CHC33015-Work in Health and Community services-LG-F-v1.2

Learner Guide 3
CHC33015 Certificate III in

Individual Support
Work in Health
and Community Services
V1.2 Produced 20 April 2017
Copyright © 2016 Compliant Learning Resources. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system other than
pursuant to the terms of the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth), without the prior written permission of
Compliant Learning Resources
Version control & document history
Date Summary of modifications made Version
4 July 2016 Version 1.0 final produced following validation 1.0
Version 1.1 final produced with the following

modification:
19 September
 Additional information on Framework Five 1.1
2016
Key Principles and
 Human Rights Based Approach
Version 1.2 final produced: added ‘Dignity of Risk’
20 April 2017 to the Section Addressing Constraints to 1.2
Communication
Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Page 2 © Compliant Learning Resources
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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LEARNER GUIDE ................................................................................................... 5
I. WORKING WITH DIVERSE PEOPLE ..................................................................... 12
1. An Introduction to Australia’s Cultural Diversity ........................................................ 13
1.1 How doexs diversity in Australia impact different areas of work
and life? .......................................................................................................................... 14
1.2 Influences and Changing Practices in Australia ....................................... 15
2. Reflecting on Own Perspectives.................................................................................... 17
2.1 Your Own Social and Cultural Perspectives and Biases ......................... 17
2.2 Cultural Awareness, Cultural Safety, and Cultural Competence .......... 18
2.3 Ways to Improve Self and Own Cultural and Social Awareness ........... 19
2.4 Impact of Diversity Practices and Experiences .........................................20
3. Appreciating Diversity and Inclusiveness .................................................................... 21
3.1 Diversity and Inclusiveness in All Areas of Work .................................... 21
3.2 Areas of Diversity.............................................................................................. 22
3.3 Work Practices that Make Environments Safe for All ............................. 23
4. Communicating with People From Diverse Backgrounds............................................ 26
4.1 Respecting Diversity in Communication with All People ....................... 26
4.2 Verbal and Non-verbal Communication ..................................................... 27
4.3 Strategies to Overcome Language Barriers ............................................... 27
4.4 Resources to Help Embrace and Respond to Diversity ...........................28
5. Promoting Understanding Across Diverse Groups ...................................................... 29
5.1 Issues that May Cause Communication Misunderstandings and
Difficulties ..................................................................................................................... 31
5.2 Addressing difficulties and seeking assistance when required ............ 32
II. COMMUNICATING AND WORKING IN HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES ............ 34
1. Communicating Effectively with People ....................................................................... 34
1.1 Principles of Effective Communication ...................................................... 34
1.2 Verbal and Non-verbal Communication .....................................................38
1.3 Communicating Service Information ......................................................... 40
1.4 Responding to Clients’ Requests ................................................................... 43
1.5 Exchanging Information in the Individual Support Context ................. 44
2. Collaborating with Colleagues ...................................................................................... 46
2.1 Listen to, Clarify, and Agree Timeframes for Completing
Workplace tasks ........................................................................................................... 46
2.2 Structure of the Organisation and Other Services ................................... 47
2.3 Use Industry Terminology Correctly in Verbal, Written and
Digital Communications ............................................................................................ 53
2.4 Follow your Organisation’s Communication Protocols and
Procedures in Interacting with Different People ................................................ 54
3. Addressing Constraints to Communication ................................................................. 55
3.1 Signs of Complicated or Difficult Situations .............................................. 55
3.2 Effective Communication Skills to Resolve Conflict Situations ............ 55
4. Reporting Problems to the Supervisor ......................................................................... 57
4.1 Legal and Ethical Responsibilities................................................................ 57
4.2 Referring Issues, Breaches, and Non-adherence ..................................... 61
5. Workplace Correspondence and Documentation......................................................... 63
5.1 Accessing and Reading Workplace Documents ........................................ 63
5.2 Digital Media in the Individual Support Sector ........................................ 65

© Compliant Learning Resources Page 3
6.Contributing to Continuous Improvement ................................................................... 66
CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 68
What have we learned? ........................................................................................................68
What next? ...........................................................................................................................68
FEEDBACK ...................................................................................................... 69

LEARNER GUIDE
Unit Description
CHCDIV001 – Work with Diverse People
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work respectfully with people
from diverse social and cultural groups and situations, including Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander people.
This unit applies to all workers.
CHCCOM005 – Communicate and Work in Health or Community Services

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to communicate effectively with
clients, colleagues, management and other industry providers.
This unit applies to a range of health and community service contexts where workers
may communicate face-to-face, in writing or using digital media and work with limited
responsibility under direct or indirect supervision.
About this Unit of Study Introduction

As a worker, a trainee, or a future worker you want to enjoy your work and become
known as a valuable team member. This unit of competency will help you acquire the
knowledge and skills to work effectively as an individual and in groups. It will give you
the basis to contribute to the goals of the organisation which employs you.
It is essential that you begin your training by becoming familiar with the industry
standards to which organisations must conform.
These units of competency introduce you to some of the key issues and responsibilities
of workers and organisations in this area. The unit also provides you with
opportunities to develop the competencies necessary for employees to operate as team
members.

This Learner Guide Covers
Working with Diverse People
1. Reflect on Own Perspectives
2. Appreciate Diversity and Inclusiveness, and Their Benefits
3. Communicate with People from Diverse Backgrounds and Situations
4. Promote Understanding Across Diverse Groups
Communicate and Work in Health or Community Services

1. Communicate Effectively with People
2. Collaborate with Colleagues
3. Address Constraints to Communication
4. Report Problems to Supervisor
5. Complete Workplace Correspondence and Documentation
6. Contribute to Continuous Improvement
Learning Program
As you progress through this unit of study you will develop skills in locating and
understanding an organisation’s policies and procedures. You will build up a sound
knowledge of the industry standards within which organisations must operate. You
will become more aware of the effect that your own skills in dealing with people has
on your success or otherwise in the workplace. Knowledge of your skills and
capabilities will help you make informed choices about your further study and career
options.
Additional Learning Support

To obtain additional support you may:
 Search for other resources. You may find books, journals, videos and other
materials which provide additional information about topics in this unit.
 Search for other resources in your local library. Most libraries keep information
about government departments and other organisations, services and
programs. The librarian should be able to help you locate such resources.
 Contact information services such as Infolink, Equal Opportunity Commission,
Commissioner of Workplace Agreements, Union organisations, and public
relations and information services provided by various government
departments. Many of these services are listed in the telephone directory.
 Contact your facilitator.

Facilitation
Your training organisation will provide you with a facilitator. Your facilitator will play
an active role in supporting your learning. Your facilitator will help you any time
during working hours to assist with:
 How and when to make contact,
 What you need to do to complete this unit of study, and
 What support will be provided.
Here are some of the things your facilitator may do to make your study easier:
 Give you a clear visual timetable of events for the semester or term in which you
are enrolled, including any deadlines for assessments.
 Provide you with online webinar times and availability.
 Use 'action sheets' to remind you about tasks you need to complete, and updates
on websites.
 Make themselves available by telephone for support discussion and provide you
with industry updates by e-mail where applicable.
 Keep in touch with you during your studies.
Flexible Learning
Studying to become a competent worker is an interesting and exciting thing to do. You
will learn about current issues in this area. You will establish relationships with other
students, fellow workers, and clients. You will learn about your own ideas, attitudes,
and values. You will also have fun. (Most of the time!)
At other times, studying can seem overwhelming and impossibly demanding,
particularly when you have an assignment to do and you aren't sure how to tackle it...
and your family and friends want you to spend time with them... and a movie you want
to see is on television....
Sometimes being a student can be hard.
Here are some ideas to help you through the hard times. To study effectively, you need
space, resources, and time.

Space
Try to set up a place at home or at work where:
1. You can keep your study materials,
2. You can be reasonably quiet and free from interruptions, and
3. You can be reasonably comfortable, with good lighting, seating, and a flat
surface for writing.
If it is impossible for you to set up a study space, perhaps you could use your local
library. You will not be able to store your study materials there, but you will have quiet,
a desk and chair, and easy access to the other facilities.
Study Resources
The most basic resources you will need are:
1. A chair
2. A desk or table
3. A computer with internet access
4. A reading lamp or good light
5. A folder or file to keep your notes and study materials together
6. Materials to record information (pen and paper or notebooks, or a computer
and printer)
7. Reference materials, including a dictionary
Do not forget that other people can be valuable study resources. Your fellow workers,
work supervisor, other students, your flexible learning facilitator, your local librarian,
and workers in this area can also help you.
Time
It is important to plan your study time. Work out a time that suits you and plan around
it. Most people find that studying in short, concentrated blocks of time (an hour or
two) at regular intervals (daily, every second day, once a week) is more effective than
trying to cram a lot of learning into a whole day. You need time to 'digest' the
information in one section before you move on to the next, and everyone needs regular
breaks from study to avoid overload. Be realistic in allocating time for study. Look at
what is required for the unit and look at your other commitments.
Make up a study timetable and stick to it. Build in 'deadlines' and set yourself goals for
completing study tasks. Allow time for reading and completing activities. Remember
that it is the quality of the time you spend studying rather than the quantity that is
important.

