NZQA Expiring unit standard
26975 version 3
Page 1 of 5
Title
Communicate with consumers and others, and access
communication supports in a health, disability, or community setting
Level
3
Credits
6
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: describe
own organisation’s communication policies and procedures;
communicate with consumers to support their wellness; assist
consumers to access communication supports; and
communicate with members of own and/or another
organisation to support consumers’ wellness, in a health,
disability, or community setting.
Classification
Health, Disability, and Aged Support > Whānau Ora and
Community Support
Available grade
Achieved
Explanatory notes
1
Legislation and codes relevant to this unit standard include:
Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and Disability Services
Consumers’ Rights) Regulations 1996;
Privacy Act 1993;
Human Rights Act 1993.
2
New Zealand Standards relevant to this unit standard include:
NZS 8134.0:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (general) Standard;
NZS 8134.1:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (core) Standards;
NZS 8158:2003 Home and Community Support Sector Standard; available at
http://www.standards.co.nz/.
3
In the context of this unit standard, support should aim to maintain, improve, or
restore a consumer’s independence and/or interdependence; utilise the consumer’s
existing strengths; and – where possible – utilise the resources of the local
community.
4
This unit standard cannot be assessed against in a simulated environment. For
assessment, candidates must demonstrate competence in the workplace through
paid or unpaid employment, or in placements in a service provider workplace
negotiated by an education provider.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
5
26975 version 3
Page 2 of 5
Definitions
Access to communication supports includes access to physical, visual, and auditory
resources needed to ensure that communication is responsive to the consumer’s
needs, values, and beliefs. Resources may include interpreter services, disability
support groups, signers, and material written in Braille.
Consumer refers to a person accessing services in a health or disability setting in
either a residential care facility or in a private home – the person’s own or a friend’s,
group’s, or family member’s. Consumers may also be known as patients, clients, or
tūroro, in particular contexts and settings.
Culture refers to the totality of socially transmitted beliefs, values, customs, behaviour
patterns and/or practices, together with all other products of human work and thought
that are common to – or characteristic of – a particular group or community. The
concept of culture may reflect factors and indicators such as: age, ethnicity, disability,
gender, occupation, organisational background, immigrant or refugee status,
institutional care, religion or spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, and socio-economic
status.
Natural supports refers to any assistance, relationships, or interactions provided to a
consumer by family/whānau, friends, peers, co-workers, or community volunteers. In
a specifically Māori context, natural supports may include but are not limited to:
kaumātua, kuia, tohunga, whānau, iwi, and hapū.
Organisation’s policies and procedures are the policies and procedures of the
employing organisation of the candidate and include ethical codes, standards, and
other organisational requirements.
Service plan is a generic term that covers the individual or group plans (which may
also be referred to by other names) that are developed by service providers for
people receiving support (and may include their family/whānau as appropriate).
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe own organisation’s communication policies and procedures in a health, disability,
or community setting.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Own organisation’s communication policies and procedures are described in
terms of protocols for ethical disclosure of consumers’ and staff members’
personal information.
1.2
Own organisation’s communication policies and procedures are described in
terms of boundaries of own role.
Outcome 2
Communicate with consumers to support their wellness in a health, disability, or
community setting.
Range
evidence is required for two examples of communication.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
26975 version 3
Page 3 of 5
Evidence requirements
2.1
Communication with consumers is initiated and maintained in accordance with
consumers’ service plans, needs, and preferences.
Range
2.2
communication may include but is not limited to – introducing self
to a consumer, addressing a consumer by preferred name in a
respectful manner, selecting an environment conducive to
effective communication, use of respectful body language and
positioning, supportive use of questioning, responding to a
consumer’s questions, use of plain language, use of non-verbal
responses, providing and/or recording oral and written information.
Communication that supports consumers’ wellness is reported and documented
in accordance with consumers’ service plans and/or the organisation’s policies
and procedures.
Range
documentation includes but is not limited to – maintenance of case
notes, other relevant records.
Outcome 3
Assist consumers to access communication supports in a health, disability, or community
setting.
Evidence requirements
3.1
Access to communication supports in the local area is identified to include
contact details, location, costs, access guidelines.
Range
3.2
Access to communication supports is organised in accordance with consumers’
needs and service plans, and/or the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Range
3.3
must include – access to interpreter services, access to visual
support, access to auditory support, access to disability support
group.
evidence is required for two consumers with different health or
functional status;
may include but is not limited to – access to interpreter services
access to visual support, access to auditory support, access to a
disability support group.
Access to communication supports for consumers is provided in a manner that
respects and acknowledges their culture, values, and beliefs in accordance with
their service plans and/or the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Range
includes but is not limited to – access to natural supports.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
26975 version 3
Page 4 of 5
Outcome 4
Communicate with members of own and/or another organisation to support consumers’
wellness in a health, disability, or community setting.
Evidence requirements
4.1
Information communicated about consumers to a manager or team member of
own and/or another organisation is in accordance with the privacy,
confidentiality, and reporting requirements of the organisation’s policies and
procedures.
Range
4.2
evidence is required for two examples of communication within
own and/or another organisation.
Instructions issued by a delegated health professional(s) to support consumers’
wellness are checked for comprehension, interpretation, and clarity of intent.
Range
evidence is required for two separate sets of instructions for two
different consumers.
Replacement information
This unit standard was replaced by unit standard 28557.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by
the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
9 December 2010
31 December 2018
Revision
2
18 April 2013
31 December 2018
Review
3
16 April 2015
31 December 2018
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0024
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
26975 version 3
Page 5 of 5
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016