CS21.2015 Monitor the health and well-being of children and young people

Overview

This standard is about working with children and young people to monitor their health and well-being. Health and well-being includes the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the child or young person. It is important that the health and well-being of the child or young person is monitored, and that any actions that are required can be identified as soon as possible. It involves reviewing the support or the services provided, identifying any changing and/or unmet needs and taking action to address these. 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 ways in which those involved in the care of the child or young person should be involved in communication in order to deliver the most effective outcome for the child or young person
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. how children and young people see and experience the world in different ways
19. the different ways in which babies and children form attachments and how these may change over time
20. how to support children and young people with a developmental difficulty or disability, and their families, parents and carers
21. the type of communication and relationship difficulties that can occur, and what to do to overcome communication and relationship difficulties
22. other professionals, networks and agencies that are available to support children and young people and those involved in their care, and how to access these
23. how to motivate and encourage children and young people to achieve their full potential and how to empower and encourage parents and carers to do the same
24. the value of age appropriate methods for helping children and young people to understand themselves and the world around them as well as helping them to promote their health and well-being and realise their potential
25. the possible impact of this work on yourself, and how to access supervision or other support when required
26. child and young people's development, including emotional, physical, and social how they affect one another
27. how the behaviour needs of children and young people may affect others
28. the effect of parenting capacity, family, environment and cultural influences on the health and wellbeing of children and young people
29. the impact of transitions on child development
30. how to recognise signs of possible developmental delay, disability, or undiagnosed health conditions, and who to refer the child or young person to for further investigation and diagnosis
31. different parenting approaches, backgrounds and routines and the potential impact of these on the health and well-being of children and young people
32. the diversity of children and young people's family, caring and social networks, and the impact of these on their health and well-being
33. the factors that contribute to the risk of harm to children and young people
34. health promotion strategies and programmes for children, young people and families
35. local sources of health and well-being information, advice and support for children and young people, and those involved in their care
36. how to monitor implementation of care plans, including risks and key outcomes
37. the previous and present interventions that the child or young person may have experienced
38. how to record your initial observations and use these to inform the monitoring process
39. how to gather information from children and young people, and those who care for them, about their health and well-being
40. methods of supporting children and young people and those involved in their care to take an active part in decisions affecting them and to make informed choices
41. the information which it may be necessary to share with others as a result of monitoring health and well-being and how to make sure that the child or young person and those involved in their care are clear about this
42. referral processes and pathways within children's services
43. the guidance that is available for your own practice and where to access this
44. current issues, research and evidence based practice relevant to your role
45. 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. 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
2. identify and respect the child's or young person's privacy, confidentiality, rights and wishes
3. clarify and confirm with the child or young person and those involved in their care, the information which may need to be shared with others within the boundaries of confidentiality
4. enable the child or young person to take an active part in decisions affecting them
5. involve the child or young person in a manner and at a level appropriate to their wishes, age and development stage, and communication skills
6. comply with the relevant legal, professional, and organisational requirements and guidelines relevant to your role
7. observe the child or young person's behaviour and note any unexpected changes or concerns
8. obtain information from the child or young person and those involved in their care on the way in which the their needs are being met
9. respond sensitively to any issues raised by the child or young person and those involved in their care
10. in discussion with the child or young person and those involved in their care identify:
1. the actions that are being taken to achieve and maintain their health and well-being
2. any areas where support for the child or young person can be improved
3. what actions are required if the child or young person's needs are not being appropriately addressed
11. obtain the valid consent of the child or young person, or those with parental responsibility, for the actions undertaken on their behalf
12. refer any concerns that cannot be resolved to the relevant people in a suitable way
13. keep the child or young person and those involved in their care informed of progress on resolving any concerns and the anticipated timescales for any outcomes
14. 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