How to Use COMPETENCY JOB PROFILES
How to use COMPETENCY JOB PROFILES [return to menu]
To understand an existing or new job
You can follow these steps to create a Competency Job Profile that outlines the specific behaviours, tasks and responsibilities needed to do the designated job.
Step 1
Review the tasks that need to be undertaken to complete the job.
Actions:
- Discuss with the people you provide support to, other staff and managers, which tasks and responsibilities are done on a daily, weekly and occasional basis. Write these down.
- Discuss with the people you provide support to, other staff and managers, which services they wish to provide. Review what you have already written and make changes to include what has been decided about the types or quality of services that your organisation wishes to provide.
- Read and understand the goals, values, mission statements and contractual obligations of your organisation by reading your annual report, summaries of relevant contracts and any other relevant documents.
- Review the way you have written down each task or responsibility to ensure it matches with the organisation’s expectations and commitments regarding service provision.
Step 2
Review the DISTSS Competency Job Profiles.
Actions:
Step 3
Create your own Competency Job Profile
Actions:
- Match as many of the tasks you have identified in step 1 with the Units of Competency in the Competency Job Profiles.
- Every Unit of Competency that is paired automatically becomes part of your own Competency Job Profile.
- Examine each of the unmatched remaining items you have identified or are contained in the DISTSS Competency Job Profiles and decide which ones you will keep. Remember to think about your organisation’s commitments and aspirations.
- Check out the National Training Information Service website www.ntis.gov.au for Units of Competency that match your remaining workplace competencies. Remember to note which Training package they come from.
- If you still have remaining workplace competencies, you will need to define the tasks to be performed to meet the standards expected by your organisation.
- Remember that Units of Competency are taken from National Training Packages that are aligned with nationally recognised qualifications. You will find it easier to locate and organise training for Units of Competency that are part of the National Training Packages.
- Write up your own Competency Job Profile.
Optional action:
- Rank the selected Units of Competency in order of importance. This will assist you when you use your Competency Job Profile for recruitment.
Step 4
Check the final Competency Job Profile with people you support, staff and management.
Actions:
- Ask relevant people, including the people you provide support to, your supervisor and your team members, to reflect on your new Competency Job Profile. Ask them if it is a current, valid and accurate reflection of the job that also encourages an increase in the standard and quality of service provision.
- Ask relevant people to sign off on your new Competency Job Profile
Step 5
Write a Position Description.
Actions:
- Use the DISTSS Position Description Template and your Competency Job Profile to write a Position Description.
- The Competency Job Profile fits into the ‘Duties and Responsibilities’ section.
How to use COMPETENCY JOB PROFILES [return to menu]
To recruit and select for an existing or new job
DISTSS is currently preparing resources, including a user-guide, which will provide more detailed information on recruitment and selection processes for Disability Community Services Organisations.
Step 1
Define the job and the person
Actions:
- Locate the Competency Job Profile for this job. Or create a new Competency Job Profile for this job (Understand a new or existing job in your organisation).
- Create a Position Description using the Position Description Template and your Competency Job Profile. This defines the job.
- Decide the personal attributes that would be suitable eg. Temperament, level of responsibility, specific qualifications, relevant experience. This defines the characteristics of the person you are looking for.
- Identify any special requirements of the position, eg travel, non-business hours, manual lifting.
- Write a summary of the key requirements of the person and the job.
- For the person: these are a combination of the most important skills and attributes that cannot be learnt, or are hard to learn, on the job. Often these key requirements would be attributes that will enable a person to quickly learn the skills and knowledge required, or attributes that will help a person handle the tough times.
- For the job: these are the responsibilities and tasks that are critical for your organisation to successfully provide support to people with disabilities
Step 2
Attract suitable candidates
Actions:
- Market and advertise for applicants for the job using the summary of key requirements created in step 1.
- Be positive and realistic about the position you have vacant and your organisation. Do not oversell the position. Overselling can lead to considerable disappointment for the new staff member when they start working, often resulting in an early departure.
- Advertise internally; include vacancies in staff newsletters and on notice boards.
- Actively encourage referrals from your existing staff.
- Use local networks, including the local papers and radio stations, noticeboards and employment centres.
