Childhood and Young People

Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

Assignment overview

Introduction
This assignment is intended to provide evidence of a candidate’s knowledge, understanding and skills required to support communication and professional relationships with children and young people and adults. By completing all tasks within the assignment the candidate will provide evidence that meets the Learning Outcomes and assessment criteria of Unit 203 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults – this unit has links to • Unit 201 Child and young person development • Unit 202 Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people • Unit 206 Help improve own and team practice in schools • Unit 207 Maintain and support relationships with children and young people • Unit 209 Support children and young people’s behaviour

Learning outcomes
There are four learning outcomes to this unit. The learner will be able to:
1. Know how to interact with and respond to children and young people
2. Know how to interact with and respond to adults
3. Know how to communicate with children, young people and adults
4. Know about current legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection

Tasks
There are five tasks to this assignment.
A Interaction with children and young people
B Interaction with adults
C Stages of Communication/Development
D Communication barriers
E Legislation, policies and procedures.

Assignment coverage
|Task |Task Name |Learning Outcomes Covered |
| | |1.1 describe how to establish respectful, professional relationships with children and young people |
|A |Interaction with |1.2 describe with examples how to behave appropriately for a child or young person’s stage of |
| |children and young |development |
| |people |1.3 describe how to deal with disagreements between children and young people- linked to unit 209 support |
| | |positive behaviour ref 1.1 – 2.1 and possible observation |
| | |1.4 describe how own behaviour could: |
| | |a) promote effective interactions with children and young people |
| | |b) impact negatively on interactions with children and young people |
|B |Interaction with |linked to Unit 206 Help improve own and team practice Outcome 3 ref 3.4 – Outcome 4 ref 4.6, 4.7 |
| |adults |2.1 describe how to establish respectful, professional relationships with adults – |
| | |2.2 describe the importance of adult relationships as role models for children and young people. |
| | |3.2 describe the main differences between communicating with adults and communicating with |
| | |children and young people |
|C |Stages of |3.1 describe how communication with children and young people differs across different age |
| |communication and |ranges and stages of development – linked to Unit 201 Child and young person development Outcome 1 ref 1.1b |
| |development | |
|D |Communication |3.3 identify examples of communication difficulties that may exist – linked to Unit 201 Child and young person |
| |barriers |development Outcome 2 ref 2.1, 2.2 |
| | |3.4 describe how to adapt communication to meet different communication needs |
| | |3.5 describe how to deal with disagreements between |
| | |a) the practitioner and children and young people |
| | |b) the practitioner and other adults linked to Unit 206 Help improve own and team practice Outcome 3 ref 3.4 – |
| | |Outcome 4 ref 4.6, 4.7 |
|E |Legislation, policies|4.1 identify relevant legal requirements and procedures covering confidentiality, data protection |
| |and procedures |and the disclosure of information |
| | |4.2 describe the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults of the confidentiality |
| | |of shared information and the limits of this |
| | |4.3 identify the kinds of situations when confidentiality protocols must be breached – linked to Unit 202 |
| | |Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people Outcome 3 ref 3.5 – Unit 209 support positive behaviour |
| | |ref 1.1, 2.1 |
Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

Task A – Interaction with children and young people

Describe how to establish professional relationships with children. Ref.1.1

Establishing professional relationships with children need to have respect and trust. A child will learn to trust you and with this then comes the respect.
Letting children express themselves shows that you have interest in the child’s views and respect their opinions. This means a lot to a child as it shows them they are of importance.
Children need time to express themselves; sometimes they get confused as in what to say and this can then lead to a child getting frustrated. This may also then lead to embarrassment.
Giving your full attention to a child and making eye contact with them is very important also as this shows the child again you are interested in what they need to say.
KEY POINTS
Listen
Show interest to the child
Be caring and supportive
A child will respond to you how you respond to them, so always show a child respect as you would be expecting this back from them, this would be a great way to have professional relationships with children.

Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

Describe how to deal with disagreements between children and young people. Ref.1.3

All children have disagreements; it’s about dealing with this in the correct way that both or all children feel safe and protected.
Try to find a balance and reason with the child, ask: Why are they arguing? How could they resolve this? Involving them on finding a common ground and sorting out a problem is helping them learn to deal with situations better in the future.
In more complex situations children may need more adult involvement as the children may be in a more upset situation.
In situations where you are dealing with disagreements between children and young people there are good pointers to use to deal with this. • Listen to both parties involved. • Show you are listening and understanding both children, using body language i.e. nodding and facial expressions, i.e. raised eyebrows. • Be fair throughout; do not be judgemental to either child. • Make sure that both children are listening to one another. • Try to prompt the children to find solutions to their disagreement, if this cannot be done, try prompting suggestions. • Always explain to children that talking about matters has a better result at the end instead of shouting at one another and getting upset.

