Psychological approaches and interventions in multidisciplinary paediatric settings
Welcome to the competence framework for psychological approaches and interventions in paediatric settings.
This site gives open access to the framework, as well as background documentation that explains how to use the framework.
A brief description of the competences framework for psychological approaches and interventions in a paediatric setting
The framework describes the various activities which need to be brought together in order to carry out clinical work in the context of paediatric work. It is not intended to prescribe what a clinician should do; it makes suggestions about best practice in the light of our current knowledge of the effectiveness of approaches and interventions.
The framework locates competences across seven “domains”, each of which represents a broad area of practice. This helps users to see how the various activities associated with work in this area fit together.
A background document provides an introduction to the framework and its application. This is essential reading because it explains the principles which guided the development of the framework, and the ways in which it can be applied. Although its primary audience will be clinicians, clinical managers and commissioners of services, service users will also find it useful.
Click here to access the background document
How to access and download the competences
There are two ways of accessing the competences:
1. You can download them from the map of competences. This shows the ‘architecture’ of the framework - the ways in which the competences relate to each other. The map displays seven domains of competence, and the activities associated with each domain. Placing the cursor over any of the boxes in the map links you to the competences, so to see the competences associated with a specific activity, just click on the relevant box.
Navigating the framework – click here for the map of competences
As described fully in the background documents, the map shows the seven domains of competence, and the activities associated with each domain.
2. If you want to see all the competences in the first five domains of the map you can get “one-click’ access here:
- Complete list of Core competences for work with children/ young people
- Complete list of Core knowledge & competences for work with children and young people with physical health problems
- Complete list of Generic Therapeutic Competences
- Complete list of Assessment, Formulation, Engagement and planning competences
- Complete list of Specialist Assessments
- Interventions for common challenges in paediatric context
- Interventions for specific challenges in paediatric context
- Exemplar condition-specific interventions
- Metacompetences
Supporting children and young people who have coexisting mental and physical health conditions
Children and young people with physical health conditions (and particularly those with neurological conditions) may have elevated rates of common childhood mental health conditions. These young people should receive standard mental health assessments, where required leading to an evidence-based intervention; these interventions are detailed in the competence framework for psychological interventions in a CAMHS context.
There is a risk that in a paediatric context mental health problems are seen as the province of CAMHS services, and an equal risk that CAMHS services will be deterred from intervening where there is an evident physical health problem. This can result in the child or young person falling through an organisational net.
There is good reason to assume that the current evidence-base for the treatment of common mental health conditions applies equally to children with physical health conditions (though there may need to be some adaptation to take into account specific aspects of their health condition). As such it would be good practice to offer these interventions to children and young people with a physical health problem seen in any clinical context