CHCCCS011 Learner Guide

CHCCCS011 - Meet personal support needs| Learner guide
LEARNER GUIDE
CHCCCS011
Meet personal support needs
Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 1
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CHCCCS011 1.0 26.08.2020 First edition
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
Introduction 3
CHAPTER 1: DETERMINE PERSONAL SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS 5
1.1 Review individualised plan and confirm required equipment, processes and aids 8
1.2 Identify requirements outside of scope of own role and seek support from relevant
people 17
1.3 Consider the potential impact that provision of personal support may have on the
person and confirm with supervisor 22
1.4 Consider specific cultural needs of the person 25
1.5 Consider specific physical and sensory needs of the person 28
1.6 Identify risks associated with the provision of support and confirm with supervisor
41
CHAPTER 2: MAXIMISE PARTICIPATION 51
2.1 Discuss and confirm person’s own preferences for personal support in a positive
way 54
2.2 Consider and confirm the person’s level of participation in meeting their personal
support needs 57
2.3 Provide the person with information to assist them in meeting their own personal
support needs 60
CHAPTER 3: PROVIDE PERSONAL SUPPORT 65
3.1 Safely prepare for each task and adjust any equipment, aids and appliances 68
3.2 Take account of identified risks in the provision of personal support and technical
support activities 75
3.3 Identify and respond to routine difficulties during support routines, and report more
complex problems to supervisor 79
3.4 Identify changes in the person’s health or personal support requirements and report
to supervisor 83
3.5 Work with the person and supervisor to identify required changes to processes and
aids 86
3.6 Maintain confidentiality, privacy and dignity of the person 88
CHAPTER 4: COMPLETE REPORTING AND DOCUMENTATION 94
4.1 Comply with the organisation’s reporting requirements, including reporting
observations to supervisor 96
4.2 Complete and maintain documentation according to organisation policy and
protocols 100
4.3 Store information according to organisation policy and protocols 103
References 107

Introduction
This learner guide explains the knowledge and skills required to:
⮚ Review an individualised plan and confirm the necessary equipment, processes and
aids
⮚ Identify requirements outside of scope of own role and seek support from relevant
people
⮚ Consider the potential impact that the provision of personal support may have on
the client and confirm with the supervisor
⮚ Consider specific cultural needs of the person
⮚ Consider the particular physical and sensory needs of the person
⮚ Identify risks associated with the provision of support and confirm with supervisor
⮚ Discuss and confirm the person’s own preferences for personal support in a positive
way
⮚ Consider and confirm the person’s level of participation in meeting their personal
support needs
⮚ Provide the person with information to assist them in meeting their own personal
support needs
⮚ Safely prepare for each task and adjust any equipment, aids and appliances
⮚ Take account of identified risks in the provision of personal support and technical
support activities
⮚ Identify and respond to routine difficulties during support routines, and report more
complex problems to supervisor
⮚ Identify changes in the person’s health or personal support requirements and

report to supervisor
⮚ Work with the person and supervisor to identify required changes to processes and
aids
⮚ Maintain the confidentiality, privacy and dignity of the person
⮚ Comply with the organisation’s reporting requirements, including reporting

observations to supervisor
⮚ Complete and maintain documentation according to organisation policy and

protocols
⮚ Store information according to organisation policy and protocols
What will I learn?

Welcome to the unit CHCCCS011 - Meet personal support needs. This unit describes
the skills and knowledge that you will need to determine then respond to the physical
personal support needs of an individual and how you will support them to carry out daily
activities.
This unit applies to a worker who provides support to others according to an established
individualised plan in any community services context. The work performed requires some
discretion and judgement and may be carried out under regular direct or indirect
supervision.
What will I learn?

This learning guide will provide you the skills and knowledge required to:
Determine personal support requirements

Maximise participation
Provide personal support
Complete reporting and documentation

CHAPTER 1: DETERMINE PERSONAL

SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS
It is of great significance to determine the personal support needs and requirements of
your client to provide the services, made for, tailored, directed or adjusted to themselves.
The support worker usually assists people who need extra care or support or who require
assistance with everyday activities. Reasonable and necessary supports aim to enhance
independence by achieving goals, objectives and aspirations in broad range areas, such as
education, employment, social participation, independence, living arrangements and
health and well-being and will relate to:
⮚ Daily living activities
⮚ Transportation to participate in community, social, economic and daily life activities
⮚ Workplace assistance to gain and keep a job
⮚ Therapeutic supports, including with behaviours of concern
⮚ Assistance with household tasks
⮚ Aids or equipment assessment, set up and training
⮚ Home modification design and construction
⮚ Mobility equipment and vehicle modifications
Figure 1.1: Personal care and support
However, all clients of the personal care worker may require some assistance with
personal care needs.

What will I learn?

In this chapter, you will learn how to:
Review individualised plan and confirm required equipment,

processes and aids
Identify requirements outside of scope of own role and seek
support from relevant people
Consider the potential impact that provision of personal support
may have on the person and confirm with supervisor
Consider specific cultural needs of the person
Consider specific physical and sensory needs of the person
Identify risks associated with the provision of support and
confirm with supervisor

1.1 Review individualised plan and confirm the required

equipment, processes and aids
Individualised planning means to assist people with a disability, their families and care
workers and provide a framework so that they (people with a disability) can live their life
by their own choice. It includes strategies to be used, to assist them in working towards
their goals.
Individualised planning assists people in:
⮚ Use their natural supports such as friendships, neighbours and community or society
groups
⮚ Clarify their choices about how they want their life to be
⮚ Identify opportunities that belong to them
⮚ Develop their talents and skills
⮚ Build on opportunities to have a valued role in society
⮚ Feel confident about a safe and secure future
⮚ Access the services and support which will assist them in achieving their goals
The person with a disability needs to remain central to the process to enable them to take
control of developing and implementing their plan to the extent they desire.
Figure 1.1.1: Individualised planning
Review the individualised plan

Everyone should have an individualised plan that is well thought out by you or your
organisation. It should include details of their medical and care needs, their preferences,
objectives and goals.

A stand-alone personal care plan
● Personal care supports aspects in an individualised plan
Confidentiality laws and regulations applied to the personal documents related to the
individual. It is essential that clients can access the care plan and should be involved in
writing and editing it.
According to this plan, record the treatments and medications that the client is receiving at
present and has received in the past if there is any new treatments or conditions these
need to be added to the care plan, along with an action plan of how to treat it.
The individualised plan should also cover personal preferences, including both client’s
medical treatment and their general lifestyles. This can range from their preference for
tablets or oral solutions, to what they like to eat.
Personal care needs
Many aspects of the clients' personal care needs should be covered within the care plan so
that personal care providers can match their service to the client’s preferences. Some of
the personal care requirements:
Personal hygiene:
You must consider your clients' styles, standards and routines when maintaining their
personal hygiene. Therefore, it is essential to consult the client on this aspect of their care
and to check the care support plan for information on how much assistance is needed:
● Toileting
⮚ Toilet regimen should be individualised to suit needs
⮚ Provide supervision and physical assistance
⮚ Maintain privacy and dignity
⮚ Maintain the toilet at the warm temperature
⮚ Ensure easy access to a call bell to obtain assistance
⮚ Assist with hygiene
⮚ Adhere to Work Health and Safety (WHS) requirements

Figure 1.1.2: Personal hygiene while toileting
● Oral hygiene
⮚ Develop a routine with oral hygiene care
⮚ Maintain dignity and respect
⮚ Assist in ensuring thorough cleaning of teeth and dentures with a toothbrush and
solutions
⮚ Offer mouthwash and assist if required
⮚ Always wash your hands at following the procedure following WHS standards
Figure 1.1.2: Oral hygiene
● Continence aids
⮚ Assist with pads and protecting garments
⮚ Avoid constipation by offering fluids, a high fibre diet and encouraging regular
physical activity
⮚ Adhere to WHS requirements

Figure 1.1.3: Incontinence aids
● Showering
⮚ Respect individual and cultural attitudes
⮚ Ensure a warm room temperature is maintained
⮚ Check the temperature of the water before the shower
⮚ To ensure privacy close the bathroom door, but do not lock the door in case of
emergency
⮚ Before the shower or bath ensure you have all that you need set up
⮚ If there is a behaviour of concern make sure everything is safe for the client and
personal care worker
Figure 1.1.4: Showering aids

● Bed bathing
⮚ Use where it is physically impossible to have a shower and/or there is a decision by

the client to have a bed bath
⮚ Create minimum discomfort
⮚ Check to see whether the client can move as required
⮚ If necessary, seek assistance from others
⮚ Respect individual and cultural attitudes towards modesty and maintain the privacy
of the client
Figure 1.1.5: Bed bathing

Personal appearance or grooming:
Your personal appearance is significant when considering an individuals self-esteem.

Everyone has their preferences and style when it comes to personal appearance, and
these should be respected. It is important to recognise that and also ensure the service is
provided according to the client care support plan:
⮚ Assist with shampooing hair and condition if required
⮚ Assist with brushing the hair gently in the style required by the client
⮚ Assist if there is need of hearing aid
⮚ Shaving: Assist with an electric razor, shaving cream to the face and small amount of
moisturiser cream on the face if needed
⮚ Makeup: Assist with jewellery including cosmetic skin lotions, perfumes and make-up
⮚ Skin treatments
⮚ Be gentle and don’t rush through the process
Figure 1.1.6: Hair brushing and Figure 1.1.7: Dressing and undressing
Dressing and undressing:
Dressing and undressing refers to the physical ability to dress, undress and the personal
preferences of dressing and undressing. It includes
⮚ Clothes and style: help to remove clothes gently
⮚ Dressing independently: preserve modesty by not undressing or dressing unnecessarily
⮚ Being dressed
⮚ Seasonally appropriate clothing
⮚ Respect the individual and their culture and close the door and draw the curtains when
assisting with undressing
⮚ Keep the room at a warm temperature
⮚ Do not rush through the procedure, out of respect for the individual

⮚ Explain and reassure the client understand each step
⮚ Assist with undressing and dressing upper body first
⮚ Avoid repetitive stretching and bending
Mobility and transfer:
When considering mobility, you are thinking about what the client can do and what they
need in regards to their mobility. For the client to maintain their independence, encourage
them to do as much as possible. Assistance is provided to the extent given in the
individual care support plan. Go through the care support plan to make the correct use of
mobility aids such as a wheelchair or crutches, lifting machines, standing machines and
walking frames.
Figure 1.1.8: Mobility aids
⮚ If hip protectors are used, assist with dressing
⮚ Make sure the client has time to support their balance before they walk
⮚ Be aware of obstacles and remove or avoid them
⮚ Check that footwear is correctly fitted
⮚ Assist with the use of handrails
Living environments:
Living environments are relevant to residential clients but are more applicable to clients in
private housing. It covers:
● In Private housing:
⮚ Security and safety of the client

⮚ Suitable temperatures within the residence
⮚ Ease of access and mobility
● For Residential:
⮚ Room decoration, including paining and ornaments, etc.
⮚ Privacy: can staff walk in any time or should they knock?
⮚ Where do clients like to be during the day?
Eating and drinking, using appropriate techniques:
It is usual practice that there are designated times which are pre-determined when meals
are served, but clients can still make some requests about what and how they eat. Check
their care support plan for information on:
⮚ Preferences and dietary needs, such as vegetarian or gluten-free
⮚ Independent or assisted feeding, positioning strategies
⮚ Food choices, such as different breakfasts, such as porridge, cooked breakfast, toast or
cereals
⮚ How much supervision and support is required
⮚ Time required
⮚ Maintain the dignity of the person
Figure 1.1.9: Healthy diet
Medication:
Medication refers to what medicines are required and how they are taken:
⮚ Are clients ever responsible for administering their own medicines? How is this
managed?

⮚ Is the client happy with tablets or intravenous medications?
⮚ Is the medication effective? Would they like a review or an alternative?
Other care:
Other care refers to broader aspects of a client’s life, such as:
⮚ Visiting friends and family
⮚ Days out
⮚ Participation in social events
⮚ Participation in organised activities
⮚ Hobbies and interest’s
⮚ Goals and achievements
Fall recovery techniques:
According to the client care support plan, the service provided is to assist their
independence which includes:
⮚ Stay with the client and alert the supervisor
⮚ The client should be checked and then moved to a chair or bed (possibly hospital)
⮚ Ensure there is a thorough medical examination
The care plan should contain details on these aspects of the client’s life to confirm the
support the client needs or wants and to address their personal needs. Any other
information, notes or specifications that you and/or the client feel are important should
also be included.

1.2 Identify requirements outside of scope of own role

and seek support from relevant people
There are aids, processes and equipment available for use that require specialist training
to use them correctly. When this occurs, you will need to consult with your supervisor and
ensure there is an experienced and qualified colleague to carry out the task.
Attempting to use equipment that you are not authorised or qualified to use can have
severe consequences for both the client and the organisation.
For example:
Administering intravenous medication:
⮚ The risk to the client:
Minor effects could be discomfort and bruising. If the presence of an air bubble is found in
the medication, it can cause an air embolism. It generally results in death or brain damage
for the recipient.
Figure 1.2.1: Intravenous medication
⮚ The risk to the care provider:
If injecting clients is found to be unauthorised, this can be very serious. If death or brain
damage occurs may amount to manslaughter and gross negligence.
⮚ The risk to the organisation:
If an employee is found to be administering injections without training and knowledge, the

organisation can be sued by the client. This incident could be investigated, and a
standards authority undertakes discipline. The organisation can be fined and may become
the target of media attention which may result in the closing of the organisation. The
organisation will be accountable for the death or disability of the client when a serious
incident occurs.

