Sub-Field: Social Services

21731 6-Apr-18 1 of 8

EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT Describe ways to provide employment support and related services for diverse service user groups

level: 4 credit: 6 planned review date: May 2007 sub-field: Social Services purpose: People credited with this unit standard are able to describe important considerations for working with diverse service user groups in employment support, and describe how to engage and stay current with specific services indicated by a service user's needs. entry information: Open. accreditation option: Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry. moderation option: A centrally established and directed national moderation system has been set up by Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce). special notes: 1 People awarded credit in this unit standard are able to demonstrate knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for social service purposes, and are able to apply this competence to the context of assessment for this unit standard (for further clarification, please refer to Unit 7926, Explain Te Tiriti o Waitangi for social service purposes).

2 Glossary Employment is the agreed exchange of labour for money in compliance with all the conditions of the Employment Relations Act 2000. For the purposes of this unit standard, employment support is defined by the following six principles – placement first; ongoing support; wages and associated employment benefits; universal eligibility; real workplaces; career development.

Ó New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 21731 6-Apr-18 2 of 8

Employment support worker refers to the person seeking award of credit for this unit standard. Financial support includes support to both employers and employees, but does not include wages and salaries. Examples of financial support include equipment grants, Mainstream payments, taxi vouchers, Workbridge administered support funds, Work and Income subsidies and allowances. The term service user is used in this unit standard because that reflects the nature of their relationship with the employment support worker and service provider. However, they may also be regarded as a ‘job seeker’ or ‘employee’ in other circumstances.

3 Assessment notes The following apply to the performance of all elements of this unit standard: a All activities must comply with service provider guidelines, protocols, staff manuals, strategic plans, kawa, or tikanga. b All activities must comply with relevant cultural, legislative, and regulatory requirements, which include but are not limited to: Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights 1996; Employment Relations Act 2000; NZS 8134:2001, Health and Disability Sector Standards; Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001; Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992; Human Rights Act 1993; Official Information Act 1982; Privacy Act 1993.

4 Significant social policy and legislative and regulatory requirements (both historical and current) include: Minister for Disability Issues. April 2001. The New Zealand disability strategy: Making a world of difference: Whakanui oranga. Wellington: Ministry of Health; Department of Labour. September 2001. Pathways to inclusion: Ngā ara whakauru ki te iwi whānui: Improving vocational services for people with disabilities. Wellington: Department of Labour;

Mental Health Commission. 1998. Blueprint for mental health services in New Zealand: How things need to be. Wellington: Mental Health Commission. This resource can be downloaded from the Mental Health Commission’s website: http://www.mhc.govt.nz National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability. 2003. To have an ‘ordinary’ life – Kia whai oranga ‘noa’: Community membership for adults with an intellectual disability – Ko te noho-ā-iwi mō te hunga hinengaro hauā kua pakeke nei. A report to the Minister of Health and the Minister for Disability Issues from the National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability. Wellington: New Zealand. This resource can be downloaded from the National Health Committee’s website: http://www.nhc.govt.nz accident compensation legislation, including the Accident Compensation Act 1982 and the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Act 2001; Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights 1996; Disabled Persons Community Welfare Act 1975; Education Act 1989; Employment Relations Act 2000; Health and Disability Services Act 1993; Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001; Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992; Human Rights Act 1993; Minimum Wages Act 1983; Privacy Act 1993; New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000; State Sector Act 1988 (and associated Equal Employment Opportunity EEO strategies); New Zealand Standard (NZS) 8134:2001 Health and Disability Sector Standards: Te Awarua o te Hauora, available from Standards NZ – Paerewa Aotearoa: Wellington.

5 Resources related to working with diverse groups in employment support may include but are not limited to: a The Association for Supported Employment in New Zealand (ASENZ). 1999. Second edition. A framework for quality: Quality assurance for supported employment services in New Zealand. Palmerston North: ASENZ. b The following websites provide further information and resources, including links to other sites related to specific disabilities and mental health issues: http://www.dpa.org.nz/links.html http://www.weka.net.nz http://www.asenz.org.nz/ http://www.nzvass.org.nz/ http://www.mhc.govt.nz http://www.msd.govt.nz/ http://www.odi.govt.nz/ http://www.workandincome.govt.nz http://www.workbridge.co.nz

Elements and Performance Criteria element 1

Describe important considerations for working with diverse service user groups in employment support.

Range: diverse service user groups include but are not limited to – groups defined by culture, ethnicity, gender; mental health consumers/tangata whai ora; people with intellectual disability; people with physical disability; people with sensory impairments. performance criteria

1.1 Important considerations and practical ways for working with people with different impairments are described in terms of their relevance to providing employment support to those service users.

Range: people with different impairments include people with – autistic spectrum disorder; challenging behaviour; head injury; intellectual disability; deafness and hearing impairment; physical disability; psychiatric disability; vision impairments; important considerations – service user experience, perspectives, values; practical ways – individual; group; family or whānau; referral to others with specific expertise; networking; co-working. Evidence is required of two important considerations and two practical ways for working with each of the range of people with different impairments.

1.2 Important considerations and practical ways for working with diverse service user groups are described.

Range: important considerations – service user experience, perspectives, values. Evidence is required of two important considerations for each of three diverse service user groups, one of which is Māori. practical ways – individual; group; family or whānau; referral to others with specific expertise; networking; co-working. Evidence is required of two practical ways for working with each of two diverse service user groups, one of which is Māori.

1.3 Important considerations for the employment support worker in working with diverse service user groups are described.

Range: important considerations – employment support worker experience, perspectives, values. Evidence is required of two important considerations for the employment support worker for working with two diverse service user groups, one of which is a service user group defined by culture, ethnicity, or gender.

1.4 Types of financial support for employment of diverse service user groups are described.

Range: financial support includes – wage subsidies, employment incentives, allowances. Evidence is required of five examples of financial support and how to obtain them.

1.5 The interrelationship between earnings, income support, and tax abatement regimes is described for two different forms of income support.

Range: income support – ACC payment, Work and Income administered benefit.

1.6 The objects and main provisions of the Employment Relations Act 2000 are outlined in terms of their relevance to employment support.

element 2

Describe how to engage and stay current with specific services indicated by a service user's needs.

Range: people with different impairments include people with – autistic spectrum disorder; challenging behaviour; head injury; intellectual disability; deafness and hearing impairment; physical disability; psychiatric disability; vision impairments; specific services – evidence is required of providers in the employment support worker's local community; or regional or national providers wherever services are unavailable locally. performance criteria

2.1 The range of specific services indicated by a service user's needs is identified and described in terms of services for people with different impairments.

Range: evidence is required of one different service provider for each of the range of people with different impairments, and one kaupapa Māori service provider.

2.2 Services are evaluated in terms of their accessibility to service users.

Range: accessibility may include – welcome, respect, affirmation, and support for service users; attention to physical comfort, safety, and privacy; physical accessibility; responsiveness to service user needs; use of language in verbal and written communications. Evidence is required in relation to two of the service providers identified and described under performance criterion 2.1.

2.3 Methods of keeping up to date with changes in services for diverse service user groups are identified and described.

Range: evidence is required of two different ways of keeping up to date.

Comments on this unit standard

Please contact Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce) [email protected] if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.

Please Note Providers must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority or a delegated inter- institutional body before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.

Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.

Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.

Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for providers wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.

This unit standard is covered by AMAP 0222 which can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/site/framework/search.html.

Ó New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018