Contents. Before you begin. What you will learn Competency standard What is expected of a Certificate IV learner

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1 Contents Contents Before you begin What you will learn Competency standard What is expected of a Certificate IV learner Assessment Employability skills How to work through this unit Resources v v vi viii viii ix x xi Introduction: Working within a community development 1 framework Chapter 1: Operating within a community development 5 framework 1.1 Understanding the community development vision and mission Resolving community issues by enhancing skills and accessing support Demonstrating commitment to the principles of community development Understanding the interrelationships of the needs and rights of all 19 stakeholders 1.5 Understanding the impact of changing social, political and economic 22 contexts 1.6 Reflecting on your own values when working within a community 26 development framework Discussion topics 28 Chapter summary 29 Checklist for Chapter 1 29 Assessment activity 1: Operating within a community development framework 30 Record your employability skills 31 Chapter 2: Distinguishing between private and public issues Understanding individual stories and distinguishing between private and 34 public issues 2.2 Identifying the individual s willingness to take public action Providing referrals to help people deal with personal issues Ensuring work meets duty-of-care responsibilities 45 iii

2 CHCCD412A Work within a community development framework Discussion topics 49 Chapter summary 49 Checklist for Chapter 2 49 Assessment activity 2: Distinguishing between private and public issues 50 Record your employability skills 50 Chapter 3: Working with groups to achieve outcomes Analysing community needs Identifying shared community needs Identifying strategies to ensure community issues are addressed Identifying community structures and resources to maximise outcomes Ensuring individuals and groups are informed about issues and opportunities 69 Discussion topics 73 Chapter summary 73 Checklist for Chapter 3 73 Assessment activity 3: Working with groups to achieve outcomes 74 Record your employability skills 74 Chapter 4: Working effectively with diversity in the community Ensuring work reflects principles of access and equity Respecting and understanding individual differences Recognising the positive contribution of diversity in the community Adapting inclusive work processes that enhance people s participation 88 Discussion topics 90 Chapter summary 91 Checklist for Chapter 4 91 Assessment activity 4: Working effectively with diversity in the community 92 Record your employability skills 92 Final assessment: CHCCD412A Work within a community 93 development framework Employability skills 96 Glossary 97 iv

3 Chapter 1: Operating within a community development framework Chapter 1 Operating within a community development framework Operating within a community development framework involves community workers creating partnerships with local people and organisations to achieve specific outcomes. The role of a community service worker is not to direct or make decisions for communities but to empower the people within them to take action by providing them with the skills and resources they need to bring about change. Community development strengthens communities and builds power through group action. In order to work effectively in communities, workers must understand how to mobilise community participation and to work within political, economic and social structures to achieve the desired outcomes. In this chapter you will learn about: 1.1 Understanding the community development vision and mission 1.2 Resolving community issues by enhancing skills and accessing support 1.3 Demonstrating commitment to the principles of community development 1.4 Understanding the interrelationships of the needs and rights of all stakeholders 1.5 Understanding the impact of changing social, political and economic contexts 1.6 Reflecting on your own values when working within a community development framework 5

4 CHCCD412A Work within a community development framework Example Northwood is a small rural town several hours drive from the nearest city. The population has a large number of older residents who have lived most of their lives in and around the town. Most of these older residents do not want to move away from the town but many have had to in order to receive residential aged care services. A group of residents decide to take action to have a retirement complex built in Northwood. They approach the local council and engage the assistance of the council community development worker, who suggests they form an association to make themselves more visible in the community and to foster more community participation. She also assists them to liaise with government departments, council and other relevant authorities. She gives them information and ideas about writing submissions and raising funds by obtaining donations, holding community fundraising events and generally promoting the concept of the village. She supports and encourages them when their motivation begins to falter reminding them that what they are doing will benefit the community for many years to come. Five years after they formed, The Northwood Aged Care Association is able to purchase land and begin building the retirement village. Their next project is to raise funds for a nursing home on land adjacent to the retirement village. Practice task 1 Reflect on the community you live in. Can you think of an example where members of the community have joined forces to achieve an outcome that benefits their community? Briefly describe this action. Alternatively, can you think of an issue or concern that affects people in your community and that could be resolved through collective action? Briefly describe this issue or concern. 8

