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COUNSELLING Engage in counselling in groups
level:
6
credit:
12
planned review date:
June 2006
sub-field:
Social Services
purpose:
People credited with this unit standard are able to: establish the counselling relationship with the group; assist the group to identify their purpose(s) for counselling; assist the group to plan towards achieving their identified purpose(s) for counselling; assist the group to implement their plan; and effect closure of the counselling relationship with the group.
entry information:
Open.
accreditation option:
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA, industry and teaching professional in the same field from another provider.
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 implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the social services according to the authority and resources available to them, and are able to demonstrate application of this competence to the context of assessment for this unit standard (for further clarification, please refer to Unit 7928, Implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the social services).
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2012
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COUNSELLING Engage in counselling in groups
2
Glossary Characteristics and needs of group members and the group may be physical, spiritual, or mental. Characteristics and needs include: age and stage of development, coping strategies, group roles and dynamics, culture, disability, experience, knowledge, group history, gender, health status, history of each member of the group, language, sexual orientation, socio-economic situation; and needs for physical comfort, safety, and privacy of group members. The counselling environment must reflect the value and appropriateness of counselling in that setting in terms of freedom from interruption to the group process, and the depth and sensitivity of the counselling situation. Group and group members are used as generic terms to denote the people who are involved in counselling. They may be referred to by various descriptive terms in the range of social service settings.
3
People awarded credit in this unit standard demonstrate: ability to relate to difference; acknowledgement and respect for difference; acceptance, genuineness, honesty, humility, patience, and warmth; use of inclusive language; selection and implementation of counselling methods and modalities that are appropriate to the characteristics and needs of the group; rapport with the group; professional responses to positive and negative group feedback; clarity about their role and boundaries in relationships with the group and group members; clarity about the limits of their competence and when to refer on to others. Competent practice in this unit standard requires that the concerns, issues, needs and dynamics of group relationships be attended to as well as the individual concerns, issues, and needs of each group member.
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2012
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COUNSELLING Engage in counselling in groups
4
In any given situation, candidates may not complete all elements of this unit standard. For example, the group may not need the candidate to assist them to implement a plan, so the candidate may then move on to establish closure of the relationship. However, it is necessary to demonstrate competence in all elements of this unit standard in order to be awarded credit.
5
All communications are treated confidentially. The scope and limits of confidentiality are defined through negotiation and informed consent, and criteria established by legislation, ethical practice, and service provider guidelines. In the context of this unit standard, sources of criteria established by legislation, ethical practice, and service provider guidelines may include but are not limited to: Official Information Act 1982, Privacy Act 1993, service provider codes of conduct, codes of practice issued by the Privacy Commissioner, social service codes of ethics, and service provider guidelines, protocols, staff manuals, strategic plans, kawa, or tikanga.
6
People awarded credit in this unit standard show that their actions are guided and supported by valid theory for social service practice. Evidence is required of social service theory that is derived from authoritative sources, which may include but are not limited to: body of knowledge related to social service work; cultural theory; practice research.
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2012
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COUNSELLING Engage in counselling in groups
Elements and Performance Criteria element 1 Establish the counselling relationship with the group. performance criteria 1.1
Establishment of the environment for counselling attends to the characteristics and needs of all members of the group.
1.2
The role, function, and any legal responsibilities of the social service worker and service provider are clarified with the group.
1.3
Essential elements of group management are established with the group. Range:
1.4
essential elements of group management include but are not limited to - membership of and commitment to the group; ground rules; kawa or protocols for each counselling session and the counselling relationship; leadership; methods and procedures for dealing with conflict in the group.
The group is engaged in counselling according to their characteristics and needs, and in accordance with the social service worker's role, function, and any legal responsibilities.
element 2 Assist the group to identify their purpose(s) for counselling. Range:
assistance may include but is not limited to - co-creating and exploring alternatives, challenging, coaching, confrontation, exploring past and current behaviours, patterns and beliefs, feedback, focusing, individual assistance or counselling plans for individual members of the group, joint plans for the group, making connections, providing information, referral to other services, reframing. Evidence is required of six.
performance criteria 2.1
The process to be used to identify the concerns, issues, or needs of the group is established according to negotiation with the group.