Study Strategies
Different people have different learning
'styles'. Some people learn best by listening
or repeating things out loud. Some learn
best by 'doing', some by reading and
making notes. Assess your own learning
style, and try to identify any barriers to
learning which might affect you. Are you
easily distracted? Are you afraid you will
fail? Are you taking study too seriously?
Not seriously enough? Do you have supportive friends and family? Here are some
ideas for effective study strategies:
Make notes. This often helps you to remember new or unfamiliar information. Do not
worry about spelling or neatness, as long as you can read your own notes. Keep your
notes with the rest of your study materials and add to them as you go. Use pictures and
diagrams if this helps.
Underline key words when you are reading the materials in this learner guide. (Do not
underline things in other people's books.) This also helps you to remember important
points.
Talk to other people (fellow workers, fellow students, friends, family, or your
facilitator) about what you are learning. As well as helping you to clarify and
understand new ideas, talking also gives you a chance to find out extra information
and to get fresh ideas and different points of view.
Using this Learner Guide

A learner guide is just that, a guide to help you learn. A learner guide is not a text book.
Your learner guide will:
1. Describe the skills you need to demonstrate to achieve competency for this unit;
2. Provide information and knowledge to help you develop your skills;
3. Provide you with structured learning activities to help you absorb knowledge
and information and practice your skills;
4. Direct you to other sources of additional knowledge and information about
topics for this unit.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Learner Guide
Read through the information in the learner guide carefully. Make sure you
understand the material.
Some sections are quite long and cover complex ideas and information. If you come
across anything you do not understand:
1. Talk to your facilitator;
2. Research the area using the books and materials listed under Resources;
3. Discuss the issue with other people (your workplace supervisor, fellow
workers, fellow students);
4. Try to relate the information presented in this learner guide to your own
experience and to what you already know.
5. Ask yourself questions as you go. For example, 'Have I seen this happening
anywhere?' 'Could this apply to me?' 'What if....’ This will help you to 'make
sense' of new material, and to build on your existing knowledge.
6. Talk to people about your study.
7. Talking is a great way to reinforce what you are learning.
8. Make notes.
9. Work through the activities.
Even if you are tempted to skip some activities, do them anyway. They are there for a
reason, and even if you already have the knowledge or skills relating to a particular
activity, doing them will help to reinforce what you already know. If you do not
understand an activity, think carefully about the way the questions or instructions are
phrased. Read the section again to see if you can make sense of it. If you are still
confused, contact your facilitator or discuss the activity with other students, fellow
workers or with your workplace supervisor.

Learning Checkpoints
This learner guide contains learning checkpoints which are represented by the
following icons:
Checkpoint! Let’s Review Further Reading
Further Reading checkpoints direct you to external resources that are highly
recommended for you to read. They also contain additional questions to facilitate
supplementary learning and to guide you relate what you have read in real life.
Checkpoint! Let’s Review contain review questions for you to answer on your own
to ensure that you have learned key points from the relevant section. If you have a hard
time answering these questions, worry not. You can always revisit chapters and take
another shot at these review questions.
Additional Research, Reading, and Note-Taking

If you are using the additional references and resources suggested in the learner guide
to take your knowledge a step further, there are a few simple things to keep in mind to
make this kind of research easier.
Always make a note of the author's name, the title of the book or article, the edition,
when it was published, where it was published, and the name of the publisher. This
includes online articles. If you are taking notes about specific ideas or information, you
will need to put the page number as well. This is called the reference information. You
will need this for some assessment tasks, and it will help you to find the book again if
you need to.
Keep your notes short and to the point. Relate your notes to the material in your
learner guide. Put things into your own words. This will give you a better
understanding of the material.
Start off with a question you want answered when you are exploring additional
resource materials. This will structure your reading and save you time.

I. WORKING WITH DIVERSE PEOPLE
In the previous Learner Guide, we learned about the many legal and ethical
responsibilities that a support worker has – including upholding and respecting your
clients’ and others’ rights, adhering to legislation relevant in the provision of care and
support, following your organisation’s policies and procedures, and many more. Can
you recall other ethical and legal responsibilities of the support worker?
Part of fulfilling these ethical and legal responsibilities is that the support worker must
essentially be able to work with diverse people – to have sufficient cultural awareness;
to acknowledge others’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds; to respect others
regardless of their race, gender, skin colour, language, religion, or disability; to
appreciate diversity.
Why is this important? Because number 1, it is a human right – to be treated equally

and fairly, regardless of one’s cultural backgroun, and as you can recall, recognising
and respecting human rights is an essential part in the support worker’s role.
Number 2, being able to efficiently work with diverse people fosters an environment
free from discrimination and conflicts. It enhances personal and professional
relationships, promotes equality, and enables people to learn from one another.
The first part of this Learner Guide will guide you through key practices and concepts
relevant in working with diverse people, and will give you an overview about
Australia’s history, the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders, and how it came
to be the culturally diverse nation we know today.
But before we proceed, let’s first know what diverstity means.
The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It

means understanding that each individual is unique, and
recognising our individual differences. These can be along the
dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-
economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political
beliefs, or other ideologies.
It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and

nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and
moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating
the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.
(Sourced from www. gladstone.uoregon.edu)

In the context of individual support, diversity can mean:
 Diversity in the workplace means employing staff regardless of cultural
background and language spoken.
 Diversity means understanding that each individual is unique – especially

delivering support services using the person-centred approach.
 Diversity means acceptance and respect of other people regardless of their race,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, etc.
 Diversity requires effective communication and meeting the different language

needs of clients.
1. An Introduction to Australia’s Cultural Diversity

Long ago, before the European’s arrival,
Australia was inhabited by indegenous people –
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,
and they are considered as the traditional
owners of the country.
For thousands of years, they inhabited northern

Sydney. They lived on the shores of the harbour
and survived through fishing and hunting, as
well as harvesting food.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
They lived in an abundant land and they spent only little time working for survival.
This enabled them to develop a rich and complex culture. This culture primarily
involved their rituals, langugage, customs, spirituality, and the law – all of which are
closely interrelated to their land.
Lt. James Cook’s arrival in 1770, under the orders of the British Crown, had marked
the beginning of the end for the ancient way of life of these indegenous people. Lt.
Cook arrived and declared the land, which he called New South Wales, to bne the
property of Britain’s King George III. His arrival ushered more fleets from Europe,
mainly Great Britain and Ireland, and soon colonies were established in the continent.
Indegenous Australians were greatly weakened and their population dwindled by
diseases and conflicts with the colonists that persevered during this period.
Gold rushes and agricultural industries brought prosperity to the land and drew
migrants from other countries and in 1901, the modern Australia that we know today
came into being. Since the end of World War II, the country’s population has more
than doubled – majority of it is attributed to massive-scale European immigration in
the post-war decades. It was also in this time when the White Australia Policy was in
force, discouraging non-European immigration.

When this policy was abolished in the 1970s, there was a significant increase in Non-
European immigration, mostly from asia and the Middle East. Today, Australia’s
population is at 24 million, coming from mixed origins, the majority of which
descended from pre-Federation European settlers and post-Federation immigrants
from Europe, and others coming from different countries and others descending from
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origins.
These historical events and the migrants and their descendants have shaped Australia
into the nation we know today and they continue to play crucial roles in terms of
population and workforce growth. Australia’s culture that we see today is thousands
of years in the making, and today, Australia is one of the most diverse soiceties in the
world.
Knowing the historical context from which Australia’s diversity is founded on, you will
understand that communicating and working with people from diverse cultural
backgrounds is only one of the challenges that support workers are facing today.
Individual support services, including Aged Care, Home and Community Care, and
Disability Support, are facing up to the challenge of being able to provide services that
cater to diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds as Australian’s population and
diversity continue to grow.
1.1 How doexs diversity in Australia impact different areas of work and
life?
Diversity, as a significant part of how Australia came to be, impacts different areas of
work and life, including political, social, and cultural:
 Diverse language of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are used to
identify different groups.
 Laws against discrimination, racism and harassment have been created to
ensure that people especially in the workplace are given fair and equal
treatment.
 Cross-cultural training improves workplace relationships and team
effectiveness.
 Cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders communities are
passed on across their generation.
 Aboriginal tourism promotes the Aboriginal culture and lifestyle throughout
Australia.
Diversity also has the following impacts on Australia’s economy:

 The increased working age population brings more people into Australia aged
15-64 years.
 Improved productivity has a strong emphasis on skilled migration.
 Tourism in the aboriginal community provides economic prosperity to support
the Aboriginal heritage.
 More small businesses have been created by post-war migrants.

The following are the impact of how one’s own cuture, western systems and structure
on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their engagement services:
 Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander give high regard for family and
kinship. The services to be provided for clients from their culture must take into
account the practices in their family network/community.
 Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders tend to seek hospital treatment
when the illness becomes severe.
 Racism and oppression of the Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders
has been found to be related to poor mental health.
1.2 Influences and Changing Practices in Australia

The changing cultural influences in Australia have affected some of the country’s
practices.
 Pearling industry
Aborigines in Norther0n Australia have been involved in the pearling industry
even before the European settlement. The Aboriginal peoples harvest pearls
from the coast and trade them with fishermen from other countries. When the
Europeans arrived in Australia, they found that pearls were of good value as
these can be used in making various objects such as buttons, accessories, etc.
The European settlers expanded the industry but regarded the Aboriginal
Peoples and Torres Strait Islanders as divers, where they have faced unfair
labour practices and danger.
The industry had almost declined through the years because pearls became
scarce especially in the Torres Strait. The cultivation method for pearls was
then developed to continue the industry.

 Farming industry
The Australian farming industry flourished with both agricultural farming and
livestock grazing. Australia had become a leading food exporter. As cattle
farming faced setbacks in resources,
agricultural farming was developed by
the European settlers. Exploratory
missions were sent to Australia to find
regions in the land which were suitable
for agriculture. Because of innovation
and adaptability of the farmers, the
technology used in both industries has
helped the economy continue to thrive.
 The bush
The bush is an icon in the Australian identity and nationalism. It refers to an
Australian landscape that is unsettled and undeveloped, and is unique to
Australia. This is different from the European landscape for vegetation. The
bush had become a symbol of the nation’s greatness in the 1900. It had been
described as a place where a person can use their ability for self-reliance and
strength.
Romanticism towards the concept of the bush demonstrated through folklore,

literature and art evoked the ideals even of the modern Australians.
 Clothing
Australia does not have a specific national dress but the common clothing style
when referring to their local dress are bush wear and swimwear. These clothing
represent the culture of Australia where both the bush and the coastal areas can
be found.
Most designs used in their local dresses show both Aboriginal and modern
designs.
The following sections will introduce you to important concepts and practices in
working with diverse people.

