Explain The Recognised Principles And Values That Underpin Working With Children
Unit 1: An introduction to working with children
E1- Describe 3 different types of settings which provide care and education for children in your area include one example per setting type.
E2- Describe how each of the types of settings identified in E1 aims to support children and their families.
There are three different types of settings which provide care and education. These are: statutory provision, voluntary provision and private provision.
Statutory provision is funded by the government. Examples of statutory provision include primary or secondary schools, doctors, opticians etc. An example of a statutory provision in Birmingham is Moseley secondary school. This school helps to provide support for children and their carer’s in many …show more content…
ways. Parent’s/progress evenings take place so the main carer can see how the child is progressing and what facilities the school has to aid them into receiving the grades they are predicted. There are also other services such as study support groups and the learning support centre to help children who develop at a slower speed than others.
Private/independent provisions are not funded by the government meaning they do not have to follow the government’s rules or regulations so instead make up their own. Examples of private/independent provisions include private day nurseries, private schools, nannies, childminders, and tutors.
An example of an independent secondary school in Sparkhill which includes a sixth form is Beechwood School. Parents who want and can afford the best care and teaching for their children pay privately to the independent provisions. As the parents are paying a large amount for the best resources they have a lot of say in the decision making within the school, for example if one of the subject teachers isn’t giving it their best then the parents can help and overcome the problems. Extra support sessions, private tutors are available to help the children if they have any learning difficulties or need any extra support. Trips abroad can also be provided for their children to help their learning develop further.
Voluntary provisions are services which are non-profitable organisations such as charities. They are funded from donations via the public or sponsors or from the local authority. Examples of voluntary provisions include community nurseries, play groups, youth clubs. Specific examples of youth clubs would include ‘YMCA’ and ‘Brownies’. These services are provided to help children to socialise and to become more independent. Mixing with other children outside of their comfort circles (school groups) help the children to grow as an individual, develop their social skills and expand their personalities. Most parents do not have large amounts of money and cannot afford to send their children to private day nurseries, so voluntary organisations such as YMCA help to provide the family with support and help their children to spend time with other children and away from their family to expand their social skills for later on in life.
E3- Describe the main legislation in your country that supports the rights of children.
There are many pieces of legislation that enforce children’s rights; one of these being the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This was first introduces in 1989 and it gives children and young people under 18 their own rights. There are 5 main aims to this convention;
1) Endorses the principle of non-discrimination
2) Reinforces the importance of fundamental human dignity
3) Seeks respect for children
4) Highlights and defends the family’s role in children’s lives
5) Establishes clear obligations for member countries to ensure that their legal framework is in line with the provisions of the convention
The UNCRC is divided into articles; some may affect your practice with children and young people, the main 5 being:
Article 2: The right to be protected from all forms of discrimination
Article 3: The best interest of the child to be the primary consideration in all actions concerning children.
Article 12: A child’s rights to express his or her views freely; a child’s view to be given due weight in keeping with the child’s age or maturity
Article 13: a child’s right to freedom of expressions and exchange of information regardless of frontiers
Article 28: A child’s rights to education with a view to achieving this right progressively on the basis of equal opportunities
The children act 1989 amended (2004) supports children by ensuring the welfare of the child.
To protect the child they must work with the parents. This act is intended to strengthen the child’s legal position and give the child equal rights. Children should be able to make their own choices and decisions and be able to live a healthy lifestyle.
E4-Describe the recognised principles and values that underpin working with children
Enabling environments encourage babies and young children to play as they feel comfortable and ‘at home’. When children feel emotionally safe and secure they are able to explore the area they are in. The emotional environment allows children to talk about and express their feelings (externalise them safely) rather than to hide them away.
Children constantly change their interests and needs so indoor space needs to be flexible. Resources such as blocks for building with, clothes for dressing up in and small items such as cars, dolls and jigsaws should be reachable so children can be more independent.
Ideally children should have access to outdoor space on a daily basis as they gain enormous benefits from learning outdoors. They are able to use all of their senses to appreciate the colours and different noises. Physical activity is enhanced. The outdoors supports active learning and when balanced with quiet areas for reflection can really enhance children’s
learning.
