Follow policies, procedures and programs of the organisation.

Follow policies, procedures and programs of the organisation

Follow policies, procedures and programs of the organisation

CHCORG201C

This unit is about the different sorts of policies and procedures relevant to work in the community sector, and knowing how to access the documents of the organisation that you work for.

You will learn how to:

• Follow workplace instructions and policies

• Perform duties consistently according to role description

• Operate within the laws that apply to your role

Assessment Tasks

1. Download and print the assessment sheet for this unit from the ‘Resources’ drop down menu at the top right hand side of the screen.

2. Complete your assessment sheet as you work through the unit.

3. Email your completed assessment to [email protected] or ring (08) 9353 3089

Follow workplace instructions and policies, support organisation programs and

procedures within the job role

A policy is a high level overall plan that looks at the general goals and expectations of an institution or organisation – a statement that guides behaviour and sets general rules in place related to how the business will be conducted.

Policy documents outline the philosophies and the ways in which business will support its vision, mission and goals.

• Government Laws• Health and safety standards• Equal Employment

Opportunities (EEO) and matters of social justice

• Anti-discrimination, racial vilification, anti-harassment

• Industrial relations• Ethical behaviours• Human resource

management

• Administration• Staffing• Confidentiality

requirements• Appropriate relationships

with clients• Gifts• Workplace agreements• Job descriptions• Grievance/complaints

procedures

All workers in the organisation should know

which policies and procedures are relevant to

the work they do and should know how to access

the policy and procedure documents held by the

organisation.

Procedures

Procedures are the written instructions on how the policies should be applied. In some organisations procedures will be further broken down into task instructions which are called Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) SOPs generally apply to specific tasks and contain step by step instructions for completing tasks, while general procedure documents might be less specific.

Procedures are documented and recorded so they can be referred to as needed. Procedures might relate to:

• All the paperwork needed including record keeping and filing• Workplace programs and timetable management systems• Use of equipment• Staff rosters• Managing crises situations• Coping with emergencies• Staff security and safety

procedures for responding to physical violence

• Conducting team meetings

Procedures will also outline reporting processes – the people who workers should report to, the types of reports that should be made and the type of information that should be contained in reports.Organisations have set procedures or work practices for raising concerns. If you have a problem with a client (parent, student, teacher) or you are unsure about how to complete a task or deal with a situation then you will need to follow appropriate procedures to fix the problem

That way each person who works there delivers the same type of service to the same standard. Procedures relate directly to quality control and to try and stop performance problems. If the correct procedures are not followed then problems might develop in delivering service to clients.

Many procedures can be more effectively managed if there are SOPs to follow.

Procedures and SOPs exist so that everyone in the organisation will know what to do and when to do it. They also show the standard of work that is required from workers. So they are written to ensure that everyone handles situations and does things in a similar way – giving consistency throughout the organisation.

SOPs could be written for the following procedures:

• Transporting students to and from school

• Conducting hazard assessments and risk evaluations in locations where students gather and hang out

• Writing reports for team leaders or management

• Operating specific machinery and equipment

• Cooking and serving food to students (breakfast clubs etc)

• Purchasing of school clothes or shoes

Policies and procedures are supported by work plans. Plans are necessary so that people who work in the organisation know what to do, when to do it and what they are expected to achieve. Without policies, procedures and plans work would be undirected and uncontrolled. It is likely to then be inconsistent and not achieve the goals or objectives of the organisation.

Organisational policies and procedures should be monitored and reviewed regularly to ensure that:

• they are in keeping with the ideals (vision and mission) and philosophy of the organisation

• they continue to meet the needs of clients and the community within which the organisation operates

• they are following Government law• they continue to support the

workers efforts to achieve organisational goals

They should be updated as necessary and updates or changes should be communicated to workers and other community members (stakeholders) in a timely manner.

Following correct workplace instructions and policies helps to maintain consistency and high standards in the delivery of services to the community/clients. It improves efficiency and effective work practice while following the rules for health and safety requirements and standards.When you accept employment you are agreeing to comply with and support the organisation’s policies and procedures. Policies and procedures should be communicated to you at induction when you start work and through ongoing information sharing and communication processes. These processes could be training, meetings, coaching and in writing. Any changes or updates to the policies and procedures should be told to the workers in a timely manner. You should also be told where the policies and procedures are kept and how you can look at them as needed.

By accepting employment you are agreeing to support and actively contribute to the programs and practices of the organisation. Community services providers will offer a range of programs and services. Workers need to know what the organisation offers and understand their own roles and what they are expected to do. You should participate in planning, meetings and improvement on an ongoing basis to ensure that your work contributes to the achievement of organisational goals.It is very important that people who work in an organisation are aware of, understand and agree with the organisation’s vision, mission, goals and intentions. They must be suited to their work roles and the skills and knowledge required for the work they do should be regularly reviewed and updated as needed.

