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. Add any 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.


The Indigenous environmental health worker's role in addressing land care issues may include:
Monitoring and reporting excessive vegetation growth around sewerage ponds or other areas in the community
Identifying where and why dust problems are occurring in and around the community
Planting appropriate trees and shrubs to act as wind breaks
Repairing fences
Establishing mounds to stop vehicles and protecting plants
Blocking off bush tracks
Planting shade and fruit trees
Planting appropriate trees around septic tanks
Assisting Aboriginal Health Workers or others in the community to obtain and plant medicinal plants
Installing drip systems where appropriate
Education/health promotion


The role of other key people and outside agencies in addressing land care issues
may include some of the following:
Reducing the amount of vegetation in and around sewerage ponds
Laying bitumen on roads in and around the community to control dust
Land care projects i.e: bush medicine projects, tree planting projects, drip system or irrigation projects, conservation projects, etc.
Establishing community nurseries, etc.


Key people and outside agencies may refer to:
Environmental Health Officers
Greening Australia
Aboriginal Health Workers
Other land care agencies
Other community workers, e.g. horticultural trainees and/or graduates, community development workers, etc.


Land care issues that either directly or indirectly relate to the possibility of disease transmission and/or health related complaints may include:
Excessive vegetation/weed around sewerage lagoons which can lead to mosquito breeding and transmission of diseases such as Ross River Fever, Australian Encephalitis, etc.
Lack of shade trees which can lead to sunburn and the possibility of skin cancer
Lack of fruit trees for nutritional purposes
Lack of medicinal plants, "bush medicine"
Lack of trees and shrubs to act as wind breaks against dust in the house yard, general community and outlying areas
Lack of trees around septic tanks to prevent cars from driving over them and collapsing drains or breaking lids


Information may be sought by:
Talking to key people and outside agencies
Obtaining information from books, pamphlets, etc.


Additional information or advice may include:
Seeking information or advice about specific health problems ie: respiratory complaints, skin infections and eye disease (abrasion and inflammation of the conjunctiva), as a result of dust; skin cancer due to a lack of shade trees in areas where people might gather, etc.
Seeking additional information or advice on resources, or people to contact and network with in relation to land care issues as they relate to health


Monitor may be:
Observations in the field
Talking to householders and community members about any issues of concern


Findings may be:
Areas in or around the community where dust may be originating from e.g. heavy traffic areas (front of the store, clinic council office); bush tracks, airstrip, football oval, rubbish dump etc.
House yards and/ or living areas in need of wind breaks, fence construction or repair, dust sheltering plants, mounding to protect fencing from cars, planting of appropriate trees around septic tanks, wire bed frames off the ground so that people can still sleep outside if they want to but out of the dust, shade structures and roofs, etc.
Community areas where people gather or meet that may be in need of shade structures, trees and/ or wind breaks
The need to support the land care activities of existing groups e.g. Bush medicine projects, beautification projects, etc.


Report may be:
Verbal in either first language or English
Written in either first language or English
Photos of the problem/ issue of concern
Video recording the problem/ issue of concern
By showing supervisor the problem


Referrals from others may include:
Requests from Aboriginal Health Workers for assistance in bush medicine projects, etc.
Requests from householders or community members for assistance and/ or support in the development of the yard area i.e.: fencing repairs, planting trees around household septic tanks, planting fruit and shade trees in the yard/ community, wind breaks, etc.


Recording may be by:
Taking notes of requests for support or assistance in either first language or English
Showing the employing organisation/ supervisor any written requests for support i.e.: faxes, notes, letters etc. Requests for support might also come from local articles or brochures; for example the school might be advertising a future tree planting project in the community and be looking for outside support, etc.


Referrals to relevant others may be:
Verbally in either first language or English depending on the target group and whether or not the referrals take place internally within the community, or outside the community to other key people or outside agencies
Written correspondence i.e.: faxes, letters, etc.
Photo of the problem/issue
Video recording the problem/issue


Relevant others may include:
Community development workers
Horticultural workers
Community council
Government agencies
Other land care agencies
Pawa

EVIDENCE GUIDE

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this competency unit:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Consistency in performance should consider the worker's ability to be able to monitor land care issues in the community as they directly relate to the possibility of disease transmission and/ or health related complaints
Assessment needs to occur more than once and over a period of time


Access and equity considerations:
All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities


Context of and specific resources for assessment:
For the purposes of consistency this unit is best assessed on the job
Access required to:
a phone/ fax (to assess competency in making referrals to relevant others outside of the community either verbally or by written correspondence)


Related unit:
This unit is a pre-requisite for:
HLTPOP412C Develop a plan of action to address land care issues in the community