plagiarism occurs when the origin of the material used is not appropriately cited. Plagiarism is not acceptable.
Examples of plagiarism include:
• Copying sentences or paragraphs word-for-word from one or more sources, whether published or unpublished, which could include but is not limited to books, journals, reports, theses, websites, conference papers, course notes, etc. without proper citation;
• Closely paraphrasing sentences, paragraphs, ideas or themes without proper citation;
• Piecing together text from one or more sources and adding only linking sentences;
• Copying or submitting whole or parts of computer files without acknowledging their source;
• Copying designs or works of art and submitting them as your original work;
• Copying a whole or any part of another student’s work; and
• Submitting work as your own that someone else has done for you.
Enabling Plagiarism: the act of assisting or allowing another person to plagiarise or to copy your own work is also an offence.
For further information, please see the RMIT Plagiarism Policy – http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=sg4yfqzod48g1 – and the RMIT Student Discipline Statute and Regulations - http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=11jgnnjgg70y
 

Plagiarism Software
The originality verification software Turnitin may be used in this course. For details, see: http://www.turnitin.com

Course Overview: Access Course Overview