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2012
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COUNSELLING Engage in counselling in groups
2.2
Assistance enables the group to identify and describe their concerns, issues, or needs.
2.3
Assistance is provided using interpersonal skills that respond to verbal and nonverbal communications including body language. Range:
2.4
interpersonal skills include but are not limited to - attending, clarifying, encouraging, following, listening, questioning, paraphrasing, reflection of feeling and content, summarising.
Assistance is provided using group work skills that facilitate both the task and process of the group and identify concerns, issues, or needs. Range:
group work skills include but are not limited to - maintenance of ground rules; leadership; conflict resolution; negotiation.
2.5
Assistance enables the group to identify connections between their identified concerns, issues, or needs and their social and cultural context.
2.6
Assistance enables the group to identify achievable purpose(s) for counselling that are consistent with their identified concerns, issues, or needs, and consistent with their coping abilities, knowledge, resources, skills, and values.
element 3 Assist the group to plan towards achieving their identified purpose(s) for counselling. Range:
assistance may include but is not limited to - co-creating and exploring alternatives, challenging, coaching, confrontation, exploring past and current behaviours, patterns and beliefs, feedback, focusing, individual assistance or counselling plans for individual members of the group, joint plans for the group, making connections, providing information, referral to other services, reframing. Evidence is required of six.
performance criteria 3.1
Assistance enables the group to identify and select options to achieve their purpose(s) for counselling, individually as group members and jointly as a group.
3.2
Assistance enables the group to develop a plan to achieve their purpose(s) for counselling that is consistent with their coping abilities, knowledge, resources, skills, and values individually as group members and jointly as a group.
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2012
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COUNSELLING Engage in counselling in groups
3.3
The plan identifies resources that are available to achieve the group's purpose(s) for counselling, a time frame that is consistent with the use of those resources, the social service worker's role in the plan, and methods of evaluating progress.
element 4 Assist the group to implement their plan. Range:
assistance may include but is not limited to - co-creating and exploring alternatives, challenging, coaching, confrontation, exploring past and current behaviours, patterns and beliefs, feedback, focusing, individual assistance or counselling plans for individual members of the group, joint plans for the group, making connections, providing information, referral to other services, reframing. Evidence is required of six.
performance criteria 4.1
Assistance is provided in accordance with the social service worker's role in the plan.
4.2
Assistance is provided using methods that encourage self determination by the group and each member of the group, and discourage dependency by them on the social service worker or service provider.
4.3
Assistance enables the group to evaluate progress in achieving their individual and joint purpose(s) for counselling.
4.4
Where necessary, the group and each member of the group are assisted to redefine their purpose(s) of counselling, establish new purposes, identify further options, and amend their plan in terms of their evaluation of progress.
element 5 Effect closure of the counselling relationship with the group. performance criteria 5.1
Closure of each counselling session is effected with the group and each member of the group according to the established kawa or protocol.
5.2
Closure of the counselling relationship is effected according to completion of planned involvement of the social service worker or service provider. © New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2012
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COUNSELLING Engage in counselling in groups
5.3
The closure process identifies issues arising from counselling. Range:
5.4
The closure process identifies issues for future involvement in counselling. Range:
5.5
issues may include but are not limited to - identification of achievements and new learning towards independence; transfer of learning to dealing with other concerns, issues, or needs; ongoing self management plans.
issues may include but are not limited to - factors that may lead to resumption of contact; future roles, functions and services available from the social service worker or service provider; means of re-establishing contact with social service worker or service provider; other sources of referral.
Closure of the counselling relationship is managed according to the established kawa or protocol. Comments to: Careerforce PO Box 2637 Wellington 6140
Please Note:
Providers must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority before they can offer programmes of education and training assessed against unit standards. Accredited providers assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those unit standards. [Please refer to relevant Plan ref: 0222]
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2012