Never use physical punishment- It is important to remember that children are entitled to human rights just as much as adults and punishment for bad behaviour should be dealt with in other ways not physically. For example if I were in that position; where a child had sworn/hit me, my response would be not to react but to explain to the child that it is wrong and they will receive a suitable punishment.
E6 -Describe 3 professional skills that will support your work with children.
It is important to have good communication skills with both children and adults and to develop these skills to become more confident. This will impact on your relationship with your supervisor and the children. In order to develop good communication skills you need to be a good listener; this is important as it will be easier to follow instructions and remember important information. Also the body language you display is important as it sends out certain messages to other people. For children it is important that you crouch down to their level so it doesn’t feel like you are intimidating them and to give them good eye contact. Also smiling and looking interested will give out the signal that you are enjoying what you are doing.
It is essential to maintain confidentiality at all times, in order to do this you must not disclose information to anyone other than those who are involved. Anything you learn about the child or their family must be kept to yourself; things such as children’s names, family problems. When working with other professionals you may hear comments or information which must not be repeated once outside the work area. Private documents or any written information must be stored in a safe, secure place. A breach in confidentiality could lead to serious consequences and difficulties in meeting the child’s needs.
As a professional you need to be able to reflect carefully and give a lot of thought of how effective you have been during the day, For example, being able to contribute in helping to plan activities and communicating well with the children/staff/parents. Reflection can also improve your interpersonal skills. For example responding different ways in the same situation and then deciding which one works best and proves to be more effective. In order to achieve effective reflection there are six main points to follow through; description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, action plan (Gibbs 1996).
E7- Describe how study skills can support your learning during your training
To ensure success in your studies and work, time is needed to be used effectively. I feel managing my time helps me to have more control over how to spend my time and be more sensible about how much time I spend on work and how much time I spend resting or watching TV. Also taking notes in class is non-controllable time so instead of copying paragraphs word for word, it would be easier to take bullet points. The result of effective time management is being organised; this also makes you less stressed and more self-controlled.
Taking notes has many benefits such as, helping to aid your memory and helps you to remember important points and prepare for exams. It also helps you focus and strengthens your concentration; this makes you active rather than passive and keeps you involved in learning and it helps you to understand/remember material, and make connections. Note taking can also help to improve your writing skills and to learn to summarize. Notes can be taken in either large paragraphs or short bullet points; some people prefer to draw mind-maps and drawing (visual learners).
In order to get a decent amount of research to help you with writing your assignments your research skills need to be immaculate. For example the use of different resources can help obtain a large amount of information with reliable validity. Different resources can include the internet, books, magazines or newspapers. Also breaking down the question can help, for example defining what the question is asking and what would be the best way to answer it or the best way to find an answer for it. D1- Explain why the practitioner should develop and maintain appropriate relationships with parents and other professionals
D2- Discuss the characteristics of working in a multi-agency team
Developing and maintaining appropriate relationships with parents and professionals can make a significant difference to the overall outcome and the achievement of the children. It is important to understand how other professionals can help a certain individual in a different but equally as effective way as each professional has the child’s best interests at heart. Working together can help to find the correct support for the child.
It is essential to listen to parents on their views and concerns regarding their own children. This is important because the parent knows their child better than you do as they are the main carers and first educators. One of the most important principles includes developing trust this can be done by being honest and specific about the child’s needs and to keep the parents informed on a daily/weekly basis about the progress of their child. Also to respect parents’ views and ensure you share expectations and notices with the parents. This can be done via parent’s evenings, notice boards and letters/emails. If children feel that they can trust you then it is easier to form a relationship and easier to help children meet their needs. It is important to not become ‘friends’ with the child, this relationship should remain professional. When a child becomes comfortable with you it is your job to support them and help them to meet their needs. This is usually achieved through play and engaging in activities alongside the child, for example sharing a book or interacting via toys (dolls).
“A multi-agency team includes professionals from different groups who come and work together for the good of the child; these include social workers, educational psychologists, health visitors and gp’s.” (Tassoni, 2007) Some of the characteristics that are needed to be able to work in a multi-agency team include; good communication, to have an open mind, good interpersonal skills, be a team worker and to maintain confidentiality.
