CACHE 3 childcare learning and development unit3

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Michelle Lewington        UNIT3

10/650241        

Centre Number 733,00

CACHE CCLD

ASSIGNMENT 3

E1

The factors to consider when planning a positive environment for children and families

  • Well trained and qualified staff that work well as a team

Good teamwork helps to create an environment which pleasant, not only to work in but also for the children and the families who use the setting. A team which is made of people with different values and skills can cause tensions, but when everyone is working with the objectives in mind a dynamic and effective team can be formed. This team will be able to respond to all the needs of the children and families using the setting.

  • Interesting and appropriate activities

Its important that the environment is stimulating for the children as a lack of stimulation can later effect their overall development including poor language and cognitive development . The most important factor is how the adults interact with the children. The practitioners should plan activities for them, help them to play by providing appropriate toys and equipment

Activities should be provided that are appropriate to the childs age and developmental stages. A wide range of activities should be on offer which are both child initiated and adult lead to enable the further development of the child in all areas. Activities should reflect the interests of the child and should be reviewed regularly to make sure they are still challenging so the child does not become bored. Physical activity is important to the childs development as is out door play and this should be on offer, other children do not like noisy and physical activities and its important that there are other options available to them..

  • High standards of hygiene and safety

High standards of hygiene are important in all areas of the early years settings to avoid infections, which can be caused by bacteria or viruses. Bacteria and viruses can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation and inoculation. Its important that staff wear disposable gloves and aprons when handing bodily fluids and cover all wounds. The setting should be kept thoroughly clean with more frequent cleaning of the toilets and food preparation areas. Waste bins should be kept covered and emptied regularly and not allowed to overflow. Good ventilation helps to dilute the build up of bacteria and viruses. Toys and equipment should be kept clean and disinfected at regular intervals. Staff must demonstrate good hand washing skills and endeavour to pass these on to the children in their care.

Young children have no sense of danger and are vulnerable to accidents and it is essential that practitioners are active in preventing accidents. Its important that practitioners identify and remove risks where possible, such as using safety gates, catches for doors and windows. Coving electrical sockets. Its also important to carry out daily checks on the setting both indoors and outdoors to make sure all safety measures are in place and being used correctly and if not to take the appropriate action immediately. Supervision is of major important in preventing accidents, this means actively watching and thinking about what is happening or what could happen next and taking steps to prevent a situation becoming dangerous.

  • Parents feel welcome and involved

Relationships between the home and the setting should be promoted as children feel relaxed and comfortable when there is a good relationship between the two, as the care is more likely to meet their needs and be consistent. Establishing a good relationship between the home and the setting requires excellent communication with the parents and understanding and respecting the role which parents play in the childs life.

A positive relationship can be promoted by greeting the children and their families on arrival, addressing them correctly (using the correct title or first name dependant of parents wishes) and using correct pronunciation, and exchanging information at the end of sessions. Its important to listen to parents concerns and actively deal with any issues, and to exchange information with them about the progress and development of their child.

Where possible create opportunities for parents to become involved in the setting if they want to such as fundraising, outings, coming in as a helper or to demonstrate or provide information on an area of interest to them or something that is particular to their culture. Parents evenings should be held at times which are accessible to all parents, including those that work.

  • A reassuring and supportive environment

Children must feel that they are in a safe, caring and loving environment as with out it they will not settle and become distressed at being separated from their parents. Many settings operate a key worker system, where one person takes particular responsibility for a child and that they build a special relationship with them, this makes it easier for a child to come in to a new setting.

Children tend to feel more reassured when they know what to expect and this can be achieved through routines and consistency in a setting. Its important that routines are flexible and not rigid but they must be structured enough for a child to anticipate what is likely to happen next. Consistency helps the childs feeling of security which is important to children of all ages. Its important that all staff are consistent in there approaches, as frequent changes in staff, atmosphere and approaches can lead to a child feeling insecure. Its important that staff have frequent meeting to ensure that are all working together in a consist way.

