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SOCIAL SERVICE WORK WITH ABUSE,
NEGLECT, AND VIOLENCE
Identify, respond to, and report in
situations of suspected abuse, neglect,
or violence
level:
4
credit:
3
planned review date:
June 2006
sub-field:
Social Services
purpose:
People credited with this unit standard are able to: recognise
an incident of suspected abuse, neglect, or violence as a
social service worker; respond to an incident of suspected
abuse, neglect, or violence as a social service worker; and
record and report an incident of suspected abuse, neglect, or
violence as a social service worker.
entry information:
Open.
accreditation option:
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry.
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
demonstrate knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for social
service purposes, and are able to apply this
competence to the context of assessment for this unit
standard (for further clarification, please refer to Unit
7926, Explain Te Tiriti o Waitangi for social service
purposes).
2
People awarded credit in this unit standard demonstrate
competence in relation to two incidents of suspected
abuse, neglect, or violence with one age group. This
may be assessed on the basis of evidence of
demonstrated performance in the work place or through
the use of a simulated work place situation that closely
approximates the performance required in workplace
settings.
3
Glossary
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SOCIAL SERVICE WORK WITH ABUSE,
NEGLECT, AND VIOLENCE
Identify, respond to, and report in
situations of suspected abuse, neglect,
or violence
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. It also includes role abuse,
which means the abuse of power by an individual or
agency that has a professional, service, or status-based
role in relation to survivors. Abuse, neglect, and
violence may occur within or outside of families and
whānau.
Participant(s) may include but are not limited to: people
whose life or safety is affected by abuse, neglect, or
violence; family or whānau of people whose life or
safety is affected by abuse, neglect, or violence. For
the purposes of this unit standard, people whose life or
safety is affected by abuse, neglect, or violence may
include children and young persons, adults, or elders.
Other professionals may include, but are not limited to:
care and protection resource people, legal advisers,
health advisers, other specialist assessors or advisers,
as relevant to the context of assessment.
Social service worker is used as a term to refer to the
person seeking award of credit in this unit standard.
Social service worker may include but is not limited to:
community workers, counsellors, kaiāwhina, social
workers, kaitautoko, Pacific Island social service
workers, youth workers, and others who deliver social
services, whether paid or unpaid.
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SOCIAL SERVICE WORK WITH ABUSE,
NEGLECT, AND VIOLENCE
Identify, respond to, and report in
situations of suspected abuse, neglect,
or violence
4
All communications are treated confidentially, except
where there is an ethical, legal, or organisational duty
on the social service worker to report abuse, neglect,
and violence. Participants are informed of the scope
and limits of confidentiality as defined by 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: the Children, Young Persons and
Their Families Act 1989, Domestic Violence Act 1995
Section 43, Health Act 1956 Sections 22B and 22C,
Official Information Act 1982, Privacy Act 1993, agency
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.
5
Statutes relevant to this unit standard are the Children,
Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989, Domestic
Violence Act 1995, Domestic Violence (Programmes)
Regulations 1996, Guardianship Act 1968, Health Act
1956 Sections 22B and 22C, Official Information Act
1982, Privacy Act 1993. People awarded this unit
standard demonstrate knowledge of the provisions of
these statutes and criteria relating to the reporting of
abuse, neglect, and violence, and care and protection
measures, according to their relevance to the
assessment context.
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SOCIAL SERVICE WORK WITH ABUSE,
NEGLECT, AND VIOLENCE
Identify, respond to, and report in
situations of suspected abuse, neglect,
or violence
6
Resources related to abuse and neglect of children and
young persons - may include but are not limited to:
a
Children, Young Persons and Their Families
Service.
1997.
Breaking the Cycle - an
interagency guide to child abuse. Wellington:
Children, Young Persons and Their Families
Service.
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.
7
Resources related to the Domestic Violence Act 1995
and Domestic Violence (Programmes) Regulations
1996:
a
Department for Courts. July 1999. Individual
provider guidelines for individuals wishing to
provide domestic violence programmes for adult
protected persons. Wellington: Department for
Courts.
b
Department for Courts. July 1999. Individual
provider guidelines for individuals wishing to
provide domestic violence programmes for
children. Wellington: Department for Courts.
c
Department for Courts. July 1999. Individual
provider guidelines for individuals wishing to
provide domestic violence programmes for
respondents. Wellington: Department for Courts.