Some of the equipment is quite specialised and requires in-service training for its
use and a competency assessment
As a personal care and support worker, the use of specific equipment and performing
certain procedures for client assessment are within your job description, and according to
the policy each organisation will have. These requirements are outside the role of the
personal care and support worker and to use them there, you need to seek assistance
from the relevant person.
For example, a glucometer is an equipment used to measure the blood sugar level of the
client. To use the glucometer correctly, there is a requirement that you have a certain
level of knowledge and skill with the understanding of the significance of the blood sugar
reading.
Figure 1.2.1: Glucometer
Some of the other equipment is less specialised; for example, a thermometer also requires
specific skills and knowledge to use it correctly and to record the temperature.
Figure 1.2.2: Thermometer
When you start a job with any organisation, it is crucial to be familiar with the job
description you have been employed to do, and it must match your knowledge and skills.
It is essential to consider what equipment you may use and the procedures to be followed
in the workplace, if you have been trained to use a piece of equipment for assessment and
if you have experience using this equipment. Use of the equipment is at the discretion of

the organisation you are working at present, including whether you may use it or not. If
any worker is working at multiple facilities, then the worker must be conscientious not to
confuse roles and responsibilities.
⮚ Examples of equipment used for assessment that you need to seek assistance for are
listed in the given table:

Equipment Purpose Procedure
Glucometer Measure blood sugar level Glucose monitor

reading
(GMR)
Sphygmomanometer Measure blood pressure Blood pressure
Thermometer Measure temperature Temperature
Kangaroo pump Nourish client with liquidised Parenteral gastric

food feed
(PEG feed)
Urinalysis strips Analyse the urine Urinalysis
Weighing scales Measure weight Weight
Sterile specimen To collect a sample of urine or Specimen collection
container sputum
Faecal specimen To collect a sample of faeces Faecal collection
container
Trans medium wound To collect a wound swab Wound swab
swab
When using equipment, remember the following principles:
⮚ Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions before using the equipment and if you
are not sure always ask for assistance
⮚ Only use the equipment if it is within your job description and you are trained to do so
⮚ Immediately report defects of the equipment
⮚ Use the equipment according to the organisational policies and procedures
⮚ When using equipment in front of clients, always explain what you are doing
Other examples of aids and processes outside the skills and knowledge of
general caregivers may include:
⮚ Intravenous injection
⮚ CPR

⮚ Resuscitation
⮚ Insertion and maintenance of catheters
⮚ Administering Medication
⮚ Use of ventilators
In your duties, some equipment is not necessarily used for client assessment, even though
it is still necessary to observe clients and how the equipment is being used to assess
whether the equipment is being used appropriately.
Below are some of the examples of equipment that is not used for assessment but are
used for client observation:
Equipment Purpose Observations
Continence aids: Assist incontinence ⮚ Does the Uridome stay

on? Is there any leakage?
⮚ Uridome Is it used appropriately?
⮚ Kylie sheets ⮚ Is the client taken to the

toilet regularly?
⮚ How often is the Kylie

sheet changed?
⮚ Is the client on a
continence program?
Manual handling To assist in moving, ⮚ Are slide sheets effective?

equipment:
transferring & ⮚ Is mechanical hoist
⮚ Slide sheets adequate?
mobilising
⮚ Mechanical hoist ⮚ Can the client assist in
any way?
⮚ Walking stick
⮚ Does the client need any
⮚ Four arm support other aid?
frames (FASF)
⮚ Height is important for
⮚ Rollator Rollator and FASF
Feeding & drinking To assist in feeding ⮚ Can the client use

equipment: and drinking equipment
⮚ Specialised cutlery appropriately?
⮚ Non-slip plate ⮚ Are there other aids the

client can benefit from?

⮚ Mug with two

handles
Tri-flow (breathing To encourage deep ⮚ Can the client use the Tri-
device): breathing flow properly and do they
need assistance?
Visual aids: To aid vision ⮚ Are these aids

satisfactory?
⮚ Magnifying glass
⮚ Do they improve the
⮚ Reading glasses client’s vision?
⮚ Large print books
Hearing aids: To aid hearing ⮚ Can the client use the aid
appropriately and
⮚ Behind the ear adequately?
⮚ In the ear ⮚ Are these aids

satisfactory? Do they
improve the client’s
hearing?
⮚ Can the client maintain

the aids, e.g. battery,
cleaning?
⮚ Do they need assistance?
Different equipment is used in organisations to assist the client in their daily activities. The
client must provide feedback as for the usefulness of these aids. If the feedback for the
equipment is not satisfactory, it is then the duty of the personal care worker to report to
the supervisor and mention it to the staff in the handover report. If the facility requires the
worker to document changes in the client’s progress notes, then these notes should be
recorded in the appropriate section in the client’s personal file.

1.3 Consider the potential impact that the provision of

personal support may have on the person and confirm
with the supervisor
Information sources and their meaning differ from person to person. Some of the people
gather information from attending, observing, and learning by watching others and some
gain it from listening, doing, and experiencing. Different people might have different
preferences for ‘learning’ from information, storing information, and integrating new
information with what they already know. Interpretation of the information can vary from
person to person in several ways, depending on their past life experience and knowledge.
The amount and the type of information needed for a specific event or outcome might also
vary from individual to individual. This relates to ‘individual information needs’. Some
people have a higher interest and need for information than others. The potential impact
of the personal support depends on the type of information the client needs and how the
client needs that information.
So, the potential impact of personal support on the client may be negative or positive. To
ensure a positive impact on the client, confirm your duties with the supervisor.
Ethics
Ethics is a branch of knowledge that deals with moral values and principles. If the personal
support worker is ethically or legally correct in delivering the duties to the client, then only
the personal support care worker has a positive potential impact on the individual.
Figure 1.3.1: Ethics
When caring for clients, you are responsible for acting in accordance with the law
and ethically. Ethics is defined as an area that:
⮚ Assists with making decisions about what is right and what is wrong
⮚ Involves moral values, beliefs and attitudes

⮚ Includes what should or should not be done
⮚ You are responsible for the care you give
As a personal care and support worker, appropriate ethical behaviour will have a
positive impact on the client and the other people. It may include but not
necessarily limited to the following points:
⮚ Respecting the client
⮚ Carrying out your duties to the best of your abilities
⮚ Seeking advice or help if you are not sure how to perform a particular duty
⮚ Do not perform a duty that you are not competent to do
⮚ Keeping the information of client confidential
⮚ Ensure client’s safety, privacy and dignity
⮚ Advocate for your clients
⮚ Ensuring the client is informed and involved in decision making regarding all care
Ways to ensure confidentiality, privacy and dignity include:
⮚ Staff training and awareness
⮚ Report breaches to your supervisor and ensure the complaint actioned
⮚ Lead by a good example
⮚ Recruit appropriately trained staff
⮚ Follow organisational policies and procedures
A personal support worker will come across many issues during day-to-day activities,
where the worker will behave ethically without even thinking about it. If you find you are
unsure of what to do in any situation, always seek guidance or assistance from your
supervisor.
Impact and effect of support
The positive impact of the support
Personal care support has a positive impact on the client who is receiving it. Some positive
effects are:
⮚ An opportunity for personal growth and the development of new skills
⮚ Giving support to the client so that they can meet new challenges
⮚ Improvement in the quality of the life of the client

⮚ Strengthening the relationship with the person you care for
⮚ Enhancement in the social relationships within the community or society
For example:
One of the old age clients who is a non-resident has stopped leaving the house because of
difficulties with walking. The client has also stopped other social activities such as
shopping and attending a local activity group. This has resulted in the client feeling
depressed and becoming withdrawn. After assessing the client’s needs, a wheelchair has
been given to the client, which has given the client a new lease of life. Now the client can
travel distances to visit family, do their shopping and has become a regular at the social
club again.
Providing support for someone can have adverse effects as well as positive ones.
Some examples of adverse effects could be:
⮚ Embarrassment
⮚ Fear
⮚ Disempowerment
⮚ Humiliation
⮚ Discomfort
Adverse effects can have a serious impact on the client’s quality of life and feeling of self-
worth.
Negative consequences can arise if:
⮚ A client is given support they did not ask for or want or
⮚ If it is provided in a way that is not acceptable for the client
⮚ When the client becomes resigned and has their self-esteem damaged
⮚ The client becomes dependent on others, and he/she need help with even simple tasks
like shaving or getting dressed in the mornings.
⮚ The clients can become withdrawn and feel apathetic, as they lose their independence
A clients’ needs should be assessed regularly, and they should be encouraged as far as
possible to do things for themselves and to retain or regain their independence.
When significant changes occur it is vital to support clients, for example, receiving a new
treatment, changing mobility strategies or moving to a residential home, can have either a
positive or a negative impact on the clients’ lives. The potential impact of personal support
must be discussed thoroughly with the relevant supervisor, so to ensure it benefits the
client long term. The personal care and support worker should also discuss strategies to

support the client during this period of change, especially where you expect negative
impacts.

1.4 Consider specific cultural needs of the person

It is essential that the personal care and support worker acknowledges and respects
cultural differences whilst dealing with the needs and requirements of the client. Cultural
diversity is a very sensitive issue, and it must be handled carefully so that no one feels
disrespected or discriminated because of their cultural background. It should be dealt with
using anti-discrimination legislation and cultural diversity requirements.
Figure 1.4.1: Maslow’s hierarchy of cultural needs
If a personal care and support worker is dealing with the clients that belong to a specific
culture, then the personal care worker should be aware of what the client needs and what
is acceptable and unacceptable for them. This will help the worker to avoid incidents that
may arise due to cultural differences. Some clients will point out their beliefs and needs,
but some may not and will expect from the worker that they should know what the client
needs and wants.
Community and disability and other service organisations need to take care of the diversity
of their clients’ values, beliefs and cultural expectations.

Figure 1.4.2: Connection to value and beliefs
When working with clients from culturally diverse backgrounds, you will need to work
effectively, to do this, the personal care and support worker will need knowledge and
skills, for example:
⮚ Have an awareness of your own cultural background/experiences, attitudes, values,

and biases. It might influence your ability to assist clients from diverse cultural
backgrounds. The worker needs to correct any prejudices and biases they may have
regarding different cultural groups.
⮚ The personal care and support worker should educate themselves, wherever possible,
to address the needs of culturally diverse clients and enhance their understanding. This
may involve learning about cultural, social, psychological, political, economic, and
historical material related to the specific ethnic group they are working with.
⮚ Understand that ethnicity and culture may have an impact on a client’s behaviour
⮚ The personal care and support worker should assist the clients in becoming aware of
their cultural values and norms. As a personal care worker, you can help clients to
apply this awareness to their own lives and society and also within the organisation
itself.
⮚ Respect the client’s religious and spiritual beliefs and values
⮚ Work to eliminate prejudices, biases, and discriminatory practices
⮚ Provide all information in a language that the client can understand
⮚ Provide information in writing, along with oral explanations
Cultural differences
Cultural needs will affect:
How you conduct yourself and act, some examples:

⮚ Some people find eye contact uncomfortable and aggressive, but some cultural groups
value eye contact
⮚ Some people in Asian communities are generally offended by loud and over-
enthusiastic people, as they favour restraint
⮚ German people believe an untidy appearance typically is a sign of incompetence
How you speak and communicate with them:
⮚ Different cultures have different accents, which can affect understanding and
communication
⮚ If English is your second language
⮚ Some words, terms and phrases you use may be considered offensive to others
How care is provided:
⮚ Some people may be uncomfortable with receiving care from a different sex due to
their culture
⮚ Some cultures, e.g. the Muslim community may require their women to be treated by
women
⮚ Individuals, as part of their culture, may believe that it is the responsibility of the
family to provide care for their aged members. This is especially true for Asian and
Indian cultures.
What care you can provide:
⮚ Some cultures will not have blood transfusions
⮚ Organ transplants are not allowed in other cultures
What food you provide:
⮚ Muslims and Jews are not allowed to eat pork
⮚ Jews also require Kosher meals
Participation in cultural or religious events and activities:
⮚ It may be necessary for members of different religions to attend certain events, do

specific activities or refrain from particular activities at certain times
⮚ Examples of religious festival and events - Christmas and Ramadan

1.5 Consider the specific physical and sensory needs of

the person
Some clients may have several types of physical and sensory needs that can lead them to
experience specific forms of exclusion and discrimination. Many people with these
conditions have to live with the stigma associated with the impairment, which can be as
distressing as the condition itself. Clients with these conditions or impairments have
specific physical and sensory needs. The personal care worker needs to assess their needs
first by knowing about their impairments or conditions and set the care support plan
according to these.
A person can suffer from several different types of physical and sensory conditions or
impairments; some examples are shown below:
Physical disability
A condition where a part of a person’s body is damaged and the client has a limitation on
physical functioning, mobility or stamina. For example;
⮚ Amputation
⮚ Arthritis
⮚ Cerebral palsy
⮚ Upper limbs
⮚ Muscular dystrophy
⮚ Acquired spinal injury
⮚ Post-polio syndrome

Figure 1.5.1: Physical disability
Sensory (impacts on vision and/or hearing)
Impaired vision
Impaired vision is caused due to the change in the shape of the eye lens and cornea that
results in blurred vision. This can be corrected using contact lenses or eyeglasses. These
errors are of three types:
⮚ Myopia (near-sightedness): People have too long eye lens and experience blurred
image of the object placed at a far distance.
⮚ Hypermetropia (far-sightedness): People have too short eye lens. The individual is not
able to get a clear image of the object placed at a short distance, but the individual has
excellent distance vision.
Figure 1.5.2: Normal vision, myopic vision and hypermetropia vision
⮚ Astigmatism: People have blurred vision due to an irregularity in the cornea

(transparent layer forming the front of the eye). Other symptoms of people having
astigmatism are:
● Distortion of the visual image.
● The acuity of distance.
● Near vision can be decreased.

Blindness and Low vision
Blindness:
A person is to be considered as ‘legally blind’ if he/she is not able to see at six metres
which a person with normal vision can see at 60 metres.
Low vision:
Low vision is a person who has lost a certain amount of their eyesight which cannot be
corrected with glasses. It affects the life of people of all ages and the ability to carry out
their daily functions. Problems related to people with low vision:
⮚ Difficulty reading the newspaper
⮚ Difficulty dialling the telephone
⮚ Difficulty seeing road signs
⮚ Difficulty recognising faces
Hearing loss and Deafness
Hearing loss:
When a person has a diminished ability to hear sounds, and this makes it difficult day to
day for that person to function.
Deafness:
Deafness is the inability of a person to understand speech through hearing. Profound

deafness means when the person has completely lost the ability to hear.
Signs and symptoms:
⮚ Speech deterioration: Person who produces flat sounds
⮚ Fatigue: Person get tired quickly while listening to any speech
⮚ Indifference: Person feels depressed and disinterested in life in general
⮚ Social withdrawal and unhappiness
⮚ Insecurity
⮚ Loss of self-confidence in decision making
Autism spectrum disorder
Autism is a developmental livelong condition that affects the way an individual interacts
with other people related to his or her environment. The main areas of difficulty for a
person with autism are:

⮚ Social communication
⮚ Social interaction
⮚ Restrictive or repetitive behaviours
⮚ Unusual sensory interests, for example, sniffing objects or staring continuously at

moving objects
⮚ Sensory sensitivities such as everyday sounds, for example, hairdryers, vacuum

cleaners and sand
⮚ Learning problems
Developmental delay
Developmental delay is a disability found in children where a child does not reach their
developmental milestones at the expected times. Developmental delay occurs in any of the
development areas such as gross or fine motor, language, social or thinking skills.
Causes:
⮚ Genetic causes
⮚ Complications of pregnancy and birth
⮚ Chronic ear infections which cause hearing loss
⮚ Lead poisoning
Neurological disability
Neurological disability is an impairment that has several causes such as heart attacks,
infections or lack of oxygen to the brain.
Symptoms:
⮚ Feel tired
⮚ Difficulty in moving body
⮚ Difficulty in talking with other people
⮚ A problem in expressing your feelings
Cognitive impairment
Cognitive abilities can decline; these are the brain-based skills where the brain has the
capability to perform simple as well as complex tasks. It is based on several mechanisms,
such as:

⮚ How to learn
⮚ How to remember
⮚ Problem-solving skills
⮚ Memory and thinking skills
Intellectual (can impact on communication and/or learning)
Sometimes you are born with a condition, or some have acquired it through infection.
Cognitive impairment can affect people in different ways.
Symptoms:
⮚ Trouble in remembering things
⮚ Difficulty in meeting new people
⮚ A problem in learning new things
Acquired brain injury
An acquired brain injury occurs when the injury to the skull or brain is severe enough to
cause physical and sensory impairment. This then interferes in the normal functioning of
the brain. This damage is caused after birth. Common causes for an acquired brain injury:
⮚ Stroke
⮚ Lack of oxygen
⮚ Degenerative neurological disease
⮚ Accidents
It can affect cognitive, physical, emotional and independent functioning of the brain.
Chronic lifestyle conditions
A Chronic lifestyle condition is a long-term illness or chronic health condition which lasts
for six months or longer. For example, arthritis, osteoporosis, dementia.
Genetic disorders
A genetic disorder is caused due to a change or mutation in the DNA sequence in an

individual. It leads to both physical and sensory impairment.

Figure 1.5.3: DNA Sequence
Changes or mutations in DNA sequence can be caused by:
⮚ Error in DNA replication
⮚ Environmental factors
⮚ Exposure to radiation
Genetic disorders are divided into several categories such as:
⮚ Single Gene disorder: A defect in one specific gene with predictable or straightforward
inheritance patterns. Diseases caused by single gene disorder:
● Cystic fibrosis
● Muscular dystrophy
⮚ Chromosome disorders: Due to changes in the number or structure of the

chromosomes. For example;
● Down’s syndrome
⮚ Multifactorial disorders: These are complex diseases caused by changes in multiple

genes in a complex interaction with environmental and lifestyle conditions such as
cigarette smoke or diet.
Physical and sensory needs of the person
A client with physical and sensory impairments has physical and sensory needs that need
to be assessed by the worker and support provided to them according to the care support

plan. There are several tools and aids designed to provide care to clients according to their
needs. These are designed:
⮚ For the comfort of the client
⮚ To promote independence
⮚ To help the caregiver to provide an efficient service
Some examples of equipment and aids according to the physical and sensory
needs of the client are:
Mobility aids
People with a physical disability who have problems with their mobility need a care plan
with transport devices such as wheelchairs to make their daily living routine activities
easy.
● Wheelchair: Some people, due to their physical and sensory problems, face
difficulty in walking. Some of the clients may have severe issues related to walking.
A wheelchair may be useful to move the client from one place to another. If the
person only has a problem with their lower limbs, then he/she can propel the
wheelchair using the hand rims with their hands. Some of the wheelchairs have
motors, and they can move only with the use of one switch.
Figure 1.5.4: Wheelchair
● Wheelchair access: Some cars, vans, buses and coaches have enough space to
wheel a client on board. Using a vehicle designed to fit a wheelchair will make it
easier to transport the client such as, removing the need to transfer the client from
the wheelchair to a seat and it makes it easy to get the client in and out of the
vehicle.
Accessibility standards
At the federal level, there are three sets of measures to protect the rights of people with a
disability:
⮚ The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport

⮚ The Disability Standards for Education
⮚ The Access to Premises Standards
Figure 1.5.5: Accessibility with a wheelchair- ramp
The Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport: All new transport services must
comply with minimum accessibility requirements and facilities that were already in
operation before 2002. These were given between five and thirty years to comply with the
standards.
The Access to Premises Standards
For example, using libraries, places of worship, government offices, hospitals, restaurants,
shops, or other premises used by the public.
⮚ Lifting and transferring aids
● Swivel seats: For elderly and/or disabled clients, some vehicles may have seats
that turn to allow the client to sit or be placed into the seat with ease. The same
techniques would be used by the personal care worker when transferring a client
from a wheelchair to a chair, or similar.

Figure 1.5.6: Swivel seat
● Hoists: There is a need for hoists to transfer a client in and out of a car who are not
able to do it by themselves and they need support in moving from one place to
another.
Figure 1.5.7: Hoist
⮚ Continence aids
Where clients make the use of the continence aids, it becomes the responsibility of the
personal care worker to assist them and provide them according to their needs. The design
of these is such that the client may be able to use them independently, but they should
still be aided and monitored.
It includes:
⮚ Bedpans
⮚ Commodes
⮚ Incontinence pads and pants
⮚ Raised toilet seats
⮚ Toilet support frames and rails
⮚ Waterproof bedding and chair pads

Figure 1.5.8: Toileting aids
⮚ Personal audio-visual aids
● A person who has a hearing impairment would benefit from the use of a hearing
aid. If the person has lost hearing completely, they should be provided with care by
the personal care worker to deal with the daily functional activities.
Figure 1.5.9: Hearing aid
● A Person with vision impairments has been provided with the glasses (concave,
convex or cylindrical lens) to correct their vision impairment such as myopia,
hypermetropia and astigmatism. If the person is legally blind, then the client is
provided with care, and their personal support worker can assist them in learning
the activities that would help them to make their life easier on a daily basis.
⮚ Feeding

Appropriate feeding aids may be used by the caregiver when feeding a client or can be
used independently by the client who needs some assistance with eating. A Client with any
physical or sensory problem may not be able to eat independently and will, therefore
require assistance.
Adapted eating utensils:
⮚ Wide-handle cutlery
Figure 1.5.10: Wide-handle cutlery
⮚ Combination cutlery
Hand clips and straps for cutlery:
⮚ To assist the client in maintaining a grip on the item
⮚ To prevent dropping
Figure 1.5.11: Hand straps for cutlery
Clothing protection:
⮚ Bibs

Figure 1.5.12: Bibs
Adapted drinking receptacles:
⮚ Double-handed cups
Figure 1.5.13: Double-handed cup
⮚ Cups that are covered, e.g. with a lid
⮚ A Straw
Rubber placemats:
⮚ These can prevent plates sliding or being pushed over

⮚ To provide stability
Bed tables:
⮚ So, clients can eat in bed
⮚ Feeding clients in their bed
A part of assisting clients with eating and drinking may be assessing what feeding aids
may be appropriate and useful.
⮚ Dressing, undressing and grooming aids
● Many clients with physical and sensory impairments require help with dressing,
undressing and grooming. The personal care worker should check how much
support the client needs and/or wants before beginning. It is vital to make the
client as comfortable as possible with the process and try to meet any specific
requests they make, where possible.
● Dressing/undressing the client will vary from client to client, depending on their
preferences and training of the worker. A client's requests and preferences should
always be taken into account before any grooming tasks are provided.
A Person who is unconscious or sedated with drugs will have problems with sensory or
physical activities. They need some support or assistance in bed, such as:
⮚ Beds
Bed Rails: These are the hospital-type beds that can be raised or lowered. They have locks
in place of levers or may have latches or buttons. They vary according to the length, for
example, they can be half, three-quarters or the full length of the bed.
Figure 1.5.14: Bed rails
⮚ Showering
In most of the aged care services, the facilities will have purpose-built shower rooms.
These rooms have:
● Shower stalls or

● Shower cabinets
Figure 1.5.14: Shower stall
A person with sensory and physical difficulty walks into these stalls or cabinets with the
help of a wheelchair known as a shower chair.
⮚ Bed baths
Bed baths involve washing the whole body of the client in bed. These are usually needed
by the people who are having difficulties like unconsciousness, paralysis or weakness. The
personal care support worker gives a complete bath, by washing the clients entire body
whilst they remain in bed due to their physical or sensory impairments.
⮚ Shaving
Many men and women shave for comfort and wellbeing, but they are not able to do it by
themselves. They need support or assistance for this. Shaving is done with a blade or
electric shavers.

1.6 Identify any risks associated with the provision of

support and confirm with the supervisor
Hazard
A hazard is anything that can potentially cause harm. There are two basic categories of a
hazard:
● Acute hazard: Acute hazards are those that have an obvious and immediate impact.
● Chronic hazard: Chronic hazards have a more hidden, cumulative, long-term impact.
Risk
When attempting something which has a chance of causing harm and the person is
involved and exposed to danger, it is called a risk. Within the care industry, both the client
and the personal care worker are exposed to risk. As far as possible, these risks need to
be assessed, and the personal care worker must know what factors increase a person’s
risk of accidents and injury. Risks or hazards that you are unable to understand must be
discussed and assessed with the supervisor to find out the best possible solution.
Figure 1.6.1: Hazard vs risk
Every organisation must follow the person’s care plan with given policies and procedures
to identify the risks and to take preventive measures against the risks. A safe working
environment is one where priority is given to provide protection for staff, visitors and
residents by taking possible preventive or safety measures. The following are essential for
occupational health and safety in your workplace or organisation:
⮚ Infection control
⮚ Fire precautions
⮚ Safe handling and storage of flammable materials
⮚ Safe handling and lifting techniques

⮚ Safe use of equipment
⮚ Safe storage of medications and other hazardous substances
⮚ Proper disposal of waste
⮚ Protective clothing
⮚ Prevention of falls and accidents
Accidents are frequent given the old age of the client, clients having defective sight or
hearing or mobility problems, and clients who may be confused and easily disoriented.
Sometimes, these clients may neglect the safety precautions as they are unaware of the
dangers or the importance of the safety measures. It is the responsibility of the care
worker to continually assess the needs of the clients and situations of the potential risks or
hazards to provide a safe environment to everyone.
Intrinsic and extrinsic causes of accidents
There are several dangers to the clients due to frailty, physical disabilities and confusion or
disorientation in the workplace. These are variable for each person according to their level
of independence and activity. It is a challenge for the personal care worker to provide a
safe environment to all, whilst still maintaining the best quality of life and the highest level
of independence possible.
Intrinsic factors
The state of the client is responsible for this situation, not the outside environment. These
can include:
⮚ Dizziness from several causes, which might lead to falls
⮚ Visual impairments
⮚ Lack of sensitivity to heat which might cause burns
⮚ Confusion can cause difficulties with medication or many other accidents
Extrinsic factors
These are the situations that arise because of outside or environmental influences, where
the personal care worker has more control than the intrinsic factors.
The following are some of the accident causing factors that should be considered and
assessed by you and the supervisor to maintain a safe environment in the workplace:
⮚ Physical changes within the home: It might include;
● Change of furniture arrangement or rearrangement
● Maintenance or repair to the facility

The client should be aware of these changes before making them as it may create
confusion to them, especially those who are suffering from confusion or vision impairment.
⮚ Poorly lit areas: Some of the rooms may be too dark or too dim, which prevents clear
vision. It can result in falls for people who are unable to see in such a dim or dark
area.
⮚ Accumulated rubbish: This increases fire risks. It encourages rodents and other
pathogens that can give rise to infection in the people.
Figure 1.6.2: Accumulated rubbish
⮚ Walking surfaces: Uneven and slippery floors can cause trips and falls. Accidents can
also occur due to loose rugs or unexpected steps
Figure 1.6.3: Slippery floor
⮚ Electricity: Cords lying on the ground floor can cause an accident and possibly a fire.

Figure 1.6.4: Cords lying on the ground
⮚ Furniture: Beds, tables or other things in the workplace should be of a suitable height
so that feet can touch the ground. Furniture in that is too low in height can cause
difficulty for clients getting up.
⮚ Toilets: Raised seats and no grab bars can increase the risk of clients of getting
imbalance and falling.
Figure 1.6.5: Toilet with raised seat and grab bars
⮚ Equipment: All the equipment should be appropriately used and inspected regularly for
safety. All facilities, such as bed rails and positions, have policies for protection to
prevent accidents in the workplace.
⮚ Clothing: Too long or loose can cause the clients to trip over, and they may get caught
in wheelchairs or on doorknobs that could be a risk for the client. Shoes and slippers
should be non-slip, be well fitted and without heels to prevent falls.

