Revised standards for CYP workers in Northern Ireland
The revised National Occupational Standards (NOS) for those working in Children & Young People’s Health Services in Northern Ireland are now available.
The review of the Standards was led by Skills for Health as part of a UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) funded project.
Northern Ireland provided representatives from HSCB, the PHA, the Southern and Western Trusts along with representation from ASCERT, a charity providing services that address the impact of alcohol and drugs related issues.
The project team reviewed the NOS against their applicability for those working in Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and substance use services for children and young people.
Although the standards are not mandatory, it is intended that the NOS should be incorporated into induction programmes for staff working in CAMHS and substance use services as well as workforce development plans for individual staff and teams.
The NOS will remain a generic suite of NOS for individuals working with children and young people and the suite title has been changed from ‘Children’s Services’ to ‘Children and Young People’s Health Services’ to more accurately reflect the focus of the NOS.
Marian O’Rourke Head of Workforce Development at NISCC welcomed the launch of the NOS and praised the work of the Northern Ireland representatives who worked with others in collaboration to revise the Standards.
“As a partner in the Sector Skills Council, NISCC is keen to promote NOS in a way that is helpful and meaningful in practice. NOS are a valuable tool to be used as benchmarks for qualifications across the UK; defining roles at work, staff recruitment, supervision and appraisal. The revised NOS for Children & Young People’s Health Services will help to set high standards for service development training in this area.”