- Send interested people a copy of the Position Description for the job. Include a covering letter and if possible some material about the clients and the organisation.
- Instruct potential candidates to refer to the competencies in the Position Description. Tell them to prepare to describe their experience, actions and results of those actions in an interview or exercise.
Step 3
Design an Assessment Process
Actions:
- The assessment process should include, wherever possible, the people with disabilities that the applicant will be supporting. People with disabilities can be actively involved in creating the tests, including the questions and exercises, to be undertaken by each applicant. Short-listed applicants may be asked to complete a shadow shift or to participate in an activity on a voluntary basis. Where ever possible include a person with disabilities who receives support from the organisation on the Selection Panel.
- Create Key Selection Criteria. These should be based closely on the Key Duties and Responsibilities you created for the Position Description and the key requirements you created for the marketing and advertising. This is a very important step. Remember to include the critical Competencies. For example, if you need a staff member who can organise recreational activities for small groups, then you must remember to find out if they understand and can organise group activities.
- Create questions and exercises that will test the match between each applicant and the Key Selection Criteria. This is not an easy or trivial task and may take some time. You should aim to include both interviewing and some work based assessment tasks.
- This testing process should assess four different areas:
- The attributes of the applicant and whether these will help the person be successful in the position. Attributes are the characteristics or qualities of a person such as empathy, self-confidence and hardiness. You could use a case study or behavioural interviewing to test for these qualities.
- The motivation of the applicant to undertake this work. High levels of motivation assist employees overcome obstacles and to sustain an interest in and commitment to their work.
- Check their resume for activities that indicate that they may enjoy working with people with disabilities.
- Ask ‘ what did you enjoy/not enjoy about your previous role?'
- Ask ‘ why did you apply for this job?'
- Ask ’ what are three things that satisfy you in a job?'
- The behaviours needed to be effective in the position, such as teamwork, ability to learn, judgement and discretion. These behaviours can be identified using behavioural interviewing.
- The technical skills and experience based knowledge needed and the level of proficiency required in the position.
- This will include qualifications such as First Aid Certificates and Certificates in Disability Work or similar
- Previous experience of working with or relating to people with disabilities
- Each applicant should be assessed using the same tests and assessment tasks. This ensures that the selection process is fair to everyone who applies.
Step 4
Organise a Selection Panel and the interviews
Actions:
- Organise a Selection Panel that includes a representative of the people that your organisation supports, staff and management.
- Remember to keep a gender balance.
- Discuss and clarify the assessment process with the Selection Panel prior to meeting the selected applicants. It is a good idea to decide who will ask which questions.
- Create a simple table that enables each Panel Member to make notes and to rate each candidate against the Key Selection Criteria. This step is important for several reasons:
- It helps you to remember and compare your assessments of each applicant, and
- Some applicants will request feedback as to why they were unsuccessful. A written record of your thoughts and ratings in comparison to other applicants will help you give constructive feedback at a later date.
- Schedule a mutually convenient time to interview and test the selected applicants. Remember to leave some time in between each interview for discussion amongst the panel.
Step 5
Assess the applicants
Actions:
- Short-list the applicants by selecting a small number of the best applications to be interviewed.
- Invite them to attend an interview.
- Test the best applicants using behavioural interviewing and workplace assessment.
- Rate each applicant in each area. Note if there appears to be any factor that would make the applicant unsuitable despite rating well in other areas.
- Rate each candidate on how well they demonstrate their competency in the tasks and responsibilities critical to the success of the job. Remember a motivated recruit can learn Competencies on the job.
- Rate the applicant’s attitude to people with a disability, motivation to do the work and ability to fit into the organisation. These attributes are difficult to change and are therefore a critical assessment factor.
Step 6
Select an applicant
Actions:
- Select the highest rated applicant, or applicants if there are several who are very close.
- Make a provisional offer of employment; remember to discuss probationary periods and any other special conditions of employment. Inform the applicant that your offer is subject to satisfactory Police Checks, references and negotiations regarding starting time and remuneration packages.
- Contact the applicant’s referees by phone and ask questions to confirm what the applicant has claimed in their application and job interview. Remember that all references are subjective and should only be used as a guide. Carry out Police Checks.
- Make an offer of employment in writing. This is a contract of employment.
