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PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Respond to the presenting concerns,
issues, and needs of social service
users
level:
4
credit:
9
planned review date:
June 2006
sub-field:
Social Services
purpose:
People credited with this unit standard are able to: establish
an environment for responding to the service user’s
presenting concerns, issues, and needs; assist the service
user to identify their presenting concerns, issues, and needs
and develop an action plan; negotiate the provision of
services by the social service worker and service provider;
complete service provider intake procedures; assist the
service user to deal with their presenting concerns, issues,
and needs; and effect closure of the provision of services to
the service user.
entry information:
Open.
accreditation option:
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry.
moderation option:
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).
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Respond to the presenting concerns,
issues, and needs of social service
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2
This unit standard may be assessed on the basis of
evidence of demonstrated performance in the work
place, and/or through the use of simulated work place
situations that closely approximate the performance
required in workplace settings. Work place settings can
include field education placements.
3
Glossary
An environment for responding to the service user’s
presenting concerns, issues, and needs is one in which
service users are attended to in terms of their physical,
spiritual, and mental characteristics and needs.
Characteristics and needs may include but are not
limited to: age and stage of development, coping
strategies, culture, disabilities, experience, knowledge,
family or whānau history, gender, health status,
personal history, language, sexual orientation, socioeconomic situation; and needs for physical comfort,
safety, and privacy.
Service user is used as a generic term to denote people
from user groups in the social services who are
involved in negotiating service provision with the person
awarded this unit standard. They may be referred to by
various descriptive terms in the range of social service
settings.
4
People awarded credit in this unit standard are able to
demonstrate and self monitor their ability to relate to
difference, as evidenced by acknowledgement and
respect for difference, acceptance, genuineness,
honesty, humility, patience, and warmth. They respond
in inclusive ways that are appropriate to the
characteristics and needs of service users. They
demonstrate and communicate clarity about their role in
the social services within all relationships with service
users. They know the limits of their role, function, and
competence, and when to refer on to others.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Respond to the presenting concerns,
issues, and needs of social service
users
5
All communications are treated confidentially. The
scope and limits of confidentiality are defined through
negotiation and informed consent, and criteria
established by legislation, ethical practice, and service
provider guidelines. In the context of this unit standard,
sources of criteria established by legislation, ethical
practice, and service provider guidelines include but are
not limited to: Official Information Act 1982, Privacy Act
1993, service provider codes of conduct, codes of
practice issued by the Privacy Commissioner, social
service codes of ethics, and service provider guidelines,
protocols, staff manuals, strategic plans, kawa, or
tikanga.
Elements and Performance Criteria
element 1
Establish an environment for responding to the service user’s presenting concerns, issues,
and needs.
performance criteria
1.1
The environment that is established attends to the characteristics and needs of
the service user.
1.2
The role, function, and any legal responsibilities of the social service worker and
service provider are clarified with the service user.
1.3
The kawa or protocols for responding to the service user’s presenting concerns,
issues, and needs are established.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Respond to the presenting concerns,
issues, and needs of social service
users
element 2
Assist the service user to identify their presenting concerns, issues, and needs and
develop an action plan.
Range:
interpersonal skills - attending, listening, following, clarifying, encouraging,
questioning;
assistance - co-creating and exploring alternatives, providing information,
providing services, referral to other services.
performance criteria
2.1
Assistance is provided using interpersonal skills that respond to verbal and nonverbal communications including body language.
2.2
Assistance enables the service user to identify and describe their presenting
concerns, issues, and needs.
2.3
Assistance enables the service user to identify ways in which they can deal with
their presenting concerns, issues, and needs.
2.4
Assistance enables the service user to develop an action plan to deal with their
presenting concerns, issues, and needs.
element 3
Negotiate the provision of services by the social service worker and service provider.
performance criteria
3.1
Negotiations achieve agreement on the services to be provided by the social
service worker and service provider in terms of their usefulness in dealing with
the service user’s concerns, issues, and needs.
3.2
Negotiations achieve agreement on the plan for service provision by the social
service worker and service provider.
Range:
agreement on the plan for service provision – nature of services to
be provided, timeframe, costs.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Respond to the presenting concerns,
issues, and needs of social service
users
element 4
Complete service provider intake procedures.
performance criteria
4.1
Completion of intake procedures is according to the standards of the service
provider.
element 5
Assist the service user to deal with their presenting concerns, issues, and needs.
Range:
interpersonal skills - attending, listening, following, clarifying, encouraging,
questioning;
assistance - co-creating and exploring alternatives, providing information,
providing services, referral to other services, counselling skills.
performance criteria
5.1
Assistance is provided in accordance with the social service worker's part in the
action plan.
5.2
Assistance is provided using interpersonal skills that respond to verbal and nonverbal communications including body language.
5.3
Assistance is provided in ways that encourage self determination of the service
user and discourage dependency by them on the social service worker or
service provider.
5.4
Assistance is provided in ways that are consistent with the service user’s
characteristics and needs.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Respond to the presenting concerns,
issues, and needs of social service
users
element 6
Effect closure of the provision of services to the service user.
performance criteria
6.1
Closure is effected according to completion of the social service worker’s part in
the action plan.
6.2
Closure identifies relevant issues for future contact.
Range:
relevant issues for future contact may include but are not limited to
- factors that may lead to resumption of contact; future roles,
functions, and services; means of re-establishing contact with the
social service worker and service provider; other sources of
referral.
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]
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016