Further Reading
Learn more about cultural diversity in Australia today. Find out
about its population statistics by researching online:
 How many languages are spoken in Australia today? List

the five (5) most commonly spoken.
 What are the major religions in Australia today? List three

(3) of these religions.
 What percentage of the population today do the

Indigenous Australians make up?
2. Reflecting on Own Perspectives

Working in the health and community sector will see you encounter people who come
from different cultural, linguistic, and social backgrounds from yours – and some of
their cultural and social practices may be okay with you and some might even surprise
you.
To be able to work effectively with them, it is important that you are able to understand
and reflect on your own perspectives and attitudes towards other culture and societies
first.
2.1 Your Own Social and Cultural Perspectives and Biases

As individuals, we are shaped by our own experiences and by our own social and
cultural backgrounds. Our perspectives including biases are also shaped by these –
how we perceive other people, what we think of them, what we think of their culture.
For instance, when you are using the public

transport every morning on your way to work,
and you encounter a Muslim lady wearing a veil
or a niqab covering her face except for the eyes.
How will you react, knowing that wearing this
garment is not practised in your own culture?
Will you find it unusual or weird?
Your cultural and social perspectives, to put it
simply, is the way you look at things based on
your own cultural and social background. This
includes your opinions about the Muslim lady
Image courtesy of Flickr
wearing a veil over her face.

While cultural biases happen when you interpret or judge something by the standards
of your own cultural and social background. You may have thought the Muslim lady is
weird because wearing a veil is not common in your own culture or in the society you
come from.
2.2 Cultural Awareness, Cultural Safety, and Cultural Competence

An important attiribute that a support worker must have is cultural and social
awareness. This awareness is the ability of standing back from ourselves and becoming
aware of our cultural values, beliefs, and perceptions. By way of understanding our
own culture, we get to understand others’ better as well. This awareness helps us avoid
judging others just because their cultural and social practices are different from ours.
Cultural awareness, along with cultural safety and cultural competence are important
concepts in diversity that a support worker must fully understand.
Culturally safety means anyone, regardless of their cultural background, to enjoy
different aspects of life (e.g. accessing services, taking part in one’s own cultural
practices) without being discriminated or harassed by others. In the health and
community sector, this means promoting an environment wherein clients, their
families and carers, and staff are treated with respect and dignity regardless of their
cultural background.
For example: A client residing in a care facility happens to be a vegetarian. He does
not consume any animal products including meat, eggs, dairy milk, and others. Part
of promoting a culturally safe environment in the practice means allowing the client
to receive care services that accommodate his cultural needs and preferences. This can
be done by having options for vegetarian meals in the care facility.
While cultural competence means working effectively in cross-cultural situations.
Cultural awareness is part of cultural competence. A support worker demonstrates
cultural competence when he / she is sensitive to the cultural and social needs of
others.
For example: While discussing in a group, a support worker uses plain English to
accommodate those whose first language is not English. He / she avoids using jargon
words or those words only understood by a specific group of people. The support
worker is mindful not to say culturally inappropriate jokes that may offend others.
Further Reading
 Learn about two (2) other that are different from yours.
Research online, visit the local library, or consult someone
you know who come from different cultural or social
backgrounds.
 Have you been to a country or to a place that has a
different culture from yours? What have you observed in
their cultural and social practices? What language do they
speak?

2.3 Ways to Improve Self and Own Cultural
and Social Awareness
Now that you’ve been introduced to the concepts of
Cultural Awareness, Cultural Safety, and Cultural
Competence – you might now ask how these can be
achieved?
Support workers worry about caring for and
supporting people whose cultural and social
backgrounds are unfamilar to them. They worry about
being viewed as offensive, prejudiced, biased,
discriminating, or incompetent – and these feelings
inhibit them from initiating meaningful conversation
with culturally diverse people. Talking with them may
be stilted and superficial as the support worker ends
up not saying anything at all out of the fear of saying
something wrong.
We are all likely to make mistakes. Acknowledge them, apologise if you
unintentionally offend or hurt someone and when an approach does not work, try a
new one. Don’t give up! Remember that your ultimate goal here is enhanced care and
support for all.
Here are a number of pointers for you in improving your own cultural awareness:
 Be aware of your own cultural influences.
 Be aware of judging other people's behaviour and beliefs according to the

standards of your own culture.
 Be aware of making assumptions about cultural influences and applying

generalisations to individuals.
 Understand that the behaviour and beliefs of people within each culture can
vary considerably.
 Understand that the extent to which people adopt practices of their new
country and retain those from their cultural background can vary within
communities even within families.
 Understand that not all people identify with their cultural or religious
background.
 Understand that culture itself is a fluid entity, undergoing transformations

as a result of globalisation, migration and the Diaspora influence.
 Increase your knowledge about different cultural practices and issues

through cultural background information sessions and/or resources and
cultural awareness training.
 Understand the importance of appropriate communication.

Further Reading
Broaden your knowledge by discussing cultural issues with
trusted co-workers or acquaintances from different cultural or
racial groups.
Checkpoint! Let’s Review

In your own words, briefly explain the following concepts, for each
concept, provide one (1) example or scenario that demonstrates
it:
1. Diversity
2. Cultural Awareness
3. Cultural Competency
4. Cultural Safety
2.4 Impact of Diversity Practices and Experiences

Diversity practices and experiences have an impact on how we see ourselves and
others.
Personal behaviour
Each person’s personal behaviour is often rooted on one’s culture. When
included in a social environment, a person may tend to look at their own
behaviour either as dominant to the others or socially acceptable for the
majority.
Interpersonal relationships
In order for a person to establish good interpersonal relationships, a person
must learn about the other culture through personal interaction. What a person
sees and reads about the other culture might be different from the point of view
of the person who is living in that culture. Compromise when interacting with
other cultures so that the differences which are seen as either dominant or
inferior can be ignored.
Perception
A person will have a wider perspective on the culture of others. They will be
able to recognise and accept the differences of each culture. Some cases,
however, tend to have people rejecting their own native cultures when they see
other culture as dominant.

Social expectation of others
When a person has awareness of the others’ culture, the natural tendency would
be to make a stereotype that can be either a negative or positive perception of
the others’ culture. More often, racial difference becomes a reason for someone
to feel social exclusion. When working in an environment with diverse cultures,
it is important to make programs that are welcoming and cultivates respect for
the others’ beliefs, opinions and ideas.
Further Reading
Take time to reflect about your own culture. Briefly describe your
own culture’s:
 Community attitudes
 Language
 Policies
 Structures
Think about how these aspects of your own culture impact other
people and groups.
3. Appreciating Diversity and Inclusiveness
3.1 Diversity and Inclusiveness in All Areas of Work

Earlier we have defined ‘diversity’ and how it is demonstrated in the individual support
context. As emphasised earlier, working in the provision of care and support in the
health and community sector will see you interacting with diverse people, and it is
important to value and respect this diversity in all areas of work – from using inclusive
practices in the delivery of care and support services to adjusting the way you
communicate to others, and even to cross-cultural sharing of knowledge and
experiences through meaningful dialogues among clients and co-workers.
As a support worker, to work with diverse people

means using inclusive practices in providing care
and support, while following individualised plans
and organisational policies and procedures.
Inclusive practices use an approach to the
delivery of services that recognises the diversity
of clients, enabling all clients, regardless of their
cultural and social backgrounds, to access all
services and to fully participate in all activities.

3.2 Areas of Diversity
Diversity has different areas. It is common to think that
this only refers to the difference in ethnic or cultural
backgrounds, but it encompasses so much more. The
following are the areas of diversity and their
characteristics:
 Culture - A learned and shared set of values,
symbols, way of life in a society
 Race - It defines a group of people according to
their common physical characteristics
Example: Australians, Aboriginals, Torres Strait
Islanders, Asians, etc.
 Ethnicity - Belongingness to a social group that

has a common cultural tradition
 Religious or spiritual beliefs - The practice of a person’s faith that has
impact on one’s values or way of life
 Gender - The social identity of being male or female
 Sexual identity - It is how the person sees oneself as either male or female,
and how oneself is presented to others
 Sexual orientation - Refers to the person’s identity in terms of emotional or
physical attraction based from their gender.
Sexual orientation and identity can be categorised into the following:
o Heterosexual - Person who is emotionally or physically attracted to the
opposite sex or gender
o Gay - Person, usually male, who is emotionally or physically attracted to
people of the same gender
o Lesbian - A female who is emotionally or physically attracted other
females
o Bisexual - Person who is emotionally or physically attracted to both
male and female
o Transgender - Person who identifies to a gender that is different from
their biological sex
o Intersex (hermaphrodite) - Person who has the biological
characteristics of both male and female
 Generational - This is characterised by a group of people composed of
individuals from different age groups.
 Disability - Refers to a person’s total or partial loss of bodily or mental
functions, body parts, or an illness or disorder affecting a person’s functions

3.3 Work Practices that Make Environments Safe for All
Earlier we have introduced the concept of cultural safety. In detail, cultural safety
means:
...An environment, which is safe for people; where there is no assault,

challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are and what, they
need. It is about shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge
and experience, of learning together with dignity, and truly listening.
(Sourced from www.utas.edu.au)
Service providers and staff, in line with their legal and ethical responsibilities, must
have all measures in place to ensure a culturally safe environment for their clients as
well as their families, carers, and others. How do we ensure this?
First we consider a number of things, including the needs of marginalised groups:
 Protective factors
These are conditions or attributes (skills, strengths, resources, supports, or
coping strategies) in individuals, families, communities or the larger society
that help people deal more effectively with stressful events.
For the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders, their protective factors
include:
 Passing on cultural practices
 Connection to land and culture
 Sense of belonging
 Physical, mental and emotional health issues/care needs

All human beings have physical, mental, and emotional health needs to be met
in achieving quality of life. It is the same case for marginalised groups; however,
factors such as discrimination, stereotyping, harassment, and exclusion
oftentimes hinder them from meeting these needs. For example, they find it
more difficult to access services than others.
Some physical health issues/needs of marginalised groups include access to

health services and access to information regarding healthy lifestyle; mental
health issues/needs include literacy needs; while emotional health
issues/needs include social inclusion and privacy.

