Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Companion animals may include:
aquaria, reptiles and amphibians
birds
dogs and cats
invertebrates (e.g. stick insects, spiders and beetles)
small animals (e.g. rabbits, rodents, ferrets and guinea pigs).
Dietary requirements of companion animals may include:
the type of food (e.g. packaged, seed mixes, fresh, raw, frozen or live)
food requirements in accordance with the species, breed, age, sex and activity level of the animal
appropriate quantities and temperature of food.
Codes of practice and legislative requirements that may apply include:
environmental sustainability practices
Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council codes of practice
relevant companion animal legislation
local council regulations
microchipping
animal welfare legislation
National Parks and Wildlife Service legislation.
Housing may include:
cages
kennels
enclosures
compounds
brooders
aquaria
aviaries and bird rooms.
Animal security arrangements may include:
safe access and egress
prevention of escape by animals
restriction of access to authorised personnel
compatibility of species and breeds within housing.
Environmentally sustainable work practices may include:
environmentally friendly waste management
processes relevant to the workplace that support environment and resource efficiencies.
Transportation may include:
airfreight boxes
pet carriers
plastic bags
restraints
transport fish boxes
trolleys.
Waste managementstrategies may include:
disposal of:
food waste
animal waste
used cleaning and disinfection products and containers
local government requirements and environmental or other legislative requirements.
Treatments may include:
topical and systemic parasite controls
dietary supplements
washing and grooming products.
Regulatory controls applicable when trading in animals may include:
federal and state or territory legislation, regulations and codes of practice.

EVIDENCE GUIDE
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
provide advice to customers and clients on a range of issues relating to companion animals
establish organisation policies and procedures to ensure the organisation complies with relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice, including animal welfare and OHS
manage relationships and communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders, including veterinarians, suppliers and relevant industry associations
maintain records and workplace documentation.

The skills and knowledge required to manage compliance in the companion animal industrymust be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in a companion animal workplace or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions. Workplaces may include pet and aquarium shops, boarding kennels and catteries, companion animal training, grooming and/or breeding establishments and mobile animal facilities.

There must be access to a range of companion animal breeds and species and the relevant information, materials and documentation.

Method of assessment
To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategies must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:
written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge
observed, documented and firsthand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks
simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions
third-party evidence
workplace documentation
portfolio.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment
Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).