A1- role of practitioner

Children and families

When working with the children and their families, the practitioner must ensure they are being child centered at all times so when discussing with parents, the needs of the child must be met first and must be the parents and practitioners priority. The practitioner must respect the child’s and parent’s views, this is important because it shows respect to the family. The practitioner must also be able to communicate effectively. This creates a trusting and positive relationship between the parents and practitioner making the child more comfortable.

Colleagues

When working alongside colleagues in a professional setting, it is vital as a practitioner to have good communication skills and to be able to share observations and information making sure the needs of the children are being met first. ‘’There should be open communication to ensure that everybody’s views are listened to and considered fairly, always keeping the needs of the children firmly in mind.’’ – (EYFS (2007) positive relationships card: respecting each other). If practitioners share information amongst themselves it helps to plan activities for the children that will engage them and help with their learning and development. Another thing practitioners must be able to do is give and receive criticism in a professional manor this is important because it helps us to reflect and make improvements.

Other professionals

As a practitioner, it is important to have regular meetings to discuss the progress of the child with outside professionals who are working with the child. This can really help the child to learn and develop as ideas could be exchanged and observations shared to help the child as much as possible with making improvements in their learning.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality of information regarding the child or the child’s family must be maintained all the time. If information is disclosed by the child or by somebody else about the child, it is important that this information is not passed on or shared with anybody, as it may be very personal. Any notes, observations or information on the child must be stored safely away and not accessible to anybody that it doesn’t concern. In some cases, confidentlity is allowed to be broken if the child discloses some information that could mean that they are in possible danger or the practitioner is concerned for the child’s safety and well-being. This information is then allowed to be passed on to a child protection officer in the setting who can take the information further. The practitioner must remember that the parents have a right to see all the information written about their child so therefore any notes written must be suitable for the parents. The child has disclosed this information because they feel confident and have a trusting relationship with the practitioner.

Training

Practitioners have to attend training sessions and training days to further their education when working with children. Practitioners need to be knowledgeable when it comes to policies and procedures and it is very important that they know how to deal with situations in a calm and professional manor. By going on