 Impacts of discrimination, trauma, exclusion and negative attitudes
In providing a culturally safe environment, it is also crucial to consider the
impacts of discrimination, trauma, exclusion, and negative attitudes. Read
about the Stolen Generation below:
Stolen Generation
Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
The so called Stolen Generation are the Aboriginal people who were
forcefully taken from their families as children or babies between the
1900s and the 1960s, to be brought up by white foster families or inside
institutions. They were taken for the purpose of being assimilated into the
white Australian community. However, this only caused problems and
many Aboriginal children were subjected to abuse.
The impacts of the ‘Stolen Generation’ were profound and are still
ongoing even until today. Members of the Stolen Generations greatly
suffer from many social and personal problems including mental illness,
and violence. They suffered from loneliness, low self-esteem, loss of
identity, and oftentimes find it difficult to trust anyone.
(Sourced from www.creativespirits.info)
In addition, even until today, mentioning anything that refers back to the
experience of the members of Stolen Generations still brings back a lot of hurt
and bad memories.
The case study above is only one illustration of the impacts of discrimination,
trauma, exclusion, and negative attitudes. Knowing these and taking these into
consideration when delivering services is an important part in ensuring a
culturally safe environment for all.

Further Reading
Read more about the Stolen Generation in:
A Guide to Australia’s Stolen Generations.
In your own words, attempt to answer the following questions:

 Why were the Aboriginal children taken or stolen?
 What happened to the stolen children
 What other impacts did the ‘Stolen Generation’ have on
its members?

1. List six (6) areas of diversity.
2. List at least one (1) example of the following needs and

issues of marginalised groups:
a. Physical health
b. Mental health
c. Emotional health
3. In your own words, briefly describe inclusive practices.
4. In your own words, briefly explain the ‘Stolen

Generation’.

4. Communicating with People From Diverse Backgrounds
The by and large of working with diverse people can be attributed to communication.
Communication is used in a variety of areas in the individual support context:
 Assisting a client with his activities for daily living (ADLs);
 Consulting with supervisor and co-workers about work place and healthy
procedures;
 Clarifying instructions with supervisor on how a procedure is done,
 Clarifying the needs and preferences of a client.
And sometimes, even when not realising it, we communicate how we feel through non-
verbal cues – smiling, laughing, frowning, crying, etc.
All these play a huge part in how we work with diverse people. The following sections
will provide you with an overview about communicating with people from diverse
backgrounds.
4.1 Respecting Diversity in Communication with All People
People communicate differently. This is explicitly seen in the languages spoken across
different countries – in Japan, they speak in Japanese or Nihongo, in the Philippines,
they speak Filipino, in New Zealand, they speak English and Maori.
This is also shown in customs that people practice when communicating with others:
some people shake hands when meeting and greeting a new person or when
congratulating someone, in other cultures, people bow when greeting others; some
even kiss!
As a support worker, you might even

encounter some of these while working in
the health and community sector – some
may be unusual to you, some may seem
familiar to you, and some might even
surprise you. As part of this role, it is
important to always show respect when
communicating with people. This can be
done by adjusting your communication style
to suit others’; avoiding the use of jargon
words; and avoiding making culturally
offensive jokes.

4.2 Verbal and Non-verbal Communication
When communicating with others, we do not only use words. As illustrated earlier, we
also communicate through our facial expressions when we smile, laugh, frown, or cry;
our body and hand gestures.
Communication is most effective when verbal and non-verbal communication are used
altogether. Imagine that you are saying “I am happy” but your face is showing otherwise
– will this not confuse the person you are talking to?
When communicating with diverse people, always mind how you use these verbal and
non-verbal communication. Remember, it is always best to understand first the person
you are talking before saying something. Avoid stereotyping or generalising people
coming from one culture, remember they are individuals.
4.3 Strategies to Overcome Language Barriers
A language barrier is a figurative phrase used to indicate the difficulties faced when
people who have no language in common attempt to communicate with each other.
Can you recall a time when you encountered language barriers when you tried to
communicate someone who spoke of an entirely different language? What strategies
did you use to overcome these barriers and were they successful?
In the support worker’s work routines, language barriers are not uncommon,
especially in cross-cultural residential care facilities and communities. A client may be
trying to say something that the support worker might not fully understand because
the client is speaking in an entirely different language – misunderstandings may then
arise. However, there are ways to overcome these:
1. Speak slowly and clearly.
2. Ask for clarification.
3. Frequently check for understanding.
4. Avoid idioms.
5. Be careful of jargon.
6. Be specific.
7. Choose your medium of communication effectively.
8. Be patient!

4.4 Resources to Help Embrace and Respond to Diversity
Interpreters and imagery are resources that are also used to overcome language
barriers and address communication needs arising from diversity.
 Cultural interpreters
They assist in communicating the customs of a particular group of people. In
the care and support settings, they can help explain matters to clients and their
families, and carers regarding the provision of their own care and support.
 Language interpreters
They support diversity by providing interpretation and translation services to
non-English speakers. They also encourage ‘code switching’ for bilingual clients
to make them feel secure in their community.
 Imagery
These are usually visual tools that reflect a certain society or culture. When used
as support materials, they should represent the diverse culture – not only the
minorities.
Further Reading
1. Research online or visit your local library to find out about
other effective strategies for overcoming language
barriers. Identify at least three (3) other than those
discussed in this learner guide.
2. Recall from previous experience when you were

communicating with someone who speaks an entirely
different language from yours. Did you encounter
language barriers while communicating with this person?

1. In your own words, discuss the importance of
communication in the individual support context.
2. What is the difference between verbal and non-verbal

communication? Provide at least one (1) example of
each.

5. Promoting Understanding Across Diverse Groups
To work with diverse people does not only mean understanding and communicating
better to people who come from cultural and social backgrounds different from ours.
To work efficiently with diverse people also means doing your part, as a support
worker, in promoting understanding across diverse groups in your care facility or
community.
Firstly, to be able to achieve this, people working in the community and health services
sector must understand first the underpinning framework and principles and
approaches on human rights behind this thrust. These include:
Australian Human Rights Framework
In line with international laws on human rights, the Australian Government has the
obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil human rights – meaning to say, the
government has the obligation to take the necessary actions to ensure people can enjoy
their human rights. Aside from this, the government must also avoid taking actions
that would breach people’s human rights.
These obligations are carried out following a framework. The Framework is based on
five (5) key principles and focuses on:
 Reaffirm – reaffirming a commitment to our human rights obligations;
 Educate – the importance of human rights education;
 Engage – enhancing our domestic and international engagement on human

rights issues;
 Protect – improving human rights protections including greater

parliamentary scrutiny; and
 Respect – achieving greater respect for human rights principles within the
community.
(Sourced and adapted from: www.apo.org.au)

Human Rights Based-Approaches
All throughout the course, we will mention human rights based-approaches as one of
the essential bases of practices used in the provision of individual support. The
application of Human Rights Based-Approaches will vary across organisations,
however, they are all based on the following principles:
 Participation
Everyone has the right to be involved in decisions concerning their human
rights.
 Accountability
It requires effective monitoring of compliance with human rights standards,
achievement of human rights goals and effective remedies for human rights
breaches.
 Non-discrimination and Equality

It also means that priority should be given to the most marginalised people in
terms of the realisation of their rights.
 Empowerment
Everyone is entitled to claim and exercise their rights and freedoms.
 Legality
It requires the law to recognise human rights and freedom as legally enforceable
entitlements.
(Sourced and adapted from: www.humanrights.gov.au)

5.1 Issues that May Cause Communication Misunderstandings and
Difficulties
As a support worker, communication issues in the health and community sector are
not uncommon especially when you are working with diverse people.
Misunderstandings and difficulties, such as the language barriers we just discussed,
are surely to be expected. Other than language barriers, communication issues also
result from the clients’ conditions as well, such as dementia and speech and hearing
impairments. Different strategies, equipment, and aids, are used to address these
communication issues.
The following are communication issues that the support worker may encounter while
working with diverse people in the health and community sector:
1. Conflicting beliefs in cultural and social backgrounds
2. Conflicting norms in decision-making
3. Trouble with accents and fluency, as part of language barriers
When you do encounter these misunderstandings and difficulties resulting from

communication issues, it is best to consider first the impact of social and cultural
diversity. When a client or a co-worker may have seemingly said something that have
offended or surprised you, understand them first. Perhaps they were coming from
cultural and social backgrounds entirely different from yours – and what they have
said to you might have meant a different thing. Do not immediately respond negatively
or inappropriately. To avoid this, it is always best to broaden your knowledge about
cultures and social backgrounds as we have previously emphasised earlier in this
Learner Guide.

5.2 Addressing difficulties and seeking assistance when required
Different individual support service providers follow different protocols for addressing
communication difficulties. These protocols are usually found in the organisation’s
policies and procedures. Although you think or assume you know what to do already,
it is a MUST that you consult appropriate persons, they can be your workplace
supervisor, team leader, the registered nurse, or a trusted and more experienced co-
worker. Ensure that any actions you follow align with relevant legal and ethical
requirements such as the following:
1. That you treat everyone fairly, regardless of their race, age, disability, and sex.
In the workplace, if the employer may have committed unlawful discrimination,

according to the law:
 The court may require the employer to hire or re-hire an employee.
 The court may require the employer to pay damages to the employee as
a way of compensation.
 The court may require the employer to change the termination of the
employee’s contract or agreement to amend any loss or damage suffered
by the employee.
 The court may declare that the employer has committed unlawful
discrimination, and may direct the employer not to repeat or continue
the discriminatory act.
2. That, in all actions you take, you ensure to recognise, respect, and uphold
others’ human rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
 The scenarios below demonstrate recognition and respect for human

rights:
 Staff working in a residential care facility has the right to take leave
whenever they feel too much stress.
 An ageing person wanted to be cared for at home but the support workers
in the facility insist that it will be unsafe for him as his illness requires
medical attention. The support worker is in breach of the ageing person’s
right.
 A religious aged care facility has the right to impose their religious belief
to their residents. This is in breach of people’s rights.
 A support worker who has been accused of committing of any violation

within the facility must be heard in a fair trial.

3. That you act in accordance with the frameworks, approaches and instruments
used in the workplace – these include your organisation’s policies, protocols,
and procedures.
4. That, in all actions you take, you ensure to recognise, respect, and uphold the
rights of your clients, employers, and co-workers.
5. That, in all actions you take, you act in line with the responsibilities set in the
support worker’s position description.