⮚ Fire hazards: Cigarette smoking, electrical equipment and the kitchen should be
handled with care to prevent fire and other major accidents. Care should be taken to
ensure that smoking is done only in the designated areas.
Figure 1.6.6: Cigarette smoking can cause a fire
⮚ Medication: The medicine cupboard should be kept secure and always locked so that no
one else can take it. Medication should still be locked away and should never be left
lying around.

Risk Analysis
Identification and management of the risks are undertaken in the following four steps,
Identify the risk, Assess the risk, control the risk and review controls. These are detailed
below:
Risk or hazard identification
A client’s health or safety risks arise from the potential hazards that could be present in
any workplace or an organisation. All types of risks need to be considered and to be
assessed. A Risk assessment is carried out to calculate how likely the risk is to cause harm
and how serious the injury might be.
Risks can arise from the workplace environment, substances in the workplace, poor work
design, inappropriate management systems and procedures and human behaviour. This
process should involve:
● Risk identification
● Risk assessment
● Risk control/risk reduction
● Evaluation of action
Risk identification:
⮚ Safety audit: A Safety audit is carried out during your daily work. It is the periodic and
systemic inspection of the organisation’s health and safety system. Safety consultant
or workplace World Health and Safety (WHS) professionals conduct this audit. A

written report is given after the audit for management, and it is referred to the WHS
Committee.
⮚ Workplace inspections: It should be done by managers, supervisors and the safety

committee. The state authority, e.g. Worksafe, can also carry out inspections. They
observe what hazards or risks exist in the workplace. It involves consultations with the
supervisors and the workers. In the end, a report is given to the management or the
safety committee.
⮚ Accident investigations: Workplaces have their own set of procedures for investigating
and reporting on accidents. They are used to identify hazards that contributed to the
incident. It should be reported to the supervisor or to the state authority where
possible.
⮚ Consultation: Workers are more aware of the hazards or risks occurring in the
workplace. They are also more aware of the possible ways of controlling them. The
assessment process can be improved with a consultation.
⮚ Analysis of injury and illness records: Records of the client’s injuries and illness are
required to be kept by the organisation. These records can be used for the analysis to
show the presence of hazards in the workplace.
⮚ Complaints: Workplace hazards or risks can be brought to the attention of a supervisor

through a complaint being made by any worker or any client.
⮚ Observation: It is the duty of a supervisor and the worker, to observe a workplace

hazard or risk. All workers should confirm and discuss with their supervisor of any
potential hazard or risk they find.
⮚ Agitated and aggressive behaviour: Pain, confusion, and a lesser understanding of the
surroundings give rise to behaviour such as aggression, physical abuse, emotional
abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. People with agitated and aggressive behaviour can
put themselves and others in danger.
A worker should note the following hazards in the workplace and bring these to the
attention of the supervisor according to the workplace procedure:
⮚ Biological or infectious hazards:
It includes infection-causing agents or infectious diseases such as Human

Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), hepatitis B or C etc. These diseases are acquired by the
person themselves, or they can be transferred from an infectious person. It gets
transmitted through direct blood contact, through inhalation, ingestion and many more.
⮚ Physical hazards:
It includes falls due to spills on floors and ramps with tolerances for wheelchairs, accidents
from electrical appliances and other accidents.
⮚ Chemical hazards:

Various factors affect the injuries or accidents caused by chemical hazards in the
workplace. These factors include the toxicity of the substances, work practices, nature and
duration of exposure to chemicals or toxic substances and routes of entry to the body,
specifically with the medications.
⮚ Ergonomic hazards:
This is generally due to the poor design of the facility for some of the clients. It includes
hazards such as the repetitive movement of the body for more extended time periods and
during manual handling. Risks that might occur from this hazard are pain, swelling or
numbness in or around muscles, tendons or ligaments.
⮚ Psychological hazard:
A psychological hazard is a hazard caused by stress, loss, grief, etc.
Risk assessment
It covers two main things:
● The level of risk: This is the likelihood of any harm or hurt that any hazard can cause
either to the client or to the worker.
● The consequences of the risk: The possible extent or level of harm arising from any
hazard or risk.
Level of risk
The level of risk indicates the probability of the outcome of the risk. It is divided into:
● Low-level risk🡪 Situations where there is a very low chance of someone being hurt
● Medium-level risk🡪 Situations where there is a chance of someone being hurt
● High-level risk🡪 Situations where the person has a higher chance of being hurt, and
it is a likely outcome of the situation
Consequence of risk
To make a potential judgement about the possible outcome of risk, you should consider
the following questions:
● How serious would the resulting harm be?
● How many people would be harmed?
● How much damage would be done to the material and the environment?
Risk control
Once the identification of the hazard and its risks has been completed, it is the time to
take some action based on the risk analysis. It will range from relatively minor to
significant interventions.

Some of the significant risk factors related to the client and the personal care worker
should be discussed with the supervisor. These risk factors are given as follows:
Discussion with the supervisor
If you discover a potential risk, either to the client or the personal care worker, it must be
discussed with a supervisor. The supervisor may provide you with safeguarding techniques
and measures according to the organisational policy and procedures to prevent potential
risks. For example,
⮚ Organisations usually implement infection control measures
⮚ Manual handling training
⮚ Specify that mentally unsound clients never be alone with a single caregiver
While reporting any risk or incident to the supervisor, the personal care worker is
responsible for acting legally and ethically. This means:
⮚ Decision making is carried out taking into consideration what is right and what is wrong
⮚ Moral values are involved, including what should or should not be done
⮚ You are responsible for the care that you give
Example of a hazard report form

As an aged care or health support worker, appropriate ethical behaviour will

include but not just be limited to the following points:
⮚ Respecting the client as an individual
⮚ Ensuring you carry out your duties to the best of your abilities
⮚ Asking for help if you are not sure how to perform a particular duty
⮚ Not performing a task that you are not competent to do
⮚ Keeping client information confidential
⮚ Ensure the client’s safety
⮚ Ensuring a client’s privacy and dignity
⮚ Advocate for (acts on behalf of) your clients
⮚ Ensuring the client is informed and involved in decision making regarding all care
Ways to ensure confidentiality, privacy and dignity include:
⮚ Staff training and awareness in such matters

⮚ Report breaches to your supervisor and ensure the complaint is followed through
⮚ Lead by a good example
⮚ Recruit appropriately trained staff
⮚ Follow organisational policies and procedures
When you are assisting clients with personal care either in a facility or in their home, there
is always a chance of a rise of potential risks. If you are unsure of what to do in any
situation, always seek guidance from your supervisor and report the risk to them. They
will then be able to guide and support you to achieve the best outcome.

Self-check assessment
QUESTION 1
Differentiate between hazard and risk.

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
QUESTION 2
Outline three methods used in identification of risk.

__________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
____
QUESTION 3
What are biological and physical hazards? Give one example of each.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________


CHAPTER 2: MAXIMISE PARTICIPATION

The personal care worker can maximise the participation of the client by discussing their
personal preferences with them or their relatives. This will enhance client confidence, and
they will be able to make decisions on their own for their own needs. Their level of
independence will increase, and they can plan their future. The personal care worker
should help them understand their human rights. To maximise the participation of the
client, the personal care worker should follow the moral, ethical and legal guidelines and
policies and procedures to promote and protect the values, identity and beliefs of the
client. The standard of living of the client can be enhanced. Client participation can be
improved by:
⮚ Confirming or discussing their own preferences in a positive way
⮚ Discussing with them about their rights and needs
⮚ Considering the level of participation of the client in meeting their personal support
needs
⮚ Providing the right information to assist them in meeting their personal needs
For example;
Explaining and discussing with them about their rights, The International treaty,
the “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the Disability
Convention): This promotes, protects and ensures the full enjoyment and freedom of all
human rights for people with disabilities. This convention was adopted by the United
General Assembly in 2006 and was enforced in 2008.
The “Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities” was signed by Australia in 2008.
The convention consists of eight principles, and they are:
⮚ Respect the individual’s dignity, autonomy, independence and freedom to make

their own choices
⮚ Non-discrimination
⮚ Full participation in the society of the people with disabilities
⮚ Respect the differences and don’t judge or criticise the people with disabilities.
Accept them as a part of human diversity and humanity
⮚ Equality of opportunity
⮚ Accessibility
⮚ Equality based on gender, age, different cultures and religions

What will I learn?

In this chapter, you will learn to:
Discuss and confirm a person’s own preferences for personal

support in a positive way.
Consider and confirm the person’s level of participation in
meeting their personal support needs.
Provide the person with information to assist them in meeting
their own personal support needs.

1.1 Discuss and confirm a person’s own preferences for

personal support in a positive way
It is within the clients' rights to assert their preferences about any aspect of their care. It
can be residential care or care within private accommodation. Opportunities should be
given to the clients to make their own decisions and voice their preferences.
Rights of the client
To understand the client and their preferences, the personal care worker should first
understand the rights of the client. It is part of the care workers duty of care to assist the
client in the promotion of understanding of their rights, so that they know about their
preferences and can communicate this.
Figure 2.1.1: Rights of the client
Every client receiving personal care and support has the same human and legal rights as
the rest of society. Some of the human rights are listed, but are not limited to the
following:
⮚ The right to self-determination
⮚ The right to good health
⮚ The right to freedom of movement
⮚ The right to independence
⮚ The right to adequate housing
⮚ The right to good services
⮚ The right to sexual expression
Client preferences
If the clients have preferences that apply to a situation, these must be confirmed with
both the supervisor and the client, where required. The following are some of the
examples of client preferences:

⮚ Not to be misunderstood or miscommunicated: Client preferences should be

recorded in their notes for future reference also. It ensures that their choices are not
overlooked, misunderstood or miscommunicated.
For example, a client has a preference to wake up early in the morning so that they can
listen to a radio show. This message of the client may not reach the person on duty in the
morning if it is only mentioned verbally, or the care worker forgets to pass on the
message.
⮚ Does not like to be called by first name: A common preference is where the client
prefers not to be called by their first name. It should be recorded in the notes so that
anyone who works with the client is informed of this preference.
⮚ Consultations: Clients should be consulted as much as possible on their preferences

for all aspects of their care and lifestyle. This will enhance their confidence and
empowers them. It will assist them to live more comfortably, happily and in an
optimistic way.
⮚ Privacy: Most of the clients do not want their personal information to be shared with
someone else without their consent. It is your responsibility to keep the personal and
medical information of the client confidential, and this information should only be
shared with other people when you have their consent or consent from their family or
friends on their behalf.
Figure 2.1.2: Help and support
Confirming procedures
Each client has individual preferences and activity limits. The Personal care worker should
discuss the aspects of care with the client who is going to receive it. There is a need to
give the right care to the right person. The care worker should involve the client and allow
them to specify their preferences. If their preferences are not considered whilst giving
them care, it could threaten their life and health.
Confirm procedures with the client before they are implemented. This may
involve:
⮚ An explanation of the procedure
⮚ Detailing why the client needs the procedure
⮚ An explanation of the procedure and what will happen

⮚ Checking the clients' preferences and honouring these
⮚ Addressing client concerns and answering clients’ questions
⮚ Confirming that the client understands and that they are happy with what is going to
happen
It is good to recap the procedure immediately before implementing it so that the client is
prepared and knows what to expect. It is beneficial to the client to explain what is about to
happen as well what is currently happening to reassure them.

A procedure can be:
● Simple:
⮚ Dressing the client
⮚ Washing the client
⮚ Transferring them to a wheelchair
● More complex:
⮚ Operations
⮚ Treatments
⮚ Trips to a health professional
Examples of some of the preferences
Dressing the client:
“Is it okay with you if we dress you now, Mrs ABC?”
⮚ Explaining what the procedure is:
“Right, I’m going to get you dressed.”
⮚ Explaining why the client needs it:
“So, you will be ready when your daughter comes in half an hour to pick you up.”
⮚ Explaining what will happen during the procedure:
“I’m going to get you dressed now. I will start at your feet and pop your socks on; then we
will do your underwear, your pants, t-shirt and jumper. Ok, let’s get those feet warmer.”
⮚ Asking if the client has any preferences:
“Would you prefer to wear a skirt or pants today?” “Would you like to wear a white shirt or
a blue shirt?” “Do you want your cardigan on now, or would you like to take it with you for
later?”
⮚ Answering clients’ questions and addressing their concerns:
“Is there anything you’re worried about or unsure of?” “Of course, not, I’m here to help
you.” “No, we won’t let a male dress you, it will always be me, but if I can’t be here, it will
be another female to help you.”
⮚ Check that the client understands and that they are happy to proceed:
“Are you happy to get it started now?”

The personal care worker should confirm the details for procedures to provide reassurance
for the client. It will give them the chance to provide their own opinion and encourage
them to make decisions on their own. Some of the clients do not ask questions, but they
appreciate the fact that you went through the plan and confirmed details with them, rather
than just going ahead and doing it.
1.2 Consider and confirm the person’s level of

participation in meeting their personal support needs
The personal care worker must provide one-on-one support according to the interests or
level of participation of the client, which includes a broad range of activities, accessing
your community, learning new skills and developing independence. While assisting clients
in making decisions about any action in their life, workers must provide as much
information as possible for the client. This will be helpful for the client in meeting their
personal support needs to enhance their quality of life.
How much a client is involved in meeting their care needs will differ from person to
person. The participation of the client will depend upon several factors.
The level of participation of the client depends on:
⮚ Making decisions about their care plans
⮚ Identifying needs
⮚ Looking after themselves
⮚ Retaining independence
The personal care worker can assess the level of participation of the client in
meeting their personal care needs by:
⮚ Assessing their ability in decision making
⮚ Observing their independence level
⮚ Observing their ability level
⮚ Assessing whether the client is aware of their own needs
⮚ Offering them several opportunities to participate
⮚ Ensuring that they understand situations wherever possible
⮚ One should not use the power of their position over another to get the desired outcome
Clients should be offered various opportunities by the worker to get involved with their
care and decisions wherever possible. This will help them in determining their level of
participation and ability. With this information, the care worker can help the clients in
making plans for their future and can assess and prepare for their needs.

