Unit Title
CHCLEG001 – Work Legally and Ethically
Unit Purpose
This unit describes the knowledge and skills required of an allied health assistant to work in a way that adheres to both legal and ethical requirements.
Prerequisites
There are no pre-requisites for this unit
Content
Section 1: Legal and Ethical Frameworks
Section 2: Legal and Ethical Allied Health Assistance
Section 3: Fulfilling Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
Resources/Readings
Readings A – J are located in the associated CHCLEG001 Readings section of this module.
Suggested Hours
Although everyone will work at their own pace, we suggest you allow approximately 55 hours to complete this unit competently, including seminars, tutorials, assignments and practical activities.
Timeframe
The recommended time frame for this unit is 4 weeks.
Assessment
This unit will be assessed by completing the CHCLEG001 Assessment.
How to Use This Module
This module and associated CHCLEG001 readings contain all of the information that you need to complete the assessment tasks associated with this unit. You must read through all of the information provided (both the module and CHCLEG001 readings) before attempting the assessment tasks.
Throughout this module, there are a few coloured boxes used to help you. These include:
Tip
This is used to indicate the presence of tips or additional instructions that may assist you as you work through this module. They are designed to help you expand your knowledge and skills and deepen your understanding of how concepts and practices are applied in workplaces.
Reading
You will find these throughout the module. They indicate that a particular Reading contains additional information on the topic that is being discussed at that point.
Reflect
This indicates a self-reflection question. You are not required to submit answers to these questions. They are designed to get you thinking more about the topic and to consider key points in order to aid your understanding.
Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:
| Element | Performance Criteria |
|---|---|
| 1. Identify and respond to legal requirements | 1.1 Identify, access and interpret sources of information about the legal requirements that apply to the work role 1.2 Identify the scope and nature of own legal rights and responsibilities 1.3 Adhere to legal requirements in work practice according to workplace policies and procedures and scope of role 1.4 Recognise potential or actual breaches and report according to organisation procedures |
| 2. Identify and meet ethical responsibilities | 2.1 Identify, access and interpret sources of information about the ethical responsibilities that apply to the work role 2.2 Identify the scope and nature of own ethical responsibilities 2.3 Meet ethical responsibilities according to workplace policies and protocols, and scope of role 2.4 Recognise potential ethical issues and dilemmas, and discuss with an appropriate person 2.5 Recognise own personal values and attitudes and take into account to ensure non-judgemental practice 2.6 Use effective problem solving techniques when exposed to competing value systems 2.7 Recognise unethical conduct and report to an appropriate person 2.8 Recognise potential and actual conflicts of interest and take appropriate action |
| 3. Contribute to workplace improvements | 3.1 Identify situations where work practices could be improved to meet legal and ethical responsibilities 3.2 Pro-actively share feedback with colleagues and supervisors 3.3 Identify and take opportunities to contribute to the review and development of policies and protocols |
Knowledge Evidence
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:
- legal and ethical considerations (international, national, state/territory, local) for people working in the community services and health context, how they are applied in organisations, how these impact individual workers, and the consequences of breaches:
- children in the workplace
- codes of conduct
- codes of practice
- complaints management
- continuing professional education
- discrimination
- dignity of risk
- duty of care
- human rights
- Universal declaration of human rights
- relationship between human needs and human rights
- frameworks, approaches and instruments used in the workplace
- informed consent
- mandatory reporting
- practice standards
- practitioner/client boundaries
- privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
- policy frameworks
- records management
- rights and responsibilities of workers, employers and clients
- industrial relations legislation relevant to employment conditions of role
- specific legislation in the area of work – objectives and key components
- work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations
- work health and safety
- interrelationships, similarities and differences that may exist between legal and ethical frameworks
- legal issues in the context of the work role:
- type of legal issues that arise
- ways to respond
- ethical practice in the context of the work role:
- type of ethical issues that arise
- ways to respond
- workplace policies, procedures and protocols:
- how they are/should be developed
- processes for review, including consultation and mechanisms for input
Performance Evidence
The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:
- completed workplace activities in accordance with legal and ethical requirements in at least 3 different situations
- developed appropriate responses to at least 3 different legal or ethical issues relevant to the work role
- identified and communicated at least 2 potential work practice improvements designed to enhance workplace responsiveness to legal and ethical requirements
This unit will focus on the legal and ethical requirements of allied health assistance and how allied health assistants can provide effective services in-line with these requirements. The ability to work in a legal and ethical manner is imperative for effective allied health assistance.
Overview of Sections
Section 1: Legal and Ethical Frameworks
This section of the module provides an overview of the legal and ethical frameworks that allied health assistants are required to comply with and the various sources of information that they can review to help maintain compliance with these requirements.
Section 2: Legal and Ethical Allied Health Assistance
In this section of the module, you will learn more about the specific legal and ethical requirements of allied health assistance. You will learn about the principles underpinning core allied health assistant responsibilities and how they can maintain legal and ethical compliance.
Section 3: Fulfilling Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
In this section of the module, you will learn more about how allied health assistants address common legal and ethical issues within allied health practice. You will also learn how to contribute to workplace improvements in order to facilitate legal and ethical practice.
Please note, this module uses ‘allied health assistant/assistance’ throughout. This term is interchangeable with ‘health services assistant/assistance’.
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