Working with children is not just about keeping them safe and happy, children need to be happy with people who can help them develop and fulfil their potential.
Negitive: Poor health, poverty, deprivation, appearance/ personal hygiene, poor education, cramped living arrangments. Positive: Good teachers/ practitioners, school clubs/ day nurseries
Children with learning or physical develpoment may be exposed to prejudice or discrimination at school for reasons that they could be treated diffrently from the rest of the children. E.G Children with Autism find it diffiult to understand facial expresions oe the of a voice. They can feel lonely and cut from society as they avoid social interaction. This could affect their ability to develop or interact in social setting or in the classroom.
If a child has a speech, language or communication problem, there could be many reasons and many ways to help them, but first you need to find the reason why the child is having difficulties and then how to help the child. Multi-agency working brings together practitioners from different sectors and professions, to provide an integrated way of working to support children, young people and families. It is a way of working that ensures children and young people who need additional support have exactly the right professionals around them. If a child needs support from a speech therapist, a social worker, teachers and health workers, then a team of those professionals will be set up with consent of the child, young person and family and will work together to improve their lives.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 - which ensure that children are safe and looked after, children have the right to be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect, negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse by those looking after them. Children Act 1989 - Parents and professionals must work to ensure the safety of the child. Local Authority has ‘a duty to investigate when there is a reasonable cause to suspect that a child suspect that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.
The Education Act 2002 - This sets out the responsibilities of Local Education Authorities (LEAs), Governing bodies, head teachers and all those working in schools to ensure that children are safe and free from harm. Children Act 2004 - This provides the legal framework for Every Child Matters. It includes the requirement for: Services to work more closely, forming an integrated service. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006 - This sets out the duties of organisations and how they must work together to safeguard children and young people.
The importance of a person centred and inclusive approach is that your looking at the individual child and the needs of that child. My setting works with many outside agencies in order that the individual child has all they need in place to be included in all aspects of the nursey day. We have several children within our nursery who have different needs and they are assessed individually so they can be given the correct resources or 1:1 support in order for them to achieve their own individual goals. Some children will have an individual play plan which will set out what they aim to achieve within a set time frame with support other children may need. Some children will require specialist equipment to help with their education and development. Its all about the needs of the individual child, some children may need the activity adapted to enable them to take part.
All members of the community can help to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Everyone who works with children or families has a responsibility to ensure that procedures for safeguarding children are adhered to.
Policies and procedures are set in place to not only protect children and young people but also adults who work with them, it is vital that all professionals