Applicants for
membership of AIWCW and for assessment of overseas qualifications and skills,
should consult the List of AIWCW Core Competencies in PART 2, the Evidence
Guidelines in PART 3, and the pro forma Format Guideline for the setting out of
evidence in PART 4 of this document, with PART 4.5 “Core Competencies” forming
the focus of the application.
On
1. HAVE COMPLETED AN OTHER RELEVANT
QUALIFICATION (ORQ)
An Other Relevant Qualification will be at least
equivalent to an Australian Qualification Framework Diploma which has
curriculum relevant to a closely related occupation, such as work with
disabled, youth, the aged, nursing, physiotherapy, etc; OR which is equivalent
to at least a bachelor degree with a major in psychology or sociology or a
similar social science degree And:
2.
PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF AT LEAST THREE YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXERIENCE
Professional Experience can be paid or voluntary, but must be adequately supervised by a professional and average at least 30 hours per week, and undertaken within the last 10 years. The experience may be in an Other Relevant Occupation, such as psychologist, nurse, community worker, social policy analyst or planner, or residential care worker, (e.g.) And:
3. SATISFY
AIWCW CORE COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS
In order to
satisfy the Core Competency Requirements, applicants must provide sufficient
evidence that they have attained all 33 of the Essential Elements of
Core Competency, and have attained two out of the six Elements labelled
“Desirable”
Applicants
should use the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Recognition of Current
Competencies (RCC) process, the guidelines for which are included in PART 3. Details of the other 2 requirements above
(ORQ and 3 years experience) may be included within the RPL & RCC process,
but if so they must be clearly acknowledged as such. A pro forma guideline for
the setting out of evidence is provided in PART 4 of this document.
Notes: 1) Cues are examples of the
relevant Element, and evidence for all these particular examples need not be
supplied, but at least some should normally be included.
2) The term “client” might refer to an
individual, couple, family, group or community.
Core Competency 1 – Practices social welfare in an
ethical manner in accordance with values and ethics of the profession
Elements (All Elements are Essential)
1.1.
Applies principles of respect and
commitment to clients as human beings, regardless of their attitudes and
behaviour.
1.2.
Applies principles of social justice,
equity, individual worth and dignity and self-determination in day to day
professional practice and in policy development and implementation
1.3.
Practices in an ethical manner
1.4.
Is responsible and accountable for
one’s own actions, decisions and professional development
1.5.
Maintains and applies an awareness of
legal issues, principles and mechanism, legislation and statutory provisions
affecting professional practice
1.6.
Applies critical analysis to the
profession, social welfare agencies and organizations, and societal
institutions, and works towards change.
Core
Competency 2 – Communicate with a broad spectrum of people and organisations
using appropriate techniques and media.
Elements (All Elements are Essential except 2.4
which is Desirable)
2.1.
Speaks such that one’s meaning is
conveyed effectively.{CUE to clients (individuals and groups),
colleagues, meetings (in-house and public), consultations}
2.2.
Understands and clarifies the intended
meaning of the communication of others
2.3.
Prepares written communication
{CUE: intake reports, case notes, reports for
consideration of a law court, submission for funding, agendas and minutes of
meetings, draft pamphlets and leaflets, draft press releases, community
announcements}
2.4.
Collects, organises, presents and
disseminates information relating to social and community services programs and
issues { CUE : to clients, to the general
community, within organizations, to other agencies} [Desirable]
2.5.
Selects and uses the means of
communication appropriate to the occasion
2.6.
Demonstrates awareness of the impact of
values, power and authority in communication
Core Competency 3 – Assesses, plans and evaluates
programmes, projects and work programmes with clients.
Elements (All Elements are Essential)
3.1.
Gathers relevant data
{CUE information for case histories}
3.2.
Identifies, assesses and analyses data {CUE ability to
provide options}
3.3.
Facilitates the participation of people in developing
policies and programs {CUE
clients, projects and programs}
3.4.
Sets goals and objectives
3.5.
Monitors and evaluates work with clients, policies, programs
and projects.
Core Competency 4 – Implement programmes, projects and
work with clients.
Elements (All Elements are Essential except 4.8
which is Desirable)
4.1
Applies a
range of theories, techniques and methods in working with clients as
individuals, families, groups and communities.