5 CHCCD412A Work within a community development framework Assessment activity 1 Operating within a community development framework The following table maps the assessment activity for this chapter against the element and performance criteria of Element 1 in CHCCD412D Work within a community development framework. The activity has been designed for all learners to complete. Part Element Performance criteria A 1 All B 1 1.2, 1.3, 1.6 Part A Briefly describe what you consider to be the principle aims of community development work. Describe the steps that community development workers can take to resolve issues, resource and empower the community they work in. Briefly explain why is it important that community workers do not take on the role of expert when working with local people in the community. What do you understand by the term social capital and what are three common features of communities with low social capital? Why is it important for community service workers to have an understanding of the political, economic and social contexts of their work? List three reasons. What steps could you take to become more aware of how your values impact on your work? Part B Read the case study, then complete the tasks that follow. Case study You work for a local council where there is an increasing number of young homeless people sleeping on the streets. A number of concerned residents have come forward to complain about the situation and two of the homeless youth have approached you with an idea for emergency accommodation. You decide to work with the young people to investigate and possibly establish a project to develop emergency accommodation. 1. Which of the following community development work models could you use to develop this project? Explain your response. a) Social action b) Advocacy c) Locality development work 30

6 CHCCD412A Work within a community development framework Example Communication skill Active listening Encouragers Open and closed questions Paraphrasing Reflection of feeling Summarising Nonverbal communication Description Active listening involves listening with full attention and focusing on understanding what the client is saying, meaning and experiencing Encouragers are brief words or nonverbal cues such as nods that encourage a person to keep talking without interruption. Verbal encouragers are words like Go on, I see ah ha etc. Open questions require that an individual gives more than a yes/ no answer; for example, How does this situation make you feel? Open questions are useful for gathering information. Closed questions can be answered with a yes or no; for example, Are you coming to the meeting on Thursday? Closed questions are useful for obtaining a brief direct answer that can lead to further questions. Paraphrasing involves restating what the speaker has said in order to confirm that you understand what they mean. Paraphrasing can also be used to draw attention to a particular concern; for example, So you are concerned that the youth of the area will become involved in more serious crime if they don t have other activities and opportunities to divert them? Reflecting what an individual seems to be feeling helps them to get more in touch with their feelings and examine them. For example, a worker say, You seem really upset about what happened. Acknowledging their feelings helps people understand their motives and make clearer decisions. Summarising involves focusing on the main points of what an individual has said over a period of time in order to draw attention to a particular issue or check understanding of what they are saying. It is a longer version of paraphrasing. Workers should ensure that their body language is consistent with their verbal communication as people will be confused by mixed messages. Workers must be aware of their facial expressions, how their body is positioned, their proximity to the individual, their hand and arm movements and their level of eye contact; for example, if they yawn or stare out the window while a person is talking they are sending a powerful message to the speaker that they are not really interested what they are saying. Distinguishing between private and public concerns People in a community will usually have a number of issues and concerns that they want to discuss with a community worker. Some of these issues will be personal or private matters and others will be issues that affect others in the community or the community as a whole. 36

7 Chapter 2: Distinguishing between private and public issues Discussion topics Learners in a classroom can form a discussion group or have a debate. Those in the workplace might like to brainstorm these ideas with their colleagues. If you are learning independently, you might like to set up a chat room with other learners or ask a friend for their opinion. Why is it important for workers to distinguish between a client s private and public concerns because both types of concerns affect clients? If a worker is employed in a community development capacity should they still be concerned about client s private problems that don t relate to the project they are currently working on? Can community workers who work with groups of people be expected to have a duty of care for the whole group? Chapter summary Community workers need good interpersonal and communication skills to ensure they understand the needs of the people they are working with. One of their roles is to facilitate agreement on desired outcomes and the actions to be taken to achieve these outcomes. Workers need to facilitate the telling of individual stories in order to determine how these relate to public concerns. Many people do not know about the processes involved in taking action in the public arena. A worker s role is to inform individuals and community groups about these public processes and determine their willingness to participate in them. Community development work is essentially concerned with facilitating collective action; however, in the course of discussing community issues with clients, workers will come across clients who have personal issues that they require specialist help with. In these cases, workers must refer clients appropriately. Community workers involved in community development work have the same responsibilities to meet duty-of-care obligations and work ethically as workers involved in providing individual services. Checklist for Chapter 2 Tick the box when you can do the following. Understand individual stories and distinguish between private and public issues Identify the individual s willingness to take public action Provide referrals to help people deal with personal issues Ensure work meets duty-of-care responsibilities 49

