7979 version 4
28-Jun-16
1 of 8
SOCIAL WORK
Facilitate alternative care placements
level:
6
credit:
6
planned review date:
June 2006
sub-field:
Social Services
purpose:
People credited with this unit standard are able to: facilitate
decision making for the alternative care placement; facilitate
planning for the alternative care placement; facilitate
implementation of the alternative care placement plan; and
facilitate closure of involvement in the plan.
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).
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7979 version 4
28-Jun-16
2 of 8
SOCIAL WORK
Facilitate alternative care placements
2
Those who may be the subject of alternative care
placements include children, young persons, and adults
(including elders). They may require alternative care
placements for: parenting purposes, or as a
consequence of - abuse, neglect, or violence; self
endangerment; physical or mental illness; disabilities; or
alcohol or drug issues. People awarded credit for this
unit standard demonstrate competence in one context,
with any combination of the above factors.
3
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. 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.
Other key people may include a co-worker, supervisor,
cultural or gender adviser, care and protection resource
people, legal advisers, health advisers, other specialist
assessors or advisers.
Parties to the alternative care placement may include
those who may be the subject of alternative care
placements (where that person is capable of active
participation), their family or whānau (including birth
parents in the case of adoptions), prospective adoptive
parents, foster parents or guardians, and actual and
prospective care givers.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7979 version 4
28-Jun-16
3 of 8
SOCIAL WORK
Facilitate alternative care placements
Role and responsibilities in the plan may include
development of ongoing agreements or plans for
continued contact between parties, facilitation of
ongoing relationships between parties, support of
parties and the placement, monitoring, reporting in
accordance
with
legislative
or
organisational
requirements, education, advice, information giving,
networking, brokerage, and advocacy.
Service provider standards include but are not limited
to: service provider strategic plans, kaupapa, governing
legislation, staff manuals, kawa, or tikanga.
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, or other risks. Service users 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 may
include but are not limited to: 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,
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.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7979 version 4
28-Jun-16
4 of 8
SOCIAL WORK
Facilitate alternative care placements
5
Other statutes and criteria relevant to this unit standard:
Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Act 1966, Children,
Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989, Domestic
Violence Act 1995, Family Proceedings Act 1980,
Guardianship Act 1968, Health Act 1956, Health and
Disability Services Act 1993, Health and Disability
Services (Safety) Act 2001, Injury Prevention,
Rehabilitation, and Compensation Act 2001, Mental
Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act
1992, Old People's Homes Regulations 1987,
Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988,
and Inter Country Adoption Policy criteria. People
awarded this unit standard demonstrate knowledge of
the provisions of statutes and criteria relating to
alternative care according to relevance to the
assessment context.
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
Facilitate decision making for the alternative care placement.
performance criteria
1.1
Facilitation of alternative care decision making has as the first consideration the
safety and wellbeing of the person who is the subject of alternative care.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7979 version 4
28-Jun-16
5 of 8
SOCIAL WORK
Facilitate alternative care placements
1.2
The process of facilitation and advice giving establishes all information and
issues that are relevant to decision making by parties to the alternative care
placement.
Range:
1.3
Parties to the alternative care placement are responded to in ways that
positively acknowledge their needs and issues.
Range:
1.4
needs may include but are not limited to - to be respected,
affirmed, supported, physical comfort, safety, privacy;
issues may include but are not limited to - separation, grief,
infertility.
Parties to the alternative care placement are responded to through the use of
interpersonal skills that acknowledge the characteristics of each party.
Range:
1.5
information and issues that are relevant to decision making by
parties to the alternative care placement may include but are not
limited to - provisions and jurisdiction of statutes and criteria
relevant to the placement; role, function, and any legal
responsibilities of the social service worker and service provider;
legal and social consequences of the placement on all parties;
cultural and gender issues and protocols; placement preferences;
short and long term effects of the placement on all parties;
guardianship rights of parties; potential conflicts of interest
between parties; resources available to support the placement.
characteristics may include but are not limited to - physical,
spiritual and mental characteristics; age and stage of
development; culture; disability; gender; health status; language;
sexual orientation.
Parties to the alternative care placement are responded to through the use of
interpersonal skills which acknowledge verbal and non-verbal communications
and elicit information relevant to decision making.
Range:
interpersonal skills may include but are not limited to - attending,
listening, following, clarifying, encouraging, questioning and
discussion, paraphrasing, reflection of feeling and content,
summarising.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7979 version 4
28-Jun-16
6 of 8
SOCIAL WORK
Facilitate alternative care placements
1.6
Information sought is sufficient for the purpose of facilitating decision making for
the placement.
Range:
1.7
information may include but is not limited to - the nature of the
proposed placement; assessment of the suitability of the proposed
placement; risk factors for abuse, neglect, violence, self
endangerment; characteristics of parties to the placement, their
family or whānau, and other social systems.
Decision making is facilitated in accordance with service provider standards.
element 2
Facilitate planning for the alternative care placement.
performance criteria
2.1
Facilitation of planning for alternative care has as the first consideration the
safety and wellbeing of the person who is to be the subject of the placement.
2.2
The facilitation process establishes all information and issues that are relevant
to planning by parties to the alternative care placement.
Range:
information and issues that are relevant to planning may include
but are not limited to - information and advice on potential
placements; birth family information; information on potential
adoptive parents in terms of stated preferences in adoption
situations; cultural and gender issues; time issues; resources
available to support potential placement situations.
2.3
The alternative care placement is planned in terms of decisions made by parties
to the alternative care placement, ethical practice, service provider standards,
and consultation with other key people.
2.4
The alternative care plan identifies resources that are available to achieve the
safety and wellbeing of the person in the placement, a time frame that is
consistent with the use of available resources, the roles and responsibilities of
parties to the alternative care placement plan, contingencies and procedures to
be followed in relation to contingencies, and methods of evaluating progress.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7979 version 4
28-Jun-16
7 of 8
SOCIAL WORK
Facilitate alternative care placements
element 3
Facilitate implementation of the alternative care placement plan.
performance criteria
3.1
Facilitation has as the first consideration the safety and wellbeing of the person
who is the subject of the placement.
3.2
Facilitation by the social service worker is in accordance with her/his role and
responsibilities in the plan.
3.3
Facilitation encourages self-determination of parties to the plan and
discourages dependency by them on the social service worker or service
provider.
3.4
Facilitation is focussed on assisting parties to the plan to identify progress in
implementation of the alternative care placement.
3.5
Facilitation assists key people in the implementation of the plan to identify
progress in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the person who is the subject
of the placement.
3.6
Facilitation assists parties to the plan to review the plan, identify further options,
and where necessary to amend the plan in terms of the evaluation of progress.
element 4
Facilitate closure of involvement in the plan.
performance criteria
4.1
Facilitation of closure has as the first consideration the safety and wellbeing of
the person who is the subject of the placement.
4.2
Completion of the social service worker’s or service provider’s involvement in
the plan is established according to consultation with the parties.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
7979 version 4
28-Jun-16
8 of 8
SOCIAL WORK
Facilitate alternative care placements
4.3
Facilitation of the closure process identifies relevant issues for future
involvement.
Range:
relevant issues for future involvement 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.
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