CS3.2015 Work with children and young people to assess their health and well-being

Overview

This standard is about working with children and young people, and those involved in their care to assess the health and well-being of children and young people. Health and well-being includes the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the child or young person. The standard is relevant to practitioners who deliver services to children and young people. Practitioners working in this area require specialist expertise concerning the health and well-being needs of children and young people. Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies. Version No 2

Knowledge and Understanding

You will need to know and understand:

1. legal, organisational and policy requirements relevant to your role and the activities being carried out
2. the nature, extent and boundaries of your work role and its relationship to others in your own and other organisations
3. the roles of other practitioners working with children, young people and families and how they relate between and across agencies
4. the importance of effective multi-agency working
5. the ethical issues, legal requirements and good practice guidelines on consent, including capacity issues and consent for children and young people
6. the principle of confidentiality and the implications for your practice
7. how to recognise and respond to the signs of injury, abuse or neglect and your responsibility in relation to raising concerns with the appropriate person or agency
8. local systems, procedures and protocols for safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults
9. the principles of equality, diversity and anti-discriminatory practice and how they are applied
10. the duty to report any acts or omissions in care that could be detrimental to the child or young person
11. the rights of children and young people to make decisions for themselves and to take risks in the context of their own lives, taking into account issues of capacity and your professional responsibility
12. how to engage with and communicate effectively with children and young people, and those involved in their care
13. the need for communication to be modified for different contexts and cultures, including the age, vulnerability, understanding, developmental capacity and communication needs and preferences of the child or young person and those involved in their care
14. the ways in which children and young people communicate non-verbally and through behaviour, as well as through language, and how different forms of behaviour can be interpreted
15. the importance of adopting a child/young person centred approach
16. the conditions and issues affecting children and young people in your area of practice and how they can inter-relate
17. child and young people's development, including emotional, physical, and social how they affect one another
18. how the behaviour needs of children and young people may affect others
19. the effect of parenting capacity, family, environment and cultural influences on the health and wellbeing of children and young people
20. the factors that contribute to the risk of harm to children and young people
21. the guidance that is available for your own practice and where to access this
22. current issues, research and evidence based practice relevant to your role
23. local sources of health and well-being information, advice and support for children and young people, and those involved in their care
24. the importance of identifying relevant background information to inform the assessment, where this information is held and how to access this, including information held by other practitioners and agencies
25. the way health and social conditions interact to affect children and young people and the implications of this for the assessment process and outcomes
26. the interventions that the child or young person may have experienced prior to the assessment
27. the environment in which assessment takes place and how to address any limitations that may impact on the assessment
28. the equipment, materials and personal protective measures which will be necessary for the assessment
29. how to record your observations and use these to inform the assessment process
30. how to encourage children and young people, and those involved in their care, to assess their own needs, and the reasons for and benefits of doing this
31. the assessment tools which are available for assessing children and young people's needs and evidence of their effectiveness in your area of practice
32. how to select the most appropriate assessment tools for children and young people
33. the impact of the assessment on the child or young person and those involved in their care
34. the actions to take if the child or young person does not want to be assessed
35. how to respect privacy and dignity during assessment
36. methods of encouraging the effective involvement of the child or young person in the assessment and how this may differ depending on the methods being used
37. how to encourage those involved in the care of the child or young person to support them during assessment
38. the indications for further specialist assessment, who provides this, and the appropriate referral process
39. the importance of keeping full and accurate records, and how to do so in line with organisational requirements

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

1. obtain and use the necessary background information to allow the assessment to proceed effectively
2. communicate with the child or young person and those involved in their care in a way that is appropriate to their age, understanding, developmental capacity and preferences
3. identify and respect the child's or young person's privacy, confidentiality, rights and wishes
4. use sensitivity and respect throughout the assessment, balancing the rights of the child or young person with those involved in their care
5. select assessment tools that are safe for the child or young person, appropriate to their needs, and take account of all available information and other relevant factors
6. carry out the assessment in accordance with organisational procedures
7. conduct the assessment in a manner that encourages the effective participation and understanding of the child or young person and is consistent with their specific requirements and where appropriate, those involved in their care
8. encourage those involved in their care to give appropriate support to the child or young person during the assessment
9. evaluate all information from the assessment to identify potential outcomes
10. ensure that there is a clear rationale for the results of the assessment and communicate this effectively to the child, young person and those involved in their care
11. recognise when a further specialist assessment might be necessary, and take the necessary action in consultation with the child or young person and where appropriate, those involved in their care
12. produce records and reports that are clear, comprehensive, and accurate, and maintain the security and confidentiality of information

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: HWB2 Assessment and care planning to meet health and wellbeing needs