Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2025

Course Code: LAW5736C

Course Title: Manage legal and ethical compliance

School: 535T Social Care and Health

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5432 - Diploma of Community Services

Course Contact: Bella Kelly

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4109

Course Contact Email: Bella.Kelly@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 80

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 to research information about compliance and ethical practice responsibilities, and then develop and monitor policies and procedures to meet those responsibilities.

This unit applies to people working in roles with managerial responsibility for legal and ethical compliance in small to medium sized organisations. There may or may not be a team of workers involved.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	CHCLEG003 Manage legal and ethical compliance
Element:	1. Research information required for legal compliance
Performance Criteria:	1.1 Identify sources of information about compliance requirements 1.2 Evaluate own area of work and determine scope of compliance requirements 1.3 Access and interpret information relevant to area of work 1.4 1dentify risks, penalties and consequences of non compliance 1.5 Assess and act on need for specialist legal advice
Element:	2. Determine ethical responsibilities
Performance Criteria:	2.1 Identify the ethical framework that applies to the work context 2.2 Incorporate scope of practice considerations as part of ethical practice 2.3 Evaluate responsibilities to workers, clients and the broader community 2.4 Model ethical behaviour in own work
Element:	3. Develop and communicate policies and procedures
Performance Criteria:	3.1 Clearly articulate and document policies and procedures to support legal and ethical practice in readily accessible formats 3.2 Integrate documentation and record keeping requirements into policies and procedures 3.3 Ensure systems protect client information 3.4 Nominate the roles and responsibilities of different people in meeting requirements where multiple people are involved 3.5 Distribute policies, procedures and legal information to colleagues and peers in a timely fashion
Element:	4. Monitor compliance
Performance Criteria:	4.1 Evaluate work practices for non-compliance on an ongoing basis, and implement modifications 4.2 Maintain and update required accreditations or certifications 4.3 Refer issues or breaches of ethical or legal practice to relevant people
Element:	5. Maintain knowledge of compliance requirements
Performance Criteria:	5.1 Identify and use opportunities to maintain knowledge of current and emerging legal requirements and ethical issues 5.2 Share updated knowledge and information with peers and colleagues. 5.3 Pro-actively engage in process of review and improvement

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

This course has scheduled face-to-face classes where information is shared through explicit teaching, discussion and various activities. Plus, class time will also be provided for the application of learning.

Teaching Schedule

Course Schedule:	Manage legal and ethical compliance Semester: 1 / Year: 2025
Week	Topic	Assessment Due Date
1	Welcome session. Determining legal compliance requirements: Laws (Commonwealth, State and Local) Acts and Regulations Trespass to the person Compliance requirements Legal responsibilities and liabilities Sources of information (government departments, regulatory bodies and industry associations)
2	Determining legal compliance requirements: Work role boundaries Work health and safety Industrial relations Responsibilities of a manager Key practices prohibited by law (aversion, over-correction, chemical restraint and seclusion) Employer, employee and service user rights and responsibilities Visit to the Magistrates Court.
3	Determining legal compliance requirements: Duty of care Negligence Dignity of risk Respect of practitioner-client boundaries Privacy vs Confidentiality Informed consent Advocates, guardians Mandatory reporting Determining ethical responsibilities: Ethical framework Codes of conduct Codes of practice Practice standards Ethical considerations Using an ethical approach
4	Determining ethical responsibilities: Scope of practice and ethical requirements Clarifying scope of practice and evaluate responsibilities Incorporate scope of practice considerations into ethical practice Identifying ethical issues Practice ethical decision making Using effective problem-solving techniques Determining ethical responsibilities: Ethical behaviour Role modelling Accepting responsibility for actions Coaching Mentoring	Assessment 1 Due:
5	Determining compliance requirements: Compliance culture Compliance complaints management Auditing and inspection requirements Risks, penalties and consequences of non-compliance Maintaining knowledge of compliance requirements: Accreditation Maintaining of licences and certification Mandatory training/Professional development National checks for individuals (WWCC) Statutory reporting requirements Appropriate information management Appropriate policy frameworks Pro-actively engaging in review and improvement processes (Plan, Do, Check and Act cycle)	Assessment 2 Due:
6	Monitoring compliance: On-going monitoring of compliance Audit and inspection regimes Conducting a risk assessment Reporting of critical incidents Referring issues or breaches of both legal and ethical practice to relevant people, bodies etc Legal specialists and advisors (Private lawyers, Community legal centres, Legal aid, etc.) Specialist legal advice Accessing legal advice Developing and communicating policies and procedures: Policy frameworks Document policies and procedures Articulating policies and procedures Policy formats Procedure formats Record-keeping of policies and procedures Personal information handling practices Safeguarding of service user private information Disclosure of information Electronic and manual record-keeping Record keeping risks Privacy and security	Assessment 3 Due:
7	Developing and communicating policies and procedures: Understanding a position description Understanding level of authority Understanding key performance indicators Work plans Clarifying misunderstanding and unclear instructions Team work Clarifying the roles and responsibilities others Nominate roles to meet specific requirements Distribution methods Review and evaluate learning.	Assessment 4 Due:

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

References

Other Resources

Overview of Assessment

There are four individual assessment tasks consisting of case study analysis, 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.

Assessment Task 1: Strategic Responses to Scenarios

The objective of this assessment is for you to demonstrate that you can develop a strategic response to 3 scenarios that represent a breach of legal or ethical requirements in a Community Services organisation. 

Assessment Task 2: Developing and Communicating Policies

The objective of this task is for you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in developing policies and managing compliance. 

Assessment Task 3: Case Scenario

The objective of this task is for you to demonstrate your knowledge of legal and ethical compliance using a workplace case scenario.

Assessment Task 4: Knowledge Questions

The objective of this task is for you to demonstrate your knowledge relating to the maintaining of legal and ethical compliance in the workplace.

 

Assessment Matrix

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

Other Information

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