Develop relationships with children and young people
Overview
This standard is about developing working relationships with children and young people to help them understand their situation. It is about developing rapport and a respectful, trusting relationship with the child or young person. It is also important to use play or other appropriate methods to develop the relationship according to the age of the child or young person.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
1. introduce yourself to the child or young person and explain your role and responsibilities in relation to their care
2. communicate with the child or young person in ways that are appropriate to their age, understanding and preference
3. identify and respect the child or young persons privacy and confidentiality wishes unless this places the child or others at additional risk
4. comply with relevant legal, professional, and organisational requirements and guidelines
5. check that the child or young person is comfortable and that they understand that their needs are important and are being addressed
6. respond to any concerns that the child or young person might have about their situation and actively seek their views
7. encourage the child or young person to ask questions and to seek clarification on any issues
8. respond sensitively to any issues raised by the child or young person and take appropriate action to address
9. check that interactions show respect for the experience, knowledge, and background of the child or young person
10. establish a rapport with the child or young person through play and other methods
11. provide information to the child or young person in a way that enables them to discuss options for the future and make informed decisions where possible
12. summarise information using different words, phrases, and expressions to assist the child or young person’s understanding
13. direct the child or young person to further sources of information, advice or support as appropriate to their needs
14. clarify and agree with the child or young person the information which may be shared with others or where there is a need to share
15. obtain appropriate support where there are communication or relationship issues
16. provide information on how to contact you to obtain assistance if required
17. complete records in line with organisational policies and procedures.
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
1. legal and organisational and policy requirements relevant to your role, the role of others in your organisation and the activities being carried out
2. the relevant national and local guidelines, policies, and procedures available and how and when they should be accessed
3. how to manage your responsibilities as a professional with organisational and contractual requirements
4. the limits of your authority, responsibility and professional competence and its relationship to others in your organisation and the range of agencies and services you may work with
5. the roles of other practitioners working with children, young people and families
6. the information and guidance that is available for children and young people and how to access this
7. other professionals, networks and agencies that are available to support children and young people and how to access these
8. the possible impact of this work on yourself, and how to access support when required
9. the key government policies relating to the health and well-being of children and young people
10. the main issues and discussions relating to the health and well-being of children and young people
11. the frameworks for the assessment of children and young people's needs
12. the guidance that is available for your practice, and the sources of the guidance
13. evidence-based practice, and its role in improving services
14. the main stages of child development, and how they affect one another
15. different trauma responses and their impact
16. different parenting approaches, backgrounds and routines and the potential impact of these on the health and well-being of children and young people
17. the impact of family and environment on the health and well-being of children and young people
18. how the needs of children and young people may affect others
19. the contributing factors that increase the risk of harm to children and young people and the triggers for reporting incidents or unexpected behaviour
20. the ethics concerning consent and confidentiality, and the tensions which may exist between an individual's rights and the organisation's policies and procedures
21. the rights of individuals to make decisions for themselves and to take risks
22. the legal and organisational requirements in relation to obtaining consent
23. national and local policy and guidelines for individuals' records, their storage, retrieval and transfer, and confidentiality of information
24. the information recorded on individuals' records; how to access and use this information; and your responsibilities for maintaining records
25. different styles and forms of communication and how to adapt them to meet the needs of children and young people
26. how to create an environment that puts individuals at ease
27. the importance and methods of establishing rapport and respectful, trusting relationships with children and young people
28. the importance of working in a facilitative and enabling way and how to do this
29. the importance of focusing on the child or young person as an individual
30. the ways children and young people communicate by behaviour, as well as through language, and how different forms of behaviour can be interpreted
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Domestic Abuse
A pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass but is not limited to, a combination of psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse.
This definition also includes so-called ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. Children also experience domestic abuse when witnessing domestic abuse.
Intersectionality
The interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage
Needs led approach
A form of advocacy that places the survivor at the centre of interventions and support work. This means listening to their story, concerns and struggles and identifying strengths. It results in the collaborative production of support packages that are specific to survivors’ individual needs. A needs-led approach is an empowering endeavour that pays attention to survivors’ intersectional circumstances, avoiding the traps of institutional bias or ineffective responses
Strength based approach
Recognising that individuals have strengths. These strengths are recognised and built on as part of aiding recovery.
People at risk
An individual who is defined as in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, risk of abuse or neglect
Sexual Violence (see also definitions below that may be used covering sexual abuse or sexual assault)
Similar in nature to sexual abuse, but this term is more often used to describe brief or single incidences, such as if sexually assaulted by a stranger
Sexual Abuse
Undesired sexual behaviour by one person to another. This is often carried out by force or by taking advantage of the other person. This term is generally used when the sexual behaviour is regular or over a prolonged period of time.
Sexual Assault
Any unwanted sexual behaviour that a person has not consented to. This can range from rape to voyeurism or exhibitionism, to unwanted touching above or under clothes.
Trauma Informed Practice
An approach to health and care interventions which is grounded in the understanding that trauma exposure can impact on a person. Practitioners will work in ways so as to not inadvertently retraumatise impacted people and with an emphasis on client safety, choice, collaboration and empowerment.