Its important that children learn to value each other and also feel that they belong. All children and their families must feel welcome in the setting and staff must make sure that their values and assumptions do not create barriers for others. Staff must evaluate the way in which they work with the children and plan activities to ensure that every child is benefiting from them.

-Equality,  inclusion  and  diversity

. An inclusive approach is essential to the provision of high-quality care and education for all young children and their families. Inclusive practices benefit all children. Inclusion is about working closely with parents and carers, being able to take different approaches to fit individual circumstances and valuing that everyone involved with children and families has an important contribution to make, particularly the child and the family themselves. It recognises that diversity is something to be valued, that children and families have many different and changing needs and that irrespective of needs, the key features of relationships,

responsive care and respect apply to every child.

High-quality care and education that supports children’s learning involves:

. recognising that relationships support learning and that they take time to develop

. acknowledging the close relationships that children already have and valuing the information that comes with the child, about children’s likes and dislikes, about the people and things that are important to them

. being responsive to individual children’s needs, interests, preferences and capabilities and ensuring opportunities for the one-to-one time that all children need, by finding the time to read a story or the opportunity to sit peacefully and listen to the child talk about something

that is of interest to the child

. focusing on what children can do, taking delight in their achievements and

sharing this information with others, including the individual child.

E2

 When planning the lay out you must make sure that all fire exits and other access points are free from obstructions. That the layout makes the best of the available natural light. That there is enough space for all staff and children ( including wheelchairs and walking frames) to move freely between activities/areas as when there is not enough space children are more likely to bang in to furniture or equipment or push and shove each other to get where they want to be. The layout should incorporate good visibility, so staff can easily supervise children. All radiators, heaters and lights must be kept clear and not covered to prevent a fire hazard. There is enough storage built in to the layout so that items are not left lying around causing a trip hazard. Its important that the layout allows for through cleaning. Free standing furniture and equipment must be secured so that a child can not pull it down on to themselves or other children.

Some children find large open spaces intimidating and other need plenty of space to run around and take part in physical activity, so its important that the layout incorporates  both small quieter areas and large spaces for physical activity  so the child have a choice about what they do depending on how they feel.

The layout should encourage children to be independent, so all toys and equipment must be accessible by all children and storage should encourage children to help tidy away. Aprons, washing areas should be easily accessible to children with low fitting sinks and soap and paper towel dispensers at the childs height, where this is not possible steps should be provided. Areas need to be created which encourage the child to focus on an activity. The layout should create an interesting environment which allow objects, artefacts and the childs own work to be displayed. These displays should be at the childs height.

The space must be organised so that children taking part in physical or noisy activities do not disturb the other children. The layout must allow that children with disabilities or special educational needs are able to explore and take part in all activities safety. All children in the setting must feel recognised and valued and every childs race, culture, gender and ability must be reflected in the overall environment of the setting ( posters, notices, books, dolls, puppets). The environment must continue to be suitable for all the children which use it and should be reviewed each time a new child joins the setting.

Its important to provide activities that develop the child emotionally, physically and their social and intellectual ability. The activities provided should take in to account the age and development stage of the child and their particular interests. The activities must also be in line with the curriculum framework followed by the setting. Its important to provide a large range of activities so that children do not become bored and all areas of their development are promoted.

Activities are normally child directed when the children choose how to begin and progress their own play, or adult directed where practitioners plan and offer ideas to children to inspire their play. The balance of child and adult directed activities will vary from day to day, bu a good range of both must be on offer. Child directed activities encourage children to use their imagination,  good social interaction and children organise their own play. Adult directed activities enable the introduction of new ideas, teaching a new skills, develop listening skills and learning to work in a group

The layout should include

A well designed reception area, this helps parents to feel welcome and can contain notice boards to display general messages and displays of the childrens work.

Join now!

Sleep room rest area, this should be away from the noise and activity of the setting to allow younger children to sleep or rest. This is important as most children under 5 need 12 hours sleep a day and without enough sleep humans concentration, mood and memory are effected. Its important to cater to the childs sleep routine as guided by the parents. Some children will not sleep so it is important that they take part in a restful activity so that their body and brain can slow down and rest.

Messy area/ art and craft area, this is an ...

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