II. COMMUNICATING AND WORKING IN HEALTH
AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
1. Communicating Effectively with People
In the first part of this Learner Guide, we have already discussed the importance of
communication in the individual support context. To reiterate this, communication is
used in a variety of areas in working in this sector:
 Assisting a client with his activities for daily living (ADLs);
 Consulting with supervisor and co-workers about work place and healthy
procedures;
 Clarifying instructions with supervisor on how a procedure is done,
 Clarifying the needs and preferences of a client.
The part of the Learner Guide will discuss communicating and working effectively in
health and community services as well as the basics of communication including its
principles, influences, and techniques used.
1.1 Principles of Effective Communication
Models of Communication
The following are models of communication. They illustrate how different

communication in the individual support sector can happen:
 Interactive
The communication process is two-way. The sender provides the message and
waits for the receiver to provide feedback.
Message
Sender Receiver
Message

 Transactional
The communication process is two-way. Both the sender and receiver of the
message can change roles as speakers and receivers simultaneously.
Feedback
Sender and Message

Receiver and
Receiver Sender
Feedback
 Linear
The communication process is one-way – the message is delivered only by

the sender.
Sender Message Receiver
Modes and Types of Communication
The following are the different modes and types of communication that you may
encounter while working in the individual support sector:
 Verbal - It is also referred to as oral communication. It uses spoken words to

communicate a message.
 Non-verbal - This uses body language, gestures, facial expressions, and even
posture.
Verbal and non-verbal communication will be discussed further into detail in

the next section.

 Written - It is essential for communicating and documenting information,
such as client’s data. It allows information to be recorded.
 Interpersonal mode - It involves engaging in conversation, providing and

obtaining information, expressing feelings and emotions, and exchanging
opinions.
 Interpretative mode - It involves understanding and interpreting written

and spoken language on a variety of topics
 Presentational mode - It involves presenting information, concepts, and

ideas to an audience to listeners or readers.
Communication Techniques
The following are communication techniques you can use:
 Open-ended questions
These questions usually require long responses and enquire about the
respondent’s knowledge, opinion, or feelings.
 Summaries
A technique where the support staff
reflects over the discussion with the
client and repeats the information
provided by the client.
 Affirmations
These are statements that
encourage the client and can be
demonstrated by positive non-
verbal cues.
 Reflections
These require the support staff to
listen carefully to the client so they
can clarify and restate what the
client said.
Other techniques include:
 Motivational interviewing
 Coercive approach
 Collaboration
 Confrontation

Further Reading
1. Research online or visit your local library to find out about
the following:
 The difference between motivation interviewing and
coercive approach
 The difference between collaboration and
confrontation
2. Provide one example or scenarios of each of the

communication techniques above.
Influences in Communication
How we communicate is influenced by the following factors:
emotional
language culture religion
state
disability health age
Language - Language can be a barrier between the client and the care worker
especially when the other party is unable to express themselves in the mainstream
language, or the common language used in the facility.
Culture - Culture must be considered when working with other staff or clients as there
are some cues or communication strategies that may be offensive to the other culture
but doesn’t pose any issues with another.
Religion - The religious belief of a client can affect how they view life, health and
death.
Emotional state - The emotional state of the speaker can alter the mood of the
listener, depending on how the message was delivered.
Disability - Disability may affect the client’s capacity to understand your message
(e.g. the client has speech/hearing impairment, mental health issues, complex
communication needs)
Health - The person may be feeling unwell, have dental problems, hearing problems,
etc., that may affect their ability to communicate.

Age - The client’s perception on age may vary, for example, an elderly client may refuse
to speak with a young care worker or a new staff. This can also be seen in the
differences between the words that older generation uses from the words used by the
younger generation.

1. In your own words, discuss the three (3) models of
communication.
2. In your own words, discuss the following modes of

communication:
 Interpersonal mode
 Interpretative mode
1.2 Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

In the first part of the Learner Guide, we have also discussed verbal and non-verbal
communication and how these two, when used altogether effectively, can ease the
process of sharing information with others, enhance understanding and demonstrate
respect. Saying that you are happy but if your face is not showing it will only confuse
the people you are talking to. Businessdictionary.com defines the two as:
Verbal communication
The sharing of information by using speech.
Non-verbal communication
Behaviour and elements of speech apart from
the words themselves that transmit meaning.
In the individual support context, verbal communication includes all communication

happening through words – including spoken and written. The following are just a few
examples of verbal communication:

 Words used by your supervisor to relay instructions for proper bed bathing of a
client
 Questions you ask about the client’s needs and preferences
 Organisational policies and procedures
 Instructional manuals such as manual handling procedures
 Manuals for operating assistive aids and technology
 Notes contained in the client’s individualised plan
 Notes in client’s progress notes
Non-verbal communication, on the other

hand, almost always happens along with
verbal communication – we just don’t
notice them that much as the words being
spoken to us. Non – verbal communication
includes the pitch, speed, tone, volume of
voice, gestures and facial expressions, body
posture, stance, proximity (how near or far
you are ) to the listener, eye movements and
contact, and even dress and appearance.
In the individual support context, as well as anywhere else, non-verbal communication

is equally important as verbal communication. Part of the support worker’s
responsibilities is to dress and look presentable while carrying out tasks and duties.
What will the clients think if they see a support dressed disorderly? The support worker
may be disorganised, not ready to work, or maybe having too many things in mind.
It is important to remember that although there are strategies for verbal and non-
verbal communication that are effective in general, you must always ensure that you
are adjust your own communication style to the client’s preferred communication
method. This is usually described in the client’s individualised plan. You may also
consult your supervisor about clients’ preferred communication styles and methods.
For example, you usually do not talk slowly to other people, but a client of yours may
have a hearing impairment, and his preferred communication method sometimes
require you to do so. Ensure that when you are talking to this client, remember to adjust
your communication style and talk slowly as the client requires.
There are a number of strategies for verbal and non-verbal communication. The
strategies will always depend on a number of factors such as the purpose of the
communication and the people you are talking to, including their preferred
communication styles.
For example, when you are writing progress notes, it is crucial that you are objective
and write in a way that you are easily understood. This can be done by using direct
quotations (what the person actually said in verbatim) and avoiding idiomatic
expressions (informal English), lengthy sentences, and unnecessary words.

The Importance of Grammar, Speed, and Pronunciation in Verbal
Communication
When communicating verbally keep your grammar, speed and pronunciation in check,
as:
 Correct grammar ensures that the message you communicate is easily

understood by the client.
 Bad pronunciation may be perceived as lack of language competence by those

who can speak the language well.
 Speed in verbal communication can help express the speaker’s thoughts and
feelings.
Further Reading
Recall from previous experience when you were communicating
to a group of people either in the school setting or in the
workplace setting.
 What type of information did you communicate?
 What verbal communication strategies did you use in
communicating this information?
 What non-verbal communication strategies did you use in
communicating this information?
1.3 Communicating Service Information

As a support worker, you will be required to communicate to supervisors, clients,
including their families and carers, regularly. Part of your communication with clients
will include communication about service information. This includes all information
about the care and support services that you and your organisation provide – and as
you can recall, legal and ethical responsibilities of the support worker include
providing the clients with sufficient information for the provision of care and support
so the client can consent to something they fully understand.
In communicating service information, ensure that you:
 Have a solid understanding of the service information you are communicating

to ensure that whatever information you communicate or whatever you relay
to the client is correct and accurate. Read all instructional manuals and
resources that are made available to the staff in your organisation.
 Do not pretend that you know everything. The client may have questions that
you do not always have answers to. In cases such as this, be sure to consult your
supervisor.

 For service information matters that are unclear to
you, consult first with your supervisor and or a
trusted and experienced co-worker.
 Follow organisational policies and procedures for
communicating service information.
 Always act in accordance with your job role as a
support worker. Remember that there is
information that you are not allowed to provide or
providing this particular information is not within
the scope of your role.
 Always ask for feedback to ensure that your clients
fully understood the information you have just
provided. Clarify the things that the client may have
misunderstood. It is always best to ask if the client
has any questions about the information you
provided.

Sources of Service Information
The following are some sources of legal and ethical information for health and
community services:
 Residential Care Manual 2013

This is a guide to help approved providers comply with their responsibilities
under the relevant legislation in the aged care sector, and to assist staff of aged
care services to understand the regulation of residential aged care.
 Aged Care Act 1997

This sets standards of conduct and practice for all unregistered health support
workers who provide health services.
 The National Code of Conduct for Health Support workers

This sets standards of conduct and practice for all unregistered health support
workers who provide health services.
Other sources of service information include but not limited to (taken from CHC
Community and Health Services Companion Volumes):
Australian Council of
Social Services Aged and
Leading Aged
Community Services
(Community Services Australia
Australia
Services)
National Aged Care

Carers Australia Aged Care Online
Alliance
Palliative Care Alzheimer’s

My Aged Care
Australia Australia
National Disability National Disability

Services Insurance Scheme

1.4 Responding to Clients’ Requests
Support workers are also responsible for listening and responding to clients’ requests,
as set within the scope of the role. Requests may include but not limited to:
 Assistance and support for activities for daily living (ADLs)
 Assistance and support in maintaining the client’s room or home
 Assistance and support for accessing care and support services information
 Assistance and support for accessing advocacy services and complaints
mechanisms
 Support in the form of companionship and friendship as set within the scope
of the support worker’s role.
When responding to these requests, you must keep the following in mind:
 Ensure that you always act in accordance with your role of the support worker.
Adhere to legal and ethical responsibilities including work role boundaries and
limitations of the support worker’s role.
For example, a support worker is not allowed to provide psychological

counselling to the client, even if the client has requested for it. What the support
worker can only do is refer the client to other relevant personnel in the
organisation (they may include the supervisor or a specialist personnel such as
a psychologist.)
 Ensure that you adhere to your organisation’s

policies, procedures, and protocols, including but
not limited to reporting and work health and safety
procedures.
 For matters unclear to, ensure that you consult your

supervisor or a trusted and experienced co-worker.
 Clarify with client regarding matters in their

request. Ensure that you have fully understood what
they require by asking questions or summarising
what they have said. When doing these, ensure that
you use the client’s preferred communication style.

1. Provide three (3) strategies you can use in
communicating service information to clients and their
families and carers.
2. Provide three (3) strategies you can use in responding

to clients’ requests.

