Course Title: Facilitate the interests and rights of clients

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2021

Course Code: LAW5734C

Course Title: Facilitate the interests and rights of clients

School: 375T Vocational Design and Social Context

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4363 - Certificate IV in Community Services

Course Contact: Melinda Brown

Course Contact Phone: 9925 4580

Course Contact Email: Melinda.Brown@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 100

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 course describes the skills and knowledge required to assist clients to identify their rights, voice their needs and concerns and realise their interests, rights and need.

This course applies to workers of all levels in a range of health or community services settings who provide services using a human rights based approach and have direct interaction with clients.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

CHCADV001 Facilitate the interests and rights of clients

Element:

1. Facilitate the realisation of client interests, rights and needs

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Discuss the rights and responsibilities of all parties with client

1.2 Provide client with researched, relevant and timely information on their rights and responsibilities

1.3 Assist clients to identify their own interests, rights, needs, choices and responsibilities

1.4 Identify when rights are infringed or not being met

1.5 Provide client with information on available options for meeting their rights and needs and assist them to identify their preferred option

Element:

2. Advocate in accordance with client preferences and requests to optimise client outcomes

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Undertake an assessment to identify client’s ability to advocate for self

2.2 Initiate, negotiate and implement relevant strategies for addressing client rights and needs in collaboration with the client

2.3 Identify potential barriers as well as resources

2.4 Identify and contact the most appropriate individuals and/or organisations and represent the client to optimise outcomes for the client

2.5 Ensure information is kept in confidence unless authorisation is given to release it

Element:

3. Provide ongoing support to clients

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Support and encourage clients to exercise their rights and personal preferences without compromising their safety and that of others

3.2 Consult with supervisor, other support workers and the service about interests, rights and needs of clients in a way that upholds their rights and supports their reasonable expectations

3.3 Identify situations of risk or potential risk and refer appropriately

3.4 Apply work practices to minimise potential for harm to clients, self and others

3.5 Conduct all activities in accordance with legal, organisation and duty of care requirements

Element:

4. Support clients making a complaint

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Discuss organisation and legal complaints mechanism and ensure client is aware of rights and responsibilities

4.2 Assist client in lodging a complaint

4.3 Monitor process and provide ongoing support and information to client

Element:

5. Review progress

Performance Criteria:

5.1 Discuss progress and outcomes with the client and collaborate on further action as necessary

5.2 Ensure follow up and links to other services as required and in accordance with client preferences

5.3 Obtain feedback and identify opportunities for improvement to own work and action as appropriate

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 a blended delivery.  Classes are delivered online with some demonstration of skill and knowledge conducted during face to face workshops (subject to Government restrictions due to Covid 19) During online classes, information is shared through talks and discussions.  Workshops will take place, with exercises will be conducted to apply learning.

Time is spent during classes for students to work on group assessment tasks. In your own time, you will be expected to keep up-to-date with the readings and videos that will be made available to you on Canvas. The classes, readings and videos will prepare you to be able to complete your course assessments. 


Teaching Schedule

Course Schedule: Facilitate the interests and rights of clients                                                                     Semester 1: 2021

 

Week

Topic

Assessments

Week 1

Understanding rights and advocacy

  • What are rights?
  • History of Human Rights
  • Rights within the community
  • Rights within agencies
  • What is advocacy?
  • Advocacy principles and values
  • Different types of advocacy and their functions

 

Week 2

Identifying clients’ interests and rights

  • Understanding Rights, interests and needs
  • Working with clients to identify their rights, interests and needs
  • Discussing options to meet rights and providing information

Interview Skills when meeting a client

  • Rapport building techniques
  • Listening skills
  • Confidentiality (mandatory reporting)
  • Explaining rights and responsibilities
  • Identify Issues (get the story)

 

Week 3

Working in collaboration with clients workshop

  • Implementing and practicing collaboration techniques
  • Collaboration role plays to identify interests and rights
  • Students to form groups and prepare for Assessment Task 1

 

Week 4

Advocating alongside and on behalf of clients

  • Assessing a client’s ability to self-advocate
  • Initiating and negotiating strategies for addressing client interests and rights
  • Representing clients to achieve outcomes
  • Work on Assessment 1 in class (role plays)

Assessment 1 Due

Week 5

Providing ongoing support

  • Supporting clients and providing encouragement to exercise rights and preferences
  • Assessing risk and promoting dignity of risk while balancing duty of care requirements
  • Preparation for Assessment Task 2

 

Week 6

Supporting clients to make complaints

  • Discussing organisational and legal complaints mechanisms
  • Assisting clients in lodging a complain
  • Assessment Task 2 conducted in class

Assessment 2 due

Week 7

Reviewing progress and outcomes

  • Reviewing progress and outcomes in collaboration with clients
  • Following up on support and referrals
  • Seeking feedback on own performance and making improvement
  • Work on Assessment Task 3 in class
  • Unit review and evaluation

Assessment 3 due
Course Schedule may change at teachers discretion*  

 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Learning materials will be available on Canvas


Overview of Assessment

Assessment Task 1: Case study/role-plays 

Assessment Task 2: Role play/s 

Assessment Task 3: Short answer questions


Assessment Tasks

Assessment task 1:

This practical assessment task requires you to demonstrate your skills and knowledge through a role play with two (parts). In Part 1 you will meet with a client to understand their issues, provide options, and support the client to self-advocate. In Part 2, again in a role-play, you will monitor the situation and advocate on their behalf as required. In these role-plays you will work with another student playing the role of a client or support worker.

 

Assessment Task 2: 

This practical assessment task requires you to demonstrate your skills working with one client over three (3) role-plays. In Part 1 you meet with the client to understand their issues, provide options, and gauge the support the client may need to make a complaint. In Part 2, you monitor the situation and assist the client to make a complaint according to process. In Part 3, you monitor the outcome as reported by the client, confirm that the complaint is resolved according to the client’s satisfaction, and seek the client’s feedback. In these role-plays you will work with another student taking a turn each in the role of the client or the support worker.

 

Assessment Task 3: The objective of this task is to demonstrate your knowledge in relation to facilitating client interests and rights. This is a written assessment task in which you will respond to 17 short answer questions. This task will be completed in your own time. 

 

 


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