Inherent Requirements - for postgrad students

Requirement: Work with others effectively, co-operatively, and in a professional manner in diverse and changing academic and practical experience settings.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Work effectively in a team in all learning environments, including the classroom, laboratory, clinical, field (may include remote sites) and workplace settings.
• Behavioural stability and effective interactions in emotionally challenging situations, including events involving human suffering, physical, emotional and psychological trauma, pain, medical emergencies and death.
• Manage uncertainties and adapt to change.
• Interact with individuals and groups in a professional manner in a range of settings.
• Adhere to the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines and workplace policies in placement.
• Observe work health and safety requirements including appropriate dress.
• Receive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback.
• Demonstrate insight and self-awareness and be able to reflect on how personal behaviour impacts others and modify behaviour to ensure and maintain professionalism.
• Manage own emotions and regulate own behaviour effectively in interactions with colleagues and clients on placement, and with fellow students and academic staff throughout the course of studies.
• Use emotional intelligence and empathy and maintain behavioural stability in a wide range of situations.

Verbal

Requirement: Communicate effectively in spoken English.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Respectful, clear, attentive, honest, empathetic, and non-judgemental verbal communications.
• Clear, timely, accurate and effective communication of information.
• The ability to listen to and summarise clients’ verbal responses.
• The ability to form working alliances with clients.
• Demonstrate empathy and sensitivity in communication with individuals and groups with diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
• The ability to communicate complex concepts (e.g. psychometric assessment outcomes, psychological formulation) in a clear and meaningful way to clients and other health professionals.
• Understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner in all interactions.
• Provide clear and effective verbal handover of professionally relevant information.
• Provide timely and audible responses to classes and groups in all learning environments, including the classroom, laboratory, field (may include remote sites), technology based forums (e.g., video links) and workplace settings.

Non-verbal

Requirement: Respond and participate in effective non-verbal communication.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to non-verbal cues in all learning environments, including the classroom, laboratory, clinical, field (may include remote sites) and workplace settings.
• Timely, accurate and effective delivery and participation in non-verbal communication.
• Non-verbal communication that is respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgmental.
• Use consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, body movements and gestures to promote trust and build rapport with clients.

Written

Requirement: Communicate effectively in written English.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Coherent written communications appropriate to the circumstances.
• Construct both concise and extended pieces of work with grammatically correct and meaningful sentences.
• Record information accurately and consistently in various formats, including handwritten and typed documents and spreadsheets.
• Effective transmission of information in both academic and placement settings.
• Effectively use electronic record keeping and data management systems.
• Adhere to professional standards and Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines in relation to clinical record keeping and documentation.

Cognitive tasks

Requirement: Consistently and effectively use and apply cognitive skills.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Effectively identify and locate appropriate and relevant information.
• Effectively conceptualise, integrate, process, interpret, and implement knowledge and information for academic and clinical tasks.
• Appropriately apply policy and procedures in academic and work placement settings.
• Accurately recall information without reference.
• Perform repetitive activities with a high level of concentration until completion of the task.
• Understand another person’s perspective.
• Critically appraise and evaluate scientific evidence to inform psychological practice.
• Ability to accurately apply knowledge of statistical concepts in the interpretation of psychometric assessment data.
• Ability to adhere to professional standards and to apply Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines within clinical practice during clinical placement.
• Collate and synthesise information and use it to make informed decisions.
• Communicate complex ideas effectively to a range of people in variety of formats.

Literary tasks

Requirement: Consistently and effectively use and apply literacy skills.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Read and understand a range of literature and information, including handwritten and typed documents, spreadsheets and graphs.
• Integrate and summarise information in a meaningful manner.
• Produce accurate, concise and clear documents and reports in accordance with professional standards and the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics.

Numeracy tasks

Requirement: Consistently and effectively use and apply numeracy skills.

Example of Tasks: 

• Perform accurate calculations.
• Accurately record and interpret numerical data, including psychometric assessment data.
• Correctly apply data, measurements and numerical criteria.

Auditory

Requirement: Safely and effectively complete tasks with auditory components.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Accurately receive and record information delivered verbally.
• Accurately receive and record verbal responses of clients during administration of psychometric assessments (e.g. assessments of cognition, personality and adaptive functioning) and treatment sessions.
• Listen attentively to people when conducting psychological assessment or consultation.
• Participate in and understand work, health and safety briefings.
• Observe alarms, warnings and directions (for example, related to industrial or construction activities) to ensure the safety of yourself and others during laboratory work, clinical/work placements and field trips.

Visual

Requirement: Safely and effectively complete practices and tasks with visual components.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Ability to administer, score and interpret psychometric assessments including assessments of cognition, personality and adaptive functioning.
• Observe behaviour of others to contribute to behavioural and social assessments.
• Observe and detect subtle changes in non-verbal behaviour to inform assessment and formulation of psychological functioning.
• Create and interpret representations of data including graphs and tables.
• Observe alarms, warnings and to ensure the safety of yourself and others during clinical practice, laboratory work and simulated practice.

Gross motor tasks

Requirement: Safely and effectively complete psychological practice and assessment tasks that involve gross motor skills.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Physically manipulate material, systems and processes.
• Consistent and sustained levels of energy and concentration to complete a range of specific tasks in a timely manner and over time.
• Travel to and participate in practical exercises and excursions off campus or placement locations within reasonable timeframes (with regard to health and safety considerations), including those over uneven ground.

Fine motor tasks

Requirement: Safely and effectively complete practical and assessment tasks that involve fine motor skills. Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently.

Examples of Tasks: 

• Manipulate instruments and equipment in the administration of psychometric assessments.
• Grasping, pressing, pushing, turning, squeezing and manipulating various objects and instruments in the administration of psychometric assessments.
• Use knobs and dials in equipment used for laboratory and field data collection and analysis.
• Use computer equipment.
• Manipulate objects to determine physical properties.