COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the course on Facilitate the Interests & Rights of Clients. This course is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to advocate for and protect the rights and interests of clients within the health and community services sectors. By the end of this course, you will be proficient in understanding human rights frameworks, addressing client needs, and effectively navigating legal and ethical considerations.

In section A, we begin with an exploration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, examining the relationship between human needs and human rights. This section will cover key human rights frameworks, approaches, and instruments, providing a foundation for understanding how these principles apply to client advocacy.

Australian legal and ethical considerations related to the facilitation of client rights and interests will be discussed in depth. You will learn how these considerations impact individual workers and the common risks to client safety and wellbeing that must be managed.

The relevance of child protection across all health and community services contexts is crucial for safeguarding vulnerable populations. Actions that constitute discrimination and techniques for addressing it will be examined to ensure you can promote equity and justice in your practice.

Understanding the types of community resources, networks, and referral options relevant to client service is essential. This knowledge will help you navigate potential conflicts between client needs and organisational requirements effectively.

You will also explore the differences between negotiation, advocacy, and mediation, along with the techniques for each, to facilitate client rights. The concepts of empowerment and disempowerment will be discussed to ensure you can support clients in a way that fosters their autonomy and self-determination.

In section B, you will learn practical skills to discuss the rights and responsibilities of all parties with clients, providing them with researched, relevant, and timely information. Assisting clients to identify their own interests, rights, needs, choices, and responsibilities is a key component of client advocacy.

Identifying when rights are infringed or not being met, and providing clients with information on available options for meeting their rights and needs, will enable you to assist clients in identifying their preferred options.

Conducting an assessment to identify a client’s ability to advocate for themselves, and initiating, negotiating, and implementing relevant strategies in collaboration with the client, are crucial skills you will develop. Identifying potential barriers and resources, and representing the client to optimise outcomes, will also be covered.

Ensuring information is kept in confidence unless authorisation is given to release it is essential for maintaining trust and integrity in client relationships. Supporting and encouraging clients to exercise their rights and personal preferences without compromising their safety or that of others is a critical aspect of this course.

Consulting with supervisors, other support workers, and the service about the interests, rights, and needs of clients in a way that upholds their rights and supports their reasonable expectations is crucial for effective advocacy.

You will learn to identify situations of risk or potential risk and refer appropriately, applying work practices to minimise potential harm to clients, yourself, and others. Conducting all activities in accordance with legal, organisational, and duty of care requirements ensures that your practice is compliant and ethical.

Discussing organisational and legal complaint mechanisms with clients, ensuring they are aware of their rights and responsibilities, and assisting them in lodging complaints are important skills for advocating for client rights. Monitoring the process, providing ongoing support and information, and discussing progress and outcomes with the client will ensure that their concerns are addressed effectively.

Ensuring follow-up and links to other services as required, in accordance with client preferences, and obtaining feedback to identify opportunities for improvement in your work, will help you continually enhance your practice.

Throughout this course, you will work in collaboration with one client to identify their interests, needs, and rights, advocate on behalf of one client to achieve a specific outcome, and support one client throughout an organisational or legal complaints process.

By the end of this course, you will be well-equipped to facilitate the interests and rights of clients, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met within the health and community services sectors.

This course is designed to align with the content outlined in the Nationally Recognised Unit of Competency CHCADV001.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

Section A: Knowledge

·       The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

·       The relationship between human needs and human rights

·       Human rights frameworks, approaches and instruments

·       Australian Legal and ethical considerations related to facilitation of client rights and interests and how these impact individual workers

·       Common risks to client safety and wellbeing

·       Relevance of child protection across all health and community services contexts

·       Actions that constitute discrimination and techniques for addressing it

·       Types of community resources, networks and referral options relevant to the nature of client service

·       Potential conflict between client needs and organisation requirements

·       Differences between negotiation, advocacy and mediation

·       Negotiation, advocacy and mediation techniques for the facilitation of client rights

·       Empowerment and disempowerment

Section B: Performance Tasks

·       Discuss the rights and responsibilities of all parties with client

·       Provide client with researched, relevant and timely information on their rights and responsibilities

·       Assist clients to identify their own interests, rights, needs, choices and responsibilities

·       Identify when rights are infringed or not being met

·       Provide client with information on available options for meeting their rights and needs and assist them to identify their preferred option

·       Undertake an assessment to identify client’s ability to advocate for self

·       Initiate, negotiate and implement relevant strategies for addressing client rights and needs in collaboration with the client

·       Identify potential barriers as well as resources

·       Identify and contact the most appropriate individuals and/or organisations and represent the client to optimise outcomes for the client

·       Ensure information is kept in confidence unless authorisation is given to release it

·       Support and encourage clients to exercise their rights and personal preferences without compromising their safety and that of others

·       Consult with supervisor, other support workers and the service about interests, rights and needs of clients in a way that upholds their rights and supports their reasonable expectations

·       Identify situations of risk or potential risk and refer appropriately

·       Apply work practices to minimise potential for harm to clients, self and others

·       Conduct all activities in accordance with legal, organisation and duty of care requirements

·       Discuss organisation and legal complaints mechanism and ensure client is aware of rights and responsibilities

·       Assist client in lodging a complaint

·       Monitor process and provide ongoing support and information to client

·       Discuss progress and outcomes with the client and collaborate on further action as necessary

·       Ensure follow up and links to other services as required and in accordance with client preferences

·       Obtain feedback and identify opportunities for improvement to own work and action as appropriate

·       Work in collaboration with 1 client to identify their interests, needs and rights

·       Advocate on behalf of 1 client to achieve a specific outcome

·       Support 1 client throughout an organisational or legal complaints process

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.