Unit 3 Childcare

Unit 3- Supporting Children

E1)
Health and Safety At Work Act 1974
The Children Act 1989/ 2004
Sex Discrimination Act 1976&1986
The Equality Act 2010
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001

E2) Health and Safety At Work Act 1974:
Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 makes the work place as safe as possible. Employers are required to display relevant health and safety posters and ensure that employees are provided with relevant health and safety information and training. By providing this it will ensure children are kept safe as the employees will have the relevant training.

The Children Act 1989:
The Children Act 1989 provided a stepping stone towards the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) being implicated within the UK. The act came into force in 1991. The Children Act 1989 is important as it emphasises the importance of putting the child first.
The Children Act 2004 underpins all services for children and aim to focus on improving the outcomes for all children and young people.

Sex Discrimination Act 1976/ 1986:
This act makes it illegal to discriminate against somebody due to gender and promotes sexual equality. This has influenced childcare settings by allowing unisex toys, having equal rights for both boys and girls, allowing boys and girls to get changed separately. This has influenced my previous setting in a nursery as the boys there were able to play with dolls and pushchairs and the girls played with cars without being discriminated against for it. It also ensures that same sex parents/ carers and children are not treated differently because of the sex of their parents. This also goes for any other professionals in the setting.

The Equality Act 2010:
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects all people from discrimination in the workplace an in the wider community. This act replaced previous anti-discrimary acts with one act making the law easier to understand and in some situations strengthening protection. Before the Act came into force there were several pieces of legislation to cover discrimination, including: Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976, Disability Discrimination Act 1995. “The primary purpose of the Act is to codify the complicated and numerous array of Acts and Regulations, which formed the basis of anti-discrimination law in Great Britain. This was, primarily, the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and three major statutory instruments protecting discrimination in employment on grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age.”

Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
This act required schools, colleges, workplaces and early year’s settings to make appropriate provisions so that people with disabilities and special needs where provided with the same opportunities as those without additional needs.

E3)

Policies and procedures help to safe guard children as they set out the limits and boundaries of the practitioners practise. They set the safety requirements that the practitioners must meet in order to minimize risk of harm to the child. This is achieved by Risk assessments which are required by the policies and procedures in the setting. Children’s safety whilst in a setting is the most important thing this ensures that their overall welfare is being met to the standards required.

E4)

Policies and procedures, such as the diversity and inclusive practise policy ensure that fair and inclusive practise is being promoted at all time. This makes sure that the children are all treated as unique individuals with the same rights throughout the setting. Policies and procedures help make sure diversity and inclusive practise is a part of every activity planning.

E5)
A strategy that will empower children to develop self reliance is the opportunity of choice. This includes the activities enabling choice, for example a writing activity where children are able to write about what they want. This gives the children the power to freely choose what they would like to write about. Another example of this is free choice play; this promotes self reliance as they have to make decisions for themselves.
Another strategy would be achievement this means to praise a child when they do well, this could be by giving a sticker, certificate, or verbal praise. All of these will boost a child’s self esteem and independence as if they are praised they will feel more confident in doing it again.

E6)

A child or children how are making a transition from an early years setting into a school or from one early years setting into another. This can be supported by practitioner or new teacher by, the child going into the new setting for a taster day or fun day during the visit the child is able to meet the staff and get familiar with the setting, and this means it won’t be so daunting when they start, in my current school placement we had a new child start, they came in during the school day to have a tour of the school and meet there class mates and class teacher.
The practitioner going to the child’s home for a home visit, this means the practitioner is able to see the child in their own home where they are comfortable whilst there the practitioner is able to see the child’s ability level, they are able to see what the child is and isn’t able to do without the child feeling under pressure to do anything they don’t want to.

E7)
Discrimination can occur when a group of people discriminate against a particular group of people; this could be due to skin colour, culture, religion, family name, the area they live in or disability. This can affect children by lowering their self esteem as they feel like they are worth less than what they are, it also may make them feel singled out as it makes them question why they are the one being targeted, this will in turn lower their self confidence, as they won’t feel comfortable going into the setting. Discrimination may also leave they child a target for bullying as they are vulnerable as there self confidence and self esteem has been lowered.

E9) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_Act_2010