Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to use advanced and specialised communication skills in the client-counsellor relationship.

This unit applies to individuals whose job role involves working with clients on personal and psychological issues within established policies, procedures and guidelines.

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand Standards and industry codes of practice.

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Unit Mapping Information

No equivalent unit

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=5e0c25cc-3d9d-4b43-80d3-bd22cc4f1e53

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:

• interviewed at least 3 different clients using specialised interpersonal communication and counselling interviewing skills, including:

• micro-skills and communication techniques, including:

• attending behaviours – active listening,
• reflection of content, summarising
• questioning skills – open, closed, simple and compound questions
• client observation skills
• noting and reflecting skills
• providing client feedback

• specialised counseling interviewing skills, including:

• challenging
• reframing
• focussing

• integrated clear case note taking into the interview process
• completed a structured process of self-reflection and evaluation of own communication used during the 3 interviews.

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:

• legal and ethical considerations for communication in counselling practice, and how these are applied in individual practice:

• codes of conduct/practice
• discrimination
• duty of care
• human rights
• practitioner/client boundaries
• privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
• rights and responsibilities of workers, employers and clients
• work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations of the counsellor role
• work health and safety

• principles of person-centred practice
• key objectives of counselling interviewing
• stages of a counselling interview
• potential impacts of using different communication skills and techniques in counselling contexts
• communication techniques and micro-skills including:

• attending behaviours – active listening, reflection of content feeling, summarising
• questioning skills – open, closed, simple and compound questions
• client observation skills
• noting and reflecting skills
• providing client feedback

• specialised counselling communication techniques, and how they are used, including:

• challenging
• reframing
• focusing

• components of the communication process including:

• encoder
• decoder

• primary factors that impact on the communication process including:

• context
• participants
• rules
• messages
• channels
• noise
• feedback

• communication barriers and resolution strategies, including:

• environmental
• physical
• individual perceptions
• cultural issues
• language
• age issues
• disability

• mechanisms that enhance effective interpersonal communication
• observational techniques including:

• facial expressions
• non-verbal behaviour
• posture
• silence

• ways in which different people absorb information, including:

• visual
• auditory
• kinaesthetic

• obstacles to the counselling process
• impacts of trauma and stress on the communication process, including on:

• concentration and attention
• memory
• use of verbal and written language
• use of body language
• challenging within the counselling session

• self-evaluation practices, including:

• how to recognise own biases
• impact of own values on the counselling relationship.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions. The following conditions must be met for this unit:

• use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including client information
• modelling of industry operating conditions, including:

• scenarios that involve complex interactions with real people in face-to-face situations where candidate and client are physically present in the same room
• scenarios that involve problem solving.

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

In addition, assessors must have 2 years experience working in a counselling role and hold a qualification in counselling or related field that involves counselling, at Diploma level or higher (or equivalent qualification).

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=5e0c25cc-3d9d-4b43-80d3-bd22cc4f1e53