Describe with examples how your own behaviour could promote or hinder interactions with children and young people. Ref.1.4a, b

There are many ways that our behaviour could hinder interactions with children.
Not listening to a child will lose that child’s respect.
Always show you are listening to them and for example if they ask a question, show encouragement for this and show interest in what they have to say.
Being very dull with a child would show a child you are not interested and this would then affect your relationship with this child as the child would feel less confident and have less respect for you.
Body language is also important. If you were to stand there with your arms crossed, this could make the child sense you are not interested or there say is not of any value. Instead make eye contact with them and smile and show them that when they need your attention they can turn to you, promoting our behaviour helps the child, because they look at us as role models and will later copy our mannerisms.

Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

Task B - Interaction with Adults

Describe with examples how to establish professional relationships with adults. What is the importance of adult relationships as role models for children and young people? – ref – 2.1, 2.2

There are 3 main types of adults that you may come into contact with as a teaching assistant.

• Colleagues • Parents • External Professionals

COLLEAGUES

Make sure at all times you respect your colleagues by addressing them appropriately, for example Mrs. Smith instead of Joan.
Always be approachable and polite as this can make relationships uncomfortable,
For example, if a teacher approached you and you had your arms crossed and moody faced this will start any relationship with a negative attitude.
Always treat a member of staff the way you would like to be treated.
Remember when speaking to a colleague, a child may be able to hear you, so always keep conversations formal and professional.
Be informative, make sure you share any information which is necessary with them but this must be done in the correct way so you are not breeching Data Protection Act 1998.
For Example, if you need to write any information down, make sure this written information is safely given to the correct person and not left lying around for someone else to see.

PARENTS

With Parents, always be approachable as they will want to know they can approach you with any situation regarding their child.
Parents have a right to under the Freedom of information ask to know any information we have on their child. If a parent does request information, this needs to be accurate and not exaggerated in any way. Usually any information shared is to be from the teacher unless a teaching assistant had been asked to, for example, you may know more about the child if you are their key worker.
Always keep supportive and positive relationships with parents as they are more likely to give you more beneficial support when needed.
For Example, If I was instructed by a teacher to inform a parent that their child needs additional help with their reading, some parents can get defensive on this subject but if you have a respectable relationship with good communication skills with the parent they are more likely to value your opinion and trust your judgement on their child’s educational needs.

EXTERNAL PROFESSIONALS

Relationships with external professionals will involve more of a formal relationship. Information will be shared with professionals regarding the child they are there for; all information is to be shared carefully accurately and in line with the Data Protection Act 1998. External professionals will more than likely need to speak to the teaching assistant due to the amount of hours that care is provided by them and also if they work one to one with the child. Professionals from other agencies will want to know information on the child due to us knowing them more personally.
Always be approachable and have good listening skills to understand the subject that is being discussed.
Sharing advice with them is also very helpful for the child for example, If a child has a speech impediment and needs an external speech therapist, the speech therapist may be able to advise you of a good activity that will help the child.

IMPORTANCE

Adults may have different views sometimes on certain subjects. Always work together and as part of a team, this will keep all relationships respectable and professional.
It is very important we behave in the correct way as we are the children’s role models, they will act the way we act and copy all of our mannerisms. We need to respect others in a way we expect the children to respect others.

Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

What are the main differences between communication with children and young people and communication with adults? - ref 3.2

When speaking to an adult we use more complex language and discuss situations in more depth within our conversations. With children we speak in a way that is easier for them to understand and direct (not complicated). We would also check with a child that they understood what we said.
Children respond better with exaggerated facial expressions and body language as this reassures them that we are listening to them and understanding them.
We may also need to repeat ourselves with children in case they did not understand what you said the first time.
When asking an adult a question, these will be more complex as with a child they will be simpler and sometimes choice questions.
We should always look at the child and an adult when speaking to them but with a child we should get down to their eye level. This is to show them they have our full attention and so they do not feel intimidated with us standing over them.

Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

Task C Stages of Communication Development

Complete the table giving an example of how adult communication and behaviour with children and young people differs across different age ranges and stages of development –(0-19) - ref. 1.2, 3.1

|Age group |How to communicate with this age group:- |
|0-3 years |With children in this age range their vocabulary isn’t as wide. Constantly talking to the child will help widen their |
| |vocabulary as they enjoy listening and watching the movements of your mouth and mimic what you are doing. When you are for|
| |example tidying up, talk the child through what you are doing. Simple actions such as waving when saying “bye” will help |
| |a child’s understanding. |
| |Repetition helps a child as they learn more the more they say or hear something. |
| |Do not constantly correct the child when using their vocabulary, try repeating but in the correct way. For example, the |
| |child says “A lellow banana. Respond to this with, “yes it’s a yellow banana; this will encourage them to then repeat the |
| |word again. |
| |KEYPOINTS: |
| |Eye contact at all times and get down to their level. |
| |Slower speaking to the child. |
| |Use Actions |
| |Speak through what you are doing, constant communication |
| |Change tone of voice to make things sound exciting, use a lot of expression. |
|3-7 years |Children at this age need more time when speaking to you as they are still learning new words and learning how to put them|
| |into context. Do not finish a child’s sentence for them or rush them as this can make them frustrated. Use plenty of |
| |facial expressions and body language when speaking or listening to them to show them you are very interested in what they |
| |are saying and make them feel of important value. |
| |Communicating through play interests a child for longer and they are relaxed so are more likely to learn more and widen |
| |their vocabulary. |
| |KEYPOINTS |
| |Be repetitive |
| |Use exaggerated facial expressions and body language |
| |Get down to their level |
| |Tone of voice is changed as to sounding excited |
|7-12 years |At this age you are able to use more complex language to a child. If they do not understand they are able to ask for us |
| |to repeat what we said. |
| |When answering questions they are able to do this in more detail, instead of yes or no answers. |
| |Using more complex words to a child of this age is helping widen their vocabulary and they will learn to use these in the |
| |right context in other conversations. Encouraging conversation at this age is still important as opposed to always talking|
| |to them as this makes the child feel respected and that you value their say. You may have different opinions to children |
| |sometimes but never tell them they are wrong, as all opinions are different but not always wrong and the child needs to |
| |learn how to have a mutual respected debate. |
| |KEYPOINTS |
| |Encourage more conversation |
| |Still use body language but not as exaggerated |
| |Respect their say and opinion, to make them feel it is ok to have different opinions to others. |
| |Let them have their say. |
| |Still remind children at this age to listen to others and allow others to have their say. |
|12-19 years |Young people are still maturing at this age and still need good communication. They may have more of an opinion at this |
| |age and want to share this with others. Encouraging the correct communication will help them in future conversations. |
| |Doing this also gives them confidence as to what they say is as important as anyone else’s and that their opinion should |
| |be valued. |
| |Communication does not always mean speaking, young people at this age can write fluently to others i.e., letters or |
| |speaking via computers. |
| |Young people need to know they can confide in you as at this age children may have more worries and have to deal with more|
| |difficult situations and need to be reassured you will always listen. |
| |KEYPOINTS |
| |Always listen to the younger person |
| |Encourage communication in different ways |
| |Encourage group speaking to gain confidence |
| |Encourage understanding of different cultures and different children’s individualities. i.e. People from different |
| |cultures may still need more assistance with widening their vocabulary and need patience from others to do this. |

Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

Task D – Communication Barriers

Give examples of communication difficulties that may exist and describe how you would adapt your communication to overcome them or meet different communication needs. You should show awareness that communication includes verbal, non-verbal, formal and informal. – ref 3.3, 3. 4

Communicating with children and adults is the most important aspect to learning. Children look at us as role models and our communication mannerisms reflect onto them.
Some children and adults find it harder to communicate than others. This could be because of communication difficulties they may have.
Here are some examples of some communication barriers:
Hearing Impairment
Behavioural issues
Speech and language
Dyslexia
Autism
Visually impaired / blind
Confidence and low self esteem
Lack of concentration
Asperger’s
Reading and writing disorder
Cultural differences
Environmental issues

Below are 4 examples with details that can affect communication.

DYSLEXIA

A child that may be dyslexic may have difficulty in learning to read and interpret words and other symbols.
Dyslexia can be delays in speech. When writing they may have difficulty as they may reverse letters and use mirror writing.
Seating the child nearer to a teacher or teaching assistant, this way an adult is closer by to observe their work more and give assistance if needed. When teachers are writing, make sure words are spread out so easier reading is able from the child. Repetition in reading and introducing new words slowly helps the child by not feeling as though they are rushed and then they feel more confident on their work.
Always be more positive and rewarding at all times, this will encourage them to want to work and concentrate more. Adults need to be treated in the same respect as children, they may be able to understand more as they are older but still have difficulty in certain areas or even the same difficulty. It is about always being patient with them and not rushing as dyslexia is frustrating for them and they need reassurance you are working with them and for them and not adding pressure to this.