1.5 Exchanging Information in the Individual Support Context
Be it in the residential care or in home and community care, or in the disability support
setting, exchange of information is crucial to the work routines involved in the
provision of care and support. This is done in, but not limited to, relaying instructions
for proper hand hygiene or manual handling, clarifying client’s preferences and needs,
consulting client’s families and carers, or consulting supervisors and co-workers about
work health and safety matters.
The support worker will use a range of communication methods and styles in
exchanging information in the individual support context. When communicating with
clients, it is crucial to adjust to the client’s preferred communication method. It is also
always important to:
Communicate clearly
• Avoid using jargon, high-sounding words. Be direct to the point.

• Avoid using lengthy sentences.
• Speak in a well-modulated voice (not too loud and not too soft)
Communicate in a timely manner
• Respond to requests and queries in a timely manner. Imagine that

your supervisor may have asked you to check about a client, and you
respond only a few hours later. If you are unsure about a request or a
query, either from your supervisor or a client, it is best to give them a
definite time of when you are able to get back to them.
Follow the organisation's privacy and confidentiality

procedures.
• Organisations, in line with privacy laws, have policies and procedures
in place in ensuring clients' and staff's privacy, confidentiality, and
dignity. Ensure that you familiarise yourself with these policies and
procedures.

Rules for keeping information confidential
 Records should be stored in a locked cupboard or filing cabinet.
 Staff who are permitted to look at these files must not leave the files open or
unattended
 A person’s records cannot be given to anyone else to read. This includes family
members, friends or anyone else who does not have permission
 If you are out on the road and traveling to a person’s homes, then personal files
should be secured in a locked case or bag in the boot of your car.
 Do not discuss confidential information of an individual in your care to other
people outside your organisation.
 If you are asked by someone to look at another person’s files they must be
referred to the supervisor or manager.

1. In your own words, discuss why is it important to:
 Communicate clearly.
 Communicate in a timely manner.
 Follow confidentiality procedures in communicating
information.
2. In your own words, discuss privacy, confidentiality, and

disclosure in terms of exchanging information in the
individual support context.

2. Collaborating with Colleagues
The work of the support worker is mainly
collaborative in nature – this means the support
worker collaborates with others (clients, client’s
family and carers, co-workers, supervisors, and
other relevant personnel).
It is a collaborative work with clients because clients

are active participants in the provision of their own
care and support; and it is a collaborative work with
colleagues because the support worker must work in
regular consultation with supervisors and co-
workers. This can be seen in the following but not
limited to:
 Relaying instructions by the supervisor to the support worker.
 Reporting by the support worker to the supervisor regarding the provision of

the client’s care and support.
 Team meetings (including WHS meetings)
 Clients’ person-centred planning where the supervisor and support worker are
present.
 Seeking advice about work matters from supervisors and trusted and
experienced co-workers.
 Some daily task routines are also performed by more than one support worker.
 Organising recreational and meaningful activities for clients.

To be able to work and collaborate effectively with colleagues a number of things must
be remembered:
2.1 Listen to, Clarify, and Agree Timeframes for Completing Workplace
tasks
Timeframes are essential part of the work. They help you prioritise more urgent work
tasks from those less urgent and management time effectively. As they are essential
part of your work, it is important to listen to, clarify, and agree timeframes for
completing workplace tasks. For example, if you were assigned to a number of tasks
by your supervisor – which one should you do first? Which one next? Which one last?
In situations such as these, it is best that you clarify and agree on timeframes for each
of these tasks.

2.2 Structure of the Organisation and Other Services
Organisations typically have organisational charts that show the structure of the
organisation and the relationships and relative ranks of its parts and positions/jobs.
A copy of the organisational chart is usually displayed in the workplace or may be given
to you during induction. An organisational chart looks something like the diagram
provided below:
Director
Manager of Manager of
Department A Department B
Team Leader Team Leader

B1 B2
Team Member Team Member Team Member Team Member

B1 B1 B2 B2
Team Member
B1
Team Leader Team Leader Team Leader

A1 A2 A3
Team Member Team Member Team Member

A1 A2 A3
Team Member Team Member Team Member

A1 A2 A3
Organisations follow lines of communication in accordance with its structure. In the

illustration above, Team Member A1, is usually required to report to Team Leader A1
and not to Team Leader A2 or Team Leader B1; Team Leaders A1, A2, and A3 all report
to the Manager of Department A and not to Manager of Department B; and both
managers of Departments A and B report to the Director.
Lines of communication are established and followed to avoid miscommunication and

confusion, especially when relaying instructions. Imagine what would happen if Team
Member A1 receives instructions from all Team Leaders A1, A2, and A3.

Further Reading
Lotus Compassionate Care is a simulated care facility that you
will be using throughout the course assessments.
Access and review a copy of the Lotus Compassionate Care
Organisation Chart and attempt to answer the following
questions.
Organisation Chart
Username: learner Password: studyhard
 To whom does Lexie Gray directly report to?
 Rachel Allcot is the Manager for which department? Identify

five (5) workplace personnel who report to her.
 George Harker is a disability support worker at Lotus and he

has reported an issue about a client to his team leader.
According to organisational policies and procedures, the
issue he identified must also be reported to the manager of
the department as well. Who is the manager for Disability
Support?
Aside from the structure within your organisation, you must also be familiar with
other services in the health and community sector. These include:
 Mental health services – Include treatment for patients who need recovery
from mental health illness or substance abuse.
 Oral health - Promotes the prevention of tooth decay as it significantly affects

the person’s health and wellbeing
 Population health - Promotes behaviour and lifestyle change to prevent the

occurrence of chronic diseases
 Acute services - Care is provided by specialised personnel for patients with

acute illness, injuries or trauma, or recovery from surgery.
 Home and community care - Provides support to older people and people
with a disability in their home for ADL assistance, community access, meals
and domestic assistance
 Registered health professionals - Provide specialist care to individual

clients, depending on their needs as specified in their individualised health care
plan
 Advocacy and information groups - Provide information and assistance

about the rights and responsibilities of clients, listen to the clients concerns
regarding their service provider, and can provide referrals to other service
providers as needed.

Health and community services in the public sector can also be categorised into the
following structure.
 Primary health care services - Refers to the overall health care for the
client. This includes promotion of health and wellbeing, preventing illnesses,
service advocacy and community service.
 Secondary health care services - This includes emergency and elective

treatment, either in a hospital or non-hospital setting.
 Tertiary health care services - Refer to a specialised kind of treatment for

the client and usually include facility for advance medical treatment and
investigation.
The following sectors are funded by the Commonwealth in relation to supporting aged
care:
Residential services
Home and community care
Age pensions
Support for family member/carer
Person-Centred Delivery and Rights-Based Service Delivery

Person-centred delivery and rights-based service delivery are approaches are used by
organisations and other support services to support optimum client service.
 In a person-centred service delivery, the client’s choice of service to be

provided is taken into account.
 In a rights-based service delivery, everyone is entitled to their right to

access a high quality aged care provider.

Different Roles and Responsibilities of a Multi-Disciplinary Support Staff
Team
The table below summarises the roles and responsibilities of a multi-disciplinary
support staff team who deliver care and support services to clients.
Support Staff Team Roles and Responsibilities
They are a registered health professional who are

Doctor or general
responsible for the clients’ overall healthcare. They
practitioner
diagnose and prescribed treatments.
They are a registered health professional specialising

Geriatrician
in the healthcare of the elderly.
Assistant In Nursing (AIN)

Personal Care Assistant They provide support to activities of daily living
(PCA) (ADLs), and work under direct supervision and
Individual Support worker direction of the Registered Nurse (RN) or Enrolled
(ISW) Nurse (EN).
Aged Care Worker (ACW)
They are responsible in providing treatment for

Physiotherapists
musculoskeletal conditions in the elderly.
They are a registered health professional who assess,

manage, and use nursing diagnostic tools for
complex health needs, medication administration.
Registered Nurse (RN)
They also develop the care plan for the client which
must be followed by the team. They facilitate the care
staff and have a high level of accountability.
They directly provide support to the client such as

support with activities of daily living (ADL),
Enrolled Nurse (EN) administering medication, observations and
technical skills. They work under direct/indirect
supervision and direction of the registered nurse.
Their role involves collaboration with service

Aboriginal health worker providers and the clients, especially from the cultural
community, to build relationships.

Registered health professional that assess the bodies’
Occupational Therapist functions to use augmentative and alternative
communication (ACC) tools and devices
Registered health professional who assess, diagnose

Speech and Language and provide treatment for people with
Pathologist (SLP) communication and swallowing disorders. They
work in public health systems and private practice.
They can help by bridging any cultural gaps to ensure

Culturally and Linguistically
the person gets the best possible support with their
Diverse (CALD) interpreters
complex communication needs.
Why is having a multi-disciplinary team important?

The following are the characteristics of a multi-disciplinary team:
a. Mix of skills and experiences within the team

All team members get to contribute their own knowledge, skills and
expertise for the team to effectively deliver services. E.g. Different health
practitioners specialise in different expertise, a doctor can recommend a
physical therapist to help a client who is left physically injured in a car
accident.
b. Agreed governance structure

Each team member plays different roles and performs different tasks within
the team. E.g. the individual support worker only performs those tasks that
are within scope of his/her own role. The support worker cannot perform
the tasks of a doctor or the registered nurse.
c. Systems and protocols for communication and interaction

Team members follow the team’s reporting procedures within the team. E.g.
when reporting incidents, an individual support worker completes an
incident report and or reports it to his/her or the registered nurse (RN).

Maintaining Links and Interrelationships with Other Service Providers
Care and support services are delivered most effectively when a collaborative effort is
done among service providers. These can be done through:
 Providing referrals
 Gathering information about the client’s needs for service.
 Setting appointments with to effectively maintain work relationships
 Sharing relevant information about the client and services while maintaining
privacy and confidentiality
2.3 Use Industry Terminology Correctly in Verbal, Written and Digital

Communications
Industry terminologies in the individual support context include but not limited to the
following.
Person- Home and

Aged care Individualised
centred Community
worker plan
planning Care Worker
Disability
Progress notes Advanced care
Client support
and report directives
worker
Strenghts- Activities for

based daily living
approach (ADLs)
In communicating information, either in verbal, written or electronically / digitally

(e.g. email), ensure that you use correct terminologies that apply in the sector.

