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Manage safety issues in whānau/family and foster care
Level
6
Credits
9
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: explain safety issues for
whānau/family and foster care; accept a child or young person into a safe
environment in whānau/family and foster care; and provide safe care in
whānau/family and foster care.
Subfield
Social Services
Domain
Whānau/Family and Foster Care
Status
Registered
Status date
26 January 2005
Date version published
21 September 2007
Planned review date
31 December 2009
Entry information
Open.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA, industry
and teaching professional in the same field from another
provider.
Standard setting body (SSB)
Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce)
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0222
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
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).
2
Assessment notes
This unit standard may be assessed through classroom activities and work-based
settings. The candidate must demonstrate competence through the elements as a
carer in whānau/family and/or foster care.
People awarded credit in this unit standard show that their actions through all
elements are guided and supported by valid theory for social service practice.
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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.
3
Glossary
Approved agency means an agency that has been approved under section 396,
Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989.
Carer means a person who is a custodial carer providing care for a child or young
person from their own whānau or family, and/or a person who is providing foster care
for a child or young person placed with them by an agency approved under section
396, Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989. In the context of this
unit standard, carers do not include adoptive parents or birth parents.
Cultural safety includes the cultural safety of the child; the cultural safety of the child's
family or whānau; and the cultural safety of the carer's family or whānau.
Physical safety includes occupational health and safety issues; safety in the
environment of the carer's home; and safety in the external environment, which
includes the home of the child's whānau or family.
Professional safety includes ethical behaviour; informed consent issues; carer self
awareness; policies and protocols; professional supervision.
Social safety includes developmental issues; gender issues; lifestyle issues of friends
and whānau or family; neighbourhood risks; religio-spiritual issues.
Whānau/family and foster care includes kinship care, whānau care, foster care, and
respite care.
4
Legislation related to whānau/family and foster care may include but is not limited to:
Care of Children Act 2004, Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989,
Crimes Act 1961, Domestic Violence Act 1995, Family Proceedings Act 1980, Human
Rights Act 1993, Privacy Act 1993. Evidence is required in relation to the legislation
that is relevant to the care situation in which assessment for this unit standard is
taking place.
Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Explain safety issues for whānau/family and foster care.
Performance criteria
1.1
Safety issues in whānau/family and foster care are explained in relation to
parties to the whānau/family and foster care relationship.
Range
safety issues – cultural safety; physical safety; professional safety;
social safety;
parties to the whānau/family and foster care relationship – child or
young person; child or young person's whānau or family; carer;
carer's whānau or family; approved agency.
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1.2
Policies, protocols, and legislation to manage safety issues in whānau/family
and foster care are explained.
Range
1.3
The reasons why planning for the care of the child or young person is significant
to management of the safety of the child and carer are explained.
Range
1.4
factors include but are not limited to – previous abuse, resentment,
history of multiple placements.
Strategies that can be adopted by the carer to protect themselves from
allegations from the child or young person or other people connected with them
are explained.
Range
1.7
possible risk factors include but are not limited to – allegations
from the child or young person, allegations from other people
connected with the child or young person, burn out, lack of
information about the child, lack of support, lack of training, stress.
Evidence is required of four possible risk factors.
Factors that may trigger allegations against the carer from a child or young
person in whānau/family and foster care are explained.
Range
1.6
planning includes but is not limited to – care agreement; access to
information about the child or young person; participation in the
planning process;
information includes – health, education, previous abuse history,
history of any previous allegations against carers.
Possible risk factors in caring for a child or young person in whānau/family and
foster care are explained.
Range
1.5
policies and protocols – evidence is required in relation to the
policies and protocols of one approved agency.
strategies include but are not limited to – diary and other record
keeping; gender appropriate caring; safe practices in behaviour
management; informing social worker immediately after an unsafe
incident; keeping doors open; not being alone with the child or
young person; regular supervision; training.
Evidence is required of four strategies.
The process that occurs when an allegation is made against a carer is
explained.
Range
process – Police; Child, Youth and Family.
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1.8
The support that can be accessed when an allegation is made against a carer is
explained.
Range
1.9
support may include but are not limited to – contact with carer
liaison social worker; contact with New Zealand Federation of
Family and Foster Care, local Foster Care Association, or union;
counselling; cultural support; support provisions of one approved
agency; legal advice; other support groups.
Evidence is required of four strategies.
Methods a carer can use to respond to poor practice by others involved with a
child or young person are explained.
Range
others involved with a child or young person include but are not
limited to – carers, social workers, agencies, other professional
organisations;
methods may include but are not limited to – complaint
procedures; contact with carer liaison social worker; contact with
New Zealand Federation of Family and Foster Care, local Foster
Care Association, or union; legal advice.
Evidence is required of four methods.
Element 2
Accept a child or young person into a safe environment in whānau/family and foster care.
Performance criteria
2.1
A safe environment for the parties to the whānau/family and foster care
relationship is planned and prepared in terms of all safety issues.
Range
2.2
safety issues – cultural safety; physical safety; professional safety;
social safety;
parties to the whānau/family and foster care relationship – child or
young person; child or young person's whānau or family; carer;
carer's whānau or family; approved agency.
Evidence is required in relation to four parties, two of whom must
be the child or young person and the carer.
Planning for acceptance of the child or young person is carried out in relation to
relevant criteria.
Range
relevant criteria include but are not limited to – care agreement;
access to information about the child or young person;
participation in the planning process; policies and protocols of one
approved agency;
information about the child or young person includes – health,
education, previous abuse history, history of any previous
allegations against carers.
Evidence is required of four relevant criteria.
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2.3
Carer contributions to planning for acceptance of the child or young person
cover relevant criteria.
Range
relevant criteria – objectives for admission to whānau/family and
foster care; integration of the child or young person into the carer's
whānau or family; needs of the child or young person; desired
outcomes of caring for the child or young person; services to be
accessed for the child or young person; educational requirements;
ethical issues.
Evidence is required of four.
Element 3
Provide safe care in whānau/family and foster care.
Performance criteria
3.1
Provision of safe care is demonstrated through adherence to the terms of the
child or young person's care plan.
3.2
Provision of safe care is demonstrated through adherence to the carer's legal
responsibilities and the protocols and policies of one approved agency.
3.3
Provision of safe care attends to safety issues for the parties to the
whānau/family and foster care relationship.
Range
3.4
safety issues – cultural safety; physical safety; professional safety;
social safety;
parties to the whānau/family and foster care relationship – child or
young person; child or young person's whānau or family; carer;
carer's whānau or family; approved agency.
Evidence is required in relation to four parties, two of whom must
be the child or young person and the carer.
Risk management strategies are used to protect the carer from allegations.
Range
risk management strategies include but are not limited to –
awareness of own limits as a carer; saying no; regular supervision;
diary and other record keeping; gender appropriate caring; safe
practices in behaviour management; informing social worker
immediately after an unsafe incident; keeping doors open; not
being alone with the child or young person; self care plan;
awareness of own limits as a carer includes awareness of –
workload, lack of support, stamina, burn out, stress.
Evidence is required of three risk management strategies.
Please note
Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated
authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against
unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
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Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register
credits from assessment against unit standards.
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards
must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP 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.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce)
info@careerforce.org.nz if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit
standard.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016