Name 3 policies and procedure your

organisation has for RSAS?

Provide your answer in the Assessment Document for this unit.

Use organisation resources for the purpose intended

In order to provide a quality service to your clients (families) you will require information about the various services and resources that might be of use to clients. Some of these services or resources will be provided by your workplace but many others will be available in your community through other organisations.

Resources can be broken down into two categories

Supplies

Supplies are the goods and services needed for the running of the organisation – food, uniforms, paper, furniture, computer, telephones etc.

Operational resources

Operational resources are the workers and equipment which turn these supplies into services for clients – staff, policies and procedures, money, time, buildings, skills and knowledge.

Meeting the needs of the families in your community to ensure that children attend school is your main task. To do this you must identify the needs of the families and children, while talking with them. You then need to work out how you can meet those needs with the resources that are available in your organisation or within the community. It is important to know how to access resources and what procedures you need to follow. Your team leader will be able to help you in following the correct procedures and accessing resources to meet the needs of the families/clients.

Meeting the needs of the families in your community to ensure that children attend school is your main task. To do this you must identify the needs of the families and children, while talking with them. You then need to work out how you can meet those needs with the resources that are available in your organisation or within the community. It is important to know how to access resources and what procedures you need to follow. Your team leader will be able to help you in following the correct procedures and accessing resources to meet the needs of the families/clients.

You must be able to give clients advice and refer them to other agencies so that their needs can be met and their children can attend school regularly. It is necessary for community service organisations to build networks and contact lists that will

enable staff who work in them to access resources as they are needed by the clients. Your workplace should have a way for collecting and recording information about the services provided by other agencies and organisations and you should know how to access these.By clearly identifying the services available in your community and having them listed in an easy to read manner, you will make your job and the jobs of other workers in the organisation easier.

Instructions …

In order to do your job properly you need information and instructions. You need to know what to do, and how to do it and when to do it. You need to know what your responsibilities are and what responsibilities of other people in the organisation are. You need to clearly understand the tasks you are expected to perform and to be aware of the people you can ask for help if you do not understand or cannot carry out your tasks.

Much of the necessary information about your job will have been communicated to you in a job description, during induction, through ongoing in-house training and at staff and team meetings. Your supervisor will also sometimes give you new instructions and directions as to what you should do. These may be written or spoken to you. The organisation’s policy and procedures documents will also contribute toward your job knowledge. Experienced and authorised workmates can also provide relevant information.

If you do not understand the directions/instructions you are given, ask for help. Make sure that both you and your supervisor agree on your understanding – try explaining your instructions back to them. This way, the supervisor can check your understanding and correct errors. The more you can find out about the task, the less chance there is of making mistakes.

Also ask your supervisor for the guidelines that go with the task

Ask:• How long do you have to complete

the task?• Is there a level of quality you must

meet? • Do other people know that you

have been given this task? • Will you need help from other

people?• What outputs and outcomes are

expected?

Do not make guesses as they can lead to dangerous or costly mistakes. If necessary, make notes as you are being briefed. This way, you will not have to rely on only your memory to remember every tiny detail and will be able to read your notes again when needed.

Resources and physical support

You will often need specific resources in order to do your job. Resources include: Time Information Support from other staff Materials and equipment

You will need to know how to access the necessary resources. Sometimes it will be necessary to requisition (ask for) resources and the correct procedures for completing and submitting requisitions must be followed.

Problems

As you work through a task, even though you made sure with your supervisor that you understood before starting, some problems may still arise. If you are unable to solve these problems yourself, you will need to find someone who can. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Asking for help is far better than making what could be a costly, embarrassing or dangerous mistake. Make sure, however, that the person you ask to help you is authorised to do so and knows what they are doing.

When working with others there will be many times when it is necessary to:

Make sure you understand instructions or directions

Modify tasks Ask for further support

When asking for support, you need to know the most appropriate person/s to talk to. You need to consider the knowledge and experience you are looking for and your responsibilities in the process.

Name 3 people you might talk to in your organisation about problems and what they might do to help you

Provide your answer in the Assessment Document for this unit.

Ensure your decisions and actions reflect your job description and are consistent with the philosophy

of the organisation

Underpinning all organisations are values and philosophies that determine policies, procedures and operational guidelines. An organisation’s vision, mission statement, aims and objectives provide guidance to staff. The organisation’s Code of Behaviour or Code of Ethics will also help. These are guidelines which employees can use to make sure their behaviour and attitudes meet the requirements of the organisation and the RSAS programme.

