Being Healthy,
Staying Safe,
Enjoying and achieving,
Making a positive contribution,
Economic well-being. (Jones, C et al pg. 127)
To enable the ten year strategy to take effect Local Authorities worked with existing providers and services reflecting on what was already being provided and what could be done to improve services. OfSTED also changed the way in which it inspected settings to encompass the five outcomes.
Practitioners were expected to embrace the new way of working as it would bring about better services for children and families. As stated by Andy Rixon ‘practitioners with established roles are expected to adapt’. (pg 7) In many of the children’s services these changes were introduced with reservations. The increase of paperwork and demands on their already stretched resources and time effected peoples moral as stated by Andy Rixon ‘While practitioners will support the principles of improving services, reorganisations can generate much cynicism amongst staff and have a substantial impact upon morale’ (pg. 9). Integrated working meant a complete new way of working for many of the children’s services. The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) was introduced to help practitioners to formalise procedures for dealing with other agencies and identifying lead organisations. The CAF also helped make procedures clearer for parents and carers to identify where and who to get help from.
Sure Start was established to support the Local Education Authorities by focusing on early education. It was hailed by the government as an ‘exemplar ‘par excellence’ of multi-agency approaches to working with young children’. (Stone, B. et al, pg 170). Sure start were responsible for ensuring that core services were delivered and tailored to meet the need of the community they served. (Stone, B. et al, pg. 173). Sure Start were instrumental in establishing new initiatives in deprived area, forming Children Centre’s and Centres of Excellence. To improve the cultural capital of these areas, Sure Start identified the need to provide a good quality of service; they did this by working with the existing services in the communities. By using the existing social capital in these communities the limited funding was used to link already existing services as stated by Pinnock and Evans (2007) Children’s Fund projects use the linking of social capital to ‘highlight(ed) the importance of individual tailored, flexible, reliable and sustainable relationships with practitioners and service providers’. (Leverett, S. pg 61)
It was also recognised that in these areas the practitioners needed support themselves to improve their own skills and knowledge. Funding was provided for training in key skills for all adults who wished to access it. One of the operational principles for a Centre of Excellence is
‘raising standards of integrated early years provision amongst other early years providers, including voluntary and private providers, childminders and other carers, by contributing to the training and development strategy of the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and through the development and dissemination of good practice. (Sure Start 14.09.08)
Child care settings are also required by OfSTED to ensure that at least 50% of their staff have a recognised qualification within their role. This caused problems for managers as there were not enough places for staff on courses. Funding for cover during training was another problem along with a reluctance of some to take part in training. OfSTED were sympathetic to the problems faced by managers but they also recognised that to address the disparity in the conditions these children lived in and to improve their prospects then practitioners looking after them needed to acquire a better knowledge and understanding of the development, policies and procedures that underpin the principles of good quality provision. As stated by Hargreaves, D ‘Innovation is essential to improving one’s Professional skills and to adapting to meet changing circumstances’. (Working laterally pg 5)
It is important when looking at how practitioners can improve their practice that they are trained to identify and work on their existing knowledge. By supporting practitioners to identify what they already do and how that underpins different theories it will give them confidence and belief in their own practice. Eraut (1995) describes these different forms of knowledge as ‘Codified ( theory) and Personal (practical) knowledge’ he states that to be a reflective practitioner it is important that practitioners are trained to recognise these different elements of their learning. ‘the opportunity to stand back and review critically how their learning has been applied to practice and what in turn they have learnt from practice’. (Rixon A p. 207) I have been able to identify this in my own practice, having studied for my foundation degree in early years I have been able to link theory to practice which has help me understand why children learn in different ways. Demonstrating links to both behaviourist and social constructivist theories of learning in my own practice. As mentioned by the teacher (Foley pg. 275) I have found Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of proximal Development useful in assessment and scaffolding learning. The knowledge I have acquired through my study has also benefited the way in which I work with colleagues identifying learning styles and perceived barriers to learning. Working in a child care setting can be quite isolating but with the new training initiatives through Sure Start and the LEA staff have been able to attend training, meet with other professionals and support each other through social networking.
Inter-Professional Education (IPE) is an important aspect of continual professional development as stated by Clark (2006) ‘students must be empowered to ask ‘who am I and what do I know?’ (Rixon pg. 217) Practitioners need to be reflective looking continuously as what they know, and identifying what they need to know. As stated by Schön (1987) ‘effective experimental learning relies on students being able to ‘reflect’ on the process of their learning’. (Rixon pg. 220). The theory of knowledge is known as Epistemology. For Reflective practice to be effect it is important for practitioners to be honest, Thomas (2004) stresses the importance of understanding that when practitioners are analysising critical incidents it can be emotionally demanding and needs to be carried out in a safe environment. (Rixon pg 239) This highlights the importance of good team work, being able to support others as well as work as an individual.