The benefits of being a team player and working in a multi-agency team is that support is provided for children, young people and families and this helps them to receive support in the most efficient way. The benefits of this include: early identification and intervention, easier or quicker access to services or expertise, improved achievement in education and better engagement in education, better support for parents and better quality services.
Confidentiality must be maintained at all times, the information shared must only be disclosed to people within the team and no one else. Anything learnt about the child or their families must be kept quiet and should not be included in any conversations outside of the workplace or involved in gossip. The information should be shared with the other professionals within the team and not be kept to private; this should be done to ensure that the child is kept healthy and safe.
To be able to be able to work in a multi-agency team you must be able to communicate effectively. This can be done through services such as notice boards, letters, emails, phone calls and team meetings. It is important to recognise how other professionals can help with needs of the child and work together for the child’s benefit. Team meetings are one way for professionals to communicate and receive an overview of each other’s work and to focus on the individual and their needs.
C- Explain why the early year’s practitioner should listen to children’s views and value their opinions.
Children tend to pick up small things and they can tell when they are not being listened to or they do not have your attention. With a child you need be an ‘active listener’; this means listening with interest and focusing on what the child is trying to say. By doing this you show them you are interested and care about their opinions. As an early years practitioner you should always take a child’s feelings into consideration and this will help them to express their views.
In order to be an active listener you need to achieve; good eye contact, body language and coming down to the child’s level, this shows you are ready to listen. Active listening can be difficult when you are busy with something else but a child will feel unimportant if they feel you are not giving them your full attention. For example if a child is misbehaving instead of shouting at them you need to get down to their level and explain what they are doing wrong and not to do it again, this is to make sure the child does not feel intimidated or scared.
It is sometimes simpler to summarise a child’s sentences but this may lead to them feeling like you do not care. Asking odd questions can help develop the relationship between you and the child. Try not to command them to do anything but to give suggestions and ideas. ‘By regularly listening to young children, local partners can respond to children’s needs, identify barriers to learning and development, and ultimately work towards improving services for young children and supporting children to achieve their potential.’ (Participation works, 22/11/2013)
It is essential to spend time with the child, listen to them, look and be interested in what they have to say and not pronouncing judgement. This shows them you care about their individual opinions and they are free to express themselves. For example when a child first begins nursery the teacher makes weekly visits to the child’s house in order to form a relationship and make the child more comfortable around them.
B- Explain why it is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with children.
It is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with children, examples of this include; health and safety, child protection, confidentiality meeting the needs of children and managing children’s behaviour (Tassoni, 2007, pg.10) it is important to take health and safety seriously and it is the practitioner’s responsibility to keep children safe. This can be practiced within an early years setting by making sure all exits are locked and secured to make sure no child is to run away or get lost. Other examples of this include picking up toys off the floor in case a child was to trip and fall; this could then result in a serious injury and parents could get involved and this would look bad on the school, the same incident could happen if slippery surfaces were not cleaned up after the children had finished playing in the water or come from outside on a rainy day. Another way to ensure child’s safety is to keep a register morning and afternoon to make sure no child goes missing and so they know which child is absent, for example: if the fire bell were to go off and whilst this was happening and one child had gone to the toilets, the teachers would be unaware if they had not counted the number of children in the morning and this would put the child at risk. It is important to always keep exits clear so if there was an emergency evacuation, there would be no trouble or risk leaving thorough the exits. It is important to keep all dangerous objects out of reach from the children this can include hot drinks, or sharp objects like scissors, knives, delicate objects which could smash (glass).
It is important to know your boundaries as a practitioner when dealing with children’s behaviour, for example if one child were to misbehave in a serious way and needed to be punished, the practitioner would never use physical punishment as this would result in a very serious matter of not only being fired but breaking a law as well as a policy. Misbehaving should be dealt with in a more mature way and through verbal communication, it is important to make the child understand what they have done wrong and that it should not happen again, also if you were to intervene between children, to be fair and not to take sides or pick favourites. For example; Ben and Lucas are fighting over something and Lucas is a goody two-shoes where as Ben is a very disruptive individual and you prefer Lucas so you only decide to tell Ben off- this is unfair and is not the type of attitude expected from a practitioner. As a practitioner it is your job to ensure you are fair to each individual and make sure you are aware of what is happening around you and to punish both children. Another example includes how a practitioner gets involved with the children for example you must never touch the child physically as this can break the child protection policy and the practitioner can get into serious trouble if the child was to file a report about inappropriate touching, also if you are alone with the child there is no one else to back you up or to prove that you did not do whatever the child has accused you of so it is their word against yours.
