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Engage in counselling with couples
level:
6
credit:
12
planned review date:
June 2006
sub-field:
Social Services
purpose:
People credited with this unit standard are able to: establish
the counselling relationship with a couple; assist the couple
to identify their purpose(s) for counselling; assist the couple
to work towards achieving their identified purpose(s) for
counselling; assist the couple to implement their plan; and
effect closure of the counselling relationship with the couple.
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
implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the social services
according to the authority and resources available to
them, and are able to demonstrate application of this
competence to the context of assessment for this unit
standard (for further clarification, please refer to Unit
7928, Implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the social
services).
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2
Glossary
Characteristics and needs of the couple may be
physical, spiritual, or mental. Characteristics and needs
may include but are not limited to: age and stage of
development, coping strategies, couple roles and
dynamics, culture, disability, experience, knowledge,
family or whānau history, gender, health status,
language, sexual orientation, socio-economic situation,
history of each member of the couple; and needs for
physical comfort, safety, and privacy of both members
of the couple relationship.
Couple is used as a generic term to denote the people
who are involved in counselling. They may be referred
to by various descriptive terms in the range of social
service settings.
3
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 use
inclusive language, and counselling methods and
modalities that are appropriate to the characteristics
and needs of the people with whom they are
counselling. They seek to establish and maintain
rapport with the couple, positive feedback is responded
to, criticism, or negative feedback is responded to
without defensiveness, and changes required to reestablish rapport are acted upon. They demonstrate
and communicate clarity about their role in the social
services within all relationships with people from user
groups. They know the limits of their role, function and
competence, and when to refer on to others.
Competent practice in this unit standard requires that
the concerns, issues, needs, and dynamics of the
couple relationship be attended to as well as the
individual concerns, issues, and needs of each member
of the couple.
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4
In any given situation, candidates may not complete all
elements of this unit standard. For example, the couple
may not need the candidate to assist them to
implement a plan, so the candidate may then move on
to establish closure of the relationship. However, it is
necessary to demonstrate competence in all elements
of this unit standard in order to be awarded credit.
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 may include
but are not limited to: Family Proceedings Act 1980,
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.
6
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
Establish the counselling relationship with a couple.
performance criteria
1.1
Establishment of the environment for counselling attends to the characteristics
and needs of both members of the couple relationship.
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1.2
The role, function, and any legal responsibilities of the social service worker and
service provider are clarified with the couple.
1.3
The kawa or protocols for the counselling relationship are agreed with the
couple.
1.4
Both members of the couple are engaged in counselling according to their
characteristics and needs, and in accordance with the social service worker's
role, function, and any legal responsibilities.
element 2
Assist the couple to identify their purpose(s) for counselling.
Range:
assistance may include but is not limited to - co-creating and exploring
alternatives, challenging, coaching, confrontation, exploring past and current
behaviours, patterns and beliefs, feedback, focusing, individual assistance or
counselling plans for one of the couple, joint plans for the couple, making
connections, providing information, referral to other services, reframing.
Evidence is required of five.
performance criteria
2.1
The process to be used to identify the couple's concerns, issues, or needs is
established according to negotiation with both members of the couple.
2.2
Assistance enables the couple to identify and describe their concerns, issues,
or needs.
2.3
Assistance is provided using interpersonal skills that respond to verbal and nonverbal communications including body language.
Range:
interpersonal skills include but are not limited to - attending,
clarifying, encouraging, following, listening, questioning,
paraphrasing, reflection of feeling and content, summarising.
2.4
Assistance enables the couple to identify connections between their identified
concerns, issues, or needs and their social and cultural context.
2.5
Assistance enables the couple to identify achievable purpose(s) for counselling
that are consistent with their identified concerns, issues, or needs, and
consistent with their coping abilities, knowledge, resources, skills, and values.
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element 3
Assist the couple to work towards achieving their identified purpose(s) for counselling.
Range:
assistance may include but is not limited to - co-creating and exploring
alternatives, challenging, coaching, confrontation, exploring past and current
behaviours, patterns and beliefs, feedback, focusing, individual assistance or
counselling plans for one member of the couple relationship when required by
that member, joint plans for the couple, making connections, providing
information, referral to other services, reframing.
Evidence is required of five.
performance criteria
3.1
Assistance enables the couple to identify and select achievable options
consistent with their purpose(s), and consistent with their coping abilities,
knowledge, resources, skills, and values.
3.2
Assistance enables the couple to develop a plan to achieve their purpose(s) for
counselling that is consistent with their coping abilities, knowledge, resources,
skills, and values.
3.3
The plan identifies resources that are available to achieve the couple's
purpose(s) for counselling, a time frame that is consistent with the use of those
resources, the social service worker's role in the plan (if any), and methods of
evaluating progress.
element 4
Assist the couple to implement their plan.
Range:
assistance may include but is not limited to - co-creating and exploring
alternatives, challenging, coaching, confrontation, exploring past and current
behaviours, patterns and beliefs, feedback, focusing, individual assistance or
counselling plans for one member of the couple relationship when required by
that member, joint plans for the couple, making connections, providing
information, referral to other services, reframing.
Evidence is required of five.
performance criteria
4.1
Assistance is provided in accordance with the social service worker's role in the
plan.
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4.2
Assistance is provided using methods that encourage self determination by the
couple and each member of the couple, and discourage dependency by them
on the social service worker or service provider.
4.3
Assistance enables the couple to evaluate progress in achieving their individual
and joint purpose(s) for counselling.
4.4
Where necessary, the couple and each member of the couple are assisted to
redefine their purpose(s) of counselling, establish new purposes, identify further
options, and amend their plan in terms of their evaluation of progress.
element 5
Effect closure of the counselling relationship with the couple.
performance criteria
5.1
Closure of each counselling session is effected with the couple and each
member of the couple according to the established kawa or protocol.
5.2
Closure of the counselling relationship is effected according to completion of
planned involvement of the social service worker or service provider.
5.3
The closure process identifies issues arising from counselling.
Range:
5.4
The closure process identifies issues for future involvement in counselling.
Range:
5.5
issues may include but are not limited to - identification of
achievements and new learning towards independence; transfer of
learning to dealing with other concerns, issues, or needs; ongoing
self management plans.
issues may include but are not limited to - factors that may lead to
resumption of contact; future roles, functions and services
available from the social service worker or service provider;
means of re-establishing contact with social service worker or
service provider; other sources of referral.
Closure of the counselling relationship is managed according to the established
kawa or protocol.
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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