Organisational philosophy will influence the:

Vision Mission statement Organisational goals and

objectives Strategic plans

Written policies must support the organisation’s philosophies, just as the organisation’s management must support both the philosophy and the vision. That is, people within the organisation must act in a way that reflects the organisation’s philosophy and vision. This does not mean that an organisation’s vision cannot change. Over time and in tune with community changes and trends, the vision will adapt to meet the changing needs of society.

The organisation’s values, which staff must keep in mind, might include:

Clients must be treated fairly and the same Discrimination and harassment should not occur Staff must not judge about a person’s circumstances, situation or

past Each person’s right to make their own choices will be respected Each person’s right to confidentiality and privacy will be respected

and enforced Each person’s cultural and religious beliefs will be respected and

accommodated Clients’ individuality and self-expression will be respected Staff will not force their own personal values upon clients

Service provides must embrace basic human rights such as:

Freedom of speech The right to choose

where we live Protection from

abuse or neglect Respect for one’s own culture, religion and language the right for petition and peaceful gathering

The right to social and legal justice

Job roles

The quality of the job that each and every worker does is linked to how well the service is offered. You will have a range of tasks and duties to perform. These will be outlined in your job description and must be performed so that services and expectations for school attendance are met. Your job description or duty statement will set out for you exactly what is expected. It should also tell you about when and how many hours you work, the people you must report to, and anything else you need to do such as travel etc.

Not everything that is expected of you will be documented in your job description. There will be other things such as:

Starting work on time Being polite Phoning when you cannot

come into work

Treating clients with respect

What you think and the way you work should fit with the organisation. If, for some reason, you cannot make this happen you will probably find it difficult to fit in.

What things are not in your job description but you think you need to do to make sure the job is done properly?

Provide your answer in the Assessment Document for this unit.

Perform duties promptly and consistently in all workplace activities

Each workplace will have specific work practices and expected work standards. Work practices are how you achieve the organisation’s goals and outcomes.

Standards which employees are expected to work are usually explained in the form of agreed KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). They will also be outlines in the job description and explained to employees by managers and supervisors. Employees must have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and how to do it. It is up to you to organise your work so that everything you do is done correctly, as work wants and on time. We all need to monitor our own work – to decide for ourselves, how well we are doing, what skills we need to develop and whether what we are doing meets what work wants us to do. Most of us probably do this anyway, but an important part of this is being able to fit the daily, weekly and long term tasks into specific time slots – time management. This means setting and meeting your own work priorities.

You need to know what must be done and when it must be done and you need to have appropriate strategies for achievement. Certain tasks will be more important than others. The key to being organised is to know how to prioritise or order your workload within the time that you have, so you focus on the most important things and don’t leave them to the last minute. Important activities are not necessarily urgent but urgent tasks have short-term consequences while important tasks are those with long-term, goal-related ones.

In order to prioritise tasks you need to:

• Know your job description• Make daily, weekly and

monthly plans • Talk to your supervisors and

colleagues as to the priorities of each day’s workload

• Prepare work in advance – draw up work plans and ‘to do’ lists

• Keep work areas tidy and easily accessibly

• Keep filing and paperwork under control

• Try to keep all those things that interrupt your day out of the way

• Use a diary or work schedule to record appointments and work to be done

Everyone wastes time!

To stop this:• Prioritise tasks • Do important jobs when

needed • Don’t put things off until

they become urgent

Organising your work environment is an important. There is a good chance the office has already been set up for you but if there is an opportunity to set it up in a way that works for you, do so. Always check with your supervisor how long it is expected for you to complete a job. If you are unable to do something, make sure you tell your supervisor as soon as possible. If there are others who are waiting on your work, let them know about any problems.

If wasting time is a problem, no one else can solve it besides you.

The objective of time management is to achieve results:

• Concentrate on getting things done that you need to do, not on being busy

• Break large tasks down into smaller steps and check each step off your list as it is completed, this way you can actually see what has been done

When thinking about how you are doing with your work you need to know what is expected of you. These will be outlined in your job description and the organisation procedures. If you do not know what you need to do ask your supervisor.

The expectation is that you will consistently produce work to the required standard.

What 3 things do you do to make sure you are using

your time effectively?

Provide your answer in the Assessment Document for this unit.

Name 2 things you know distract you or cause you to

waste your time.

Provide your answer in the Assessment Document for this unit.

Gifts and organisation resources

If at any time a child or family or any other client gives or offers to give you something – money or gifts – and you are unsure about whether or not you should accept it, talk to your supervisor. You must also think about using clients’ things if you ever need to, and be respectful. If, for instance, a School Attendance Officer is using kitchen utensils in a client’s home, those utensils should be cleaned and put into their proper place after use.