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SOCIAL SERVICE WORK WITH ABUSE,
NEGLECT, AND VIOLENCE
Identify, respond to, and report in
situations of suspected abuse, neglect,
or violence
8
Resources related to elder abuse and neglect - may
include but are not limited to:
a
Age Concern New Zealand Inc. 1992. Promoting
the rights and well-being of older people and
those who care for them: a resource kit about
elder abuse and neglect.
Wellington: Age
Concern New Zealand Inc.
b
Age Concern New Zealand Inc. 1999. Age
Concern elder abuse and neglect services: a
report of statistics and service developments
covering the three years from July 1996 to June
1999. Wellington: Age Concern New Zealand Inc.
c
Age Concern New Zealand Inc. 1999 (2nd Ed).
Elder abuse and neglect: a handbook for those
working with older people.
Wellington: Age
Concern New Zealand Inc.
9
It is a principle of safe practice in working with abuse,
neglect, and violence that social service workers at all
levels of competence participate in professional
supervision (sometimes referred to as clinical
supervision).
People awarded credit in this unit
standard demonstrate consistent use of professional
supervision as part of safe practice.
Elements and Performance Criteria
element 1
Recognise an incident of suspected abuse, neglect, or violence as a social service worker.
performance criteria
1.1
An incident of suspected abuse, neglect, or violence is recognised and defined
in terms of the definition of abuse, neglect, or violence in special note 3.
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SOCIAL SERVICE WORK WITH ABUSE,
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Identify, respond to, and report in
situations of suspected abuse, neglect,
or violence
1.2
An incident of suspected abuse, neglect, or violence is recognised in terms of
indicators, signs, and disclosures of abuse, neglect, or violence, and the known
facts of the incident.
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 ministers of religion, elders, leaders, family or
whānau.
element 2
Respond to an incident of suspected abuse, neglect, or violence as a social service
worker.
performance criteria
2.1
Responses are in terms of the safety of the participant(s) as being the first and
paramount consideration.
2.2
Responses positively acknowledge the needs of the participant(s) and their
family or whānau.
Range:
2.3
needs - needs to be respected, believed, affirmed and supported;
needs for physical comfort, safety, privacy, and security; need to
be in a family or safe collective group.
Responses are through the use of interpersonal skills that acknowledge the
characteristics of the participant(s) and their family or whānau.
Range:
characteristics of the participant(s) and their family or whānau may
include but are not limited to - physical, spiritual, and mental
characteristics, including age; language; stage of development;
culture; disability; gender; health status; language; sexual
orientation; religion; attitudes to abuse, neglect, or violence;
cultural status.
Evidence is required of four characteristics.
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SOCIAL SERVICE WORK WITH ABUSE,
NEGLECT, AND VIOLENCE
Identify, respond to, and report in
situations of suspected abuse, neglect,
or violence
2.4
Responses are through the use of interpersonal skills and language which
respond to verbal and non-verbal communications.
Range:
interpersonal skills may include but are not limited to - use of voice
tone, pitch, volume, and speed; use of silence; active listening;
clarifying,
describing,
encouraging,
following,
listening,
paraphrasing, and summarising; reflection of feelings and content;
respect, acceptance, and tolerance; body language.
Evidence is required of four interpersonal skills.
2.5
Responses focus on eliciting information relevant to the indicators and
disclosures of abuse, neglect, or violence while maintaining respect for the
participant(s) and their family or whānau.
2.6
Information sought is sufficient for the purpose of initiating safety procedures for
the participant(s) and their family or whānau.
2.7
The incident of suspected abuse, neglect, or violence is responded to in
accordance with criteria established by legislation, ethical practice, and service
provider guidelines.
element 3
Record and report an incident of suspected abuse, neglect, or violence as a social service
worker.
performance criteria
3.1
Records include all information relevant to the situation of suspected abuse,
neglect, or violence.
Range:
information relevant to the situation of suspected abuse, neglect,
or violence may include but is not limited to - behavioural signs;
developmental signs; economic signs; physical signs; disclosures;
verbal signs; situational signs; family signs; information or
comments from family or whānau, or other people connected to
the survivor(s).
Evidence is required of three types or sources of information.
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SOCIAL SERVICE WORK WITH ABUSE,
NEGLECT, AND VIOLENCE
Identify, respond to, and report in
situations of suspected abuse, neglect,
or violence
3.2
Records are prepared and stored in accordance with criteria established by
legislation, ethical practice, and service provider guidelines.
3.3
Records are referred to the supervisor and reported in accordance with criteria
established by legislation, ethical practice, and service provider guidelines.
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