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Record and report suspected abuse, neglect, or violence in
whānau/family and foster care
Level
3
Credits
3
Purpose
This unit standard is intended for carers in whānau/family and foster care
who may suspect that a child or young person has experienced abuse,
neglect, or violence either within their own family or whānau, or in a
whānau/family and foster care situation, or in another place such as a school.
People credited with this unit standard are able to record and report
suspected abuse, neglect, or violence in whānau/family and foster care.
Subfield
Social Services
Domain
Social Service Work with Abuse, Neglect, and Violence
Status
Registered
Status date
24 November 2003
Date version published
21 September 2007
Planned review date
31 December 2009
Entry information
Open.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and
industry.
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 outline the meaning of the
articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to social
service work, and are able to apply this competence to the context of assessment for
this unit standard (for further clarification, please refer to Unit 19408, Outline the
meaning and relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in social service work).
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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2
Glossary
Abuse, neglect, and violence includes abusive, neglectful, violent, or controlling
behaviour that may be economic, emotional, physical, social, verbal, spiritual, and/or
sexual in nature.
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.
Whānau/family and foster care includes kinship care, whānau care, foster care, and
foster homes.
3
All communications are treated confidentially, except where there is a requirement
that carers report abuse, neglect, and violence. The scope and limits of
confidentiality are defined by criteria established by legislation and the protocols and
policies of an approved agency. In the context of this unit standard, legislation
includes but is not limited to: Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989,
Domestic Violence Act 1995, Privacy Act 1993.
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.
5
Resources related to abuse and neglect of children and young persons may include
but are not limited to:
a
An interagency guide to breaking the cycle: Let’s stop child abuse together
(2001) Wellington: Child, Youth and Family
b
Risk Management Project, Children, Young Persons and Their Families
Service. 1997. Recognition of child abuse and neglect: Tirohanga tukino
tamariki. Wellington: Children, Young Persons and Their Families Service.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Record and report suspected abuse, neglect, or violence in whānau/family and foster care.
Range
evidence is required relating to a real or simulated example of a child or young
person in whānau/family and foster care who has experienced abuse, neglect or
violence either within their own family or whānau, or in a caregiving situation, or
in another place such as a school.
Performance criteria
1.1
Indicators, signs, and disclosures of abuse, neglect, and violence are outlined.
Range
indicators, signs, and disclosures of abuse, neglect, or violence
may include but are not limited to – behavioural signs; physical
signs; developmental signs, disclosures of abuse, neglect, or
violence; verbal indicators; situational indicators; personal
withdrawal and disassociation; family ostracism; information or
comments from other people of significance to the child or young
person.
1.2
The safety of the child or young person is the first and paramount consideration
in the carer's actions.
1.3
The needs of the child or young person in a situation of suspected abuse,
neglect, or violence are responded to.
Range
1.4
needs – needs to be respected, believed, affirmed and supported;
needs for physical comfort, safety, privacy, and security; need to
be in a whānau or family or safe collective group.
Records are kept of the indicators, signs, and disclosures of abuse, neglect, or
violence.
Range
records may include but are not limited to – behavioural signs;
developmental signs; economic signs; physical signs; disclosures;
verbal signs; situational signs; whānau or family signs; information
or comments from whānau or family or other people connected to
the child or young person.
1.5
Records are kept of the exact words used by the child or young person in any
disclosures of abuse, neglect, or violence.
1.6
The evidence of suspected abuse, neglect, or violence is uncontaminated by
inappropriate actions taken by the carer.
Range
inappropriate actions taken by the carer may include but are not
limited to – questioning the child or young person; carer
assumptions.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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1.7
The suspected abuse, neglect, or violence is referred to the social worker or
Police in accordance with criteria established by legislation and the protocols
and policies of one approved agency.
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.
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