- Do not notify unsuccessful applicants until you have completed all checks and negotiations with the selected applicant.
- Notify the unsuccessful applicants in a tactful and courteous manner when the selected applicant has accepted the written offer of employment.
How to use COMPETENCY JOB PROFILES [return to menu]
To help with the induction of a new staff member
The DISTSS induction resource ‘Ready4work’ is based on the same key Units of Competency used in the DISTSS Competency Job Profiles. Most of these Units of Competency come from the Community Services Training Package and all are linked to the National Qualifications Framework.
The Units of Competency used in the Ready4work induction kit are core Competencies for direct care workers. All people working with people with disabilities should be able to demonstrate competency in these Units of Competency. You can order copies of Ready4work from DISTSS Ready4work@cae.edu.au
The core Units of Competency that are fully covered in Ready4work are:
- CHCDIS1C
- Orientation to Disability Work
CHCOHS302C - Participate in safety procedures for direct care work
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Some areas of knowledge and skill for the following Units of Competency are introduced in Ready4work:
- CHCADMIN5A
- Work within the administrative protocols of the organisation
CHCDIS3C - Provide services to people with disabilities
CHCDIS3C - Assist with self-medication
HLTFS7A - Follow basic food practises
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CHCAC16A
- Provide food services
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- Although Ready4work does not cover First Aid it is highly recommended that staff have a current first Aid Certificate.
Talk with your new staff about the Units of Competency in their Competency Job Profile to assist with their understanding. Show them how to apply their skills and knowledge in the workplace.
The first weeks of a new staff member’s working life are very busy. Although it may seem an additional burden, this is a good time to sit with them and work through an assessment of their competencies.
On Line Self-Assessment of competency
The DHS On-Line Training Assessment Package (OnTAP), http://hnp.dhs.vic.gov.au/wps/portal can be used to identify areas that the new employee would like assistance in. This system allows new employees to self-assess their own level of competency in each Unit of Competency in their Competency Job Profile. This will provide a clear benchmark for the new employee, encouraging that person to seek assistance to learn the skills and knowledge they need.
How to use COMPETENCY JOB PROFILES [return to menu]
Plan for staff development, learning and training
It is easy to self-assess how capable you are in your job when your job is broken up into Units of Competency. Instead of thinking about the whole job you can think about each part of it separately.
Each Unit of Competency describes a particular group of tasks and responsibilities. All the Units of Competency in your position description put together make up your job. By rating your own level of competency in each specific Unit of Competency you will have a clear idea of how well you are delivering service to your clients. You may find you are very confident in some areas but not in others. Then you can organise learning opportunities for those areas in which you want support and development in.
DISTSS Resources
The DISTSS website has the following Learning and Development resources on its website.
- Learning and Development Resources for a range of resources including information about Adult Learning Principles, Evaluation and Monitoring of Training and a great Glossary of Terms.
- Training Packages for more detailed information about the Community Services Training Package (CSTP) and the Business (Frontline) Training Package.
- Find out about New Apprenticeships including who is eligible for subsidies when they participate in nationally recognised training.
The Department of Human Services has developed a system for you to record your level of competency. It is an interactive web based spreadsheet that stores and retrieves information. You can use it to record your ratings of your own level of competency for each Unit of Competency. It is called OnTAP and is available to employees of all registered organisations. Ask your supervisor if your organisation has registered to use OnTAP.
OnTAP uses the DISTSS Competency Job Profiles, complete with all the relevant Units of Competency and the Elements (tasks and responsibilities) of each Unit of Competency. Individual employees can use OnTAP to self-assess your level of competency in each of the Units of Competency that make up your job.
The data collected by OnTAP is only available to the person who put the data in. It is your own private record. However, you are encouraged to discuss your strengths and weakness with your supervisor. Your supervisor is usually in a position to organise assistance for you in areas that you identify as needing improvement.
If your organisation does not wish to access OnTAP, or if your Competency Job Profiles do not match the DISTSS Competency Job Profiles, you can use the DISTSS Training and Learning Planning System.
DISTSS Training and Learning Planning System
Individual staff
Staff can assess their own competencies by using the Competency Job Profile Assessment template.
Actions
- Apply the template to your Competency Job Profile.