National Standards
The government has set six national standards for the personal care workers according to
which they should provide care and support to their clients. The six national standards are:
Rights:
The service provided by the care worker should promote the individuals right to freedom of
expression, decision making and self-determination and actively prevent abuse, harm,
neglect and violence.
Participation and Inclusion:
Opportunities for active inclusion in society and meaningful participation should be

promoted by the service whilst working in conjunction with individuals and families, friends
and careworkers.
Individual Outcomes:
The services and support are assessed, planned, delivered and reviewed are based on an
individuals strengths and will enable the clients to achieve their goals.
Feedback and Complaints:
Feedback is sought regularly and used to inform individual and organisation-wide reviews
and continuous improvement goals.
Service Access:
Access, commencement and leaving a service is managed in a fair, equal, transparent, and
responsive way.
Service Management:
The service has effective and accountable service management and leadership in
maximising outcomes for individuals.
Confirm procedures with the client
Ageing-in-place
Some older people may not able to look after themselves physically and will prefer to live
at home as their care needs and dependency increases. In 1997, Residential Aged Care
Reform Package was introduced by the Australian Commonwealth Government introduced
the which outlines how to enable ‘ageing in place’ (AIP). Research shows that assisting
older people to stay at home is the preferred option for them and their families.
Admission of older people to a nursing home is a major transition and psychological stress
in their life. This can have a positive or negative effect on them due to several factors such
as, moving a person from a familiar environment to an unfamiliar place. The person may
experience a sense of isolation and it can decrease the person’s sense of self-identity and
life history.

Personal care staff need to be aware that all clients as individuals have the rights of
personal growth, dignity and self-determination. The worker should also consider the level
of client participation in the activities to prevent potential loss of self-determination and
control.
Maintaining and protecting individual choice and decision making
Some Australians become unable to live independently in their own home and they need
support and care to meet their personal needs. Generally, people who need personal care
support are eligible for care by the personal care and support worker. Maintenance of the
client’s individual choice and their decision making is very important in meeting their
personal needs and supports.
For example;
The Home and Community Care Program (HACC) is a joint state and Commonwealth
initiative that provides the following services according to their choice or level of
participation:
⮚ Home help (with cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing or banking)
⮚ Transport (for medical, social or other reasons)
⮚ Food services (such as meals-on-wheels)
⮚ Personal care (help with bathing and dressing)
⮚ Community nursing (at home or from a community centre)
⮚ Home maintenance (help around the house with small tasks and gardening)
⮚ Respite care (in-home or centre-based)
Respite care provides half-day or full-day care in a centrally located facility that is
available through residential care services and community daycare centres.
In-home respite including overnight care and activity programs, assistance in your own
home, the carer’s home or through community-based activities.
Therapy services, which may include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech

therapy and podiatry, aims to assist people to either recover or maintain a level of
independence.
The Aged Care Strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aims to
improve the flexibility and viability of services for indigenous people. Several new pilot
projects have been established in rural and remote areas. They have a focus on the
delivery of flexible care to indigenous people in their communities. This will reduce the
need for people to leave their local communities for distant urban centres to access and
receive good services.

1.3 Provide the person with information to assist them

in meeting their own personal support needs
Clients need to have access to information about their care needs and health requirements
to make the best decisions for themselves. This will help prepare them for their future,
and they will feel more comfortable and confident about any changes they should expect.
Figure 2.3.1: Information to meet personal support needs
Information may include:
⮚ Literature from the doctor
⮚ Discussions with doctors and other health professionals
⮚ Counselling and mentoring
⮚ Leaflets
Where the personal care worker has identified that a client would benefit from accessing
some information, they should assist them in that part.
Sourcing the information for them, e.g.:
⮚ Downloading information
⮚ Sourcing information, such as pamphlets and books
⮚ Arranging meetings
⮚ Explaining things to them
When clients understand their own needs either by themselves or by care workers, it will
be much easier for the worker in helping them to meet their own care needs.

When assisting clients in making decisions about any action, care workers must provide as
much information as possible to them. The information should be provided in a format that
is suitable for the client’s abilities and understanding.
Care workers should not overload their clients with information as it could be confusing for
them. The challenge for workers is to ensure the client is provided with sufficient
information to make informed decisions without limiting their options.
Collecting information
Sometimes it is challenging for the care worker to decide where they should start while
providing information when supporting a client. It is useful for the client and the care
worker to begin with their organisation, ask other staff, managers or supervisors or
information officers. An organisation’s policies and procedures may contain information
that can assist in making the decisions or outline clients rights. If you cannot find the
information within your organisation, you can contact external agencies.
Deciding on options
When you are assisting a client in resolving an advocacy issue, you must first decide on
the options they would like to take. It is important to give correct and timely information
to the client so that the client can make an informed decision when necessary. Do not
guess what the possible options are, ensure your information is accurate and up to date.
The information that is provided to them will depend on the type of issue, who is involved,
and to whom or against what they are advocating.
Some Common options can include, but are not limited to:
⮚ Making a phone call to the service about the issue
⮚ Talking to the person directly
⮚ Writing a letter to the person
⮚ Organising a meeting to discuss the problem
⮚ Contacting the service’s complaints department
⮚ Making a formal complaint
⮚ Approaching an external advocacy service for support
⮚ Lodging a complaint with an external body, for example, human rights and equal
opportunity commission.
The client alone could do all the above options, or if needed, they could request support
from a worker or an advocate.
Letter of complaint
Provide them with information about the letter of complaint. If the client decides to take
the option of writing a letter of complaint, make them aware of the advantages in doing
so, for example:

⮚ It can help in clarifying an issue
⮚ It can help to identify the possible solutions and preferred outcomes
⮚ It can ensure the service allocates a person to consider the issue and allows them have
a clear understanding of that
⮚ It is a written record of the complaint.
The letter of complaint the client is writing should be clearly addressed to the right person.
It may require someone to find out the name and title of the person in the organisation
who can deal with the issue.
Client-centred approach
The Care worker cannot influence the client’s decisions and it does not come under their
role while dealing with the client. The client should make all decisions on their own.
Workers need to take a ‘client-centred approach’ when supporting people. It means that
the client has the right to determine what is most important for them and they are
recognised as their own expert regarding their own needs. Care workers need to ensure
they listen and support the needs and rights of a client that are identified as important to
them, not what the care worker thinks is important.
Contacting and referral to external organisations
While assisting a client to resolve an issue you may be required to contact any relevant
external organisations to get information or support for the client. Firstly, a care worker
needs to ensure that they follow organisational policies or procedures for contacting
external agencies.
If a worker was advocating for a client, they may contact the Anti-Discrimination
Board. Some of the prohibitions there are, community service organisations have policies
that staff cannot directly talk to the media if they do not have the consent of the
organisation.
The NSW Ombudsman handles complaints about government and non-government

community service providers. The Anti-Discrimination Board investigates complaints of
discrimination and harassment.
For example, there are many external government organisations and advocacy services
that can assist with advocacy and other issues and provide information related to people
with a disability. Briefly they are:
⮚ Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission investigates complaints of

discrimination under the federal anti-discrimination legislation.
⮚ The Anti-Discrimination Board investigates and conciliates complaints of discrimination,

harassment and vilification.
⮚ Family Advocacy is an independently run community based social advocacy

organisation, which works at a state level with families in which there is an adult or
child who has a developmental disability.

⮚ National Disability Advisory Council provides advice to the Minister for Family and
Community Services on disability-related issues. It provides consumer focused advice
on matters referred by the Minister and participates on special working groups,
conducting consultations on disability-related matters.
⮚ People with Disabilities Australia Inc is a statewide peak group that represents the
rights and interests of people with a disability.
⮚ The department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care have a disability advocacy
service.
⮚ The Aged-care Rights Service, NSW (TARS) provides advocacy for the residents of
Commonwealth funded hostels and nursing homes, self-care retirement villages and
recipients of in-home aged care in NSW. The same way other states have advocacy
services.
⮚ Veterans Advocacy provides free legal advice, assistance and representation to

veterans and their dependents.
⮚ The Mental Health Advocacy Service provides assistance and free legal advice about
mental health law.
⮚ Ability Incorporated Advocacy Service is funded to advocate and support people with
disabilities their families and worker.
Figure 2.3.2: Advocacy support to meet personal needs

QUESTION 1
Name the six national standards that should be used by the care worker
while providing care and support to the client.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
QUESTION 2
Give one example of the client preference that the care worker should be
aware of while providing care and support to the client.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
QUESTION 3
What is the role of Anti-Discrimination Board and NSW Ombudsman in

meeting personal needs of the client?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________


CHAPTER 3: PROVIDE PERSONAL

SUPPORT
Personal care and support is given to the client by the development and implementation of
a person-centred approach. It deals with the knowledge and skills used by the personal
care worker based on a strengths-based approach. It revolves around developing and
determining goals, learning and teaching strategies for the client in the form of a support
plan which is implemented according to it.
Figure 3.1: Person-centred care and support
Person-centred approach
It is about ensuring someone who needs care and support is at the centre of decisions. It
is an approach that focuses on the whole person, including their life, their needs and rights
known as a holistic approach.
It involves the process of listening, thinking, coaching, sharing of ideas and seeking
feedback. The goal of this approach is to understand the wants and needs of an individual.
It supports an individual to live their own, personally defined, good life.
This chapter deals with the knowledge and skills required by the personal care support
workers to identify the risks related to the personal care and support of the client, to
develop self-determination in them and to facilitate their choice, independence and
strengths. It will focus on identifying the needs of the client, which arise due to the
changes in the person’s health or personal support of the requirements. It ensures the
training of the personal care worker about maintaining confidentiality, privacy and dignity
of the client.
Facilitate choice and self-determination

Social models of disability focus on independence, empowerment and self-determination.

Empowering the person with a disability means they can make their own choices and
control their future and influence their own decisions which will be going to affect their
lives. This should be applied in the context in which the person with a disability gets help
to determine their own goals and learns how to achieve them. To achieve their goals, they
may have to overcome the barriers of their physical disability to participate in society.
Independent action and thinking require that people with a disability are supported
according to their needs and rights, lifestyle choices and aspirations to make decisions
about:
⮚ Their future, short-term, long-term goals and objectives
⮚ How and when to achieve them
⮚ What resources are required
⮚ Who will be involved in terms of support, including family, friends or support providers?
What will I learn?

In this chapter, you will learn how to:
Safely prepare for each task and adjust any equipment, aids
and appliances
Take account of identified risks in the provision of personal
support and technical support activities
Identify and respond to routine difficulties during support
routines, and report more complex problems to supervisor
Identify changes in the person’s health or personal support
requirements and report to supervisor
Work with the person and supervisor to identify required
changes to processes and aids
Maintain confidentiality, privacy and dignity of the person.

2.1 Safely prepare for each task and adjust any

equipment, aids and appliances
There will be times when it is a requirement when providing care for the use of aids to
meet the clients' basic needs. These needs will vary from client to client. This includes
work processes such as client movement using the appropriate safe manual handling
policy and procedure of your organisation.
It is essential to follow safe work methods with the proper operating instructions while
using any equipment or aid to maintain the safety of the clients and to minimise the
exposure to risks. This would also include maintaining the cleanliness of equipment and
having an adequate infection control process.
The care worker should attend training regarding the use of the equipment and correct
processes that need to be followed. Training the worker also includes the responsibility not
to put yourself and others at risk, assessing the risk involved in using equipment and
reporting any potential hazard or risk.
Using equipment in a safe manner
There are many processes, aids, appliances and pieces of equipment available to use
safely to avoid any risk when caring for clients.
These may:
⮚ Need specialist training or qualification to use
⮚ Be required for a specific task
⮚ Sometimes not be necessary but will make a task easier
⮚ Be client-operated
⮚ Be care worker-operated
While using this equipment or processes, you need to understand how to use them
correctly and safely. Failure to do this can lead to:
⮚ Equipment breaking
⮚ Injury to the care worker and/or client
⮚ Infection
⮚ The discomfort of the client
⮚ Failure of the method used
Use of equipment after correct training enables you to understand
⮚ What is right and what is wrong

⮚ Where things are being done wrongly, either accidentally or intentionally
⮚ When there is a need to address the issue to prevent an arise of any negative
consequences.
A care worker with a good knowledge of equipment and aids, can only advise on the items
they can use to promote the independence of the client, such as the availability of electric
wheelchairs and riser-recliner beds.
Assist with specific daily tasks (grooming and general maintenance)
You will be required to assist clients with general tasks that they may not be able to do by
themselves daily. These tasks are usually associated with grooming and general
maintenance but can make a big difference to the client’s health, wellbeing and happiness.
Showering
Assistance to the client with showering is given according to how much help they need.
Information regarding assistance to the client should be documented in their care plan.
You should also verify this information with the client beforehand, as some clients may
need to be supervised in case of a fall, and they may need assistance from the care
worker. You may need to wear disposable gloves while showering them.
Figure 3.1.1: Showering
Preparation for the shower:
⮚ First collect everything you need, such as soap, shampoo and towels
⮚ Help the client to get to the bathroom and to undress if required
⮚ Set temperature of the water
During showering:

⮚ Encourage the client to wash the parts of their body that they can themselves and then
wash the rest of them
⮚ Ensure orifices, skin folds, and similar areas are cleaned properly
After showering:
⮚ Help the client to come out of the shower onto the clear, dry floor
⮚ Help the client to dry themselves properly
⮚ If the clients want or prefer to use certain products such as talcum powder and
deodorant assist them in applying these.
⮚ Keep the bathroom clean and tidy by mopping the floor, removing towels and clothes,
etc.
Bed baths
While assisting a client with a bed bath, you should again check how much help they need.
You may only be required to help the client where they can’t reach, or you may have to
clean their entire body for them. You may need to wear disposable gloves.
Figure 3.1.2: Assistance in bed baths
Preparing for a bed bath:
⮚ Collect all the items you will need, such as a bowl of water, washing products and
towels
⮚ Make sure the room is warm by closing the windows or turning the heating up if
required
⮚ Undress the client or help them to undress
Bed bath:

⮚ Ensure you put towels under the client as you wash them to stop the bed getting wet.
When you have washed a part of a clients body, place a towel over that body part to
make sure they don’t get cold
⮚ Make sure you wash all body parts, changing the water as required
After bed bath:
⮚ Dry the client thoroughly
⮚ Use any products the client wants or needs
Shaving
Make sure you check the clients' preferences before providing shaving
Prepare:
⮚ Collect items and equipment that are needed or wanted
⮚ Put a towel around the client’s shoulders
⮚ Determine if the client can shave themselves and how much assistance they will need
Shave:
⮚ Wet the skin and apply shaving cream
⮚ Start from the sideburn area and shave the hair in the direction it grows
⮚ To remove hair and cream rinse the razor often
After:
⮚ Rinse the client’s skin
⮚ Dry the skin
⮚ If desired apply lotion
Grooming, Dressing and undressing
Many clients may require help with dressing, undressing and grooming; as always, it is
essential to check if the client needs and/or wants help before starting. Ensure you make
the client as comfortable as possible with the process, explain what you are going to do
and if possible, try to meet any specific requests.
Depending on the clients' preference and your training the way you dress and undress, the
client will vary from client to client. The clients' requests and preferences should always be
central to any grooming task provided.
Oral hygiene

This refers to brushing and caring for the client’s teeth or dentures.
Figure 3.1.3: Oral hygiene
Teeth brushing:
⮚ Collect the materials and items you will need, e.g. Water, toothbrush, toothpaste,
mouthwash etc
⮚ Make sure you and the client are comfortable
⮚ When you brush the teeth, take care to brush all areas, including the backs of the
teeth
⮚ Assist the client with rinsing their mouth afterwards
Denture care:
⮚ Assist the client in removing their dentures
⮚ Brush the dentures to remove food particles
⮚ Soak the dentures, preferably using an effervescent denture cleaner
⮚ Brush the dentures again, with a toothbrush and toothpaste
⮚ Clean the surfaces that encounter the client’s gums.
Other tasks
Mobility and transfer, including fall recovery techniques and getting in and out of
vehicles.
Clients will often need assistance getting in and out of vehicles and getting up if they have
fallen.
Getting in and out of a vehicle:
⮚ Swivel seats: Some vehicles designed for use with elderly and/or disabled clients
may have seats that turn to allow the client to sit or be placed into the seat with

ease. Use the same techniques you would use when transferring a client from a
wheelchair to a chair, or similar.
⮚ Hoists: Hoists are available to help you transfer a client in and out of a car and
may be used by your organisation.
⮚ Wheelchair access: Some cars, vans, buses and coaches have space for you to
wheel a client on board and secure their seat, removing the need to transfer the
client from the wheelchair to a seat and makes it easier to get them in and out of
the vehicle.
Figure 3.1.4: Wheelchair access
⮚ Sitting on the chair: more mobile clients may be able to sit on a car seat and pull
their legs in, either independently or with your support.
Falls recovery
Depending on the existing condition of the client and their condition after the fall, there
are many fall recovery techniques and classes that the client can access. These classes,
groups and support aim to help regain confidence and to strengthen muscles and balance,
wherever possible, to help prevent a reoccurrence. You may be able to provide this service
to a client who has recently fallen; you will have to assess their condition and capability
and design a regime that suits their abilities and addresses their needs.

Figure 1.5.15: The freeway falls recovery sling

2.2 Take account of identified risks in the provision of

personal support and technical support activities
Caring for clients personal care can identify some risks. It occurs because people can be
unpredictable, and it may be deliberate or unintentional. Sometimes clients may not
understand or can misinterpret what is happening around them. An accident can happen
while moving clients or if the clients become aggressive.
Manual handling can increase the potential for clients to fall, resist intervention, or be
uncooperative with the procedure. This is why it is so important for a risk assessment to
be completed before working with new equipment, environments and new clients.
Identifying risks allows you to put all of them in one place or to either eliminate or control
the risk.
One of the significant risks in personal care and support is workplace violence. It can
happen in several forms, including both verbal and physical threats and assaults. This
could also represent aggressive resistance to care. Sexually inappropriate behaviour can
also be a risk when working with clients.
Clients with psychological and behavioural symptoms of dementia [BPSD] or who may be
in delirium are going to have a high exposure of risk. This risk increases when clients have
infections, experience pain, are lacking in sleep or are scared.
Minimising risk involves a consistent approach from the personal care staff with other
members of the organisation. Care plans and management plans should detail strategies
that minimise behaviours. Thorough assessment and continued review using behaviour
charts will also help the staff to identify triggers of an aggressive response. Once you
identify the risk, it is then easier to plan care around the client’s needs.
If you are in doubt of a situation or risk, it is always recommended that you seek further
assistance from the supervisor.
Working around risks
A personal care worker will be working around different types of risk and hazard in the
workplace from time to time. It may be a physical part of the working environment or may
be associated with the clients themselves.
Risks associated with clients can be:
⮚ Evidence of self-neglect
⮚ Behaviours of concern
⮚ Impaired judgement and problem-solving abilities
⮚ cognitive functioning may be impaired
⮚ Unexpected or sudden change in health status, including sensory loss

Clients who are at risk need further support from the care worker. When support is being
provided for them, you should ensure their needs have been considered. If clients have a
history of or are likely to become violent towards themselves, other clients and their
personal care workers, they may need to be treated by more experienced staff.
It may be necessary for some clients to have additional support to help them so that they
can cope with their conditions. Where the client is dealing with behavioural changes or
self-neglect or harm issues, the client may need help from the personal care worker in
dealing with their problem.
Changes to their health status need to be addressed by a health professional or the

personal care worker. Their care given by the personal care worker should be adapted
accordingly to support them through these difficult times.
Environmental hazards
An environmental hazard can be present in both residential care homes and private
homes. It is a requirement that residential care homes provide a safe working and living
environment for clients and staff. If a client’s home poses a danger to them, e.g. they are
at risk of repeated falls and trips or might have difficulty getting around furniture the
process should begin to adapt their home or move them into suitable and safer
accommodation.
Examples of Environmental hazards:
⮚ Slippery or uneven floor surfaces
Figure 3.2.1: Caution-Slippery surface
⮚ Physical obstructions (e.g. furniture and equipment)
⮚ Poor home maintenance
⮚ Poor or inappropriate lighting
⮚ Inadequate heating and cooling devices
⮚ Inadequate security

A home check should be completed when clients are discharged from a care facility. If the
accommodation is found to be inadequate and unsuitable, the client will not be allowed to
be discharged.
If clients are unwilling to address their circumstances or to move, you need to explain to
them that it could be dangerous if they fall and there is no help available to them and/or
that they could become ill from extreme heat or the cold.
You need to ensure that your clients are living in suitable accommodation as it is part of
your duty of care as a care provider.

Other risks that can be associated with care
● Social rights infringement
If a personal care worker or their care providing organisation ignores the clients' rights or
fails to meet their care needs, a client’s social right is infringed. Client infringement can
take place by abuse and neglect. There are other scenarios where this can occur, such as
the client not being washed or fed correctly, and a breach of privacy. In these cases, it is
within the rights of the client to make a complaint about their care to the relevant body,
which may help them to stand up for their rights.
Figure 3.2.2: Abuse
When working in and around identified or potential risks, you need to be constantly aware
and ready to respond to the dangers or the situations where the risk cannot be removed.
This may include monitoring the client who is likely to attack their neighbour or providing
additional care to a client suffering from any sensory loss or mental health issues.
Where specific issues exist or arise, you should ideally be able to access training from your
organisation and assistance from your supervisor to help you work effectively and to
support the client.
Technical care
You may need to provide support with technical care activities for clients to prevent
several complex risks. In some care activities, there will be a need for a specialist to do
this or the supervisor must do it.
Technical skills can refer to:
⮚ Dressing themselves
⮚ Care of a catheter (this does not include insertion or removal of tubes)
⮚ Prostheses application

⮚ Putting on anti-thrombotic stockings
⮚ Breathing tube assistance (under the direct supervision of a health professional)
⮚ Simple eye care
Through training and experience, these tasks should be generally learnt by several care
workers as they are impossible or difficult for clients to do independently.
The technical tasks which the clients require assistance with or prefer to do themselves
should be detailed within their care support plans. To help the client according to the
personal care support plan, the worker should be aware of their needs and preferences.

2.3 Identify and respond to routine difficulties during

support routines, and report more complex problems
to supervisor
You may occasionally encounter difficulties during the daily routine or whilst providing
support to the clients. This may happen because of the client’s attitude or behaviour, or
sometimes because you cannot carry the tasks out correctly. You should identify and
assess the routine difficulties and plan the support according to them to meet their needs.
Where more complex problems arise, you should document and report what the problem is
including how this could affect the client. You can then consult your supervisor to resolve
the issue, in line with organisational policies and protocols.
An example of a scenario:
● A client is refusing to be washed or assisted with her hygiene or grooming
⮚ She won’t allow it if the care worker is male
⮚ If she is given no help with personal hygiene, she could suffer from skin irritation and
other conditions. It may become unpleasant for anyone around her
⮚ If you speak to your supervisor, they may be able to identify that the problem she is
having is with male care workers, and therefore arrange for a female care worker to
aid in assisting her
Figure 3.3.1: Female care worker for assistance to a female client
● A new client has had both legs amputated above the knee. Due to the amputation, it is
hard to lift the client to shift them into bed and vehicles.
⮚ Because of the difficulty in lifting the client safely and securely, staff are apprehensive
about lifting the client. This is making it impossible to get them in and out of the
bathtub, make them sit securely on a shower chair and transfer them into company
vehicles
⮚ You must approach the supervisor about this problem. The supervisor agrees
assistance is needed and the organisation will purchase a specialised hoist for these
tasks

You should always discuss difficulties that you cannot handle with both the supervisor and
the client. This will enable you to determine a solution that is suitable for the client to
meet their needs according to the organisational policies and protocols.

Figure 3.3.2: Daily routine activities
Dietary requirements
Food is an essential part of life. Many people often find that they prefer different foods.
This is partly due to changes in taste and smell perception.
Everyone has personal preferences about the food they eat, how it is prepared and the
time of the day they eat meals. Food preferences of different clients may give rise to
several problems that will need to be resolved. Food preferences may include:
⮚ Vegetarian diet
⮚ The preparation of the food, flavour or consistency
⮚ How spicy food is
⮚ Meat and three vegetables as a more traditional Australian meal
⮚ Certain types of vegetables and/meat
⮚ Salt or pepper or other seasonings
⮚ Fast foods
⮚ Dessert after a meal
⮚ Roast dinner on the weekend
As a personal care worker, ensure that the dietary preferences of an individual are met. To
do this, you should:
⮚ Make sure that you understand the preferences of the individual and ensure these are
listed in the care plan

⮚ Continually discuss the food preferences with the person and inform them of any
changes
⮚ Offer variety and choice in their diet while still respecting and supporting their own
choice of foods and cultural requirements
⮚ Ensure that their dietary requirements are met by consulting health professionals and
dieticians
⮚ Provide the client with information about their dietary needs if necessary
It is crucial to make sure that the client has a balanced diet intake. The food intake must
follow the dietary guidelines about proportions of fruit, vegetables, grains, protein, dairy
and other fats.
Dressing and physical appearance
Dressing and physical appearance is a sensitive area where workers need to be quite
attentive as to how people choose to dress. Dressing reflects both a clients cultural beliefs
and their identity. For example, a traditional older woman from a Mediterranean
background may wear only black, as they are widowed. A woman from a Muslim
background may wear clothing in public that covers her from head to toe. In either case,
you must accept the clients’ choices without commenting.
Many older people may need assistance in purchasing clothes as well as for dressing and
undressing. It becomes your duty to help the client maintain some control and
independence concerning the clothes they wear.
This will help your clients’ in maintaining their self-esteem and personal pride in their
appearance. You should also encourage them to make decisions on their own concerning
what they choose to wear. The clothing they do not select may affect them mentally, as
this will be related to their personal preferences and cultural background.
How much assistance a client needs to dress will depend on their level of independence.
Their choice is as important to them as it is to you. The kind of assistance you need to
provide will include:
⮚ Organise the clothes to be worn
⮚ If the client has weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, dress the affected limb
first (undress last)
⮚ Depending on the client’s wishes it can be easier to dress the bottom half first
⮚ Depending on mobility it is easier to have the client either sit or lie down when putting
on underwear, pants and skirts
⮚ You may need to button/zip up clothing
⮚ Always ensure that the client feels comfortable

⮚ Clothing should also be climate and temperature appropriate
Grooming
Every person has individual preferences about their appearance. Some of them want to be
groomed in a particular way; it may be important to them that they are clean-shaven and
dressed as they deem appropriate for all occasions. It is crucial to encourage and support
personal preferences in grooming as it can:
⮚ Increase independence in the individual
⮚ Establish an appropriate grooming pattern
⮚ Increase a client’s self-esteem
⮚ Establish a familiar routine
⮚ Ask the client when and how they prefer to have their teeth cleaned so that they
maintain a certain level of control
⮚ Be patient and understanding
Sleep
Everyone has a fixed sleep cycle. Sleep is crucial for a person to get energised again.
Some of the clients sleep well according to their respective sleep cycle, such as they sleep
early and rise early. Some of the other clients due to health problems are not able to sleep
well. This could affect their health adversely and thus give rise to more complicated health
problems.
If the client is not sleeping, and it is becoming a reason for the rise of additional health
issues, you must consult with the supervisor or health professional. If the client needs any
medication to sleep well, that should be provided to them by a medical professional.
In all these tasks, you need to include your client and supervisor in decision making to
work effectively to meet the needs of the clients. The more you understand your client’s
preferences, the easier it will be to meet them.