AUTISM

Autism is a disorder that can affect social interaction, verbal and no verbal communicating. Adults and children both suffer with autism but at different levels. Autism is usually noticed within the first 2 years of a child’s life but can sometimes go unnoticed which is very hard for the person as this means they are not getting the right care and attention they deserve.
Signs usually develop gradually but some people may develop normally and then their behaviour and communication can change or deteriorate as they get older.
Social skills can be affected as children may not understand things like fair play i.e. sharing. Adults find it hard to socialize and interact with everyday conversations also as this can be a confidence issue where they cannot express themselves the way that others might. An adult or child being alone can be misinterpreted that they want to be left alone, actually this might not always be the case, it’s the fact that they don’t know how to interact.
There are ways that we can help them and make them feel reassured. These are as follows.
For children, set up a buddy system, where they can go stand for example on a playground of feeling lonely where allocated helpers then notice this and go and interact with them. The more they socialize the easier interacting with others will become.
For Adults, having group meetings with others that have autism and discussing what others do to overcome their worries, this way they feel comfortable as they are socializing with people with the same problems.
Having one to one conversations with them and slowly involving others can help as this is less pressure for them and gives them time to adjust to larger speaking groups.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Some adults and children may have culture differences. These could be facial expressions for example, where we find it respectful to look at someone when speaking to them, others might not. African Caribbean’s do not like to look at people when speaking to them, this is not them being ruse but their culture. Getting an understanding of different cultures is very important to help understand others. Where they are expected to understand our mannerisms it is only right we do the same and respect theirs.
Some people from different from different cultures may not speak the same language and find it hard to communicate, as they are nt able to understand some conversations or be able to speak in them. Repetition of speaking with adults and children will help as they will learn to pick up on words and our behaviours the more they hear and see it.
For children in a school environment, teaching all students on different cultures would help others understand the differences and how we help others communicate in other ways.
For adults group discussions may help as well as one to one learning.
An example I have dealt with myself in the past, I knew a lady who came from Pakistan, her name was Bhavna. She did not understand English at all when she came to this country. I sat down with her and showed her pictures with images i.e. Apple and said the word repeatedly and she copied me. I would do this to start off with, with different images and we would then go over them and she gradually learnt new words. We would then learn simple phrases i.e. I need to go to the shop. We learnt this one on one together in a relaxed environment where there was no pressure or disruptions. Making someone feel relaxed will always help them to learn.

HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Hearing is very important, it helps us with our speech, language, communication and leaning. A child being unable to hear entirely or less than normal can cause a delay in development due to not being able to hear languages spoken.
Adults with hearing impairment may also have difficulty in learning to communicate as again they are unable to hear languages spoken which affects conversation with others.
Looking direct at a person and talking slowly to them if they have a hearing impairment will help them as they may be able to lip read if they know some language.
Learning basic sign language will also help with communication and will help the person to feel more relaxed, as when for example the person is trying to communicate with you, this can be very frustrating for them as they cannot express themselves. Always staying calm and reassuring them by nodding and showing body language will help if they are able to understand this.

When trying to communicate with a child and even an adult, always be patient, stay positive, and speak calmly to encourage them to communicate. It is vital to not rush any type of communication because this will affect the person who you are communicating with in a way that when they are communicating with you, they are also learning.

Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

Describe how to deal with disagreements between: - ref 3.5a,b

a) yourself and children and young people

It is possible that you may come across a situation where you will have a disagreement with others. If this happens with a child or a young person, this needs to be managed carefully. Entering into a disagreement with a child needs to be avoided but in the rare case of this happening, you need to be able to communicate in a professional manner as their understanding and opinions will be different to yours. Also as they are a child they are much more sensitive than adults and do not understand subjects fully sometimes, so getting into a disagreement or a debate with them will only lose their respect. A child needs to know their opinion or say is valued and just as important as ours. For example. I was having a classroom discussion with younger people about hunting. I was explaining I do not hunt as I do not like hunting. Sam who is a student, said to me, he and his family hunt every weekend together. I would then show an interest in Sam’s topic and ask questions and explain to him that just because I don’t hunt, does not mean that it is wrong and that I respect what he does. If I was to disagree with Sam this could then turn into a debate and make him feel he is doing something wrong, but instead I respected what he was saying. If in this situation the conversation did turn into a disagreement, I would make sure, I was not judgemental or not to make assumptions about the topic. I would remain polite and focussed as a professional adult. I would then explain to Sam I am not prepared to get into a debate with you but I value your opinion and what you do.

b) Yourself and adults

Disagreements between adults can be down to a lack of communication. All disagreements need to be managed carefully as we do not want any bad feeling between myself and others.

