Course Title: Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2015
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: C4352 - 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
Anne Fitzpatrick
9925 0329
Trevor Bayley
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: |
1. 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: |
2. 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: |
3. 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: |
4. 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: |
5. 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 learning activities for this course will include:
- Class discussion
- group work
- media clips
- case study analysis
Teaching Schedule
The teaching schedule for this course is as follows:
Week 1 Cultural diversity in Australian society
- Identity and culture
- Human Rights and Legislation that supports the right to cultural diversity in Australian society
- Cultural diversity in Australian society
Cultural awareness and cultural diversity in the workplace
Week 2 Communication skills to demonstrate cultural respect in the workplace
- Reflecting on our own cultural values
- Debate: do diverse communities need to assimilate or integrate into Australian society? How would these values impact in the workplace?
- Communication skills for demonstrating cultural awareness in the workplace
- Negotiation and conflict resolution
Week 3 Working with the Aboriginal community
- Protocols for working with Aboriginal and/ or Torres Straits Islander communities
- United Nations Rights of Indigenous People
- Strengths of the Aboriginal community today
- Aboriginal community based organisations – self-determination, holistic services
Week 4 Impacts of history on the Aboriginal community
- Colonisation
- ‘Terra Nullius’
- Loss of culture, land, language, lore
- Stolen generations
- Impacts on the community today - Social determinants of health
Week 5 Respectful communication with Aboriginal people and working in partnership
- Barriers to Aboriginal people accessing mainstream health and community services
- Characteristics of mainstream communication styles and attitudes in community services work
- Characteristics of Aboriginal communication styles and attitudes when accessing community based services
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations – holistic service provision
- The skills and knowledge needed to communicate respectfully with Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander people when delivering community based services
- Demonstrating cultural respect
- Self-determination
- Two-way learning
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
Additional resources will also be available in ‘Blackboard’. A set of readings will be made available to you including journals and texts that may support you in the program.
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
1. Written responses to questions about 1) the strengths of Aboriginal culture, and the impacts the history of colonisation and Stolen generations on the Aboriginal community today and 2) working in a culturally appropriate manner with the Aboriginal community, individuals and with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.
2. Participate in a group work activity to identify the skills and knowledge needed to demonstrate cultural respect as a youth worker working with Aboriginal clients and services. Students will work in groups to identify how mainstream communication styles and attitudes could cause offence to an Aboriginal client and / or co-worker or agency. They will then identify the knowledge and communication skills needed to provide a culturally safe youth work service to Aboriginal clients and to work in partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. Students will write up this activity and submit a written report.
3. Working with interpreters: this task will take place in class. You will be required to participate in classroom activities that will allow you to acquire the skills needed to work effectively with interpreters.
Assessment Matrix
The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant course. These are available from the Program Co-ordinator.
Other Information
Assessment Tasks Submission Cover Sheet
You must complete a submission cover sheet for every piece of submitted work, including online submissions. This signed sheet acknowledges that you are aware of the plagiarism implications.
Attendance
It is strongly advised that you attend all workshops in order to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring the maximum opportunity to gain the competency.
Feedback
You will receive verbal and written feedback by teacher on your work. This feedback also includes suggestions on how you can proceed to the next stage of developing your competency. Information regarding student feedback can be found at: 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. The Student progress policy can be found at:
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=vj2g89cve4uj1
Special consideration Policy (Late Submission)
All assessment tasks are required to be completed to a satisfactory level. If you are unable to complete any piece of assessment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension. Information regarding application for special consideration can be found at: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=g43abm17hc9w
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
RMIT University has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. For more information on this policy go to Academic Integrity Web site: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=kw02ylsd8z3n
A Police Check and Working with Children Check – This course requires both documents before placement can begin
Course Overview: Access Course Overview