CHS157 Provide support to individuals to develop their communication skills

Overview

This standard is suitable for anyone whose role requires them to work, under the direction of a speech and language therapist, to support individuals participating in programmes designed to achieve and develop optimum independence in communication.  The standard involves working closely with individuals, carers and key workers. Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies. Version No 1

Knowledge and Understanding

You will need to know and understand:

1. The current European and National legislation, national guidelines, organisational policies and protocols in accordance with Clinical/Corporate Governance which affect your work practice in relation to providing support to individuals to develop their communication skills
2. Your responsibilities and accountability in relation to the current European and National legislation, national guidelines and local policies and protocols and Clinical/Corporate Governance
3. The duty to report any acts or omissions in care that could be detrimental to yourself, other individuals or your employer
4. Why it is necessary to obtain valid consent prior to working with an individual and the methods used to achieve this where the individual is not able to give their consent directly
5. The policies and guidance which clarify your scope of practice and the relationship between yourself and the practitioner in terms of delegation and supervision
6. Why it is important to agree the therapeutic goals to be achieved
7. Why you should seek to support and encourage the individual to promote their own health and wellbeing and how this might be achieved
8. The importance of providing assistance to relevant others to enable them to further support the individual and how to provide this assistance
9. The common speech and language disorders and delay within the client group, and how these affect an individual’s ability to communicate and learn
10. The factors which affect attention span, memory and the ability to learn within different client groups which may need speech and language therapy
11. The nature and purposes of different therapeutic activities and how they can be used and adapted within the boundaries of a specified therapy
12. The effects and uses of alternative and augmentative communication on:
1. communication disorders on social interaction
2. unusual patterns of interaction on communication
3. psychological changes, stress and distress on communication and social interaction
13. The meaning and uses of augmentative sign and symbol systems
14. The use of motivation as an aid to learning
15. The information that should be recorded and the importance of doing this contemporaneously
16. Record keeping practices and procedures in relation to diagnostic and therapeutic programmes/treatments
17. The effect of sensory and motor functions generally on speech and language skills
18. Where speech sounds are made and how they are produced
19. The stages and structures within language development
20. The effect which conditions such as developmental delay and acquired disorders can have upon an individual’s communication
21. The verbal and non-verbal aspects of social interaction and their contribution to communication
22. The difference between assertiveness and aggression

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

1. obtain valid consent from the individual, or a third party where the individual is not in a position to provide this consent independently, before working with them
2. explain and, where possible, agree the therapeutic outcomes that the support is intended to achieve and take appropriate action where this is not possible
3. correctly carry out the specified activities using methods as directed and detailed within the individual’s care plan
4. seek prompt advice and assistance from a relevant contact where a programme activity called for is beyond your scope of practice
5. use motivators that are appropriate to the age and communication ability of the individual
6. provide an effective model for the individual in terms of:
1. verbal communication
2. non-verbal communication
7. provide a level of stimulation that is appropriate to the age and communication ability of the individual
8. provide the individual with sufficient time, opportunity and encouragement to practise existing and newly developed skills
9. encourage the individual to take advantage of planned and unplanned opportunities to integrate skills developed within the programme into their normal daily activities
10. support and encourage the individual to promote their own communication skills and implement appropriate strategies themselves
11. take appropriate and prompt action, in line with relevant protocols and guidelines, in response to any factors which indicate adverse reaction to the programme
12. provide accurate and prompt feedback to the individual’s care team to support effective future planning of the individual’s care
13. keep accurate, complete and legible records of the programme activities undertaken and the individual’s response to them
14. provide support to relevant others to enable them to develop skills which they can use with the individual in a functional setting

Additional Information

This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health. This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004): Dimension: HWB7 Interventions and treatments This standard has replaced AHP20