A-Reflect on the importance of a child centred approach in early year’s settings.
A child centred approach is a society that focuses their importance on the child being protected from being introduced to the adult world too soon. There are four main principles to the approach these being, each child is different, every child is their own individual, a child’s thoughts and feelings are sought after and valued, children and adults work together in deciding how they learn. The early years foundation stage (EYFS) promotes the child centred approach. This also has four stages, these being; a unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments and learning and development.
A unique child focuses on child development, inclusive practice, keeping safe and the health and wellbeing of the child. This states that all children must be respected as individuals as they are all different to one another. In a child centred setting, children initiate their own learning by participating in activities that they find interesting rather than being set at a table with a set activity; they all learn at their own pace rather than meeting their milestones at one given age. Also the child centred approach focuses on creating activities to suit each individual child’s needs, for example if one child is physically unable to communicate through play and another is more of a kinaesthetic learner then during an activity such as story time the first child would learn better through interactive devices and the second would be more suited to picking up a story book and reading individually.
Positive relationships focus on developing and maintaining an appropriate relationship with the child. As a practitioner if you were to develop a positive relationship with the children then it would be easier to help them meets their needs individually. In order to do this you would need to gain their trust and this way it would be easier to get along with each child as they would feel more comfortable around you. It is then your job as a practitioner not to become their ‘friend’ but to help and support them in reaching their milestones and meeting their individual needs. This can be done via play and engaging in activities with the child, for example sitting down with them at whichever activity they feel suits them learning-wise and communicating through that.
Enabling environments create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere for babies and young children so they can start to feel emotionally safe and secure in their surroundings and can begin to learn, they are able to explore the setting they are in via sight, touch, manoeuvre. Teaching children to share their views and express their feelings can help them to feel more comfortable with the other practitioners and secure within the setting; this is known as the emotional environment. As children constantly change their needs and interests, space both indoor and outdoor needs to be flexible, resources such as building blocks, writing equipment; dress-up outfits and other toys should be reachable so children can be more independent. Also children are able to use all of their senses to appreciate the colours and different noises outdoor. Physical activity is enhanced. The outdoors supports active learning and when balanced with quiet areas for reflection can really enhance children’s learning.
One theory that supports the child centred approach is the Reggio Emilia approach; this states that “children have their own rights and should be given opportunities to develop their potential” (Reggio kids, 27/11/13).This philosophy believes that children must have control over their own learning and they must have endless opportunities to express themselves in order to achieve their full potential. “Influenced by this belief, the child is beheld as beautiful, powerful, competent, creative, curious, and full of potential and ambitious desires.” (Hewitt, Valarie 2001)
References-
1. Criteria A- “Influenced by this belief, the child is beheld as beautiful, powerful, competent, creative, curious, and full of potential and ambitious desires “-Hewitt, Valarie 2001
2. Criteria C- Participation works, 22/11/2013
3. Criteria A “children have their own rights and should be given opportunities to develop their potential” -Reggio kids
4. Criteria B “It is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with children, examples of this include; health and safety, child protection, confidentiality meeting the needs of children and managing children’s behaviour.” -Tassoni et al. 2007
5. Criteria D2- “A multi-agency team includes professionals from different groups who come and work together for the good of the child; these include social workers, educational psychologists, health visitors and gp’s.” -Tassoni et al. 2007.
Bibliography-
1. Hewitt, Valarie 2001. Examining the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Education Journal 29
2. Participation works, http://www.participationworks.org.uk/topics/early-years, 22/11/2013
3. Reggio kids, http://www.reggiokids.com/the_reggio_approach.html, 27/11/13
4. Tassoni et al. 2007, Childcare and education, Edition no.4, Edinburgh, pgs. 10, 11
5. Tina Bruce, Carolyn Meggit, 2007, Childcare and education, Harold Arnold, London.
E1- Describe 3 different types of settings which provide care and education for children in your area include one example per setting type.