4.2
Conducts interviews with clients and others for a variety of
purposes
4.3
Empowers and educates clients to act on their behalf
4.4
Work with clients and their social environments, and with
the interaction between clients and their environments
4.5
Develops referral systems and makes referrals to other
services, resources and professionals
4.6
Receives referrals from other services
4.7
Facilitates development and maintenance of groups. Networks with communities of people for their
mutual benefit
4.8
Establishes and implements projects and programs. [Desirable]
Core Competency 5 – Plan, organise and carry out work
autonomously and as part of a team
Elements (Elements 5.2, 5.3 & 5.4 are
Essential. Elements 5.1, 5.5 and 5.6 are Desirable)
5.1.
Manages projects and programs [Desirable]
5.2.
Works according to statutory
requirements and policies {CUE
equal opportunity, privacy, occupational health and safety and
industrial relations}
5.3.
Works autonomously
5.4.
Works as a member of a team
5.5.
Manages staff and volunteers including
ongoing support and co-ordination of their activities {CUE:
entry level – up to approximately 20 volunteers} [Desirable]
5.6.
Develops and maintains records and
information systems relating to clients, resources, programs and projects. [Desirable]
Core Competency 6 – Use one’s personal attributes to
effect in dealings with clients, colleagues, employers, and the general
community
Elements (All Elements are Essential)
6.1.
Develops rapport with the client
6.2.
Maintains a high level of self
awareness
6.3.
Applies flexibility and openness to
change, using improvisation and creative alternatives
6.4.
Is aware of personal and professional
limitations, and consults others when appropriate.
Core Competency 7 – Demonstrates an awareness of
societal structures and systems, both formal and informal, and understands
these systems and their implications for clients, workers and community
services organisations.
Elements (All Elements are Essential except for
7.3 which is Desirable)
7.1.
Applies an understanding of
social, cultural, spiritual, political and economic influences in considering
client situations, and in developing policies, programs and projects.
7.2.
Applies an understanding of
societal institutional frameworks to practice {CUE Judiciary, parliamentary, administrative
levels of government; statutory bodies; peak SACS bodies, eg. ACOSS, legal institutions, non-government agencies eg.
Salvation Army, Red Cross, Neighbourhood Houses}
7.3.
Understands the legislative and statutory
provisions affecting workers [Desirable]
7.4.
Applies an understanding of the
historical and socio-political context of welfare work as a profession.
***Please
note that entry level competency in all essential elements must be demonstrated
and one third (1/3rd) of the desirable elements.
PART 3 -
EVIDENCE GUIDELINES – Recognition of Current Competencies
Recognition
of Current Competencies (RCC), Skills Recognition or Recognition of Prior
Learning (RPL) are examples of the different purposes
of assessment. They are a means of
recognising competencies, through previous informal and formal learning, or
through work and life experience.
How can I substantiate my claim that I have met the
competencies nominated?
To
be deemed competent in an Element of competency you must satisfy the
requirement for each criteria within the Element of
competency. Evidence of competence must
be provided in a manner that enables an Assessor to readily ascertain whether
the required competencies have been demonstrated.
To
be consistently effective you need to understand the theories, models,
principles, methods and techniques that underpin your competence. People with this knowledge and understanding
are able to decide and explain what and how things should be done. This is part of being able to produce
competent performance.
To
demonstrate underpinning knowledge and understanding, it may be necessary to
satisfactorily answer questions from an Assessor in addition to provision of
the portfolio of evidence.
a) Greater weight will be given
by an Assessor to evidence that is less than 5 years old, and evidence which is
over 10 years old will generally be given little weight (but might still be
included, especially if it relates continuously to more recent experience)
b) A single piece of evidence such as a
reference, critical incident or case example may be relevant to more than one criteria within any one Element of Competency, to more than
one Element of Competency, and to more than one of the seven Core Competencies.
c) There are three types of evidence that can
be collected and presented. All three
types of evidence will probably be required.
1. Products of Work
2. Personal Reports
3. Witness Testimony
This
type of evidence is divided into Direct Evidence and Indirect Evidence.
Direct
evidence is usually more valid, but assessors will expect to see both types,
plus witness testimony to authenticate them.
Direct
evidence is anything for which you have been primarily responsible.
This
reflects your own work and may include:
·
An outline of the statutory parameters
or legal constraints
you have had to work within during your work in the community and
human service field.
·
Provision of evidence of successful
team membership
·
Provision of evidence of successful
work organization methods
·
Descriptions of case examples, critical
incidents, etc. You could include a record of interview with client(s), or a
full case report, with identifying data removed or blacked out.
