7925 version 4
28-Jun-16
1 of 7
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Establish and maintain working
relationships with people of own culture
and life experience
level:
5
credit:
6
planned review date:
June 2006
sub-field:
Social Services
purpose:
People credited with this unit standard are able to: identify
and explain essential features of the social service worker's
own culture and life experience; identify and explain the
social service worker's own personal attributes and values in
relation to the social service worker’s role; establish the
working relationship with a service user of the social service
worker's own culture and life experience; and maintain the
working relationship with a service user of the social service
worker's own culture and life experience.
entry information:
Open.
accreditation option:
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA, industry and
teaching professional in the same field from another
provider.
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
explain the application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the
social services, and are able to apply this competence
to the context of assessment for this unit standard (for
further clarification, please refer to Unit 7927, Explain
the application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the social
services).
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7925 version 4
28-Jun-16
2 of 7
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Establish and maintain working
relationships with people of own culture
and life experience
2
Glossary
An environment that is conducive to the beginning of
the working relationship 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 and knowledge, family or whānau history,
gender, health status, personal history, language,
sexual orientation, socio-economic situation; and needs
for physical comfort, safety, and privacy.
Inclusive language means language that is free of
sexist, racist, or other biases; avoids stereotypes;
recognises performance and achievement irrespective
of age, class, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or
other characteristics when they are irrelevant; and
avoids potentially offensive or discriminatory forms of
expression.
Service user is used as a generic term to denote the
people from user groups of the social services who are
involved in working relationships with the person
awarded this unit standard. They may be referred to by
various descriptive terms in the range of social service
settings.
The term social service worker is used to refer to the
person seeking award of credit in this unit standard.
3
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.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7925 version 4
28-Jun-16
3 of 7
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Establish and maintain working
relationships with people of own culture
and life experience
4
People awarded credit in this unit standard show that
their actions are guided and supported by valid theory
for social service practice. Evidence is required of
social service theory that is derived from authoritative
sources, which may include but are not limited to: body
of knowledge related to social service work; cultural
theory; practice research.
Elements and Performance Criteria
element 1
Identify and explain essential features of the social service worker's own culture and life
experience.
performance criteria
1.1
The concepts of culture and sub culture are explained according to one source
of social service theory.
1.2
Essential features of the social service worker's own culture are identified and
explained.
Range:
1.3
essential features may include but are not limited to – age; class;
ethnicity; gender; historical origins; migration and settlement
patterns; personal and structural reasons for migration to and
within Aotearoa New Zealand; significant cultural values;
economic, political, and socio-cultural structures, including
ideological, kinship, and religious structures.
Evidence is required of five essential features.
Essential features of the social service worker's own life experience are
identified and explained.
Range:
essential features may include but are not limited to – family or
whānau origins, history, and structure; community and recreational
involvement; influence of economic, political, and socio-cultural
structures, including ideological, kinship, and religious structures;
education and training; paid and unpaid work experience.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7925 version 4
28-Jun-16
4 of 7
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Establish and maintain working
relationships with people of own culture
and life experience
Evidence is required of five essential features.
1.4
The impact on the social service worker of their culture and life experience is
identified and explained.
Range:
impact - beliefs, relationships, values, world view.
element 2
Identify and explain the social service worker's own personal attributes and values in
relation to the social service worker’s role.
performance criteria
2.1
The personal attributes required of social services workers are identified and
explained.
Range:
2.2
The social service worker's personal attributes are identified and explained, and
compared with personal attributes required of social service workers.
Range:
2.3
personal attributes required of social services workers include but
are not limited to - ability to relate to difference; acknowledgement
and respect for difference; acceptance; awareness of own culture;
genuineness; honesty; humility; patience; self awareness; warmth.
Evidence is required of four personal attributes.
evidence is required of four of the social service worker's personal
attributes and comparison with the personal attributes required of
social services workers selected for performance criteria 2.1.
The social service worker's ethical and values base are identified and
explained, and compared with the ethical and values base required for working
within the social services.
Range:
evidence is required of four of the social service worker's essential
ethics or values and comparison with ethics or values statements
taken from a recognised social service code of ethics or other
values statements for social service workers.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7925 version 4
28-Jun-16
5 of 7
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Establish and maintain working
relationships with people of own culture
and life experience
element 3
Establish the working relationship with a service user of the social service worker's own
culture and life experience.
performance criteria
3.1
An environment is established that is conducive to the beginning of the working
relationship.
3.2
Kawa or protocol for the relationship is established and sustained according to
the culture and life experience of the service user and social service worker.
3.3
The service user is engaged in the relationship according to their characteristics
and needs.
3.4
Interpersonal skills are used which respond to verbal and non-verbal
communications, and are appropriate to the characteristics and needs of the
service user.
Range:
interpersonal skills - attending, clarifying, encouraging, following,
listening, questioning, paraphrasing, reflection of feeling and
content, summarising.
3.5
Communications with the service user are conducted using inclusive language.
3.6
The personal attributes and value base required of social service workers are
applied in establishment of the working relationship.
Range:
3.7
personal attributes required of social services workers include but
are not limited to - ability to relate to difference; acknowledgement
and respect for difference; acceptance; awareness of own culture;
genuineness; honesty; humility; patience; self awareness; warmth.
Evidence is required of four personal attributes.
Evidence is required of application of four ethics or values taken
from a recognised social service code of ethics or other values
statements for social service workers.
The social service worker's role, function, and professional boundaries are
clarified with the service user.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7925 version 4
28-Jun-16
6 of 7
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Establish and maintain working
relationships with people of own culture
and life experience
3.8
The social service worker demonstrates rapport with the service user; responds
to positive feedback; responds without defensiveness to negative feedback or
criticism; and makes changes as required to re-establish rapport.
element 4
Maintain the working relationship with a service user of the social service worker's own
culture and life experience.
performance criteria
4.1
The social service worker's responses and behaviour with the service user are
self evaluated and managed according to relevant criteria.
Range:
relevant criteria - personal attributes and value base required of
social service workers; ethical practice; clarity about the social
service worker's role, function, and professional boundaries; kawa
or protocol for the relationship; inclusive language.
4.2
The social service worker demonstrates rapport with the service user; responds
to positive feedback; responds without defensiveness to negative feedback or
criticism; and makes changes as required to re-establish rapport.
4.3
Differences between the social service worker and the service user are
recognised in terms of acknowledgement and respect for the differences.
Range:
differences include - age and stage of development; coping
abilities; disability; experience and knowledge; family or whānau
history; gender; health status; personal history; language; sexual
orientation; socio-economic situation; world view.
Evidence is required of six differences and how two of those
differences were acknowledged.
4.4
The social service worker demonstrates clarity about the limits of their
competence in working with the service user, and the decision is made to
recommend referral on to others when those limits of competence are reached.
4.5
The social service worker demonstrates continuing clarity about their role and
function and legal responsibilities within the relationship with the service user.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7925 version 4
28-Jun-16
7 of 7
PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES
Establish and maintain working
relationships with people of own culture
and life experience
4.6
The decision is made to end the working relationship when the purpose of the
relationship has been attained.
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