E2- Describe how each of the types of settings identified in E1 aims to support children and their families.
There are three different types of settings which provide care and education. These are: statutory provision, voluntary provision and private provision.
Statutory provision is funded by the government. Examples of statutory provision include primary or secondary schools, doctors, opticians etc. An example of a statutory provision in Birmingham is Moseley secondary school. This school helps to provide support for children and their carer’s in many …show more content…
ways. Parent’s/progress evenings take place so the main carer can see how the child is progressing and what facilities the school has to aid them into receiving the grades they are predicted. There are also other services such as study support groups and the learning support centre to help children who develop at a slower speed than others.
Private/independent provisions are not funded by the government meaning they do not have to follow the government’s rules or regulations so instead make up their own. Examples of private/independent provisions include private day nurseries, private schools, nannies, childminders, and tutors.
An example of an independent secondary school in Sparkhill which includes a sixth form is Beechwood School. Parents who want and can afford the best care and teaching for their children pay privately to the independent provisions. As the parents are paying a large amount for the best resources they have a lot of say in the decision making within the school, for example if one of the subject teachers isn’t giving it their best then the parents can help and overcome the problems. Extra support sessions, private tutors are available to help the children if they have any learning difficulties or need any extra support. Trips abroad can also be provided for their children to help their learning develop further.
Voluntary provisions are services which are non-profitable organisations such as charities. They are funded from donations via the public or sponsors or from the local authority. Examples of voluntary provisions include community nurseries, play groups, youth clubs. Specific examples of youth clubs would include ‘YMCA’ and ‘Brownies’. These services are provided to help children to socialise and to become more independent. Mixing with other children outside of their comfort circles (school groups) help the children to grow as an individual, develop their social skills and expand their personalities. Most parents do not have large amounts of money and cannot afford to send their children to private day nurseries, so voluntary organisations such as YMCA help to provide the family with support and help their children to spend time with other children and away from their family to expand their social skills for later on in life.
E3- Describe the main legislation in your country that supports the rights of children.
There are many pieces of legislation that enforce children’s rights; one of these being the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This was first introduces in 1989 and it gives children and young people under 18 their own rights. There are 5 main aims to this convention;
1) Endorses the principle of non-discrimination
2) Reinforces the importance of fundamental human dignity
3) Seeks respect for children
4) Highlights and defends the family’s role in children’s lives
5) Establishes clear obligations for member countries to ensure that their legal framework is in line with the provisions of the convention
The UNCRC is divided into articles; some may affect your practice with children and young people, the main 5 being:
Article 2: The right to be protected from all forms of discrimination
Article 3: The best interest of the child to be the primary consideration in all actions concerning children.
Article 12: A child’s rights to express his or her views freely; a child’s view to be given due weight in keeping with the child’s age or maturity
Article 13: a child’s right to freedom of expressions and exchange of information regardless of frontiers
Article 28: A child’s rights to education with a view to achieving this right progressively on the basis of equal opportunities
The children act 1989 amended (2004) supports children by ensuring the welfare of the child.
To protect the child they must work with the parents. This act is intended to strengthen the child’s legal position and give the child equal rights. Children should be able to make their own choices and decisions and be able to live a healthy lifestyle.
E4-Describe the recognised principles and values that underpin working with children
Enabling environments encourage babies and young children to play as they feel comfortable and ‘at home’. When children feel emotionally safe and secure they are able to explore the area they are in. The emotional environment allows children to talk about and express their feelings (externalise them safely) rather than to hide them away.
Children constantly change their interests and needs so indoor space needs to be flexible. Resources such as blocks for building with, clothes for dressing up in and small items such as cars, dolls and jigsaws should be reachable so children can be more independent.
Ideally children should have access to outdoor space on a daily basis as they gain enormous benefits from learning outdoors. They are able to use all of their senses to appreciate the colours and different noises. Physical activity is enhanced. The outdoors supports active learning and when balanced with quiet areas for reflection can really enhance children’s
learning.