·
Provision of evidence of effective
communication style both written and verbal with a range of media appropriate
to the situation
·
Appraisals or Team Reviews that you
have completed
·
Videos of Presentations
·
Evidence of strategies designed and/or
implemented.
(These are examples only, applicants
need to match what they do/or have done within their framework for practice,
with the AIWCW Core Competencies)
This
is information gathered from others about you, and may include:
·
Minutes of Meeting in which you have
participated or have facilitated
·
Magazine or Newspaper articles about
you
·
Prizes, Certificates or other forms of
Commendation
·
Witness Testimony (see below)
·
Self Appraisal
The
personal report is a concise description of the activities and functions
carried out, and should be related to the Core Competencies claimed. It reflects action taken, knowledge and
understanding. A personal report can be
used in conjunction with an oral interview or some other form of assessment.
The
report helps to highlight the knowledge and understanding required to do a job,
and it links with the evidence. You might link it to a case study or record of
interview. You need to explain how your evidence addresses each criteria or
learning outcome in each element of competency or module. It gives the applicant the
opportunity to explain what you know, what you can do, and why you did what you
did in particular situations. The
reports explain how and why the evidence meets the standards in terms of being
valid, authentic, reliable, consistent and current.
The
personal report should include:
·
A brief description of the context or
contract in which the work was carried out.
·
Details of actions taken.
·
An explanation as to how the evidence
relates to the actions taken.
·
An explanation as to why certain
decisions were made, and what factors influenced the outcome.
·
An explanation of the underpinning
knowledge; and understanding that had to be drawn upon. For example, was it necessary to follow
agency policy or any specific legislation?
What underpinning principles were applied? Relate any applicable theories to your
evidence.
·
An explanation of the planning
processes used.
·
An explanation of the decisions
regarding follow-up as a result of the outcomes.
·
Identification of any other situations
handled which were similar. This demonstrates that a range of situations can be
handled.
Witness
testimony should be seen as useful feedback and not merely a reference.
This
is indirect evidence about you, and may include:
·
Letters or formal legal statements
(such as `statutory declarations’) from managers, customers, colleagues,
previous bosses or subordinates to support your claim, including letters of
appreciation. Note that simple statements specifying the period of employment,
and/or general character references will be relevant, but not sufficient as
evidence of competencies.
·
Reports from a manager who witnessed
specific activities undertaken, for example, meetings, presentations,
interviews.
·
Results of questionnaires, surveys,
critiques initiated by you or others.
Witness
testimonies should also contain:
·
An agency or company heading or
letterhead
·
The name of the supervisor or manager
·
The period of employment
·
A list or description of competencies
·
A statement of verification
·
The signature and position of the
person verifying the claim
·
The date
Confidentiality
is an extremely important aspect of the whole process of Recognition of Current
Competencies. It is important that
sensitive information is not disclosed.
You should
obtain authorisation to use evidence, and remove sensitive names
and figures, if necessary.
The Assessor or a panel of assessors will,
through a systematic review of evidence claiming validation, and by applying
specific testing where applicable, determine whether you have
demonstrated/substantiated achievement of the learning outcomes/competencies.
An
initial Assessment will be made which might grant recognition of one or more of
the seven Core Competencies, or of some Elements within these, based upon
documentation you supply (and perhaps upon precedent from similar past
applications).
If the Assessment cannot be completed using
the material supplied, you may be asked to provide additional information and
evidence, or an assessment by personal interview might be required. This might
be conducted by telephone, or even email, if face-to-face interviews are not possible.
Brief tests using multiple choice or short answers to specific issues,
knowledge or case examples, might also be used.
The final decision will be based upon:
(1)
A review of all the documentation
(2)
And/or the conducting of a personal
assessment if deemed necessary
Feedback is available with regards to your
documentation or your assessment performance. Further evidence or extension of
the assessment may be considered if the decision to grant recognition is
marginal.
If
recognition is not granted, you will receive post assessment guidance that will
inform you of the Appeal Provisions. Details of the general Membership Appeals
Procedure are also available from the AIWCW National Secretary. The following
is a summary.
REVIEW
You
may request the Assessor or convenor of an Initial Assessment Panel for a
Review of your application, based upon a re-check of routine processes; a
clarification of the reasons for lack of recognition; confirmation that
particular data was taken into account; and calculations made by the Assessor.
You are encouraged to make informal contact before formally requesting a
Review.
