Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2025

Course Code: OHTH5910C

Course Title: Follow safe work practices for direct client care

Important Information:

Please note that this course has compulsory in-person attendance requirements for some teaching and assessment activities. 

 

School: 535T Social Care and Health

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4432 - Certificate IV in Community Services

Course Contact: Bella Kelly

Course Contact Phone: 9925 4109

Course Contact Email: bella.kelly@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 25

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

None

Course Description

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for a worker to participate in safe work practices to ensure their own health and safety, and that of others in work environments that involve caring directly for clients. It has a focus on maintaining safety of the worker, the people being supported and other community members.

This unit applies to all workers who require knowledge of workplace health and safety (WHS) to carry out their own work, in both centre-based and home-based service provision.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	HLTWHS002 Follow safe work practices for direct client care
Element:	1. Follow safe work practices for direct client care
Performance Criteria:	1.1 Follow workplace policies and procedures for safe work practices 1.2 Identify existing and potential hazards in the workplace, report them to designated persons, and record them according to workplace procedures 1.3 Identify any client-related risk factors or behaviours of concern, report them to designated persons, and record them according to workplace procedures 1.4 Follow workplace policies and procedures to minimise risk 1.5 Identify and report incidents and injuries to designated persons according to workplace procedures
Element:	2. Follow safe work practices for manual handling
Performance Criteria:	2.1 Follow manual handling procedures and work instructions for minimising manual handling risk 2.2 Identify manual handling hazards and report in line with workplace procedures 2.3 Apply control measures for minimising manual handling risk
Element:	3. Follow safe work practices for infection control
Performance Criteria:	3.1 Follow standard precautions as part of own work routine to prevent the spread of infection 3.2 Recognise situations when additional infection control procedures are required 3.3 Apply additional precautions when standard precautions alone may not be sufficient to prevent transmission of infection 3.4 Identify risks of infection and report them according to workplace procedures
Element:	4. Contribute to safe work practices in the workplace
Performance Criteria:	4.1 Raise WHS issues with designated persons according to organisational procedures 4.2 Participate in workplace safety meetings, inspections and consultative activities 4.3 Contribute to the development and implementation of safe workplace policies and procedures in own work area
Element:	5. Reflect on own safe work practices
Performance Criteria:	5.1 Identify ways to maintain currency of safe work practices in regards to workplace systems, equipment and processes in own work role 5.2 Reflect on own levels of stress and fatigue, and report to designated persons according to workplace procedures 5.3 Participate in workplace debriefing to address individual needs

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

Welcome! In this course, you will develop the skills and knowledge required for a worker to participate in safe work practices to ensure their own health and safety, and that of others in work environments that involve caring directly for clients. It has a focus on maintaining safety of the worker, the people being supported and other community members.

Teaching Schedule

Course Schedule:       Follow Safe Work Practices for Direct Client Care                       Semester 1, 2025
Week	Topic	Assessment Due Dates:
Week 1	Introduction to the unit: Introduction to Safe work practices for direct client care unit Overview of assessment tasks Common hazards/risks faced by community services workers Identify client related risk factors
Week 2	OH&S and Workplace requirements Work Health and Safety Legislation Following Health & Safety Codes of Practice & Legislation Rights and responsibilities of employers and workers, including duty of care
Week 3	Perform a workplace risk assessment Apply additional control measures to prevent risk of infection Understanding aspects for home fire safety	Assessment Task 1 (in-class)
Week 4	Contribute to safe work practices in the workplace Follow workplace procedures in reporting workplace Risk and Hazards Participate in Work Health & Safety meetings, inspections and to the development of safe workplace practices Completing incident forms and documenting in-line with workplace policy and procedures  Reflect on own safe work practices Understanding importance of self care Develop strategies for self care Utilising workplace supervision and debriefing	Assessment Task 2 (in-class)
Week 5	Public Holiday-No Class * For Group 1 only. Group 2 has class For Gr 1- content covered in week 4	Assessment Task 3 due

 

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

References

Other Resources

Overview of Assessment

There are three individual assessment tasks consisting of case study analysis, role plays, and short answer questions. 

Assessment Tasks

You will be given two (2) attempts for each assessment to demonstrate the required knowledge and skills. A third (3rd) attempt can only be offered after discussions between teacher and the Program Coordinator and is not automatic. Resubmissions beyond two (2) attempts are at the discretion of the teacher and/or coordinator.

 

AT1: 

There are 2 parts to this task, you will be required to complete:

Part 1: Hand Hygiene Australia Online Learning Module

Part 2: Fire safety in the client’s home - Role play.

 

AT2:

There are 3 parts to this task, you will be required to complete:

Part 1: Hazard Report 

Part 2: Risk Assessment 

Part 3: Incident form 

 

AT3:

Knowledge Questions. You are required to satisfactorily answer all 20 questions.

 

Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix is located in Canvas, at the end of each assessment task.

Other Information

You are required to attend a minimum of 80% of all classes to successfully complete each unit and all timetabled sessions. This will allow you to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring you the maximum opportunity to complete this course successfully.

 

Please refer to the RMIT student page for extensive information about study support, assessment, extensions, appeals and a range of other matters: rmit.edu.au/students

Course Overview: Access Course Overview