Never use physical punishment- It is important to remember that children are entitled to human rights just as much as adults and punishment for bad behaviour should be dealt with in other ways not physically. For example if I were in that position; where a child had sworn/hit me, my response would be not to react but to explain to the child that it is wrong and they will receive a suitable punishment.
E6 -Describe 3 professional skills that will support your work with children.
It is important to have good communication skills with both children and adults and to develop these skills to become more confident. This will impact on your relationship with your supervisor and the children. In order to develop good communication skills you need to be a good listener; this is important as it will be easier to follow instructions and remember important information. Also the body language you display is important as it sends out certain messages to other people. For children it is important that you crouch down to their level so it doesn’t feel like you are intimidating them and to give them good eye contact. Also smiling and looking interested will give out the signal that you are enjoying what you are doing.
It is essential to maintain confidentiality at all times, in order to do this you must not disclose information to anyone other than those who are involved. Anything you learn about the child or their family must be kept to yourself; things such as children’s names, family problems. When working with other professionals you may hear comments or information which must not be repeated once outside the work area. Private documents or any written information must be stored in a safe, secure place. A breach in confidentiality could lead to serious consequences and difficulties in meeting the child’s needs.
As a professional you need to be able to reflect carefully and give a lot of thought of how effective you have been during the day, For example, being able to contribute in helping to plan activities and communicating well with the children/staff/parents. Reflection can also improve your interpersonal skills. For example responding different ways in the same situation and then deciding which one works best and proves to be more effective. In order to achieve effective reflection there are six main points to follow through; description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, action plan (Gibbs 1996).
E7- Describe how study skills can support your learning during your training
To ensure success in your studies and work, time is needed to be used effectively. I feel managing my time helps me to have more control over how to spend my time and be more sensible about how much time I spend on work and how much time I spend resting or watching TV. Also taking notes in class is non-controllable time so instead of copying paragraphs word for word, it would be easier to take bullet points. The result of effective time management is being organised; this also makes you less stressed and more self-controlled.
Taking notes has many benefits such as, helping to aid your memory and helps you to remember important points and prepare for exams. It also helps you focus and strengthens your concentration; this makes you active rather than passive and keeps you involved in learning and it helps you to understand/remember material, and make connections. Note taking can also help to improve your writing skills and to learn to summarize. Notes can be taken in either large paragraphs or short bullet points; some people prefer to draw mind-maps and drawing (visual learners).
In order to get a decent amount of research to help you with writing your assignments your research skills need to be immaculate. For example the use of different resources can help obtain a large amount of information with reliable validity. Different resources can include the internet, books, magazines or newspapers. Also breaking down the question can help, for example defining what the question is asking and what would be the best way to answer it or the best way to find an answer for it. D1- Explain why the practitioner should develop and maintain appropriate relationships with parents and other professionals
D2- Discuss the characteristics of working in a multi-agency team
Developing and maintaining appropriate relationships with parents and professionals can make a significant difference to the overall outcome and the achievement of the children. It is important to understand how other professionals can help a certain individual in a different but equally as effective way as each professional has the child’s best interests at heart. Working together can help to find the correct support for the child.
It is essential to listen to parents on their views and concerns regarding their own children. This is important because the parent knows their child better than you do as they are the main carers and first educators. One of the most important principles includes developing trust this can be done by being honest and specific about the child’s needs and to keep the parents informed on a daily/weekly basis about the progress of their child. Also to respect parents’ views and ensure you share expectations and notices with the parents. This can be done via parent’s evenings, notice boards and letters/emails. If children feel that they can trust you then it is easier to form a relationship and easier to help children meet their needs. It is important to not become ‘friends’ with the child, this relationship should remain professional. When a child becomes comfortable with you it is your job to support them and help them to meet their needs. This is usually achieved through play and engaging in activities alongside the child, for example sharing a book or interacting via toys (dolls).
“A multi-agency team includes professionals from different groups who come and work together for the good of the child; these include social workers, educational psychologists, health visitors and gp’s.” (Tassoni, 2007) Some of the characteristics that are needed to be able to work in a multi-agency team include; good communication, to have an open mind, good interpersonal skills, be a team worker and to maintain confidentiality.
