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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS
Describe laws related to social services level: credit: planned review date: sub-field: purpose:
4
6
June 2006
Social Services
This is a theory unit standard for beginning social service workers. People credited with this standard are able to: describe law making bodies in Aotearoa New Zealand; describe how laws are changed in Aotearoa New Zealand and how to contribute to change in laws; describe how to access legal services in Aotearoa New Zealand; and describe selected legal responsibilities of a social service worker. entry information: accreditation option: moderation option:
Open.
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry.
A centrally established and directed national moderation system has been set up by Community Support Services ITO
Limited (Careerforce). special notes: 1 People awarded credit in this unit standard are able to outline the meaning of the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to social service work, and are able to apply this competence to the context of assessment for this unit standard (for further clarification, please refer to Unit 19408, Outline the meaning and relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in social service work ).
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New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
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Describe laws related to social services
2 Glossary
Law related to confidentiality and privacy includes -
Official Information Act 1982, Privacy Act 1993,
Evidence Amendment Act (No 2) 1980, Health
Information Privacy Code 1994.
Statute (s) related to the social services include but are not limited to: Adoption Act 1955, Age of Majority Act
1970, Charitable Trusts Act 1957, Children, Young
Persons and Their Families Act 1989, Consumer
Guarantees Act 1993, Criminal Justice Act 1985,
Domestic Violence Act 1995, Employment Relations
Act 2000, Fair Trading Act 1986, Family Proceedings
Act 1980, Guardianship Act 1968, Health and Disability
Services (Safety) Act 2001, Health and Disability
Services Act 1993, Human Rights Act 1993,
Immigration Act 1987, Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Act 2001, Legal Services Act 2000,
Incorporated Societies Act 1908, Local Government Act
1974, Ombudsmen Act 1975, Residential Tenancies
Act 1986, Social Security Act 1964, Treaty of Waitangi
Act 1975.
3 Resources
Law Commission
– Te Aka Matua o Te Ture. 2001.
Study Paper 9 - Māori Custom and Values in New
Zealand Law. Wellington: Law Commission – Te Aka
Matua o Te Ture. (in particular, Chapter 3). This is available for download from the Law Commission's web page: http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/
The address for the GP Legislation web site, where
Acts can be browsed for no charge, and downloaded for a fee is: http://www.gplegislation.co.nz/
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New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
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Describe laws related to social services
Elements and Performance Criteria element 1
Describe law making bodies in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Range: law making bodies - Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, local government; performance criteria
1.1 Law making bodies within the Westminster system of government in Aotearoa
New Zealand are described in terms of their function, jurisdiction, types of laws made, and the relationships of law making bodies to each other.
Range: law making bodies - Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, local government; functions - making laws, administering laws, enforcing laws; types of laws made - statutes, statutory regulations, case law, bylaws; relationships to each other - separation of powers, hierarchy of the
Courts.
1.2 The description outlines the membership of law making bodies within the
Westminster system of government in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Range: membership
– Governor General, Members of Parliament,
Cabinet, political parties, Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition,
Speaker, public servants, Judges, local body councillors.
1.3 The description outlines the main features of M āori custom law.
Range: main features of Māori custom law – tikanga Māori as law; values underlying tikanga Māori as law; treatment of Māori custom law by the legal system since colonisation.
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New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS
Describe laws related to social services element 2
Describe how laws are changed in Aotearoa New Zealand and how to contribute to law change. performance criteria
2.1 The description outlines the roles of Government Departments and Ministries in terms of their contribution to law making processes in Aotearoa New Zealand.
2.2 The description outlines the processes by which citizens can influence changes in the law.
Range: processes - cultural, economic, political, and social pressure; lobbying; petitions; submissions. element 3
Describe how to access legal information and legal services in Aotearoa New Zealand. performance criteria
3.1 The description outlines public sources for reading or purchase of statutes.
Range: libraries, bookshops, GP Legislation web site .
3.2 The description outlines legal services in the community.
Range: barristers and solicitors in private practice, Law Society, Duty
Solicitor, legal aid, Citizens Advice Bureaux, Community and
Neighbourhood Law Centres.
Evidence is required of three of the range.
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New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS
Describe laws related to social services element 4
Describe selected legal responsibilities of a social service worker. performance criteria
4.1 The description outlines the legal responsibilities of a social service worker prescribed by one statute related to the social services.
Range: evidence is required of the legal responsibilities prescribed by statute for one kind of social service worker within one kind of service provider.
4.2 The description outlines the legal responsibilities of a social service worker with regard to personal and official information according to law related to confidentiality and privacy.
Comments to:
Careerforce
PO Box 2637
Wellington 6140
Please Note: Providers must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority before they can offer programmes of education and training assessed against unit standards.
Accredited providers assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those unit standards. [Please refer to relevant Plan ref: 0222]
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New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020