*EIATSCYP (TSC) version five, June, 2022.
Core competencies are relevant to all work with children and young people:
- Establish a Professional Practice
- Provide an Appropriate Environment
- Engage in Quality Assurance
- Maintain Professional Development
- Maintain appropriate Continuing Professional and personal Development
- Age-appropriate engagement and clearly communication with children and young people.
- Define the psychotherapist’s role and the client’s role
- Child centred, process-oriented collaborative formulation to define aims and goals.
- Understanding of play and its significance for development, learning and recovery.
- Interacting with children and young people in ways which are meaningful to them.
- Facilitative relational skills, compassionate presence and the ability to listen to children
- Understanding of multi-factorial influences on child mental health and emotional wellbeing.
- Observation skills and evaluative abilities in recognising individual children’s needs.
- Application of different frameworks for conceptualising strengths and difficulties.
- Integrating assessment and outcome measurements with ethical considerations.
- Case presentation skills including assessment, formulation, practice and evaluation.
- Principles of professional practice for working with children and young people.
- Development of working alliances with children which are secure and reliable.
- Understanding of key concepts for the purposes of applied therapeutic thinking.
- Working safely and effectively with relational and developmental processes.
- Management of beginnings and endings with dignity and respect for children.
- Knowledge of relevant legal, ethical and procedural frameworks for safeguarding.
- Understanding of how legislation translates into policy and organisational practice.
- Advocacy and mediation skills on behalf of children in rights-informed practice.
- Management of power with regard for vulnerability, agency and autonomy.
- Knowledge and skills for accurate risk assessment and professional judgements
- Understanding of the impact of adverse childhood experiences ACES in context.
- Knowledge of different diagnostic frameworks and a range of assessment criteria.
- Awareness of each child’s unique and individual experiences of neurodiversity.
- Awareness of and critical analysis of medical diagnosis and the impact of trauma.
- Professional skills to interface between the child, family and wider system of care.
- Understanding of physical, emotional, cognitive and social development.
- Knowledge of key milestones from conception to adulthood.
- Knowledge of neurodevelopmental perspectives and SEND.
- Understanding of the impact of discrimination and deprived environments (with reference to ageism, childism, racism, cultural diversity, gender and gender identity issues, sexual orientation, ableism, difference in values, religion or spirituality).
- Recognition of the unique lived experience of each child in context.
- Managing contracts and boundaries with parents and carers on behalf of children.
- Understanding of the impact of the wider system of care on child development.
- Communication and relationship skills to work effectively within systemic contexts.
- Provision of information and understanding about children’s needs and rights.
- Ability to provide parent and carer consultation and relevant psychoeducation.
- Knowledge and understanding of legislation as it relates to practice.
- Understanding of the impact of prejudice, discrimination and exclusion.
- Professional skills to ensure safe and effective, anti-oppressive practice.
- Abilities to work with complex relational and developmental processes.
- Abilities to communicate and work alongside children’s participatory voices.
- Understanding the wider context of inter-sectoral, inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary working.
- Managing interfaces in statutory, independent and voluntary inter-agency provision.
- Facilitating the inclusive voice of the child in decision-making and report writing. (Especially take into account the comments of Article 13 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the difference between wishes and needs).
- Understanding the ethical complexities of information sharing within systemic context.
- Advocacy and mediation skills within teams on behalf of children and young people.
- Knowledge of a wide range of multi-disciplinary practitioners and services.
- Abilities to identify needs, and make appropriate referrals where necessary.
- Management of the competing agendas of adults in the best interests of children.
- Consultation skills for children, young people, parents, carers and organisations.
- Recognition of limits of competence and the ability to signpost to resources.
- Undertaking routine evaluation of practice.
- Engaging in appropriate supervision in accordance with practice.
- Seek relevant specialist supervision as required.
- Engage in ongoing audit and evaluation of scope of practice.
- Participate in researching and evaluating outcomes in practice.
- Participate in the ongoing professional updating of practice.
- Continued education, training and personal development.
- Working within national legal, policy and ethical frameworks.
- Working in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
- Working in accordance with safeguarding procedures and practice.
- Working with awareness of social, political and cultural differences.
- Provide effective leadaership, maintaining quality and standards in professional practice and administrative procedures.
- Work within budget requirements and manage finacial matters with ethical transparency and accountability.
- Work in accordance with national legal, policy and ethical frameworks.
- If working in independent practice, self-employed or small business to be informed and aware of necessary requirements for safe practice.
- To be aware of research-informed approaches to therapeutic practice
- To be aware of different research methodologies including qualitative and quantitative approaches to research
- To be informed by codes of ethics, conduct and practice guidance for research with children and young people
- To be able to engage with routine outcome measurement tools for example the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire SDQ (What is the SDQ?)
- More measurement tools
- Competence in promoting early help and prevention including psychoeducation for children, young people, parents, carers and professionals in organisations.
- Designing, implementing and managing programs or projects which can support understanding of childrens needs and capabilities including the determinants of the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development and wellbeing of children and young people
- Understanding risk factors and protective factors in evaluating childrens needs and capabilities with reference to welfare, growth and learning
- Educate adults in the contexts where children live, learn and play including providing eveidence of research and information which can support inquiring minds, quality of care and promote reflective practice.
- Continue to develop understanding of the risks and benefits to children’s safety, and wellbeing including knowledge and understanding of their unique lived experience in each different cultural and social context.
- Maintain a commitment to destigmatising mental health challenges and avoiding criminalising behaviour which can be an expression of trauma, towards healing and recovery of their overall capacity for wellbeing.