2.4 Identify changes in the person’s health or personal

support requirements and report to supervisor
Clients’ needs will change from time to time and as they get older. If you have a good
relationship with the client, then you will be able to identify when this occurs and provide
requirements according to their needs. Occasionally the client may need to report a
necessary change, or the care worker may need to report to the supervisor a suggested
change to meet the needs of the clients.
Changes in a person’s health
Clients’ care requirements can change and can be related to:
⮚ Sensory difficulties: For example,
● The impairment or loss of sight and/ hearing
● Mobility issues: The need for a wheelchair or an electric wheelchair
Figure 3.4.1: Mobility aid - a Wheelchair
⮚ New conditions:
● The development of new conditions, such as dementia
● Incontinence injuries: care required as the result of an injury or accident, such as a

fall
⮚ New requirements: For example, if the client now needs help with dressing or eating,
when they haven’t required this kind of service before
⮚ Worsening of existing conditions: Where an existing health condition becomes

worse, and the client needs additional support or a different treatment. You must
consult or report this to your supervisor or relevant health professional

⮚ New or changed preferences: For example, if the client has preferences to get
assistance from the care worker who is the same sex as the client. A woman client may
want to be cared for only by the female care worker, and the male client may give a
preference for the male care worker
⮚ Health concerns
Health concerns can be identified in relation to individual clients through the course of your
work. Variations to a client’s health generally signifies that their care needs to be adapted
or monitored, these concerns need to be addressed with the client and a supervisor.
Variations that can occur are:
Changes in behaviour:
⮚ Sudden changes in mood
⮚ Sudden changes in character
⮚ Sudden changes in lifestyle and preferences
Development of new conditions:
⮚ The development of new illnesses
⮚ The development of new disabilities
Sensory deterioration or loss:
⮚ Issues with hearing and sight
⮚ Issues with awareness and alertness
New requirements:
⮚ Need for continence aids
⮚ Need for additional support
⮚ Changes to mobility and independence
All the above may be a cause for concern for the client and the care worker. A change in
behaviour can relate to a deeper issue and should always be monitored and investigated
periodically to find out the cause. A client who is not eating food may be suffering from an
eating disorder, maybe having trouble in physically eating or could be self-neglecting. A
sign of withdrawal could be a lack of motivation and significant changes in their
preferences and lifestyle.
You do not necessarily have to identify what the change may symbolise. Just noticing a
variation is important, and it should always be reported to the supervisor in the workplace.
This means the client can be monitored, and further investigation can continue if
necessary.

Report to supervisor
If you identify changes are needed, you should report these to the supervisor and ensure
these are documented in the clients' care plan. A strategy can be decided after the
documentation of the plan with the client’s input, and together you can work out how to
adapt their care to suit their changing needs.
Figure 3.4.2: Reporting
Any variations or concerns about a client’s behaviour need to be reported to your

supervisor to ensure appropriate steps can be taken to care for the client.
You can report to the relevant supervisor in several ways:
● Verbal:
⮚ Telephone call
⮚ Face-to-face
● Written:
⮚ Reports
⮚ Case notes
⮚ Hazard and incident reports
⮚ Care plans
⮚ Notes
⮚ Emails
Your organisation may have guidelines in place to follow while contacting supervisors and
reporting such changes. When these are in place, you should follow them to ensure that
your message is received and dealt with promptly.

2.5 Work with the person and supervisor to identify

required changes to processes and aids
With time, a personal care worker may identify the need to change the processes and aids
used in your workplace. These changes occur because of the changes in the needs of the
clients.
In these situations, a personal care worker should work with both clients and staff to
determine a suitable adaptation and to set a new care support plan according to the
changes in the needs of the client. The care support plan is there to meet the needs of the
clients.
Many changes in the care support plan will be related to current equipment breaking or
needing new equipment. An example of this is if a hoist breaks, it would be essential to
find another one to meet the needs of the clients that need to use the mobility aid.
Some of the other reasons for equipment evaluation would be to access a more suitable
aid according to the needs of the client. For example, specific continence aids for clients or
specific feeding equipment to suit their needs.
When sourcing any new equipment the client or the supervisor will be aware of the
organisational policy, protocols and budgets. Working successfully with both the client and
the supervisor should allow you to adapt the services to suit everyone.
Figure 3.5.1: Plan to identify, assess and prioritise needs

How to identify clients needs:
⮚ When a client tells you: e.g., if the continence aids used in your workplace are not
suitable for the clients, the client may tell you. They either will tell you or ask directly
for an alternative, such as “I am finding the bedpan too difficult to use, can you offer
me an alternative such as continence underwear.”
⮚ Through observation: When you notice that the client is struggling to use the current
bedpans. You decide to review this and if there is a need of any alternative, then talk
with your supervisor about the difficulties the client is facing and ask them if they can
arrange a new aid for them that can meet their needs.
⮚ Through asking clients: You may approach the client directly and ask them why they
are struggling with a specific thing and how you can make this better for them?
⮚ Through experience: You may realise that the hoist is broken or that the bedpans
are awkward to use by the clients. You can directly talk to the supervisor about the
problem with the aid.
⮚ Periodic review: The needs of the clients change from time to time. Your organisation
should periodically review equipment and processes, assessing their suitability and
usefulness. If there is any change a clients needs, you or your organisation should
arrange aids according to their needs to make things easier for them.
Required changes to processes and aids
Discussing these changes with clients and the supervisor within the workplace will ensure
that you source equipment that is needed and adapt processes to suit their needs.
For example;
⮚ It is essential to pass on change to dietary information that you learn about your client
to your supervisor or another professional, following your service protocols
⮚ Always make an informed decision to the supervisor or other relevant health

professional after gaining consent from the client
⮚ Assist the client in taking personal pride in their appearance which might increase self-
esteem
⮚ If there is any change in needing aids, such as mobility aids, hearing or vision aids. A
client will identify them with the supervisor, who will then provide them with these aids
to meet their needs.

2.6 Maintain the confidentiality, privacy and dignity of

the person
Maintaining confidentiality, privacy and dignity of the client is concerned with preserving
self-respect and pride for the person. It is about treating the person the way you would
wish to be treated, which means with respect and dignity. It means to carry out your role
according to what is ethical and moral, that is, what is right, maintaining self-worth and
using discretion. Confidentiality, privacy and dignity are tied together in one thread.
Health records can be kept confidential by keeping files out of view to the public. Privacy
and dignity can be maintained by keeping the bathroom door closed while the person is
using the shower or toilet.
The main legislation concerned with confidentiality and privacy are:
● Freedom of Information Act (1989)
● Health Records and Information Privacy Act (2002)
● Privacy & Personal Information Protection Act (1998)
Confidentiality
Confidentiality a legal requirement. The most important aspect of confidentiality is the

privacy of patient and client records. If you fail in maintaining the confidentiality of
customer records, it is punishable by law and organisations can be sued by the patient.
Figure 3.6.1: Confidentiality
These issues can be discussed in several ways. Confidentiality can be maintained by

keeping your voice down while you are having a conversation with the resident or
discussing care needs with your supervisor.
Confidentiality covers:
⮚ The physical privacy of patients in facilities, such as surgeries, hospitals and residential
care homes
⮚ Do not share records
⮚ Monitor who has access to records
⮚ How to and if you should disclose information to third parties such as:

● The employers
● Family members and other patients
● An insurance company
⮚ Audit trails can be used to monitor who has accessed medical records, and when this
has occurred. This includes:
● Electronic records encryption
● Protecting Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records (PCEHR)
● Not communicating or selling data to pharmaceutical companies
Confidentiality laws apply while discussing client conditions and treatments. It is essential
to be aware of the legislation around this and apply it to your discussions.
Information must be stored appropriately following confidentiality laws and

organisational procedures. This is particularly important for:
⮚ Financial information
⮚ Healthcare/medical records
⮚ Personal details.
Based on the Health Records and Information Privacy Act (2002), it is expected
that personal information regarding clients:
⮚ Will not be improperly or unlawfully accessed
⮚ Will not be improperly or unlawfully disclosed
⮚ Will only be used for the intended purpose
⮚ Will be treated sensitively and confidentially
⮚ Will comply with the security policy and procedures from the organisation
Privacy
Privacy can be classified as information privacy such as how organisations handle personal
information of the client such as age, address, sexual preference and medical history.
One of the major concerns of the client is the fear of losing their independence and
autonomy. You can assist them in enhancing their independence by embracing the
person’s right to privacy and dignity. This will assist in facilitating trust and confidence and
will help to maximise independence, confidence and self-esteem.

Figure 3.6.2: Privacy
Privacy can be applied to many aspects of a client’s life and care.
How can privacy be maintained and promoted?:
⮚ Ensure all staff have training about privacy
⮚ Restricting access to information and records about the client to personnel with
authority
⮚ Respect clients’ personal relationships with other clients
⮚ Respect a clients’ sexual relationships and give them privacy if relevant
⮚ If required, give the client a choice in interpreters
⮚ Ask clients permission before you enter their personal space
⮚ Before touching their possessions ask their permission to do so
⮚ Before going through their drawers ask their permission
⮚ Allow for clients privacy for conversations and phone calls, such as by having
designated rooms or areas
⮚ Do not open mail addressed to the clients
⮚ Provide single-sex bathrooms and toilets
⮚ Allow and encourage personalisation of personal spaces, such as bedrooms
⮚ Only gather and collect relevant and required information
Providing clients with as much privacy as possible will have a significant impact on their
happiness and self-worth and make their life much more agreeable and attractive. Having

the privacy to do things also encourages and provides levels of independence that clients
may not necessarily expect.

Dignity
Dignity and privacy are fundamental human rights. It is essential as a care worker always
to ensure that privacy and dignity are maintained. A lack of respect for a clients dignity in
care can take many forms, and the experience may differ from person to person.
To maintain the clients right to dignity, as a personal carer you :
⮚ Should value people
⮚ Treat clients as people, listen to what they say, take it seriously and don’t talk down to
them in a simplistic manner
⮚ Shouldn’t draw attention to the fact that they need additional help
⮚ Should not point out weaknesses or inabilities
⮚ Should be sensitive and discreet, try to understand how they are feeling
⮚ Should carry out personal care in a dignified and professional manner
⮚ Should never talk about the client as if they are not there
⮚ Afford them independence
⮚ Ensure when promoting independence, you are patient
⮚ Are enthusiastic about your work
⮚ Are poker-faced
⮚ Respectful of how the client feels
Some ways of respecting the client’s dignity:
⮚ Answer the call from the client promptly. A resident who has to wait for assistance can
feel unimportant and neglected
⮚ Refer to a client using their surname and the appropriate prefix, e.g. Mr, Mrs unless
they have another preference. Using another name can be disrespectful and
undignified.
⮚ When drying the person after a shower, cover their body as much as possible. Leaving
a person’s body exposed is undignified and can create feelings of embarrassment or
shame.
⮚ Shut the bathroom door when the client is using the toilet or shower. If you need to be
in attendance for safety, try to make the client feel as comfortable as possible and do
not stand over them. If the person is overly exposed, they could feel vulnerable and
objectified.

⮚ When a client wishes to talk, ensure you sit at the same level and ensure privacy.
Draw the curtains and speak softly. Maintain eye contact and use effective
communication skills
⮚ Include the client in decision making and problem solving. This will empower the
person
⮚ Speak on an adult level with clients. They are not children
⮚ Use a ‘dignity’ gown when transferring an undressed client to the shower
⮚ Provide a consistently high standard of care within the policies and procedures of the
organisation and in a safe manner
⮚ Never feed a client when they are sitting on a commode
Your organisation should have its own code of conduct to guide you in treating clients with
dignity.
In addition, official information, files and documents are usually secured so that an
unauthorised person cannot access these. Staff will not disclose official information or
records gained from their official capacity outside of the organisation unless authority has
been issued, by either the supervisor or the Director of the organisation.

QUESTION 1
What is the importance of swivel seats as mobility aids?.

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
QUESTION 2
Samar is having his leg amputated above the knee. Explain how you
can assist him in showering.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
QUESTION 3
Explain the significance of privacy while maintaining the documentation

of the client.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________


CHAPTER 4: COMPLETE REPORTING AND

DOCUMENTATION
This chapter covers workplace documents, forms and files which must be completed,
stored and maintained whilst following the policies and procedures of the organisation.
This chapter will help you to learn how to comply with the organisation’s reporting
requirements. You will learn how to complete and file documentation according to
organisation policy and procedures. You will gain knowledge of how to maintain
documentation in a manner consistent with reporting requirements.
When you understand health records and associated documentation, it gives you and your
team, the necessary information to provide appropriate care for your clients. It is critical,
according to your work role and contains essential information about the client.
Every client within the care industry has their own health or service record to document
information regarding the care provided. This information also includes any incidents which
may occur to the client, such as falls. It is also known as a ‘client or resident file’, ‘resident
records’, ‘charts’, ‘clinical file’, ‘histories’, and ‘medical files’.
The care worker should have sufficient training in data storage, time frames,
confidentiality and data protection.
What will I learn?

