Enable children and young people to understand their health and well-being

​This standard is about the practitioner helping children and young people to understand their situation in relation to their health and well-being. Health and well-being includes the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the child or young person. This will be done during the normal course of the practitioner’s work and may not be achieved in a one off session. The practitioner needs to develop rapport and a respectful, trusting relationship with the child or young person, and this is achieved by involving them in discussing their situation. They are then in a position to explore with them what they feel about the situation, and what they would like to happen to them. This will also include those who are involved in their care, but the child or young person is central to this process.

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1. access and accurately interpret all relevant work instructions and information
2. work safely at all times and in accordance with all relevant legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols
3. deal promptly and effectively with any problems within your control and report those which cannot be solved
4. identify and minimise hazards and risk in the workplace
5. communicate with the individual and key people at a pace, in a manner and at a level appropriate to the individual's understanding, preferences and needs
6. respect the individual's rights and wishes relating to their privacy, beliefs, and dignity
7. provide support to the individual and carers and ensure health and safety measures are implemented at all times
8. observe the child or young person's behaviour and note any unexpected changes or concerns

9. discuss with the child or young person their views on their health and well-being and help them:

   • to achieve an understanding of the nature of their needs and help them prioritise them
   • to identify their health goals and preferences
     

10. consult with the child or young person, and those involved in their care, on their view of the support they need to understand and manage their situation and promote their own health and well-being

11. explain clearly to the child or young person and those involved in their care the options that are available to them
12. provide the child or young person and those involved in their care with any available evidence based* *information about the effectiveness, benefits and risks of the different options
13. enable the child or young person to take an active part in decisions affecting them
14. respond sensitively to any issues raised by the child or young person or those involved in their care
15. support the child or young person and those involved in their care to communicate with each other through a partnership based approach
16. assist the child or young person and those involved in their care to highlight the key issues in relation to their health and well-being
17. encourage them to pursue ways to understand and promote their own health and well-being and discuss any anxieties they have about this
18. complete and store all relevant documentation in accordance with organisational requirements

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1. the current legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols which are relevant to your work practice and to which you must adhere
2. the scope and limitations of your own competence, responsibilities and accountability as it applies to your job role
3. how to access and interpret all relevant work instructions and information
4. specific procedures for reporting issues which are beyond your competence, responsibilities and accountability
5. the duty to report any acts or omissions that could be unsafe/detrimental to you or others
6. the hazards and risks which may arise during the execution of your work role and how you can minimise these
7. how to adapt communication styles in ways which are appropriate to the needs of the individual  
8. the correct use of any equipment and PPE to protect the health and safety of you and others
9. evidence-based practice and its role in improving care
10. the principles, practice and procedures associated with informed consent
11. the needs of individuals and carers including issues relating to dignity, confidentiality, and privacy
12. organisational management structures, roles, and responsibilities
13. the procedures and methods relating to the coordination of inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams within and across services
14. the roles of other practitioners working with children, young people and families and how they relate between and across agencies
15. the importance of effective multi-agency working
16. the principle of confidentiality and the implications for your practice
17. the principles and practice of adopting a child-centred approach
18. 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
19. systems, procedures and protocols for safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults
20. the principles of equality, diversity and anti-discriminatory practice and how they are applied
21. the links between socio-economic disadvantage, mental wellbeing and health inequalities.
22. 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
23. how to engage with and communicate effectively with children and young people, and those involved in their care
24. 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
25. the type of communication and relationship difficulties that can occur, and what to do to overcome communication and relationship difficulties
26. how to identify and work with the effects of trauma on young people
27. the importance of adopting a child/young person centred approach
28. the conditions and issues affecting children and young people in your area of practice and how they can inter-relate
29. child and young people's development, including emotional, physical, and  social how they affect one another
30. how the behaviour needs of children and young people may affect others
31. the effect of parenting capacity, family, environment and cultural influences on the health and wellbeing of children and young people
32. the importance of working in a facilitative and enabling way and how to do this
33. how children and young people see and experience the world in different ways and the implications of this for the way in which you seek to help them understand their health and well-being
34. the different ways in which babies and children form attachments and how these may change over time
35. how to support children and young people with a developmental difficulty or disability, and their families, parents and carers
36. the information and guidance that is available for children and young people and those involved in their care, and how to access this
37. 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
38. 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
39. 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
40. the possible impact of this work on yourself, and how to access supervision or other support when required
41. the impact of transitions on child development
42. 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
43. the role of parents or carers in promoting the health and well-being of children and young people
44. different parenting approaches, backgrounds and routines and the implications for helping children, young people and their families to promote their health and well-being
45. the diversity of children and young people's family, caring and social networks, and the impact of these on their health and well-being
46. the factors that contribute to the risk of harm to children and young people
47. health promotion strategies and programmes for children, young people and families
48. the guidance that is available for your own practice and where to access this
49. current issues, research and evidence based practice relevant to your role
50. how to complete and safely store all relevant documentation in accordance with organisational requirements

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3

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2026

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Current

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Original

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Skills for Health

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SFHCS20.2015

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Health Associate Professionals, Health Professionals, Health, Public Services and Care, Healthcare and Related Personal Services

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2259

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Children; Young people, health, well-being

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