Introduction to Working with Children Essay

E1 Describe three different types of setting which provide care and education for children in your area. This must include one example from the list: statutory sector, voluntary sector and private sector. The statutory sector involves all the organisations that are set up, controlled and funded by the government or local authority for example: St. Anthony’s Catholic Primary School. This type of sector is funded by people who pay tax or national insurance. Another type of setting which provides care and education for children in my area is sure start children’s centre. This is a voluntary sector and they are run by organizations. This type of sector is not designed to make a profit. ‘’Money for voluntary organisations comes from a variety of sources that include donations, fund-raising, grants from central or local government, lottery grants and fees for the services they provide.’’ (Thornes 2008 pg4) The private sector is owned by an individual or company and aim to make a profit which people will pay for their child to attend such as: Burnham Montessori School. E2 Describe how each of the types of settings indented in E1 aims to support children and their families. St. Anthony’s Catholic Primary School is a statutory sector that aims to support children and their families by involving parents fully in their children’s learning. They also support children and their families by providing them a safe positive environment. Every child is entitled to 15 hours a week of free education and they must follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum in their day plan and etc†¦ to support children and their families. Sure start is a voluntary sector that aims to support children and their families in many different ways. The first way they aim support children and their families is by providing good quality play, learning and childcare. The second way is by giving ‘’support for children and parents with special needs.’’ (Thornes 2008 pg9) Burnham Montessori School is a private sector that aims to support children  and their families by giving them registered care facilities which offer full or part time care for children. They also support them by offering them good quality play where they can learn from it. Another thing they do to support children and their families is by offering 15 hours a week of education which is delivered by the early year’s foundation for 36 weeks a year. It also provides a solid routine with long and flexible hours. E3 Describe the main legislation in your country that supports the rights of children. E4 Describe the recognised principles and values that underpin working with children. When working with children it is important to recognise the principles and values that underpin and guide professional standards and good practice. The cash statement of value states that equal opportunities help to respect the child individually. It would therefore be important to value and respect the children you work with as I have seen the stuff do in my work placement. It also states that health and safety should be having safety from crime and anti-social behaviour in and out childcare settings. This happens in my work placement by having policies and procedures that insure children stay safe. The cash statement of values states that partnership with parents; respecting parents and other cares. Admissions policy; respecting all children and giving them their rights at the setting. The stuff will carry this out in my work placement by taking all their view and opinions into account throughout the day. E5 Explain the importance of valuing and respecting all children in the setting. E7 Describe how study skills can support your learning during your training. Recognizing my own study skills is a way that can help support my learning during my training. This will help me to complete my training successfully because I can put what I have learnt into practice. In order for me to  complete my training, I will need to manage my time effectively and be organized. By doing this I will then be able to carry on the rest of my learning during the training. I will therefore use my listening skills and any other skills that I have learnt, into practice at work placement and apply them throughout the day activities. I can then also reflect on them and take on board and act upon the feedback from my assignments and non-assessed and assessed work, to ensure that the strategies are really helping me to succeed in my training. D1 Explain why the practitioner should develop and maintain appropriate relationships with parents and other professionals. Practitioners should develop and maintain an appropriate relationship with parents and other professionals. It is important to build a relationship with parents; an easy way to do this is to make sure you have good communication with them. For example make sure that you talk to them in the appropriate language such as using manners. Other way’s that you can build relationships with parent’s are that you would have regular contact with them for the best interests of the child. It is also important when building a relationship with parents that you understand what they think is best for the child. For example if the parents wanted the child to sit at a table all day and do work. It is also as important to build a relationship with the children in order to be able to work well with the children in the setting. For example if a child is not feeling well at nursery you would know in their best interest that they may want to be left alone. The last and also important relationship they should have is with colleagues; to work well with them to ensure the needs and safety of a child are put first and it would be easier for this to happen if there is a relationship. D2 Discuss the characteristics of working in a multi-agency team. There are many different services that work in a multi-agency team such as social services. They all have many characteristics that allow and help them to work with children and their families. One characteristic that helps and allows them to work with children and their families is cooperation because  it makes everyone in the setting feel needed and engaged by working together. Every person involved in the multi-agency team should feel belonged and this is a characteristic as it will make sharing information and problems easier. Having good listening skills will also help and make everyone in the team feel respected and valued that their point is being heard. C Explain why the early year’s practitioner should listen to children’s views and value their opinions. It is important to listen to children’s views and value their opinion. This is because it builds on the child’s self-esteem and well-being. They should be listened to by valuing their needs and accepting that every child has the right to be heard. The emotions and opinions that a child expresses during play can guide practitioners to identify their likes, dislikes and activity preferences. This will then help the practitioner to plan and implement activities of varied interests and learning needs. It will also make the child feel a sense of belonging in the setting. Hannah Mortimer, 2000, author of various early years’ books and education psychologist believed that young children should be having a say and be included in decisions making when planning and the practitioner can ensure the children have equal opportunities and feel involved in their daily routine. B Explain why it is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with children. Children are very sensitive and easily influenced. Practitioners need to know their boundaries so that their actions are not misconstrued as inappropriate. Having these limits will allow children and practitioners to know what the rules are or the expectations. The boundaries give the children and practitioners the freedom they have to work within any limits. When allowing a child to have freedom within the boundaries, they can then learn to choose for themselves and have the consequences. Practitioners teaching and giving the children opportunities to make choices in early life, and allowing them to make mistakes along the way will be helping them  develop into adult life. A Reflex on the importance of child centred approach in early years settings. I used a child centred approach to teach the child about the number 6. She likes to play with Peppa Pig, so I had 6 pictures of Peppa Pig on the paper and made her count them. When she was counting the 6 pictures of Peppa Pig she was able to count all of them and repeat the number after me. This theory and research shows the idea of using children current ability to support more advanced skills where the child follows the adult. In my current setting practitioners have a child centred approach many different ways. One way I have seen this happen is when staff see children interested in certain things or activities and they then plan around these interest for next weeks work and activities in the setting. Another way practitioners do this is by doing an observation on a child and learning about them to meet their needs through various task or activities. This show that in my setting practitioners work well with the children and help improve the quality of every child interest and needs in the setting to the principles of a child-centred approach. In placement I also saw a boy was pretending to put fires out with a hose, the practitioner helped him make. Within a few minutes I had helped him set up a load of chairs (a fire engine) and set up a phone on a chair for them to receive emergency calls. By listening to his interests and observing them I was able to extend what may have lasted a few minutes into half an hours child initiated play. Reference: * Beaver. M, et al (2008) Childcare and education Cache level 3 Cheltenham: Nelson Thorns * Hyacinth .M, et al (1998) A practical guide to equal opportunities Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes * www.workingwithkids.co.uk/childrens-act.html 12th October 2011 * http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky 14th October 2011 Bibliography: * Hannah Mortimer, 2000, author of various early years’ books and education psychologist