C
CS11.2015 Support young people to prepare for and make the transition to adult healthcare services
Overview
This standard is about providing information and support to help a young person to make the transition to adult (or to intermediate) healthcare services.
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:
- legal, organisational and policy requirements relevant to your role and the activities being carried out
- the nature, extent and boundaries of your work role and its relationship to others in your own and other organisations
- the roles of other practitioners working with young people and families and how they relate between and across agencies
- the importance of effective multi-agency working
- how to work in partnership with young people and those involved in their care
- the ethical issues, legal requirements and good practice guidelines on consent, including capacity issues and consent for young people
- the principle of confidentiality and the implications for your practice
- 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
- local systems, procedures and protocols for safeguarding young people and vulnerable adults
- the principles of equality, diversity and anti-discriminatory practice and how they are applied
- the duty to report any acts or omissions in care that could be detrimental to the young person
- young people's development, including emotional, physical and social and how they affect one another
- the rights of 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
- the importance of focusing on the young person as an individual
- the importance and effects of healthcare education and self-management for young people
- the development of self-management and independence in young people
- the psychosocial impact of long term conditions in your area of practice, at diagnosis and in the long term
- how to gather information from young people and their families about their health and well-being
- the social, cultural and economic background of the young people using your service
- the diversity of young people's family, cultural and social networks, and the impact of these on their behaviour and health and well-being
- how young people can be influenced by peer groups
- how to engage with and communicate effectively with young people, and those involved in their care
- the benefits of regular contact in establishing effective relationships
- the importance of working in a facilitative and enabling way and how to do this
- when and how to involve the young person's family in communication in order to deliver the most effective outcome for the young person
- 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 young person and those involved in their care
- the benefits of effective transition on managing long term conditions
- the time needed for effective transition planning, the benefits of early planning, and the risks of insufficient/late planning
- the factors which affect the appropriate timing of transition to adult services
- the importance and methods of consulting the young person and those involved in their care, from the beginning of the transition planning process
- the impact of transitions on child and young people's development
- strategies for ensuring a co-ordinated transition process
- mechanisms to ensure continuity of care
- treatment and care for long term conditions within your area of practice
- the various factors that impact on long term conditions
- the importance of and methods for addressing or accessing support for general young people's health issues
- health promotion strategies and programmes for young people
- the symptoms and risk factors for long term conditions within your area of practice
- how to screen for long term conditions in your area of practice
- the prognosis and complications of the conditions and when they are likely to occur
- how to monitor long term conditions within your area of practice
- local guidelines and protocols for transition arrangements to adults' services
- procedures, protocols, and pathways for liaising with young people and their families, practitioners, departments, and agencies
- sources of authoritative information on transition to adult services, including evidence based information
- sources of information on long term conditions relevant to young people
- local sources of health and well-being information, advice and support for young people and those involved in their care
- how young people can access local facilities for exercise and physical activity, education and community activities
- 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:
- ensure that transition planning is initiated as early as possible
- communicate with the young person and those involved in their care in a way that is appropriate to their age, understanding, developmental capacity and preferences
- identify and respect the young person's privacy, confidentiality, rights and wishes
- provide support to the young person as necessary to enable them to take an active part in decisions affecting them
- provide information in suitable forms to the young person and their family about:
- how and when transition to adult services will take place
- the differences that the young person may expect and encourage the young person and their family to ask questions or to raise any concerns
- in discussion with the young person, assess their readiness to move to adult services and, where possible under local protocols, schedule the transition for a suitable time, taking into account:
- the young person's age and developmental readiness
- their health status and ability to manage their own condition
- the timing or likely timing of other stressful life events
- capabilities of the adult providers
- support young people to take responsibility for their own health and make informed choices and decisions regarding their emotional and social development, and health and well-being
- review with the young person any self-management skills they need to develop as a matter of priority before they move to adult services, and provide guidance, encouragement and support to aid their development
- provide support and reassurance to encourage the young person and their family to feel positive about the transition
- encourage and support the young person to meet members of the adult team prior to transfer, and make arrangements with colleagues for meetings to take place
- record and provide full information to colleagues in adult services to enable them to provide a smooth transition
- identify the strengths and any weaknesses of the system for handling transition, and raise suggestions for any improvements with appropriate colleagues
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: HWB4 Enablement to address health and wellbeing needs