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.
Animals received at the pound may include:
birds
cats
dogs
livestock.
Information about an animal may include:
breed, size, weight, colour and sex
identification device details, if applicable
registration details, if applicable
where found
how and why brought to pound
behaviour
owner details, if known.
OHS risks when working with animals may include:
animal bites, kicks, scratches and crush injuries
biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal
handling of chemicals and medicines
gas leakage
inhalation of aerosol particles
intraocular contamination
manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting
needle pricks and cuts from other sharps
release of infective agents (animal and human)
slippery or uneven work surfaces
zoonoses.
Examples of supplies that may need to be maintained include:
animal restraint and exercise equipment
bedding
chemicals
cleaning agents
food and food supplements
medications
preventative treatment materials
water.
Preparing for discharge may involve:
basic behavioural training
desexing
microchipping
providing veterinary checks
temperament testing
vaccinations.
Clerical duties may include:
creating invoices and receipts
data entry into organisational information management recordkeeping systems
handling case
participating in marketing and advertising activities.

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 competence 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:
carry out the admission of animals, including gathering information about animals, assessing temperament, health and condition, and processing documentation
clean and maintain hygiene of the pound, including animal enclosures, fixtures, fittings and walkways
maintain pound supplies
handle animals in an ethical and humane manner
provide animals with appropriate housing, nutritional food, water and treatment regimes
communicate effectively with clients, animal owners, staff and veterinarians
carry out discharge procedures in accordance with relevant legislation
access and use management systems to keep and maintain accurate records.

The skills and knowledge required to carry out pound procedures must 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 an animal control and regulation workplace or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions.

There must be access to animals normally found within a pound and the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.

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

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).