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Title / Provide Post Incident Response Team services in a prison
Level / 4 / Credits / 4
Purpose / This unit standard is for people working as corrections officers and covers Post Incident Response Team (PIRT) services in a prison.
People credited with this unit standard are able to:
–provide immediate support to corrections officers after an incident;
–defuse effects of incident on prison staff; and
–ascertain and implement remedial action.
Classification / Offender Management > Prison Safety and Security
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1This unit standard is intended for but not restricted to workplace assessment. The range statements across the unit standard can be applied according to enterprise specific equipment, procedures, and processes.
2Performance in relation to the elements and performance criteria must comply with current legislation, policies, and procedures, including:
Corrections Act 2004;
Corrections Regulations 2005;
Crimes Act 1961;
Crimes of Torture Act 1989;
Criminal Justice Act 1985;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990;
Parole Act 2002;
Privacy Act 1993;
Sentencing Act 2002;
other related Acts and regulations and their subsequent amendments or replacements.
3Reference to terms, procedures and specifications in this unit standard includes documented procedures and specifications relevant to the workplace in which assessment is carried out.
4All work practices shall meet documented enterprise quality management requirements, including the documentation of activities, events, and decisions.
5This unit standard relates to the immediate response after an incident to determine what assistance a corrections officer may require. Corrections officers receive a two-day training course to become part of the PIRT.
6Confidentiality of information relating to employees is maintained.
7This unit standard excludes counselling of corrections officers and their families.
8Assessment should be against the documented national policies and procedures and prison specific procedures.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Provide immediate support to corrections officers after an incident.
Evidence requirements
1.1Incident is assessed at scene to identify and determine requirements in accordance with established response procedures.
Rangeseverity of incident, incident size, number of staff requiring PIRT services, number of PIRT staff required.
1.2Staff requiring PIRT services are removed from scene and replacement staff coordinated in accordance with established operating procedures and staffing level agreements.
1.3Immediate support actions are implemented that ensure staff are supported immediately after the incident.
Rangeremoval from site, medical referral.
Outcome 2
Defuse effects of incident on prison staff.
Rangeindividual and/or team session.
Evidence requirements
2.1Effective communication techniques are utilised to encourage staff to discuss incident in an open manner.
Rangeattending, clarifying, encouraging, following, listening, questioning, paraphrasing, reflecting.
2.2Immediate physical and psychological impact of incident on staff member is identified.
2.3Individual reactions to incident are normalised using established counselling techniques.
Outcome 3
Ascertain and implement remedial action.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – organise debrief, staff placement recommendations, referrals.
Evidence requirements
3.1Remedial actions are identified, assessed and implemented in accordance with established procedures.
3.2Other parties involved in the remedial action are identified and coordinated to ensure successful implementation of actions.
Rangefamily, staff, medical, chaplain services.
3.3Follow up discussions and visits with affected individuals are coordinated and implemented in accordance with established procedures.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 29 June 1999 / 31 December 2019
Revision / 2 / 3 April 2001 / 31 December 2019
Review / 3 / 25 July 2006 / 31 December 2019
Review / 4 / 15 September 2016 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0003
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
The Skills OrganisationSSB Code 100401 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut