CS19.2015 Develop relationships with children, young people and those involved in their care

Overview

This standard is about the practitioner developing relationships with children, young people and those involved in their care to help them understand their situation. This will be done during the normal course of the practitioner's work, and is not something that can be achieved in a one-off session. The practitioner needs to develop rapport and a respectful, trusting relationship with the child, young person and their carer. It is important also that the practitioner uses age-appropriate methods to develop their relationship according to the age of the child or young person. 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. the environments that may be most conducive for effective communication with children and young people
13. how to engage with and communicate effectively with children and young people, and those involved in their care
14. 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
15. 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
16. the importance of adopting a child/young person centred approach
17. the conditions and issues affecting children and young people in your area of practice and how they can inter-relate
18. the possible impact of this work on yourself, and how to access supervision or other support when required
19. child and young people's development, including emotional, physical, and social how they affect one another
20. how the behaviour needs of children and young people may affect others
21. the effect of parenting capacity, family, environment and cultural influences on the health and wellbeing of children and young people
22. the factors that contribute to the risk of harm to children and young people
23. the guidance that is available for your own practice and where to access this
24. current issues, research and evidence based practice relevant to your role
25. local sources of health and well-being information, advice and support for children and young people, and those involved in their care
26. 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. introduce yourself to the child, young person and those involved in their care and explain your role in relation to their care
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. comply with the relevant legal, professional, and organisational requirements and guidelines relevant to your role
5. ensure that the child or young person is made to feel comfortable and understands that their needs are important and are being addressed
6. respond to any concerns or issues that the child, young person and those involved in their care might have about their situation
7. encourage the child or young person to ask questions and to seek clarification on any issues
8. ensure that all interactions show respect for the experience, knowledge, and background of the child or young person
9. using age-appropriate methods, establish a rapport with the child or young person that enables a good relationship to develop
10. provide information to the child or young person in a way that enables them to discuss options for the future and make their own informed decisions
11. summarise information using different words, phrases, and expressions to assist the child's or young person's understanding
12. direct the child, young person and those involved in their care to further sources of information, advice or support as appropriate to their needs
13. clarify and agree with the child, young person and those involved in their care the information which may be shared with others
14. obtain appropriate support where there are communication or relationship issues
15. provide clear information on who to contact to obtain assistance if required
16. make records 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: Core 1 Communication