Education is a constantly changing concept. Professionals need to stay ahead of those they are teaching, Frost (2001) states that ‘If the status of professionals in the eyes of the public is maintained by expert knowledge, then they also need to constantly renew theses claims for expertise by the acquisition of new knowledge. (Rixon pg. 207)
It is important for professionals to understand how their own skills, knowledge and values are formed. The process of learning covers many aspects both formal and informal. Through the foundation stage document practitioners are told that the best way for children to learn is through play. This concept can be applied to adults too. Adults learn in a variety of ways and situations. Wenger (1991) identified these as Communities of Practice and defined three key dimensions;-
Mutual Engagement
Joint Enterprise
A shared Repertoire
(A full description of these can be found on pg. 229, Rixon, A)
Wenger also identified two processes for acquiring knowledge, Participation (being actively involved in ‘social enterprise’ and Reification (the process of formalising policies and procedures) (Rixon pg. 230)
Communities of practice are key to working within diverse communities. By Participating and actively involving families in their child’s education the practitioners themselves are learning about the individual cultures and beliefs of the families. This acquired knowledge can then be incorporated in the curriculum for the children. (Reification).
By working with families both in an educational and home environment practitioners are able build on not only the child but the family’s unity and identity. This is especially important where parents have either had a bad experience of school themselves or where English is their second languages, therefore causing additional barriers to learning. This holistic way of working with families is demonstrated in the Saltley Cluster setting where parents with additional language needs are encouraged to come into the classroom. Miss Howell states that it is ‘important (as well) because it makes them work as a family unit in the classroom and when they get back at home’. (DVD) Professionals need to be aware of the different influences on children. Bronfenbrenner (1979) drew up an ecological model identifying the interrelationships surrounding a child. (Leverett, S pg. 210) These systems are discussed by Hodgson (2007) to look at the ethical dimensions of working with children. (Learning Guide 18, Activity 1.7)
To ensure each child reaches their full potential means that practitioners and professionals need to work closely with parents and carers listening to them and recognising that as the child’s prime carer they know their child best. It is also important that professional understand that not everyone will have the same values and knowledge and as practitioners they need to treat children as individuals, learning about the cultures and beliefs of the family unit they are attached to and support that family to ensure that the child is well cared for and safe. It is also important that practitioners are trained to recognise signs and symptoms that may point towards the child not being cared for appropriately. Practitioners should be confident and experienced, this does not mean to say that they have to know everything, but it does mean that if they do not know or are unsure of something that they know where and who to go to for help and advice.
Learning and acquiring knowledge, skills and values is not something that stops; it is a constant in the lives of all professionals. Whether it is something they strive towards such as a qualification or something that is acquired through mutual interaction with others. Learning is juxtaposed with life. As Wenger states communities of practice are key to the acquisition of knowledge. By professionals obtaining the skill of being a reflective practitioner, they will be able to identify their achievements and in time the evidencing of practice will enable them to support not only the children and families they work with, but other professionals working towards the same aims.
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Bibliography
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Stone, B. & Rixon, A. ‘Towards Integrated working’ Foley, P. and Rixon, A. (eds) (2008) ‘Changing Children’s services working and learning together’. Bristol, The policy Press in association with The Open University (KE312 reader)
Jones, C. & Leverett, S. ‘Policy into practice: assessment, evaluation and multi-agency working with children’ Foley, P. and Rixon, A. (eds) (2008) ‘Changing Children’s services working and learning together’. Bristol, The policy Press in association with The Open University (KE312 reader)
Rixon, A. & Stone, B. ‘Working together for children?’ Foley, P. and Rixon, A. (eds) (2008) ‘Changing Children’s services working and learning together’. Bristol, The policy Press in association with The Open University (KE312 reader)
Rixon, A. ‘Learning together’ Foley, P. and Rixon, A. (eds) (2008) ‘Changing Children’s services working and learning together’. Bristol, The policy Press in association with The Open University (KE312 reader)
Foley, P. ‘Reflecting on skills for working with children’ Foley, P. and Rixon, A. (eds) (2008) ‘Changing Children’s services working and learning together’. Bristol, The policy Press in association with The Open University (KE312 reader)
Leverett, S. ‘Understanding Transition’ Foley, P. Leverett, S (eds) (2008) ‘Connecting with Children developing working relationships’ Bristol, The policy Press in association with The Open University (KE312 reader)
Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Department of Health and The Home Office, (2003) ‘Keeping Children Safe’, Norwich, TSO publishing.
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Learning Guide 18’Learning and reflecting’ www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/innovation-unit
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( accessed 14/09/08)