- Identify those areas you don’t fully understand or need assistance in, and those areas that you would like to extend your current ‘know how’ in.
- Identify those areas in which you believe you could offer mentoring or training to other members of your organisation.
- Identify how you can learn what you need. For information about the following types of learning and training opportunities click on the DISTSS Agency Training Plan Resource Kit – Glossary of Terms. The following are learning and training methods:
- Action learning
- Shadowing
- Mentoring
- Coaching
- Higher Duties
- Workplace exchange
- Self-paced learning
- Classroom learning
- Find out about New Apprenticeships; you may be eligible for assistance.
- Discuss your options with the relevant person in your organisation.
Supervisors
The Competency Job Profiles use common Units of Competency that are organised into levels of competency starting with the most basic skills and progressing up. This enables Supervisors to group staff according to their learning and training needs and their ability to assist and guide others. Competency Job Profiles give supervisors the ability to group the learning and training needs. This will help you prioritise your training calendar and to identify a suitable method of delivering the learning and training opportunities. This includes finding a Registered Training Organisation who can deliver accredited training in specific Units of Competency.
Supervisors should be alert to possibilities for staff to work towards nationally accredited qualifications such as Certificate III in Disability Work and Certificate IV in Disability Work.
Step 1
Assess and Plan.
Review the information contained in the Agency Training Plan Resource Kit.
Actions:
- Organise for each staff member to self-assess his or her competency in each of the Units of Competency that are included in their Competency Job Profile.
- Discuss the assessment with your staff member. Set aside time and a private space to allow for a free flowing discussion with your staff member.
- Apply the information for each staff member to a Training Plan Template.
- Identify which Competencies are critical to successful service provision for your organisation.
- Note when several staff members identify a learning need in the same area.
- Prioritise the staff learning needs.
- Decide on the most effective method of providing learning and training opportunities. These range from accredited classroom sessions to mentoring on the job.
Step 2
Organise learning and training opportunities.
Review the Learning and Development resources.
Actions:
Training Opportunities
- Visit the DISTSS Training Calendar and search for a course.
- Use your networks with other Community Services Organisations to find out if any other agencies are planning training in the same areas that you have identified.
- Contact your nearest DHS services and Registered Training Organisations and review their Training Calendars for opportunities.
- Organise a time with the training provider when your staff can attend.
- Check whether your organisation will be giving paid time release to your staff to undertake this training. It is normal practice for organisations to give paid time release to staff when the organisation requires that staff member to undertake training. Remember the costs of backfilling positions when you calculate the total cost to the organisation.
- Create a Training Calendar for your organisation. This is a timetable of dates for training opportunities for your staff.
- Make this Training Calendar available to all your staff in all areas of your organisation. Pin it up on Notice Boards and put it in your newsletters.
Learning Opportunities
- Review your organisation’s ability to resource this learning need by checking if other staff have rated themselves as able to provide support.
- Review the different methods of providing learning opportunities for staff. Visit the DISTSS Agency Training Plan Resource Kit – Glossary of Terms
- Match staff development needs with your organisations ability to provide support.
- Follow up.
Discuss the assessment with your staff member
How to use COMPETENCY JOB PROFILES [return to menu]
To support and guide staff performance
Regular meetings between staff and supervisors will provide an opportunity to discuss any concerns that either of you have about performance. Employees who have completed a self-assessment on their level of competency in each of the Units of Competency in their job profile will have a clear starting point for these discussions. Staff should bring their completed self-assessment to each meeting.
Each Unit of Competency has a Code, a Descriptive Title, Elements, Performance Criteria, Range and an Evidence Guide. A good knowledge and understanding of the Elements of each Unit of Competency will allow a supervisor or manager to have a straightforward and clear discussion with the staff member about what behaviour and attitude is expected in the circumstances.
Supervisors and managers who wish to have more detailed knowledge can access the Performance Criteria and Evidence Guide for each Unit of Competency by visiting the www.ntis.gov.au web site, and clicking on Competencies.
The Performance Criteria and Evidence Guide provides detailed descriptions of what is required to meet accepted standards. Print this out and use it to inform your discussion. Remember to focus only on those areas that are most critical to success in this job
Copyright 2003 Disability In-Service Training
Support Service (DISTSS).