The benefits of being a team player and working in a multi-agency team is that support is provided for children, young people and families and this helps them to receive support in the most efficient way. The benefits of this include: early identification and intervention, easier or quicker access to services or expertise, improved achievement in education and better engagement in education, better support for parents and better quality services.
Confidentiality must be maintained at all times, the information shared must only be disclosed to people within the team and no one else. Anything learnt about the child or their families must be kept quiet and should not be included in any conversations outside of the workplace or involved in gossip. The information should be shared with the other professionals within the team and not be kept to private; this should be done to ensure that the child is kept healthy and safe.
To be able to be able to work in a multi-agency team you must be able to communicate effectively. This can be done through services such as notice boards, letters, emails, phone calls and team meetings. It is important to recognise how other professionals can help with needs of the child and work together for the child’s benefit. Team meetings are one way for professionals to communicate and receive an overview of each other’s work and to focus on the individual and their needs.
C- Explain why the early year’s practitioner should listen to children’s views and value their opinions.
Children tend to pick up small things and they can tell when they are not being listened to or they do not have your attention. With a child you need be an ‘active listener’; this means listening with interest and focusing on what the child is trying to say. By doing this you show them you are interested and care about their opinions. As an early years practitioner you should always take a child’s feelings into consideration and this will help them to express their views.
In order to be an active listener you need to achieve; good eye contact, body language and coming down to the child’s level, this shows you are ready to listen. Active listening can be difficult when you are busy with something else but a child will feel unimportant if they feel you are not giving them your full attention. For example if a child is misbehaving instead of shouting at them you need to get down to their level and explain what they are doing wrong and not to do it again, this is to make sure the child does not feel intimidated or scared.
It is sometimes simpler to summarise a child’s sentences but this may lead to them feeling like you do not care. Asking odd questions can help develop the relationship between you and the child. Try not to command them to do anything but to give suggestions and ideas. ‘By regularly listening to young children, local partners can respond to children’s needs, identify barriers to learning and development, and ultimately work towards improving services for young children and supporting children to achieve their potential.’ (Participation works, 22/11/2013)
It is essential to spend time with the child, listen to them, look and be interested in what they have to say and not pronouncing judgement. This shows them you care about their individual opinions and they are free to express themselves. For example when a child first begins nursery the teacher makes weekly visits to the child’s house in order to form a relationship and make the child more comfortable around them.
B- Explain why it is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with children.
It is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with children, examples of this include; health and safety, child protection, confidentiality meeting the needs of children and managing children’s behaviour (Tassoni, 2007, pg.10) it is important to take health and safety seriously and it is the practitioner’s responsibility to keep children safe. This can be practiced within an early years setting by making sure all exits are locked and secured to make sure no child is to run away or get lost. Other examples of this include picking up toys off the floor in case a child was to trip and fall; this could then result in a serious injury and parents could get involved and this would look bad on the school, the same incident could happen if slippery surfaces were not cleaned up after the children had finished playing in the water or come from outside on a rainy day. Another way to ensure child’s safety is to keep a register morning and afternoon to make sure no child goes missing and so they know which child is absent, for example: if the fire bell were to go off and whilst this was happening and one child had gone to the toilets, the teachers would be unaware if they had not counted the number of children in the morning and this would put the child at risk. It is important to always keep exits clear so if there was an emergency evacuation, there would be no trouble or risk leaving thorough the exits. It is important to keep all dangerous objects out of reach from the children this can include hot drinks, or sharp objects like scissors, knives, delicate objects which could smash (glass).
It is important to know your boundaries as a practitioner when dealing with children’s behaviour, for example if one child were to misbehave in a serious way and needed to be punished, the practitioner would never use physical punishment as this would result in a very serious matter of not only being fired but breaking a law as well as a policy. Misbehaving should be dealt with in a more mature way and through verbal communication, it is important to make the child understand what they have done wrong and that it should not happen again, also if you were to intervene between children, to be fair and not to take sides or pick favourites. For example; Ben and Lucas are fighting over something and Lucas is a goody two-shoes where as Ben is a very disruptive individual and you prefer Lucas so you only decide to tell Ben off- this is unfair and is not the type of attitude expected from a practitioner. As a practitioner it is your job to ensure you are fair to each individual and make sure you are aware of what is happening around you and to punish both children. Another example includes how a practitioner gets involved with the children for example you must never touch the child physically as this can break the child protection policy and the practitioner can get into serious trouble if the child was to file a report about inappropriate touching, also if you are alone with the child there is no one else to back you up or to prove that you did not do whatever the child has accused you of so it is their word against yours.
