13107 version 3
28-Jun-16
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COUNSELLING
Use counselling skills with the
telephone as the medium of
communication
level:
5
credit:
9
planned review date:
June 2006
sub-field:
Social Services
purpose:
People credited with this unit standard are able to: develop
an empathic relationship with the caller; explore and identify
the caller's purpose and needs in utilising the telephone
counselling service; assist the caller with decision making;
and effect closure of the call.
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).
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2
This unit standard focuses on the use of counselling
skills over the telephone as a purely auditory medium.
People who are awarded credit in this unit standard
demonstrate competence in the use of language, voice
production, and active listening skills that are congruent
with the characteristics and needs of the caller. For the
purposes of this unit standard, the person seeking
credit is referred to as a social service worker.
3
Glossary
Caller is used as a generic term to denote people
calling the telephone counselling service. They may be
referred to by various descriptive terms in the range of
social service settings.
Characteristics and needs of the caller may be physical,
spiritual, or mental. Characteristics and needs include:
age and stage of development, beliefs, culture,
disability, gender, health status, language, sexual
orientation, values, and needs for physical comfort,
safety, and privacy.
4
All communications with the caller are treated
confidentially. The scope and limits of confidentiality
are defined according to 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.
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5
People awarded credit in this unit standard 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 use inclusive language,
and counselling skills that are appropriate to the
characteristics and needs of the caller. They seek to
establish and maintain rapport with the caller, positive
feedback is responded to, criticism or negative
feedback is responded to without defensiveness, and
changes required to re-establish rapport are acted
upon. They demonstrate awareness of their reaction(s)
to the caller's audio signs and feeling state(s) and
remain focused on the caller's situation.
They
demonstrate and communicate clarity about their role in
the social services within their relationship with the
caller. They know the limits of their role, function and
competence, and when to refer on to others.
6
In any single telephone call, the social service worker
may not complete all elements of this unit standard.
For example, a caller may not need assistance with
resolution and decision making, so the social service
worker may then move on to effect closure of the call.
However, it is necessary to demonstrate competence in
all elements of this unit standard (not necessarily in the
one telephone call) in order to be awarded credit for this
unit standard.
7
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.
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Elements and Performance Criteria
element 1
Develop an empathic relationship with the caller.
performance criteria
1.1
The social service worker's opening statement
communicating acceptance and genuineness.
Range:
1.2
trust
by
opening statement - active listening, reflection of feeling, reflection
of content.
The language and skills that are used match the characteristics and needs of
the caller and invite initial expression of feelings.
Range:
1.3
encourages
language and skills – voice tone, pace, pitch, volume, reflective
listening.
The social service worker's responses identify the caller's feeling state and
support deeper exploration of feelings.
Range:
responses - reflection of expressed and unexpressed feelings;
reflection of content; minimal encouragers; affirmation,
summarising.
1.4
Responses to the caller are congruent and accepting of the caller's silence,
crying, laughter, hesitancy, breathing, and other vocalisations and traits.
1.5
The empathic relationship is maintained throughout the call.
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element 2
Explore and identify the caller's purpose and needs in utilising the telephone counselling
service.
performance criteria
2.1
Exploration clarifies the caller's concern and accompanying difficulties.
Range:
2.2
exploration - reflection of feelings and content, questioning,
summarising, clarifying, affirmation, minimal encouragers.
Exploration assists the caller to identify the underlying issues and explores the
responses and needs relevant to the issue.
Range:
exploration - reflection of feelings and content, questioning,
summarising.
2.3
The use of challenging skills invites the caller to be authentic, recognise
incongruence, and consider distortions in their narrative and behaviour.
2.4
The use of counselling skills facilitates the caller to a clear recognition of the
underlying issue and focuses the caller on their desired outcome.
Range:
counselling skills – listening, reflection of feelings and content,
open ended questions, summarising, exploration, clarifying,
paraphrasing, immediacy, focusing, prioritising, challenging,
pacing, matching.
element 3
Assist the caller with decision making.
performance criteria
3.1
Assistance enables the caller to explore realistic and achievable options
relevant to their desired outcome.
Range:
assistance - questioning, probing, checking out, clarifying, active
listening, minimal encouragers, prioritising.
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3.2
Resolution skills are used to assist the caller to commit to specific choices.
Range:
3.3
resolution skills – active listening, decision making, affirmation,
clarifying.
The caller is assisted to develop an action plan to achieve their desired
outcome.
Range:
action plan - the plan is consistent with resources, education,
support, skills, coping abilities.
3.4
Assistance enables the caller to clarify the resources and support that are
necessary to implement their plan and how to access them.
3.5
Assistance enables the caller to identify any blocks to implementation of their
plan and how they may be overcome.
3.6
Assistance enables the caller to identify how they will measure their progress.
Range:
assistance - listening, reflecting, questioning, focusing, providing
information,
resourcing,
checking,
prioritising,
affirming,
encouraging, supporting, goal setting, contracting.
element 4
Effect closure of the call.
performance criteria
4.1
The call is managed to ensure that it is focussed, within time limits, and
productive.
Range:
4.2
time limits - between 20 and 60 minutes dependent upon the
nature of the call.
The closure process demonstrates positive expectation of the caller.
Range:
closure process - active listening, summarising, affirmation,
closure.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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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