2.4 Follow your Organisation’s Communication Protocols and
Procedures in Interacting with Different People
As emphasised earlier in this Learner Guide, as well as the previous Learner Guides,
support workers and all other staff in the organisation must always act in accordance
with the organisational policies, protocols, and procedures, including procedures in
communicating and interacting with different people.
Further Reading
Found in the link below is a copy of the Lotus Compassionate
Care Handbook for your reference.
Lotus Compassionate Care Handbook v1.1
This handbook contains the policies and procedures that all staff
at Lotus Compassionate Care must follow.
Browse through the handbook and attempt to answer the
following questions:
 In your own words, discuss the organisation’s procedures
for incident reporting.
Here’s a copy of the Incident Report Form used at Lotus
Compassionate Care, for your reference: Lotus Incident-Report

3. Addressing Constraints to Communication
Early on, we have discussed that as a support worker, it is not uncommon to encounter
issues, problems, and constraints in communicating with clients, co-workers, and
supervisors. These include the language barriers we have discussed in the first part of
the Learner Guide.
This section will discuss in further detail the potential constraints to communication
that a support worker may encounter at work.
3.1 Signs of Complicated or Difficult Situations

Support workers must be wary and must be able to prepare of potentially complicated
or difficult situations. These include but not limited to:
Language barriers
Work task is being duplicated (e.g. if a task assigned to only one support
worker is also done by another support worker)
Work tasks are not completed on time or not completed at all
Work tasks are not done correctly
There is silence on one end (e.g. a support worker avoiding a co-worker)
3.2 Effective Communication Skills to Resolve Conflict Situations

In many cases, conflict in the workplace just seems to be a fact of life. We've all seen
and perhaps encountered situations where different people with disagreeing ideas,
goals, and needs fall into a conflict
The fact that conflict exists in the individual support workplace, however, is not
necessarily a bad thing, as long as it is resolved effectively. It can lead to personal and
professional growth. In many cases, effective conflict resolution skills can make the
difference between positive and negative outcomes.

In resolving conflict using this approach, you follow these rules:
 Make sure that good relationships are the first priority: As far as possible,
make sure that you treat the other person calmly and that you try to build mutual
respect. Do your best to be courteous to others and remain constructive under
pressure.
 Keep people and problems separate: Recognise that in many cases the other
person is not just "being difficult" real and valid differences can lie behind
conflictive positions. By separating the problem from the person, real issues can
be debated without damaging working relationships.
 Pay attention to the interests that are being presented: By listening
carefully you'll most likely understand why the person is adopting his or her
position.
 Listen effectively first; talk second: To solve a problem effectively you have
to understand where the other person is coming from before defending your own
position.
 Set out the “Facts”: Agree and establish the objective, observable elements that
will have an impact on the decision.
 Explore options together: Be open to the idea that a third position may exist
and that you can get to an idea jointly.
By following these rules, you can often keep discussions positive and constructive.
These help prevent the conflicts from escalating which so-often causes conflict to spin
out of control.
However, if conflict is not handled effectively, the results can be damaging. Conflicting
goals can quickly turn into personal dislike, teamwork can break down and talent is
wasted as people disengage from their work. It's easy to end up in a vicious downward
spiral of negativity and recrimination if the situation is not rectified. If you have any
concerns, it is always best to consult with your organisation’s policies and procedures
with your supervisor.
Moreover, in cases when conflicts remain unresolved, ensure that your supervisor is
notified and that you always act in accordance with legal and ethical responsibilities
and organisational policies and procedures.

4. Reporting Problems to the Supervisor
Part of organisational policies and procedures is to report to and notify the supervisor
about problems, issues, and concerns. Organisations will have different protocols and
procedures for these, but in essence, they align with the legal and ethical
responsibilities of support workers and service providers.
Issues and problems which are required to be reported include the following but not
limited to:
 Suspected cases of neglect and abuse on clients;
 Work health and safety hazards, risks, and

incidents, including near-misses
 Grievances and complaints about workplace

matters
 Behaviours of concern
 Problems regarding work routines and processes
 Needs and requirements of clients that are not within the scope of the support
worker’s role (e.g. providing psychological counselling, diagnosing medical
conditions, and prescribing medication, etc.)
 Client’s changing needs (e.g. client’s increasing pain that requires higher
dosage of pain medication)
The following sections will guide you in reporting problems such as the above to your
supervisor.
4.1 Legal and Ethical Responsibilities

In Learner Guide 2, we have already discussed a number of legal and ethical
responsibilities that are relevant to the role of the support worker. They include the
following:
Privacy, confidentiality and disclosure

The privacy and confidentiality of all
personnel in the individual support sector,
the clients, the workers, and supervisors,
must always be respected and upheld at all
times. This includes disclosing information
only on and for the right grounds and
purposes (e.g. when the person has given
consent, complying with other legal
obligations, etc.).

The support worker fails to fulfil this responsibility this when he/she carelessly left a
client’s progress report in view for everyone to see. In doing this, the support worker
has compromised his/her client’s right to privacy, confidentiality, and dignity.
Discrimination
Strict policies and procedures are in place to ensure the organisation is compliant to
relevant anti-discrimination laws (e.g. policies on access and equity)
Support workers are expected and required to provide the same high-quality and safe
services without discrimination to the care recipient’s age, gender, race, social status,
etc.
Dignity of Risk
Every individual has the right and be respected to informed personal choice and self-
determination. It is assumed an individual has the capacity to do so unless shown
otherwise. If a person has impaired decision making capacity, then they can be
allocated a substitute decision maker. All decisions must involve the client, their
wishes, what is right for them and be provided with relevant information and possible
consequences.
It is important there is a balance between dignity of risk and duty of care and to ensure
duty of care does not create restrictions for people.
For example, a resident likes to walk around the facility but is at risk of falling.
Maintaining duty of care may involve such things as; making a referral to a medical
doctor for a review to treat any health conditions that may increase the risk of falls,
physiotherapist for a walking aid, support the client to wear good fitting non-slip
shoes, ensure the area is free from slip hazards such as clutter and wet floors, regularly
monitor the resident and support the client to wear their glasses and keep them clean.
Duty of Care
Service providers and workers have duty of care to fulfil to their clients. Duty of care
is a legal obligation of aged care facilities and support workers to avoid acts of
omission (failing to act) that are likely to endanger clients and others.
For example, a support worker’s duty of care includes ensuring that a venue where her
clients’ are holding an activity is safe from any slip or trip hazard. In this scenario, the
support worker fails to fulfil her duty of care if she has overlooked to secure or cover
the electrical wires running across the walkways.
Another example is when the support worker has placed a client’s progress report in a
public location. Perhaps the worker was called to an urgent task and, in a hurry, left
the progress report in the living room, open for everyone to see. This support worker
has failed to fulfil his duty of care because he has compromised his client’s right to
privacy, confidentiality, and dignity.

Mandatory Reporting
Mandatory reporting means mandated or required by the law. This includes
mandatory reporting procedures for:
 suspected cases of abuse
 suspected cases of neglect
 WHS incidents
 emergency incidences
 Health concerns and other relevant changes in client’s health condition, etc.
Translation
In line with access and equity principles, services and information services must be
made available for access to everyone who requires them, regardless of their cultural,
social, and linguistic backgrounds. In line with these, information to these services
must also be made available in other languages to cater to the needs of clients who
come from diverse backgrounds (CALD).

Informed consent
Support workers must provide clients with sufficient information for provision of care
so the client can consent to something they fully understand. Consent may be implied,
verbal and written.
Not giving the client opportunity to provide informed consent may constitute assault.
Work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations

There are boundaries set in the support worker – client relationship, and both must
respect and adhere to this. Support workers must always maintain a professional
working relationship with their clients and must never go beyond this.
A support worker violates this when he/she becomes too involved in a client’s personal
matters (e.g. family, financial, etc.), or the support worker enters into a romantic
relationship with a client.
Child protection across all health

and community services
Workplace safety and health planning
should also address situations where
children may be visiting or
accompanying their parents. A support
worker may have a client who has
grandchildren visiting, or a co-worker
who is bringing his/her kid to work; or a
home support worker may also be
working at a client’s private home where
there is a child around.
Australia has legislation in force as safeguards for children. In complying with them,
aged care service providers must have organisational policies and procedures in place
to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of children visiting the workplace and those
interacting with support workers or other personnel in the workplace.
A home support worker may have breached this when he/she has flu and still shows
up to a client’s private home where a child is also present. In doing this, the support
worker has put the child and the client’s health at risk.

1. In your own words, briefly discuss the following legal and
ethical responsibilities:
 Discrimination
 Mandatory Reporting
 Translation

4.2 Referring Issues, Breaches, and Non-adherence
We have covered about legal and ethical responsibilities of service providers and
support workers, and failing to fulfil these will result in issues, breaches, and non-
adherence to industry standards.
In this section, you will learn about how to respond to these issues and breaches, in
line with your role as a support worker.
Important! Before taking any action, always keep in mind the

scope of your roles and responsibilities as support worker. If
confronted with these issues and breaches, ensure that your act
in accordance with your organisation’s policies and procedures,
protocols, standards, and guidelines.
How you will respond to these legal and ethical issues and breaches will always depend
on the nature of the situation. An action or a number of steps can be taken.
1. Consult a co-worker or your supervisor

When in doubt, it’s always safe to ask a co-worker or the supervisor or other
personnel in higher authority about legal and ethical matters in the workplace
which may seem unclear to you. They can help you or direct you to protocols
that your workplace follows when dealing with legal and ethical situations.
2. Consult organisational policies and procedures and other relevant

guidelines
As stated earlier, before you take any actions when responding to legal and
ethical situations in the workplace, make sure that you are acting in line with
your organisation’s policies and procedures, protocols – this may include who
to direct the incident or the issue, any workplace documents that you have to
complete, or any grievance or complaints procedure that you need to follow,
etc.
3. Confronting those involved

This is the first option you have when you encounter a legal or ethical issue or
breach in the workplace. You may have witnessed a co-worker behaving
unethically or not complying with legal requirements. Your initial response can
be approaching this co-worker and discussing with him/her the legal or ethical
issue or breach at hand, in hopes of resolving the issue this way. However, if
this is not successful, you will have to escalate the situation to higher authority
in the workplace.
4. Reporting in the care facility

If confronting those involved in the issue was not successful, you may have to
report this to your supervisor or other personnel in higher authority. Again,
protocols for this will highly depend on organisational policies and procedures.