A-Reflect on the importance of a child centred approach in early year’s settings.
A child centred approach is a society that focuses their importance on the child being protected from being introduced to the adult world too soon. There are four main principles to the approach these being, each child is different, every child is their own individual, a child’s thoughts and feelings are sought after and valued, children and adults work together in deciding how they learn. The early years foundation stage (EYFS) promotes the child centred approach. This also has four stages, these being; a unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments and learning and development.
A unique child focuses on child development, inclusive practice, keeping safe and the health and wellbeing of the child. This states that all children must be respected as individuals as they are all different to one another. In a child centred setting, children initiate their own learning by participating in activities that they find interesting rather than being set at a table with a set activity; they all learn at their own pace rather than meeting their milestones at one given age. Also the child centred approach focuses on creating activities to suit each individual child’s needs, for example if one child is physically unable to communicate through play and another is more of a kinaesthetic learner then during an activity such as story time the first child would learn better through interactive devices and the second would be more suited to picking up a story book and reading individually.
Positive relationships focus on developing and maintaining an appropriate relationship with the child. As a practitioner if you were to develop a positive relationship with the children then it would be easier to help them meets their needs individually. In order to do this you would need to gain their trust and this way it would be easier to get along with each child as they would feel more comfortable around you. It is then your job as a practitioner not to become their ‘friend’ but to help and support them in reaching their milestones and meeting their individual needs. This can be done via play and engaging in activities with the child, for example sitting down with them at whichever activity they feel suits them learning-wise and communicating through that.
Enabling environments create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere for babies and young children so they can start to feel emotionally safe and secure in their surroundings and can begin to learn, they are able to explore the setting they are in via sight, touch, manoeuvre. Teaching children to share their views and express their feelings can help them to feel more comfortable with the other practitioners and secure within the setting; this is known as the emotional environment. As children constantly change their needs and interests, space both indoor and outdoor needs to be flexible, resources such as building blocks, writing equipment; dress-up outfits and other toys should be reachable so children can be more independent. Also children are able to use all of their senses to appreciate the colours and different noises outdoor. Physical activity is enhanced. The outdoors supports active learning and when balanced with quiet areas for reflection can really enhance children’s learning.
One theory that supports the child centred approach is the Reggio Emilia approach; this states that “children have their own rights and should be given opportunities to develop their potential” (Reggio kids, 27/11/13).This philosophy believes that children must have control over their own learning and they must have endless opportunities to express themselves in order to achieve their full potential. “Influenced by this belief, the child is beheld as beautiful, powerful, competent, creative, curious, and full of potential and ambitious desires.” (Hewitt, Valarie 2001)
References-
1. Criteria A- “Influenced by this belief, the child is beheld as beautiful, powerful, competent, creative, curious, and full of potential and ambitious desires “-Hewitt, Valarie 2001
2. Criteria C- Participation works, 22/11/2013
3. Criteria A “children have their own rights and should be given opportunities to develop their potential” -Reggio kids
4. Criteria B “It is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with children, examples of this include; health and safety, child protection, confidentiality meeting the needs of children and managing children’s behaviour.” -Tassoni et al. 2007
5. Criteria D2- “A multi-agency team includes professionals from different groups who come and work together for the good of the child; these include social workers, educational psychologists, health visitors and gp’s.” -Tassoni et al. 2007.
Bibliography-
1. Hewitt, Valarie 2001. Examining the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Education Journal 29
2. Participation works, http://www.participationworks.org.uk/topics/early-years, 22/11/2013
3. Reggio kids, http://www.reggiokids.com/the_reggio_approach.html, 27/11/13
4. Tassoni et al. 2007, Childcare and education, Edition no.4, Edinburgh, pgs. 10, 11
5. Tina Bruce, Carolyn Meggit, 2007, Childcare and education, Harold Arnold, London.