‘Childcare Act 2006’ is legislation in the UK. This legislation improved outcomes for children under five. It involved local authorities helping working parents especially those who live on a low income or have a disabled child. This legislation ensures that support and help from integrated services are always available and are active. Parents can have unlimited information due to this legislation being introduced. The Early Foundation Stage was introduced in this legislation. It increased the quality of care and education from birth to five.
N. Thornes, (2008, pg 19)
E4 – Describe the recognised principles and the values that underpin working with children.
In 2003, the government published a green paper called ‘Every Child Matters’. It had five principles.
‘Be healthy’
This aims to keep a child physically, emotionally, sexually, mentally healthy. It also aims to promote to parents and carers healthier choices for their child. It helps to help families become more healthy together and give them the information to know the risks for not eating healthy.
‘Stay safe’
It aims to help children be safe from being bullied or discriminated. Children are taught to stay safe from crime and not to be anti-social. It helps to provide children with stability and a safe environment to live in. It helps to prevent any injury to the child and prevent the child from being neglected or maltreated.
‘Enjoy and Achieve’
This aims to help children to attend school as well as enjoy it. It helps a child to be prepared and ready to go to school. It gives the child the chance to achieve. It also helps parents support their learning.
‘Make a Positive Contribution’
This aims to help children take the right steps into society to be a good person and not to bully or discriminate. Children are supported to develop their social and emotional skills which will develop their self confidence to hep deal with life and its changes.
‘Achieve Economical Wellbeing’
This aims to support children to understand the importance of having the right attitude in a workplace and how this will help them. It helps young people access higher education and to go on to being employed. It also helps children to live in a sustainable community and have access to transport. It also helps a child have the right to have material goods.
E5 – Explain the importance of valuing and respecting all children in the setting.
It is very important of valuing and respecting all children in the setting as this allows a child to develop to the best of their ability. It is important to recognise and promote diversity in a setting.
“Recognising diversity is about understanding that children come from a variety of backgrounds and family structures, and that this is reflected in many ways including the languages they speak, their culture, beliefs and even care needs”
Tassoni, P. (2007, pg. 7)
To be able to observe children in a setting and to recognise if they need any additional support is a key skill that needs to be obtained by a childcare worker. This is very important as this will help the child to gain full advantage of the help available so they have an equal opportunity to learn. It is said that “All children are special and unique”, and this means that no one is the same. Every child has a different learning style and every child develops at different stages. By making sure the setting is fully equipped for children of all different needs and a range of activities for a child is displayed in the setting then the child has the freedom to learn at their own pace and ability. This is important as it will help the child to stimulate their learning and improve their thinking abilities. A childcare worker needs to respect all the children and not to be judgemental about their beliefs, culture or family traditions. They need to follow the families’ wishes in how their child should be treated if there is any specific needs the child might have.
Tassoni, P. (2007, pg.7)
Inclusive practise in the setting is very important and shows respect to all of the children. It does this by including all of the children no matter if the child has special needs or a disability. The child is made to feel included at all times and this must be valued as this will enable the child to not feel isolated or that they are a nuisance. This will help the child to gain confidence and be able to communicate with other children with no fear of being rejected or bullied. Both diversity and inclusiveness helps to value and respects all of the needs of all unique children in a setting.
Section 3 (E6 and E7)
E6 – Describe three professionals skills that will support your work with children.
It is important to have a variety of professional skills whilst working with children. Being an active listener is important because this will enable a child’s voice to be heard. It will always allow good communication between the practitioner and the parent. Listening to a child and their problems is a key skill that needs to be learnt for a child to feel comfortable and supported with their work or issues. If the child is at a young age and cannot pronounce words properly this skill will need to be used for a clear understanding of the child’s needs. It is also important to have this skill as a practitioner will need to listen carefully to instructions and rules. Being patient is also another important professional skill. In a setting a practitioner might have their patience tested and therefore should always remain professional and calm. Having to deal with a stressful situation can test your patience; however a practitioner needs to apply her patient skills to keep a calm atmosphere for the children. Hardworking is also another key skill a practitioner will need to apply with working with children. Even though there is a lot of fun and games with working with children there is also a lot of paperwork and logs that need to be kept up to date. Everyone has to pull their weight when it comes to handling children. As well as paperwork and playing around there is also cleaning and tidying up to be done, which is hard work sometimes however to maintain a safe surrounding for a child to be able to play in, these jobs needs to be monitored and completed.
