M2 -Explain the Roles and Responsibilities of Any Two Members of the Children’s Workforce in Relation to Looked After Children and Young People in Your Area.

The Children's Workforce is made up of many different people from different sectors who have different roles, despite these variations all are working to deliver the 5 Every Child Matters Outcomes for children and young people.
If you work directly with babies, children, young people or their families frequently or for just some of the time, whether through paid employment or voluntary work, you are a member of the children and young people’s CORE children’s workforce. Alternatively if as part of your work or volunteering (e.g. as a management committee member, charity trustee) you are responsible for ensuring that children and young people achieve the 5 ECM Outcomes (e.g. as a trustee you direct and plan the services for children in your care) then you are part of the WIDER children’s workforce
The two members of the children’s workforce whom I am going to explain the roles and responsibilities of are a health visitor and educational psychologist. A health visitor visits every family when a baby is born, once the specialist skills of the midwife are no longer required. The health visitor is a nurse with further qualifications in other aspects of childcare who visits the family to provide advice and support on a wide range of situations. Many families only require the support of a health visitor for a relatively short time after birth of a baby, but an increasing number of families require additional support and advice for a longer period of time. While an educational psychologist specialists offer psychology services that work with children and young people. This may be within the education system, where they will provide advice and support in the face of complex difficulties. Educational psychologists also work with parents and families and provide support for multi-agency working.
A Health Visitor
Health visitors work as part of a primary healthcare team, assessing the health needs of individuals, families and the wider community. They aim to promote good health and prevent illness by offering practical help and advice.
The role involves working within a community setting, often visiting people in their own homes. It primarily involves supporting new parents and pre-school children. Working as a health visitor may also include tackling the impact of social inequality on health and working closely with at-risk or deprived groups. There may be variations in the role in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which may include working with adults from the wider community.
The health visiting service is dynamic and health-focused and able to respond flexibly to a range of service and community needs. Health visiting is underpinned by four principles that guide and direct professional practice. These are the search for health needs, creating awareness of health needs, influencing policies affecting health and the facilitation of health-enhancing activities.
Typical work activities vary according to the nature of the individual role but may include:
• Using specialist healthcare interventions to meet the health-related needs of individuals, families, groups and communities as well as assessing and evaluating their effectiveness;
• Working as part of a primary care trust team, which may also include GPs, midwives, community nursery nurses, health visitors' assistants, healthcare assistants and community staff nurses;
• Advising and informing new parents on issues such as feeding, sleeping, safety, physical and emotional development, weaning, immunization and other aspects of childcare;
• Leading and delivering the healthy child programme , providing support from early pregnancy to a child's early weeks and throughout their childhood - providing a gateway to other services as required;
• Working in partnership with families to develop and agree tailored health plans addressing individual parenting and health needs;
• Managing parent and baby clinics at surgeries, community and sure start children's centers and running specialist sessions on areas such as baby massage, exercise and child development;
• Working collaboratively with children's centers, schools, preschools and action groups in the local community;
• Providing emotional support regarding issues such as postnatal depression, bereavement, disability, family conflict and domestic violence;
• Supporting government initiatives to tackle child poverty and social exclusion, such as sure start ;
• Agreeing local health action plans as well as managing and leading interdisciplinary teams involved in their delivery;
• Diagnosing minor conditions and prescribing low-level medication;
• Supporting and training new health visitors and support staff;
• Maintaining and updating client records;
• Collecting, collating and analysing data to ensure that specific health targets are being met and creating health policies regarding the provision of healthcare;
• Planning and setting up health promotion displays;
• Generating and maintaining effective interactions with relevant external agencies, including other healthcare professionals, social services, local housing departments, the police, teachers and probation officers, and utilizing appropriate referral procedures;
• Maintaining the standards and requirements of professional and statutory regulatory bodies, adhering to relevant codes of conduct, understanding the legal and ethical responsibilities of professional practice and maintaining the principles and practice of client confidentiality.
Health visitors can work with all age groups; however the majority of clients are families with pre-school children. The main responsibilities are as follows:
• Developmental checks of babies and toddlers
• Child health clinics
• Advice on immunizations
• Advice and support on pregnancy, parenting, feeding (including breast feeding), sleeping, crying, speech
• Health promotion, including pre-school children and child accident prevention
• Identifying people suffering from postnatal depression and providing support
• Child Protection
• Family nutrition
• Family planning and well women advice
A health visitor can also help with;
• Continence problems
• Disabilities
• Support for careers
• Depression
• Victims of abuse
• Stopping smoking
• Family stresses & bereavement.
Educational Psychologist
An educational psychologist is concerned with helping children or young people who are experiencing problems within an educational setting with the aim of enhancing their learning. Challenges may include social or emotional problems or learning difficulties. Work is with individual clients or groups, advising teachers, parents, social workers and other professionals.
Client work involves an assessment of the child using observation, interviews and test materials. Educational psychologists offer a wide range of appropriate interventions, such as learning programs and collaborative work with teachers or parents. They also provide in-service training for teachers and other professionals on issues such as behaviour and stress management. Work can also involve research and advising on educational provisions and policies.
Typical work activities involve:
• Assessing learning and emotional needs by observing and consulting with multi-agency teams to advise on the best approaches and provisions to support learning and development;
• Developing and supporting therapeutic and behaviour management programs;
• Designing and developing courses for parents, teachers and others involved with the education of children and young people on topics such as bullying;
• Designing and developing projects involving children and young people;
• Writing reports to make formal recommendations on action to be taken, including formal statements;
• Advising, persuading, supporting and negotiating with teachers, parents and other education professionals;
• Attending case conferences involving multidisciplinary teams on how best to meet the social, emotional, behavioural and learning needs of the children and young people in their care;
• Prioritising effectiveness - the context and environment that influence the child’s development are seen as increasingly important;
• Liaising with other professionals and facilitating meetings, discussions and courses;
• Developing and reviewing policies;
• Conducting active research;
• Formulating interventions that focus on applying knowledge, skills and expertise to support local and national initiatives;
• Developing and applying effective interventions to promote psychological wellbeing, social, emotional and behavioural development, and to raise educational standards.
The majority of educational psychologists are employed by local education authorities. Other employers include: consultancies, social services departments, universities, child psychiatric units, paediatric assessment units, independent schools and voluntary organisations. Typical responsibilities of the job include:
• Using psychological tests, theories and procedures
• Recommending, developing and administering appropriate therapies and strategies
• Writing reports
• Undertaking research
• Providing training
• Meeting, advising and liaising with parents, teachers and other professionals
• Advising on educational policies.