Any
formal request for Review should be in writing and addressed to the AIWCW
Membership Co-ordinator. It needs to be
lodged within 28 days of the decision “recognition not granted” and should be
accompanied by the relevant fee. This fee is normally refunded if the Review is
in favour of the applicant.
Appeals
may be made based upon additional data, alternative interpretations of data or
problems with procedure or communication, by writing to the AIWCW National
Secretary. Appeals are decided by panels of persons not involved in the
original decision. Fees are not normally refundable, and may include the meeting
expenses of External Appeal Panel Members.
In the following, space is not provided for
applicants to respond. Instead, headings etc. are provided as a guide to the
If you enclose many documents or other
evidence, it will be useful to label them (by number or letter) and attach a
List of Documents. This will help you to reference evidence.
If much written documentation is not
available, please contact the National Office to negotiate alternative forms of
evidence, such as a telephone or internet based interview.
4.2
Personal Details
Include full name and address, date of
birth, telephone and other contact details (fax, email) and any additional
skills, interests, life experiences, commitments, hobbies or recreational
pursuits you think might be relevant. (Alternatively, you may introduce these
additions where relevant in your examination of Core Competencies.)
4.3 Education
– Details of Courses Undertaken
1. You
should include all courses
undertaken, but only the course
2. Include
an “ORQ Statement” nominating which
course or combination of courses you believe comprises an Other Relevant
Qualification (see Part 1, Par. 1).
3. To
support your application, you will need to provide certified copies of
documents. Please do not send the
original of these documents or copies of certified copies.
4. Those
with overseas qualifications have generally supplied most of the details
requested below on their Assessment Application Form (1182 SWNR or 1183 WR). There is no need to repeat them under this
heading, but add details of any additional courses.
For
all courses used as evidence, including short courses/workshops/ seminars, provide:-
(1)
The
(2)
The name of the college, university or
other educational institution
(3)
The name of the campus and its full
address.
(4)
Month and year you commenced and
finished the course
(5)
Total length of the course in days or
semesters, weeks per semester, and years
(6)
Number of hours of class contact per
week (average)
(7)
As much detail as possible of course
content
Details of field
education placements.
These should be described separately, thus:
(1) Name
of Agency
(2) Period
of Placements (approximate date of commencement and completion)
(3) Total
number of days and number of hours per day
(4) Names
and qualifications of supervisors
(5) Description
of duties – be as specific as possible.
The educational documents required
are:
(1)
Proof of completion of course, e.g. the
degree, diploma or certificate.
(2) Results/grades,
academic record, i.e. official transcripts of educational courses completed (or
student book or
mark sheet).
(3)
Course outlines, which are descriptions
of courses taken from a syllabus or course handbook. Include brief descriptions
of each subject, usually of 50-100 words for each subject.
(4)
Evidence of change of name, if your
results are recorded under another name.
1. You may include any paid or voluntary experience, but only your title, workplace,
and year of commencement and completion of the experience need be included for
those experiences considered by you to be of little relevance to your
application.
2. Include
a “3 Year Experience Statement”
nominating which experience(s) contribute to the required 3 years (See Part 1,
Par.2).
3. Those
with overseas qualifications should complete the summary on the Assessment
Application, as well as the details required hereunder.
4. For
all work experience used as evidence,
provide:
(1)
Position
Title, and whether paid or voluntary
(2) Employer
or sponsor (including division or department)
(3) Location,
including contact details for recent experiences.
(4) Commenced:
month/year
(5) Finished: month/year
(6)
Hours
of work per week (average)
(7)
Duties,
including:
(i) Overview – a general description of duties.
(ii) A detailed description of each distinct
category of work may be appropriate. And
if duties changed substantially over time within each period of employment,
provide details as above. Where appropriate, state whether
the activity was conducted primarily with; a).
administrators, supervisors etc. of agencies,
government departments, etc. or b). with individuals or small groups of persons, e.g. 'clients'
of the agency, or members of the community)
(iii)
Perhaps include the percentage of time or average hours per week at each
category of work.
Reference or
other evidence.
Not all aspects of the work need be referenced, and not all work experiences need be referenced,
but there must be significant references which provide evidence of the kind of
work performed. Evidence of employment
only, such as brief appointment and termination letters, and general character
references which do not describe duties or relate to competence, while useful
for the Application, will not normally be sufficient as evidence of competency.