E7 – Describe how study skills can support your learning during your training.
During training to be able to work with children there is a lot of studying which has to go on. Throughout the study time it is important to eat and drink regularly with breaks. Having study strategies is important, so studying can be easy and not stressful. Mind mapping is an example of a study skill. Mind mapping helps to enhance your learning by helping you to take notes and to link pieces of information together. This helps you to problem solve. Being able to add information as you go along makes this skill quick and simple. It also makes it easier when in a class environment and you have to write information down quickly. The layout of mind maps helps some people to memorize the information more. This will save time when looking back for information. Mind mapping is therefore a key study skill which can support your learning throughout the course. Another skill is practising past papers. By reading over past papers it can give you an idea of the criteria and the information needed to know to pass your exam. Even though these past papers could be up to a few years old they still have questions that you will need to know the answers to. Past papers can be used in the classroom by teachers to prepare you for the expectations of the exams and to help you to learn the information that is needed.
Section 4 (D1, D2, C, B, A)
D1 – Explain why the practitioner should develop and maintain appropriate relationships with parents and other professionals.
It is important for a practitioner to develop and maintain an appropriate relationship with parents and other professionals as it will have a key affect in the environment of the setting. If there had been a dispute of any nature between colleagues in the setting then there will be a tense atmosphere and not only can the parents pick up on this but also the children. This is bad for the children as it can cause upset and it will not be a professional environment. If any parent was to notice this in the placement they will not feel comfortable with leaving their child in the setting. This can escalate into further problems and could result in the child not attending the placement; this is why it is very important to always be developing appropriate relationships with parents and other professionals. The child’s needs must be met at all times, and by maintaining an appropriate relationship with parents can help certain bits of information about the child and their struggles or improvements, throughout there stay at the setting, to be recognised and to be enhanced with encouragement from both parents and colleagues. This communication between colleagues and parents is important so the child can thrive at the best ability they can. No child wants to feel uncomfortable or frightened, they should feel safe and comfortable at all times in the setting, and this is why a firm yet calming tone of voice and eye contact throughout conversations should be used when communicating. This technique should be used between colleagues and parents so they too can feel happy and secure with each other.
D2 – Discuss the characteristics of working in a multi-agency team.
A multi-agency involves several professionals who are involved to support children and their families. One of the characteristics involved in a multi-agency team is being able to communicate well with each other. Having regular contact between agencies is a key characteristic as this will enable a child and their family to gain all the help and support they need. Also valuing the confidentiality of the families and children involved is paramount. No information should be shared about the people involved out of the multi-agency team. Only those whom are concerned should know about the problems and situations that may be occurring. Another characteristic of working in a multi-agency team is being able to share the same goals and values. All multi-agency’s goals and values should be to do there best to help children and their families and to solve any issues that could be getting out of hand. The child interest should be put first at all times. Multi-agency’s should work together and find the best outcome there could be for a child and their family. Everyone in the team should understand their role and responsibilities and have an open minded approach.
C – Explain why the early years practitioner should listen to children’s views and value their opinion.
A child’s voice should always be heard and listened to. A child should never be ignored or told to not give their opinion. Every child should have an equal opportunity to participate so their views and opinions are valued. Regardless of any needs or disabilities or religious backgrounds the child might have their opinions should be listened to and included with every other view. Every child is not the same and it is important that children understand that they can have difference opinions and views on the same topic. By a practitioner listening to all the different views and opinions this will help children become more open-minded and their confidence will grow. The children will feel more valued. It is important to value and listen to children’s fears or problems as this can help a child become happier with their issues shared and reassurance been given. Acknowledging a child’s voice and being aware that they too can understand when an adult is truly listening this will boost their self esteem. They will be able to speak more confidently and not be as shy when coming to answer questions in front of the class or other adults. By a practitioner listening to a child this will teach them how to be a good listener and to appreciate everyone’s opinions as well as their own. By listening to a child this would be including them and teaching them not to ignore or leave anyone out. These are good key communication skills that can be learnt. By listening to a child a practitioner will begin to notice if a child needs any particular help in any of the ongoing activities. This will therefore enable any additional support for the child so they will be able to learn at the best ability and develop more efficient than before.
