HLTPOP302C - Contribute to working with the community to identify health needsHLTPOP302CContribute to working with the community to identify health needs

Descriptor

This unit develops the skills necessary to contribute working with a particular population/sub-group of interest /community in the assessment of their health needs

It develops the ability to source and develop information and data to assist in reviewing aspects of the problem being targeted and to assist in defining the health needs of the population of interest

This in turn, guides the design, planning and evaluation of Population Health projects or interventions

Application

This unit applies to work in a public health context and must be applied in compliance with relevant legislation and regulations

Employability Skills

This unit contains Employability Skills

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

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

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:

This unit may be assessed in the workplace or in a simulated workplace under normal conditions

The unit may be assessed in the classroom and may contain a strong theoretical emphasis

Access to:

a range of government and non government policy documents and reports and statistics

journals, books and external expertise

documents and other materials (charters, declarations, discussion papers, etc.) from international conferences on population health

a range of government and non government policy documents and reports and statistics

organisation policies and procedures

Method of assessment

Observation of performance

Written tasks

Interviewing and questioning

Formal appraisal systems

Staff client feedback

Portfolio/CV

Supporting statement of supervisors

Evidence of relevant work experience/formal or informal learning

Case studies and scenarios as a basis for the discussion of issues in population health project planning

Project, exercise or investigation with relaxed time restraints requiring a significant part of the work to be carried out without close supervision and requiring the completion of a project report

Related units:

This unit should be undertaken and assessed in conjunction with the following units:

HLTPOP303C Contribute to population health project planning

HLTPOP304C Contribute to evaluating a population health project

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.

Health need is defined as:

State, conditions or factors in the community which, if absent, prevent people from achieving the optimum of physical, mental and social well-being 1

Types of need:

Normative need (based on expert opinion)

Expressed need (based on inferences made from observation of use of health services)

Comparative need (derived from examining the services provided in a similar population)

Felt need (based on what members of the community say they need)

Health problem and communitybeing targeted may be identified through one of the following ways:

Consultation with supervising Population Health professional

Position/job description

Policy documents/legislation detailing national, state or local health goals

Means of finding relevant literature may include:

Web searches for publications and research reports from relevant organisations

Catalogue searches

Briefing materials may include:

Written summaries of issues or opinion

Pamphlets, brochures, charted and tabled data

Collections of reports, articles or research results

Feedback may include:

Written reports

Brief commentary or summary presentations

Consultation may take the form of one of the following:

Interviews (personal, phone, formal or informal)

Nominal group process

Questionnaires

Delphi Method

Focus groups

Forums

Relevant sources of information include:

Books

Journals

Hospital records

Notification systems

Registers

Sentinel recording systems

Surveys

Annual public health reports

Existing epidemiological/socio-demographic data

National Population Health and Health Promotion agencies and organisations

General practitioners/primary care service

Local health authorities

Councils

Voluntary agencies

Relevant databases, such as HEAPS

Publications of Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

Experts in the field (practice and academia)

Target group representatives

Key stakeholders may include:

Representatives of relevant health agencies operating in the local community

Community advocates or change agents

Representatives/leaders of the target population

Population health professionals/Supervisors

Federal, State or local health service and population health planners

Federal, State or local health service providers

Other health and/or non-government organisations

Data may be:

Qualitative

Quantitative

Types of data required about the target group may include:

Demographic characteristics (e.g. age, sex, ethnic composition, residence, education level achieved)

Patterns of behaviour

Lifestyle

Ethical considerations that guide data collection and consultation processes may include:

Privacy and confidentiality

Responsibility to help a community respond to needs they identify which might not necessarily coincide with stated priority health needs