In some cases, specific workplace documents, such as incident reports, formal
letters, etc. are completed.
5. Mandatory or compulsory reporting

Mandatory reporting means mandated or required by law.
The Aged Care Act 1997 has provisions in place to protect aged care clients from
abuse, assaults, and neglect. This includes requiring aged care service providers
to:
 report to the police and the Department of Social Services incidents of
alleged or suspected reportable assaults within 24 hours of the
allegation, or when the provider starts to suspect a reportable assault.
A reportable assault as defined in the Aged Care Act means:

 unlawful sexual contact with a resident of an aged care home, or
 unreasonable use of force on a resident of an aged care home.
 ensure staff members report any suspicions or allegations of reportable

assaults to the approved provider (or other authorised person), to the
police and the department
 protect the identity of any staff member who makes a report and protect
them from victimisation.
Further Reading
 The Australian Government Department of Social Services
provides comprehensive guide for reporting reportable
assaults. You can read the guide HERE.
 Find out if your home state/territory has mandatory reporting

requirements.

5. Workplace Correspondence and Documentation
Workplace documents are essential part of the organisation. They are used to
communicate and relay information (instructional manuals, emails, and memos),
implement policies and procedures (staff handbook), record client information
(individualised plans), and for many more purposes.
Care and support service providers also have in place protocols and procedures for
completing workplace documentation. They include but not limited to the following:
Organisational
Privacy and Writing Progress
Style Guides or
confidentiality Notes
Templates
Mandatory
Record keeping
Reporting and Sending emails
and management
Incident Reporting
The following sections will guide you in completing workplace correspondence and
documentation.
5.1 Accessing and Reading Workplace Documents

Support workers complete tasks and duties with
the guidance of a number of workplace
documents. They include position descriptions
and individualised care plans or support plans.
Position descriptions or job description

provide an outline of the support workers
responsibilities which apply to the role (you have
been provided with a sample of this in Learner
Guide 2).
Individualised plans (care plans or support plans) are documentation of client’s

information relevant to the provision of his/her own care and support. Individualised
plans across organisations vary greatly, but they usually contain:
 the client’s basic information (name, history, condition, allergies if any);
 the client’s holistic needs (physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual)
 the client’s goals in terms of their holistic needs,
 strategies in supporting and empowering the client to meet their holistic
needs

 the client’s behaviour(s) of concern, if any
 other information such as medication, the specialist personnel to contact when
the need arise.
Further Reading
Access and review a sample care plan from one of the clients at
Lotus Compassionate Care Organisation Chart and, in your own
words, attempt to answer the following questions.
Leonardo Cardoso’s Support Plan
 What are the client’s communication needs?
 Provide a summary of the procedures that staff must follow

in supporting the client.
Other workplace documents relevant to the support worker’s role include but not
limited to:
 Staff handbook, containing policies and procedures that all staff must follow.
 Client notes and progress notes
 Communication Plan
 Health Support Plan
 Behaviour Support Plan
 Behaviour Chart
 Meeting minutes
Important! Sometimes it is not enough to just read and go

(e.g. reading an instructional manual and immediately
performing a workplace task). It is always best to identify and
consult about matters that are unclear to you with a supervisor
or with a trusted and experienced worker.

1. What policies and procedures are there for reporting and
referring issues? Identify at least three (3).
2. In your own words, briefly describe mandatory reporting.
3. In your own words, discuss the difference between a job

description and an individualised plan.

5.2 Digital Media in the Individual Support Sector
The following are some of the digital media used in the health and community services
including the individual support sector.
Social media
They can be used to easily build brand and client
relationship as the communication is immediate
and direct.
Email
This can be used by healthcare professionals to
communicate with each other online.
Tablets and Applications

These are used in maintenance and easy access of health, communication, and
consultation records. They can also be used as communication aids e.g. assistive
software for people with complex communication needs (e.g. hearing and speech
impairment)
Podcasts
It is a form of online audio broadcast that can be downloaded. These are usually
used to publish new researches in the medical field.
Videos
These are recordings of digital moving visual images which can be accessed
online or through storage devices. They can be used in marketing the healthcare
service or to promote health information or even as instructional materials.
World Wide Web

It can be used to view online pages and find information about health care and
the services offered.
Intranet
It can help workers access communication data within the organisation in their
convenience.
Newsletters
These are published (digital or print) and can be distributed to clients and their
family/carers. They contain information on various topics in healthcare and the
healthcare provider.

Broadcasts
This form of media is found to be the most effective way to communicate as it can
reach wide range of audience.
6. Contributing to Continuous Improvement

Work in the individual support sector is a process of continuous improvement.
Continuous improvement in this context is defined as:
the ongoing effort to improve care and support

services services and prcoesses.
Workplace processes, including policies and procedures for communication are

generally developed and revised in consultation with all stakeholders. Stakeholders in
individual support can include the client (the older person or the person with
disability, their families, carers, and significant others), staff (which include you) and
management.
To be able to contribute to the continuous improvement of workplace communication

processes you must be able to identify where work practices could be further improved.
Example:
Due to the rapid expansion of a care facility, staff and clients are experiencing
difficulties in communication. A client may have raised his/her concern about not
being informed about the facility’s upcoming activities. In this situation, there is an
opportunity to improve the facility’s protocols for communication.
Another way to contribute to workplace improvements is pro-actively sharing

feedback with co-workers and supervisors. This can be done through team meetings,
survey sheets and questionnaires, consultation, etc.
Below are some ways in contributing to improvements at your care facility

 Read the Policy and Procedures Manual
o The manual includes important information on the company's protocol.
Pay attention and read it carefully so you know what not to do. It is
always best to be informed and stay informed!
 Befriend experienced co-workers
o No one knows the company better than someone who has been there for
a long time. These employees know the company well. They may become
an adviser to you and help you to avoid common mistakes.
 Remain observant.
o By staying aware, you can pick up changes that have not yet become
common knowledge. Being aware helps you to mentally prepare for the
change if it happens.
 Do not conform to what you know is wrong
o If some of your co-workers choose to ignore the company's protocol, do
not try to fit in by mimicking their behaviour. It is better to be unpopular
with these individuals than to lose your job and place others at risk.
Important! Ensure that you always follow your organisation’s

policies and procedures. Your organisation may have specific
policies and procedures for workplace improvements relating
to development of policies. Remember to consult with
supervisors and other experienced co-workers about workplace
matters that are unclear to you.
Further Reading
 Do you know someone who works or has worked in Aged
Care? What procedures do they follow for continuous
improvement in the workplace?

CONCLUSION
What have we learned?

Congratulations, you’re reached the end of the second learner guide! To summarise
what you have learnt in this subject:
Working with Diverse People

1. An Introduction to Australia’s Cultural Diversity
2. Reflecting on Own Perspectives
3. Appreciating Diversity and Inclusiveness
4. Communicating with People From Diverse Backgrounds
5. Promoting Understanding Across Diverse Groups
Communicating and Working in Health or Community Services

1. Communicating Effectively with People
2. Collaborating with Colleagues
3. Addressing Constraints to Communication
4. Reporting Problems to Supervisor
5. Workplace Correspondence and Documentation
6. Contributing to Continuous Improvement
Please review any of the above areas that you are still not familiar with.
What next?
Now that you have completed the Learner Guide 3, you are now ready to commence
working through Assessment Workbook 3.
Good luck with your Assessment!

FEEDBACK
Well done for finishing this learner guide. We hope that what you learn
will open up new path ways for success in your life. At Compliant Learning
Resources we continually strive to improve our resources and heighten the
learning experience for you. One way of doing this is seeking your
feedback. Your experience is important to us and we are very keen to hear
any suggestions or complaints you may have. Click on the button below to
let us know what you think of us and our learning resources.
CLICK HERE
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Learner Guide 3

CHC33015 Certificate III in

Date Summary of modifications made Version

4 July 2016 Version 1.0 final produced following validation 1.0

Version 1.1 final produced with the following

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

CHCCOM005 – Communicate and Work in Health or Community Services

About this Unit of Study Introduction

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Communicate and Work in Health or Community Services

Additional Learning Support

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Using this Learner Guide

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Checkpoint! Let’s Review Further Reading

Additional Research, Reading, and Note-Taking

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Why is this important? Because number 1, it is a human right – to be treated equally

But before we proceed, let’s first know what diverstity means.

The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It

It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and

(Sourced from www. gladstone.uoregon.edu)

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

 Diversity means understanding that each individual is unique – especially

 Diversity requires effective communication and meeting the different language

1. An Introduction to Australia’s Cultural Diversity

For thousands of years, they inhabited northern

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Diversity also has the following impacts on Australia’s economy:

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

1.2 Influences and Changing Practices in Australia

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Romanticism towards the concept of the bush demonstrated through folklore,

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

 How many languages are spoken in Australia today? List

 What are the major religions in Australia today? List three

 What percentage of the population today do the

2. Reflecting on Own Perspectives

2.1 Your Own Social and Cultural Perspectives and Biases

For instance, when you are using the public

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

2.2 Cultural Awareness, Cultural Safety, and Cultural Competence

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

 Be aware of judging other people's behaviour and beliefs according to the

 Be aware of making assumptions about cultural influences and applying

 Understand that culture itself is a fluid entity, undergoing transformations

 Increase your knowledge about different cultural practices and issues

 Understand the importance of appropriate communication.

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

Checkpoint! Let’s Review

2.4 Impact of Diversity Practices and Experiences

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

3. Appreciating Diversity and Inclusiveness

3.1 Diversity and Inclusiveness in All Areas of Work

As a support worker, to work with diverse people

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017

 Ethnicity - Belongingness to a social group that

Learner Guide 3 Version No. 1.2 Produced 20 April 2017