Some organisations have strict policies and procedures saying you cannot accept gifts from your clients. Some say small gifts at special times of the year are OK. Usually rules are about why gifts are offered - a client might give a gift as a simple thank you for the help.

Behave in a reasonable and careful manner at all times

A code of ethical practice is a positive way to tell everyone what is done with service delivery, reporting procedures, complaints and duty of care.

Your position as a RSAS worker means you have to think about how you do your job and how you act when working. All community organisations will have a code of conduct or code of ethics, which workers are expected to follow.

The code of practice tells workers what they need to know about the way they work and what they do.

An organisation’s code of ethics could include the following:

• Being careful with private information• Being respectful about client privacy • Being honest and open with clients while still

doing work within the law • Being aware of what is required from you under

duty of care. • Being respectful when working with clients; that

includes how you talk to them, what you wear at work and other things.

Duty of careStaff who work with clients must be professional and careful in the way they carry out their jobs. Professional care and duty of care is both an ethical and legal issue. Staff are personally accountable for the care of clients and have to be careful not to do things that they are not trained in, in case it is not safe for the client. They must be very careful that the client is not hurt or upset because they didn’t do something or didn’t know how to do something. You could think you are acting ethically and trying to do something good, but still be considered negligent if something goes wrong because you were not trained to do something properly. Duty of care means you make sure your clients’ rights to safety and security are taken care of. For example, if you are aware of violence in someone’s home but you choose not to tell your supervisor or someone else, you could be in breach of duty of care. There are a number of ways to become familiar with exactly what duty of care means for you in your workplace. These could include discussions with your supervisor or your colleagues, asking about the policies and procedures or researching the relevant laws on the internet.

The law

Other laws that will apply to your work includes: • Anti-discrimination legislation• Anti-harassment legislation• Privacy law (National Privacy Principles) • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)• Access and equity legislation• Legislation relating to social justice• Mandatory notification• Health and safety legislation• Legislation related specifically to old people, children and to

the care of people with disabilities

All of these apply to the organisation’s responsibilities and workers.

Workers have to know the law that applies to their work and should have a clear understanding of duty of care and their own personal responsibilities within that duty. They must also about reporting and recording case management information as required. Your organisation should ensure that you are familiar with the law, regulations and duty of care and code of ethics requirements.

RespectAs a worker you must be respectful when dealing with all of sorts of people in community.

This means respecting their differences and being polite and honest. Make sure that you don’t give the wrong information to people. Any situations you are not sure about should be talked over with your supervisor.

Maintain confidentiality in accordance with organisation requirements

To ensure the safety of data held in computers:• Computers can be password

protected • Virus checks and protection should

be put in place • There should be regular backing-up

of information• Systems can be regularly cleaned out

of unused of unneeded files

You will be collecting information about families when you are working with them, and it is important that this information is accurate and true. You should be careful to just write down what is needed and not write any personal thoughts you have about the family - remember that clients must be given access to their files and case notes if they request it. Files and written information about clients should be accessed only by staff who are allowed to see it.

The Privacy Act

You can only collect client information that is directly relevant to RSAS. This information can only be used in the workplace for RSAS services and reports. You can’t keep or do other things with any information you collect without the client’s permission.

The Privacy Act says information can be transferred to others if the client (or their authorised representative) gives written permission. It can also be transferred if it can be shown the information might endanger the client or other people.

Although your organisation should advise you of what records can be kept it is your responsibility to ensure that you understand the law and apply it in your work.

If you believe there has been a confidentiality breach you will need to it with your supervisor.

Disclosure

A client’s personal information should only be discussed in the RSAS office. It should not be discussed with other clients, with friends or even co-workers who are not working on the RSAS program. It should not be discussed in ways or in a place where the discussion can be heard by other people. If you are not sure about this talk to your supervisor.

Name 3 things you do to make sure you keep the information you

have about clients confidential

Provide your answer in the Assessment Document for this unit.

Report difficulties in carrying out duties to appropriate person/supervisor

• You are not sure how to fill out any required paperwork or documents

• You are not sure about the best way to go about working with a client

• Another stuff member has not done their job and this affects your work

• A client is aggressive or abusive and you are not sure how to deal with them

Difficulties should be reported to your supervisor; by reporting difficulties you help to identify areas for improvement and makes sure the RSAS program offers a good service.All organisations should encourage continuous improvement – that is, looking for ways to make the service better within community. So all client problems and concerns must also be reported, assessed and acted upon.

Sometimes you might have difficulties doing your job. Things might include: