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

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2011

Course Code: EMPL5846C

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

School: 360T Education

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5290 - Diploma of Education Support

Course Contact: Robyn Blaikie

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4838

Course Contact Email: robyn.blaikie@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Fiona Dean
fiona.dean@rmit.edu.au
ph: 9925 4650

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

No specific pre-requisite and co-requisite.

Course Description

This course describes the communication and work practice skills and knowledge required to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. 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:

HLTHIR404B 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 coworkers
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 Health Training Package

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 coworkers 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


Develop the communication and work practice skills and knowledge required to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It deals specifically with cross-cultural awareness and issues involving working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, organisations and communities.


Details of Learning Activities

The student learning experience will be facilitated through participation in a range of activities:
Group discussion
Guest speakers
Oral and/or written questions on "What if?" scenarios
Individual and group projects
Realistic simulations and role play
Practical demonstrations and direct observation of actual work and simulated work practice
Oral Presentations


Teaching Schedule

Course: HLTHIR404C Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

Semester 1

Week 1-4
Theory – Reflecting awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures
Acknowledging and respecting the impact of events and issues in Aboriginal and/or Torres
Strait Islander history
Demonstrating knowledge of and respect for the diversity in Indigenous cultures
Discussion, Q&A activities, Evidence Guide

Week 5-9
Theory – Reflecting awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures in work
practices
Identifying the potential impact of cultural factors on service delivery to Aboriginal and/or Torres
Strait Islander clients
Negotiating appropriate strategies to effectively acknowledge cultural differences in the
workplace

Discussion, Q&A activities,
Assignment 1 – Research/Q&A

Week 10-14
Theory– Identifying and utilising resources to facilitate effective service delivery in a cross cultural
context
Ensuring work practices are used in a cross cultural context
Appropriate strategies to effectively acknowledge cultural differences in the
workplace
Discussion, Q&A activities,

Week 15-18
Theory – Communicating effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Identifying communication issues to develop and maintain effective relationships with
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and/or co-workers
Responding to communication issues to develop and maintain effective relationships with
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and/or co-workers
Discussion, Q&A activities

Progress interview – Evidence guide, Assignment 1, Evidence of practical experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; e.g Observation/Demonstration, Third party

Semester 2
Week 1-4
Theory – Employing appropriate communication strategies to support a culturally safe environment for
delivery of services
Identifying ineffective and/or inappropriate communication strategies and remodel them to
support delivery of services
Identifying and utilising resources to facilitate effective communication within the workplace
Discussion, Q&A activities

Week 5-9
Theory – Reflecting cultural safety in workplace and professional relationships
Ensuring workplace and professional relationships are based on mutual respect, tolerance of
diversity and a shared understanding of cultural safety
Identifying critical issues influencing workplace and professional relationships with Aboriginal
and/or Torres Strait Islander co-workers and clients
Identifying and utilising effective strategies to develop and maintain effective relationships with
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander coworkers and clients as appropriate
Discussion, Q&A activities

Assignment 2 – Research/Scenarios

Week 10-14
Theory – Strategies to assist in resolving any difficulties, differences or misunderstandings that may
occur with coworkers and clients
Working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities
Developing and implementing strategies to increase participation of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people in service delivery
Ensuring care, services and programs encourage self-determination and community
control to ensure improved health outcomes
Discussion, Q&A activities

Project – Presentation (oral and written)

Week 15-18
Theory – Working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities
Identifying and utilising resources promoting effective partnerships with Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander people, organisations and communities
Supporting the development of effective partnerships between staff, Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people and their communities to facilitate appropriate healthcare and workplace
services
Discussion, Q&A activities

Assessment interview – review folio of final assessments e.g :
Evidence Guide, Assignment 1 and 2, Evidence of practical experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people e.g Observation/Demonstration, Third party, Project – Presentation (oral and/or written)


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

You must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of the competencies in order to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks. You may be assessed by:
• Direct observation of actual and simulated work practice
• Oral or written questioning
• Assignments and projects
• Presentation of a portfolio of evidence which may comprise documents, and/or photographs and/or video and audio files
• Review of products produced through work-based or course activities
• Third-party feedback from a work supervisor/employer
Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or online discussions, through individual and group feedback on practical exercises and by individual consultation.
If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.
An assessment charter (http://mams.rmit.edu.au/kh6a3ly2wi2h1.pdf) summarises your responsibilities as an RMIT student as well as those of your teachers.
Your courses assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures which are described and referenced in a single document: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=ln1kd66y87rc


Assessment Tasks

Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks. You may be assessed by:
• Direct observation of actual and simulated work practice
• Oral or written questioning
• Assignments and projects
• Presentation of a portfolio of evidence which may comprise documents, and/or photographs and/or video and audio files
• Review of products produced through work-based or course activities
• Third-party feedback from a work supervisor/employer
Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or online discussions, through individual and group feedback on practical exercises and by individual consultation.


Assessment Matrix

In Assessment matrix Booklet given to students at commencement of program.

Course Overview: Access Course Overview