8 Chapter 3: Working with groups to achieve outcomes Important considerations for all of these factors include what action they want to take, what they hope to achieve and what they can contribute to the action. Leadership groups One of the ways community development workers can facilitate action is by developing a leadership or management group made up of representatives of community organisations, groups and interested individuals. This has several advantages including that the leadership group can help to: foster greater participation through their own contacts and networks take responsibility for achieving specific tasks ensure that the role of facilitating action does not fall on one worker only recognise local knowledge and skills build links between groups in the community ensure greater representation of different interest groups in the community. Workers should ensure that individuals representing all the major groups in the community are offered membership in the leadership group. This ensures increased breadth of perspective and greater representation of the community members who may have difficulty participating directly. Sub-groups or task groups may also be formed to accomplish specific actions. Workers may act as facilitator and advisor to the leadership and other groups. They should provide information and oversee group processes to ensure community members are properly represented and consulted as necessary. The following example illustrates how group processes can be used to initiate community action. 57

9 Chapter 3: Working with groups to achieve outcomes Community resources The main resource that a community has is the people in that community. People who are willing to work together to achieve community objectives are what drive a community development project. Every person in the community who wants to make a contribution to a community development project should be given an opportunity to do so. Most will have skills and resources of some kind to offer. Local skills and knowledge People are more likely to participate in community development projects if the time, skills and knowledge they contribute are recognised and valued. Skills and knowledge may include: experience in conducting community development programs networking skills business skills and knowledge research skills fundraising skills writing skills people skills such as counselling, interviewing or group facilitation administrative skills event organising skills practical skills such as building and other trade skills language skills links to people in decision-making positions and authority. It is important that workers encourage local people to share their skills and knowledge in order to foster self-determination and participation in the community. By contributing their skills for the good of the community, people build social capital, goodwill and a solid base for achieving their objectives. They also learn about processes involved in community development that can be used to achieve further changes in the future. Community structures Structures may include the services and agencies already in place in a community. These may include government and non-government services and businesses. Workers should include the following information in their resource list: All national, state and local government services and departments available in the area including a brief description of each service/department and contact names if available; government structures and resources may include public transport, meeting rooms, public libraries and unused public buildings Community organisations and groups they can work and share resources with 65

10 Chapter 3: Working with groups to achieve outcomes Example Tulsi is a community development worker employed by a city-based domestic violence service. Part of her role includes providing information and advice to individuals and groups in her community. This includes: conducting workshops on domestic violence carrying out research into the needs of domestic violence survivors providing information about fundraising activities to various community groups involved in domestic violence programs speaking at public meetings on a range of topics associated with domestic violence helping set up domestic violence self-help and support groups participating in community development activities such as establishing an emergency shelter for women experiencing domestic violence providing appropriate referrals to individuals who want to obtain restraining orders against a perpetrator of domestic violence networking and sharing information with other community organisations, government departments and community groups developing a database of domestic violence resources in the community and beyond maintaining a resource collection of books, DVDs, articles on the topic for the use of workers and community members writing reports for her organisation and others involved in domestic violence work liaising with the media and writing articles for newsletters, newspapers and other media. Review and modify own work practice within a community development framework Working within a community development framework requires a different set of skills from one-on-one service provision that most community workers are engaged in. In order to be effective in this capacity, workers must have a commitment to community development principles that include the right of individuals and groups in the community to take collective action to address shared needs. Rather than focusing on individual needs, community development workers look at broader community issues and concerns and help community groups to develop initiatives based on these shared concerns. Community development work occurs in the public sphere, whereas much one-on-one work such as support work, counselling and casework involves helping clients address personal concerns. Workers who are involved in both types of community work must be aware of these distinctions and work appropriately in each framework. Workers who are engaged in community development work must seek opportunities to review and develop their practice. They can do this by: engaging in self-reflective practices such as keeping a journal and participating in peer groups for the purpose of professional development having regular professional supervisions sessions; most workplaces provide community workers with opportunities to discuss and review work practices with a mentor or supervisor 71