In this chapter, you will learn about the following:
Comply with the organisation’s reporting requirements,

including reporting observations to supervisor
Complete and maintain documentation according to
organisation policy and protocols
Store information according to organisation policy and protocols

1.1 Comply with the organisation’s reporting

requirements, including reporting observations to
supervisor
In community services and other care industries, you are required to provide ‘hands-on
care’ to your clients. You should complete any forms and write reports on the support and
care given to clients whilst also giving verbal reports.
Reports and records are used in the organisation for a variety of purposes, but the most
important is to ensure quality outcomes for clients. The Commonwealth Department of
Health and Ageing, Documentation and Accountability Manual (1997, 4.2) states that
effective documentation provides the primary evidence for the provision of quality care to
residents.
When to Report
Some things should always be reported in the care industry; these include:
⮚ Injuries and accidents
⮚ Clients’ progress
⮚ The medical care and medication a client is receiving
⮚ Mandatory notification
These examples and similar will need information and evidence to be gathered by a care
provider, which is then communicated to a supervisor, for record-keeping or for the
relevant action to be taken.
When you need to do this, it is essential to follow organisational procedures to

ensure that:
⮚ All reports are correctly received
⮚ The reports are sent to the correct person or organisation
⮚ All reports required are collected
⮚ Reports include al the required information and are in the appropriate format
⮚ Reports are correctly handled
The expectations of the company should be made clear to you before you complete any
reports or must report something. You must double-check with a supervisor or colleague if
you are in doubt or unsure.
Compliance with the Organisation’s reporting requirements
Reporting in every organisation must comply with its policies and procedures, and the
personal care worker should follow these.

Figure 4.1.1: Verbal and non-verbal reporting
Reports can be:
⮚ Verbal
● Telephone
● Face-to-face
⮚ Non-verbal (written)
Written reports include progress reports, case notes, hazard and incident reports, and
support plans. It usually consists of the following areas:
Behaviours of concern
⮚ Agitation
⮚ Aggression
⮚ Withdrawal
⮚ Confusion
⮚ Emotional distress
⮚ Disinhibition
⮚ Self-mutilation
⮚ Substance abuse
⮚ Sleeplessness
⮚ Depression

⮚ Disorientation
⮚ Impulsivity
⮚ Eating problems
Figure 4.1.2: Example of a written report of the client to the supervisor
Situations of risk or potential risk, including:
⮚ Evidence of self-neglect
⮚ Evidence of self-harm
⮚ Evidence of abuse
⮚ Behaviours of concern
⮚ Impaired judgement and problem-solving abilities
⮚ Impaired cognitive functioning
⮚ Sudden or unexpected change in health status

⮚ Environmental hazards
⮚ Slippery or uneven floor surfaces
⮚ Physical obstructions
⮚ Poor home maintenance
⮚ Poor or inappropriate lighting
⮚ Inadequate heating and cooling devices
⮚ Inadequate security
⮚ Infringements of social rights
The personal care and support worker should provide a written report to the supervisor
following the policies and procedures of the organisation after the risk and harm have been
identified.
In the written report, the worker should follow the given suggestions:
⮚ Briefly list the nature of the risk factor and the facts of the incident in the order which
they occurred
⮚ The facts given in the report should be accurate and highlight what, when, why and
how the incident occurred
⮚ Be objective and concentrate on the facts – particularly on what you see and hear
⮚ Ensure you use correct terms and terminology to describe the hazard or what
happened

1.2 Complete and maintain documentation according to

organisation policy and protocols
Correct reporting and documentation related to the client should be always be completed
following organisation policy and procedures. It must contain accurate information
associated with the right client. Generally, the purpose of documentation includes:
⮚ Assessing a client's needs and recording this information to help plan, implement and
evaluate any appropriate services
⮚ Recording all actions
⮚ An explanation of why we did something
⮚ Details of what we need to do next
⮚ How to report incidents such as falls and documenting any subsequent actions
⮚ Referring clients
⮚ Providing information to external agencies, e.g. court reports
⮚ Planning programs and work
⮚ Being an Advocate for your clients and seeking further information if required
⮚ Facilitating communication between care workers
⮚ The development of policy and procedures
⮚ Ensure minutes are taken at meetings
⮚ Giving information to clients about their rights and our service
⮚ Advertising services
⮚ Lobbying other agencies or the government
⮚ Consulting with the community to identify needs
⮚ Researching issues and education
⮚ Writing funding proposals
⮚ Financial management
⮚ Providing feedback to funding bodies
⮚ Providing evidence of accountability, accreditation and/or quality outcomes
⮚ Conveying ‘bad news’
⮚ Responding to complaints

⮚ Making a complaint
In any organisation, care records of the clients assume a central position in the process of
government funding, accreditation and monitoring quality care. The worker needs to
understand the standards, policies and procedures relevant to the organisation and work
role. The standards define the work roles required by the organisation from the worker,
and the worker must comply because the ongoing success of any organisation depends on
it.
Figure 4.2.1: Documentation in personal care support
An example of a time a personal care worker will be required to complete documentation

would be if a client experienced a fall and how this affected them. It is essential to have an
understanding of the basics of writing and verbalising reports to ensure documentation is
accurate.
Completing documents according to organisational policy and procedures
Reporting needs to be completed in line with organisational policies and procedures. This
includes the formatting and submission of the reports.
Completing documents according to policy applies to all documentation used in the

workplace. To ensure that the documentation can be easily accessed and read by
everyone, there should be a uniform approach to complete documentation. Organisational
policies and protocols should be implemented whilst documenting and reporting to make
sure that for as much paperwork as possible, this is the case so that everyone involved
benefits.

Communication surrounding documentation should be clear to prevent duplication efforts

and delays. Reports and documentation are prepared for accountability purposes.
Maintain documentation
Maintaining documentation is about how information is presented and stored. Documents

and reports need to be filed and stored when they are composed and submitted. You must
ensure that confidentiality requirements are adhered to whilst documenting. These
standards need to be specified and implemented by the organisation and the supervisors.
The organisations' policies and procedures should ensure that documentation provides
information on roles and responsibilities, including:
⮚ Enabling the effective implementation of individualised plans
⮚ Facilitating communication between everyone in the circle of support
⮚ Enabling another provider to assume responsibility of the individualised plan if required
⮚ Protecting the legal interests, including the rights of other clients and staff
⮚ Providing a basis of reviewing and appraising the standard of service provided
⮚ Identifying the reasons for the goals and actions in the individualised plan
⮚ Facilitating the allocation of the required resources

1.3 Store information according to organisation policy

and protocols
According to the previous section, there are specific specifications made by the
organisation for the personal care worker in regards to the storage of reports, documents
and information. The law or the organisation may make these. They should be adhered to
organisational specifications and should meet legislative requirements and stipulations.
Figure 4.3.1: Storing documentation
The given organisational legislative requirements and stipulations explain the policies and
protocols to follow whilst reporting, documenting and storing the information related to the
client.
Duty of care
The personal care worker should operate within a legal framework that demonstrates an
understanding of legislation and common law requirements relevant to their role. Having
an understanding of the legal framework underpins the concept of duty of care. It should
cover:
⮚ Reasonable care of a person
⮚ And an assessment of how a hypothetical and reasonable person you should behave as
a personal care worker at your work.

The role of the personal care worker under their duty of care always works on the principle
of ‘doing good’ for others by improving the quality of lives and ensuring they ‘do no harm’
to other people.
Work Health and Safety Act
The Work Health and Safety Act 2012, ensures the wellbeing, security, and welfare of all
representatives and different people who are accessible at a workplace. It is given to a
'Man Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU)' that may be a business, organization,
connection or affiliation that uses people.
Workplace rights and responsibilities
Workplace rights and responsibilities describe the responsibilities of the employer. It

focuses on the rights and responsibilities of the employee in keeping workplaces safe. It
ensures employers stick to the model WHS Act or model WHS Regulations while storing
any information related to the client.
Mandatory reporting
State and territory legislation states that incidents such as domestic and family violence,
abuse and neglect should be reported and stored correctly as well as referred to the
authorities or police as a record for the future. To complete a report, the worker must be
familiar with their legal obligations, protocols and procedures of an organisation under the
supervision of managers and supervisors.
Filing and storing documentation
It is the duty of the personal care worker working in any organisation to ensure that
clients have a copy of their own individualised plan. All documentation related to the client
should be recorded and stored in a way that the records are accessible to the person about
whom they are made.
Your organisation maintains documents in terms of filing, storage and retrieval. Client
records should be accessible to all authorised staff for the support of clients and should
adhere to all privacy requirements. This includes:
⮚ Policies and procedures concerning releasing of information by telephone, faxing of

clinical information or the use of email
⮚ Specifying procedures and individuals who are entitled to access client records
Helpful suggestions for filing systems include:
⮚ Establishing a set order of how to file forms in the client’s record to facilitate the
location and retrieval of information easily for any future need

⮚ Using dividers to help file and locate specific forms within the record
⮚ Culling bulky active records regularly following procedures on the disposal of

documents

Storage methods
⮚ Folders stored electronically
⮚ Folders
⮚ Filing systems
Some legislation may apply while storing any documents containing personal information
of the clients. E.g., in some areas, reports and records regarding client medical history
need to be stored for a certain amount of time before they can be destroyed, so that it can
be referred to or used as evidence. Conversely, in some of the organisations, there may be
a time limit on how long you can store some specific information related to the client, such
as financial information before it has to be destroyed. All of these requirements, where
applicable, should be made clear to anyone with these responsibilities under the
organisation policies and procedures.

QUESTION 1
Differentiate between verbal and non-verbal reports. Give one example

of each.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
QUESTION 2
Write down the significance of reporting in the care providing services.

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
QUESTION 3
Outline two organisational policies to consider while storing information

related to the client.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________


References
1. Betterhealth.vic.gov.au. (2017). Workplace safety - manual handling injuries.
[online] Available at:
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/workplace-safety-
manual-handling-injuries
2. Anon, (2017). [online] Available at:
http://www.health.gov.au/acc/manuals/dam/chapt4.htm.
3. Lrr.cli.det.nsw.edu.au. (2017). Assist clients to identify their rights and represent
their own needs - Assist clients to identify their rights and represent their own
needs. [online] Available at:
http://lrr.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/web/11236/lo/8597/8597_00.htm#ID0E6HAC
4. Etraining.communitydoor.org.au. (2017). CHCDIV001: The needs of culturally
diverse clients. [online] Available at:
https://etraining.communitydoor.org.au/mod/page/view.php?id=286
5. Disability.wa.gov.au. (2017). Individualised planning. [online] Available at:
http://www.disability.wa.gov.au/wa-ndis/wa-ndis/what-is-the-wa-ndis/benefits-of-
individualised-planning/
6. Myagedcare.gov.au. (2017). {{meta.og.title}}. [online] Available at:
http://www.myagedcare.gov.au/caring-someone-particular-need/caring-someone-
incontinence
7. Victoria, C. (2017). Carers Victoria - Impact of caring. [online]
Carersvictoria.org.au. Available at: https://www.carersvictoria.org.au/facts/impact-
of-caring
8. Hwns.com.au. (2017). Types of sensory disabilities - House with No Steps. [online]
Available at:
http://www.hwns.com.au/Resource-centre/Types-of-disabilities/sensory-disability
9. Arnott, G. (2016). The Disability Support Worker. Melbourne, VIC: Cengage
Australia.

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CHCCCS011 - Meet personal support needs| Learner guide

Unit code Document version Release date Comments/actions

CHCCCS011 1.0 26.08.2020 First edition

Copyright ©2020 by CAQA Resources.

Copyright protects this material. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

Enquiries should be addressed to:

If you believe that information of any kind in this publication is an infringement of

This remains the property of CAQA Resources, a Career Calling initiative.

Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 2

Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 3

⮚ Consider specific cultural needs of the person

⮚ Consider the particular physical and sensory needs of the person

⮚ Identify changes in the person’s health or personal support requirements and

⮚ Maintain the confidentiality, privacy and dignity of the person

⮚ Comply with the organisation’s reporting requirements, including reporting

⮚ Complete and maintain documentation according to organisation policy and

⮚ Store information according to organisation policy and protocols

What will I learn?

Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 4

What will I learn?

Determine personal support requirements

Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 5

CHAPTER 1: DETERMINE PERSONAL

⮚ Daily living activities

⮚ Transportation to participate in community, social, economic and daily life activities

⮚ Workplace assistance to gain and keep a job

⮚ Therapeutic supports, including with behaviours of concern

⮚ Assistance with household tasks

⮚ Aids or equipment assessment, set up and training

⮚ Home modification design and construction

⮚ Mobility equipment and vehicle modifications

Figure 1.1: Personal care and support

Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 6

What will I learn?

Review individualised plan and confirm required equipment,

Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 7

1.1 Review individualised plan and confirm the required

Individualised planning assists people in:

⮚ Clarify their choices about how they want their life to be

⮚ Identify opportunities that belong to them

⮚ Develop their talents and skills

⮚ Build on opportunities to have a valued role in society

⮚ Feel confident about a safe and secure future

Figure 1.1.1: Individualised planning

Review the individualised plan

Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 8

Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 9

A stand-alone personal care plan

● Personal care supports aspects in an individualised plan

Personal care needs

⮚ Toilet regimen should be individualised to suit needs

⮚ Provide supervision and physical assistance

⮚ Maintain privacy and dignity

⮚ Maintain the toilet at the warm temperature

⮚ Ensure easy access to a call bell to obtain assistance

⮚ Assist with hygiene

⮚ Adhere to Work Health and Safety (WHS) requirements

Career Calling International (CAQA Resources) Page | 10

Figure 1.1.2: Personal hygiene while toileting

⮚ Develop a routine with oral hygiene care

⮚ Maintain dignity and respect

⮚ Offer mouthwash and assist if required

Figure 1.1.2: Oral hygiene

⮚ Assist with pads and protecting garments