CNH1 Explore and establish the client's needs for complementary and natural healthcare

Overview

All forms of complementary and natural healthcare rely on exploring and establishing the client’s needs and expectations.  This may take place at the outset, but also during the on-going delivery of complementary and natural healthcare.  This allows the practitioner to consider whether it is appropriate to offer the service to the client, the type of service that should be offered and any required modifications to that service. 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 concept of health and well-being that is consistent with the practice, principles and theory underlying your discipline
2. The nature of the service provided and fee structures
3. How the client’s previous and present care may affect their health and well-being in relation to your discipline
4. How the psychological and emotional balance, as well as diet and lifestyle of the individual, can affect their health and well being
5. How the context in which people live affects their health and well-being
6. The importance of a suitable environment and making clients feel welcome
7. How to select and use different methods for exploring clients’ needs
8. How to establish valid and reliable information about the client, and determine the priority of need, in order to plan the service
9. The potential risks (relevant to your discipline) of various courses of action for the client
10. How to work with clients to determine the appropriate actions
11. The appropriate actions to take to suit identified needs
12. The conditions for which the discipline is appropriate and those where it must be used with caution
13. How to recognise conditions for which your discipline is unsuitable and for which the client should seek advice from other sources
14. How to judge whether self-care procedure(s) relevant to your discipline are appropriate for the client
15. The anatomy, physiology and pathology relevant to your discipline
16. The procedures for record keeping in accordance with legal and professional requirements

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

1. evaluate requests for complementary and natural healthcare and take the appropriate action
2. explain the nature of the service and fee structures to the client
3. provide an appropriate and safe environment for the service 
4. make clients feel welcome and ensure they are as comfortable as possible
5. discuss the client’s needs and expectations, and ask relevant questions
6. encourage the client to ask questions, seek advice and express any concerns
7. establish the client’s needs in a manner which encourages the effective participation of the client and meets their particular requirements
8. determine any contra-indications or restrictions that may be present and take the appropriate action
9. evaluate the information obtained and determine the appropriate action with the client
10. complete and maintain records in accordance with professional and legal requirements

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: HWB6 Assessment and treatment planning This standard replaced CHH1, CHH2, CHH3, CHH4, CH H1 and CH H3 Related Functions Principles of Good Practice