Learning Topic 4 Protecting the rights and interests of clients
This topic should provide you with the ability to recognise and report to an appropriate person any witnessed signs that are consistent with financial, physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect of the client. You will learn to:
implement work practices which support the protection of children and young people;
use relevant child protection procedures to report incidents or suspicions of harm; and
provide prompt and accurate reporting of relevant specific and general circumstances surrounding risk of harm.
Section 4.1 Rights of all Australians
As members of the Australian community we all have rights and corresponding responsibilities. The word rights are often used but what does it mean and what are our rights? Rights are our basic entitlements as members of a community.
Some points on rights are:
Every person has the same rights;
Rights and freedoms are part of the Australian tradition, customs, value system and laws;
Every person has the responsibility of accepting the rights of others;
It is against the law (both federal and state) for anyone to deprive you of your rights, and against the law for you to try to deprive anyone else of their rights; you can’t have your rights taken away unless you are convicted of breaking the law;
Rights and responsibilities go hand-in-hand, if you want to exercise your rights, you must also fulfil your responsibilities; and
Rights are linked to the concepts of social justice and empowerment, ensuring that everyone has the knowledge, skills and confidence to take control of their lives and be treated equally in society.
Section 4.1 Rights of all Australians