This section is the main focus of the
Application. Each Element within each of the seven major AIWCW Core Competencies
(Units) listed in Part 2 should be dealt with in turn. List each Element,
and then use the Evidence of Competency section (Part 3) and the data in
Personal Details, Education and Work Experience above (Part 4) to show that
each of the 33 Essential Elements has been attained, and that two out of the
six Desirable Elements have also been attained.
For
Example
Consider
the first Element (1.1) “Applies principles of respect and commitment to
clients as human beings, regardless of their attitudes and behaviour”.
How
do you do this? Give example(s), perhaps using a particular incident(s) or
situation(s) where you have displayed this, even when, for example, the
client’s behaviour is seen by some people as unacceptable.
What other evidence can you refer to
in order to support your claim that you do this? Any reference to an enclosed
document or tape recording, etc. must be specific.
It will usually not be sufficient to
direct attention to a whole document when providing evidence of an individual
Element of Competency. You will need to specify the part of any document which
relates directly to the Element. One way this can be done is by inserting the
Element Number at the relevant place in the copy of each document used as
evidence, preferably using bolded text or different colouring such as red ink,
and then refer to this paragraph/page number in your
response to the Element Number
It is not sufficient to only repeat or paraphrase the wording in the
Element and claim that you do it. For example, the following response does NOT provide satisfactory evidence
of competency Elements: “1.1 & 1.2: I work with clients equally regardless
of their attitudes and behaviour in order to ensure my welfare agency’s policy
on equality and justice .” This response is far too
brief, and provides no examples or evidence.
Further
Examples
The
following suggestions and examples may help when completing your application.
Note
that these are only EXAMPLES; they might not apply to your situation, and you
should use your own examples from your experience. You should not answer any questions asked
below as a separate exercise; if they apply to you, they should be linked with
specific Elements of Competency in your list.
Core
Competency 1 -
Professional Conduct and Development
Provide examples of how you resolved differences
between your personal and professional values, and between your personal or
professional values and those of the agency or organisation you work(ed) for, your network of colleagues or friends, or the
clients you deal with. How have you been able to work with clients when, in
your opinion, their actions have been immoral? What and whose values, needs and
perspectives should be taken into account when dealing with clients and their
problems?
Core
Competency 2 - Communication
Provide examples or describe in detail your
experiences in relation to (for example): written referrals, progress notes in
files, social/family history of an individual client or community group or
program, report to a court, policy document or research report. Have you been
able to advocate on behalf of a client, either in written documents or
verbally? What feedback have you had that your communication is clear, effective and appropriate to the occasion?
Core
Competency 3 - Assessment
In asking questions of clients to find out
what the problems are and to gain
Core
Competency 4 - Implementation
What different theories, methods and
techniques have you used in your work? Give examples of work with individuals,
families, groups and communities. Why
did you choose either a formal or
Core
Competency 5 -
Management
Give examples of how you have made
decisions on your own initiative. How much supervision do you have per week,
and how do you use it? Provide examples
of workgroups or teams that you have been part of, and detail the kinds of
contributions you made to their efficient and effective functioning. Provide
details of your participation in case conferences, staff meetings, interagency
network meetings, reference groups, forums, lobby groups. How do you maintain up-to-date
Core
Competency 6 - Use of Self
What techniques do you use to establish
rapport with clients? What else is
needed, beside techniques? How do you use feedback from colleagues or
supervisors to improve your practice? What
personal attributes do you consider essential to you carrying out your role in
human services?
Core
Competency 7 - Societal Context
How does policy of governments and/or
agencies impact on your work, and on the needs of clients. How have any changes in employment, education,
religion, law, the family, etc. affected those you work with as clients?
Finally,
set out a certification statement, using the following format, which should be
copied onto your document, leaving spaces for signatures and
I hereby certify that as far as I am
aware, the particulars in this Application for Recognition of Current
Competencies and the supporting documents are correct , and I agree to abide by
the rules and regulations relating to the assessment of membership eligibility
for the Australian Institute of Welfare and Community Workers Inc.
Signature: xxxxxxxxxxxx Date: ____/____/____
Witness Signature: xxxxxxxxxxx Witness Name: xxxxxxxxxxx
ENQUIRIES regarding this process may be
directed to:
AIWCW
Inc. National Office
Phone: 03 9654 8287
Fax: 03
9654 1081
Email:
Website: www.aiwcw.org.au
ABN
28 686 828 620
Vic.
Reg. A0036440S