11 Chapter 4: Working effectively with diversity in the community Strategies for addressing individual difference There are many ways that workers can address individual differences but they should always show respect for all people and treat them equally and fairly. The following table illustrates how workers can incorporate strategies for addressing individual differences in their work. Individual difference Ethnic groups Race Language Traditions, ceremonies and festivals Dress Explanation Ethnic groups have particular interests, history and cultural features in common. Cultural features include language, religion and the way people interact with each other. An example of an ethnic group is the Jewish people. The predominant culture in many countries is often associated with a single ethnic group; for example, Italians. However, some Italians belong to other ethnic groups such as the Jewish, Albanian and Ethiopian ethnic groups who live in Italy. Race refers to a group of people who have similar features such as skin colour, type of hair, eye colour and other physical features. Language is the way people communicate with each other and is a very important part of a culture. Some common languages spoken in Australia are English, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Croatian, Macedonian, Turkish, Serbian and Hindi. Around 60,000 people in Australia speak an Australian Indigenous language. In most cultures festivals and celebrations are very important; for example, Chinese New Year, Anzac Day, Easter, Hanukkah and Greek National Days. The way people dress may be influenced by their religion or culture. Some clients only want to dress the way they have always dressed. How to incorporate into their work Be aware of a person s ethnic group so you can understand and talk about their culture with them. This may help you avoid stereotyping people; for example, a stereotype would be believing that all Italians love to eat pasta. Treat everyone equally regardless of the colour of their skin or where they are from. An individual may prefer to communicate using their native language or using sign language. Make sure you have access to interpreters including people who can use sign language. Workers should learn about different cultural beliefs and provide opportunities for people to celebrate their culture through their daily lives, ceremonies and festivals. Respect people s choice of dress. Do not judge or make assumptions about people because of the way they dress; for example, don t assume women in traditional Muslim dress are downtrodden and don t have opinions. continued 81

12 Chapter 4: Working effectively with diversity in the community 4.3 Recognising the positive contribution of diversity in the community Australia is an increasingly diverse society. Workers who recognise and value diversity in all its forms can more easily address the needs of their clients. Respecting different cultures and being aware of individual differences is central to ethical and professional behaviour and helps promote a just and equitable society. Before World War II, the Australian population was relatively homogenous (alike). Our customs and institutions reflected the largely British and Irish origin of most white Australians. Since the middle of last century, Australia has accepted increasing numbers of migrants from diverse cultures. This has resulted in a more vibrant and enriched society. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people Australia also has two Indigenous cultures. These are the Aboriginal culture and Torres Strait Islander culture. Both these traditional cultures lived in harmony with nature and continue to have strong connections with their land. Colonisation by the British disrupted the traditional way of life, spirituality and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A government policy of assimilation from the 1930s to the 1960s resulted in many Indigenous children being taken away from their families in an attempt to make them adopt a more European way of life. The impact of the Stolen Generation on modern Aboriginal life has left long-lasting emotional and cultural scars. Non-Indigenous institutions have a great deal of control over the life of Indigenous people and it is only very recently that the community services, health and welfare and justice systems have come to acknowledge the Indigenous experience. The impact of Western culture on Aboriginal people especially influences the way they feel about and use mainstream services such health and community services. Many Indigenous people may, understandably, have caution, suspicion or mistrust of non-indigenous people who want to do things for them or control them. Australian governments, institutions and systems have been quick to determine what is best for Indigenous people without consulting them. It is important that all workers who work with Indigenous communities show respect for individuals and learn about their culture. Workers should keep in mind that Indigenous culture is rich, complex and deeply spiritual and there is still much to learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about their culture and their preferences regarding service delivery. Today, the Australian government has adopted a range of policies to ensure that all people living in Australia have the same rights and opportunities under the law. These policies make sure that all people have equal access to government programs, education, welfare, health and other services. 85

13 Final assessment: CHCCD412A Work within a community development framework Final assessment CHCCD412A Work within a community development framework To be assessed as competent in CHCCD412A Work within a community development framework, you must provide evidence of the specified essential knowledge and skills. Details of the essential knowledge and skills can be found in the Before you begin section of this workbook. Assessment mapping The following table maps this final assessment activity against the elements and performance criteria of CHCCD412A Work within a community development framework. Part Element Performance criteria A All All B All All C All All Detailed mapping of this workbook against the methods of assessment, the elements, the performance criteria and essential skills and knowledge is available in the Aspire Trainer s and assessor s guide for this unit. The following activity forms part of your assessment of competence. You may also need to provide various workplace documents or third-party reports. Your trainer will give you guidance in this area. The following activity has been designed for all learners to complete. Part A: Essential skills Your trainer needs to observe you demonstrating the following essential skills in your workplace or in a simulated environment. 93