Always stay calm when entering into a disagreement with an adult and do not approach with a negative attitude or we can only expect to get the same negative response. For example. If I were to approach another adult with folded arms and an unhappy expression on my face this will automatically cause friction between us. Always be approachable. Listening to others and trying to understand each other’s point of view can often resolve disagreements. If you are disagreeing about a matter, make sure this is where no one else can hear, especially a child. Keep any disagreements private. Adults are at more of a mature age where disagreements can be settled more easily, in rare cases that they cannot be, asking another adult to mediate for you both is a good way of understanding one another’s views.
Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

TASK E - Legislation, policies and procedure

What are the legal requirements for confidentiality, data protection and the disclosure of information? – ref 4.1

Confidentiality

Any suspicions raised or investigations in schools are kept confidential and shared with staff, external agencies or anyone that needs to know on a need to know basis.
A clear understanding of responsibility is very important as you are dealing with child protection.
Anyone not on a need to know basis should not be informed of anything and for no information to be shared.
Confidentiality is important for the child as you are protecting them and ensuring they stay safe.
If you were to share information with others who do not need to know this would be breaching their confidentiality.

Data Protection

Data protection act 1998 is a law to protect any date or information on a living person. The use of personal information must comply with 8 rules, as follows: • To be processed fairly and lawfully • Be used only for the purpose for which it was gathered • Make sure its relevant and not excessive • Be accurate and up to date • Kept for no longer than necessary • Be processed in line with the individuals rights • Be kept safe • Not be transferred to other countries without the right protection.
Keeping information where it is not supposed to be stored and sharing information with others who do not have the right to know, you would be breaching the date protection act 1998.

Disclosure of information

Disclosure of information is protected by the freedom of information act.
This means any data that has been written or logged about a person can be requested to be seen by them under this act. Parents can also request information on their child’s data under the freedom of information act.
Some information is exempt from disclosure, for example. If Tom’s auntie requested information on Tom, she would not be allowed to access this. If a member if staff allowed this, this means they are in breach.
Only the person who’s data is kept on can request information that’s has been written about them or parents of child age.

Why is it important to reassure children, young people and adults of the confidentiality of information and its limits? - ref 4.2

When knowing others information you may be in a situation where you need to reassure others that all information will be kept confidential. There may be situations where you are not able to keep information confidential, for example if a child said that they were being abused, you would need to reassure them that for their safety this information needs to be shared with the correct professional.
In situations where you are able to reassure a child, young person or adult that information will be kept confidential, this is very important to do so as this is gaining their trust. Having trust from another person means you have also earned their respect. Keeping this with others is vitally important because if there were any issues or information in the future that needed to be shared, that person is able to confide in you knowing this information will be kept confidential, with also knowing that if it is information that needs to be shared, this will only be done with a person on a need to know basis.
Unit 203
Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

Give two examples of situations where confidentiality protocols must be breached – ref 4.3

Adults in schools that work with children will come to know most of their personal information, such as medical issues, behaviour and contact details. This is the adult’s responsibility to keep this confidential. In all cases parents would need to sign a consent form for children’s information to be shared with others. If they did not allow this then information would not be allowed to be shared.
There are some circumstances where adults can pass on confidential information to others, for example, external agencies without permission.
Here are 2 examples below where confidentiality protocols may be breached. • If you became aware of a situation where you believed the child was being abused at home, you would then be allowed to pass this information on to i.e. social services. This would be to keep the child safe.

• If the consenting adult knew that their child was involved in criminal activity and either didn’t want to share this information themselves, or there may even be involvement from the parent within the criminal activities.

Again the above example are ways to keeping the child safe..

Assignment: -
Unit 203 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

I confirm that this assessment has been completed to the required standard and meets the requirements for validity, currency, authenticity and sufficiency

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I confirm that the assignment work to which this evidence relates, is all my own work

Candidate signature Kara Bristow

Date 15.7.2013

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