B – Explain why it is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with children.
It is very important that a practitioner knows and understands exactly their limits and boundaries of their role whilst working with children as there are many different situations a practitioner could be put in and they need to know how to deal with them. Being aware of a settings policy is the first steps for a practitioner to know their role and responsibilities. A practitioner will need to know about the limits of how much physical contact they can have with a child. This is very important that a practitioner understands this because it can have an affect on the child’s developing skills. If having too much contact with the child such as cuddling or picking those up unnecessarily then this will encourage the child to depend on the adult more and more. This will have an overall affect on their independent skills and their confidence. A practitioner should always be aware of how much physical contact you have with a child in order to protect them and yourself. When working with children it is important that a practitioner understands that children have to be spoken to at their level. Towering over a child will only make them fell vulnerable. A practitioner should know how to manage children’s behaviour. If the practitioner is too lively with the children it will encourage them to be distracted from the activity and can cause the children to become overly excited. This will have an affect on the children’s ability to concentrate on the activity that has been set and can cause children to not listen. If a practitioner is too lively and upbeat compared with other staff, the children will be getting mixed messages and vibes. However, by observing the staff in the setting the children are in and having a similar behaviour to the other staff can make the children feel secure. It is important to be aware of the healthy and safety aspects with working with children. A practitioner should know the settings policy on hygiene and safety. They should know about all fire doors and gates or doors that needs to be locked or shut at all times. The practitioner should know if they have to have their hair covered or tied back or if they have to wear gloves in the setting. This is important that a practitioner knows this boundary as the children’s healthy and safety is at risk. A child could become injured or subjected to dangerous surroundings. The children’s health and safety are paramount. A practitioner should know the limits of confidentiality. Although it is good for a practitioner to work along side the children’s parents by keeping them informed on their child’s development, this information must not be shared with any other friends or family. Some information could be very private and will be given to a practitioner by trust and if they were to break this trust it can make the parents loose a lot of confidence and trust in them. Therefore it is very important for a practitioner to follow any policies and procedures in the setting and to understand that breaking these can have an overall affect on the children, the parent and in certain circumstances their jobs.
A – Reflect on the importance of a child centred approach in the early years settings.
A child centred approach in an early year setting is important as it can help towards a more successful learning outcome and will build on the child’s interests. A child centred approach allows the child to decide what they would like to learn and play with. This will enable the child to explore freely and at their own pace. It allows a child to develop their concentration skills and to spend time to ask and solve questions. Rather than giving children in a setting a task to do all the time this child centred approach allows the child to willingly choose their activity. This will enhance their sense of creativity and communication skills with other children and adults. Having this approach will enable a child to focus on the task they have chosen and will increase the chances of the children to reach their personal goals. Learning in a fun environment is vital for a child to be able to express their emotions and to learn in a way that is comfortable for them. This method is important as it focuses on their needs and can show whether or not they are improving or need extra help in other areas of their development. This approach increases a child’s self esteem and allows their confidence to be tested in the task they are approaching. This approach to learning is important as it ensures the child’s needs are considered first and they are closely monitored to enable the child needs no extra help or support. This technique is important and useful for all children in early years as this will be a stepping stone onto further education. It will allow them to figure out their interest and develop skills. All children are different and respond to different techniques and approaches, this is where the child centred approach shows which techniques and approaches work best for that particular child. The child centred approach is very important in early years as it allows children to learn appropriate and correct skills on how to learn and develop their interests and skills. Having a positive and fun attitude to a task will help them to achieve their goals and to succeed from early years and beyond.
Bibliography
Penny Tassoni, Kate Bulman, Harriet Eldrige. (2007) child care and education, (4th edition) Heinemann; London
This book is very reliable as it is used by many and was recently published in 2007 which means it has information in it that it up to date and reliable. This book enables you to expand your knowledge on children and their education and what is required for them and practitioners. This book helped me to find key information and enabled me to incorporate key advice in my assignment.
Nelson Thornes LTD. (2008) child care and education, Cheltenham; UK
This book is also very reliable too. As this book was published in 2008 this means the information is up to date and is accurate to. This book helped me to increase my knowledge and explain areas which I didn’t fully understand. This book is easily set out and stores detailed information.
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