There are many factors that need to be considered when assessing the development of children and young people. These are listed below: Consent and Confidentiality: The relevant permissions must be gained for any type of assessment or observation to take place, this might be given by a parent/guardian or usually, within the residential care sector, a Social Worker will give written consent for any relevant observations to take place u to the lack of parental input.
Confidentiality is a major factor to take into consideration when handling any source of personal information and this must be adhered to in a professional manner at all times. It is also important to know when this confidentiality must be breached to safeguard the child, care staff member or any other parties that may be at risk should the confidentiality remain in place. Physical, cognitive or psychological differences: These should always be taken into account as no 2 people are the same. The development of 1 child may be totally different to annotated due to hat child’s disability, mental state or cognitive ability.
Ethnic, religious and cultural background: The world has numerous races, religions and creeds within it and all of these need to be considered when assessing the development of a child. Everything should be done to make the assessments as fair and balanced as possible. This may involve the use of translators or additional training for the observer to better understand the child’s faith and background. 1. 2) Assess a child or young person’s development in the following areas: b) Communication – I have had the opportunity to work alongside many young people within my own work role.
They have varied in age from 9 years Old up to 1 7 years old, some with special needs but all from a background of abuse or neglect. One particular young man, I will call him D, was a 9 year old boy who could talk quite well for his age but really struggled with writing due to lack of attending education. I began his initial assessment by purchasing a number of reading books which were suitable for various ages and abilities ranging from 3 years up to 12 years I sat with D in the comfort of the house lounge and let him find a book that he liked the look of.
The book he chose as a very simple, animal based story book suitable for a 5 year old. I sat and read the book with D a noted that he could read it without much trouble. We finished the book and i selected a more complex 8 year + book for D to look at next. D could read the shorter words but struggled to string sentences of more complex words together. Once D has reached the end of this book we put them all away and rewarded him with a trip to McDonald’s for a milkshake for all of his hard work that he had put in. It must be noted that D had not been attending any formal education for nearly 2 years before he name to reside at our home.
The next day, after breakfast D was given a book with an age rating of 7 years and read this with a lot of help and support from myself. From using this basic form of assessment I concluded that D had an average reading age of around 7 years, 2 years under his actual age. Noted down my findings in the daily reports that I fill in and also informed other team members, our clinical psychologist and teaching staff at our school of my findings. This initial assessment helped to find the base for D to work from and began a very positive 12 months of education for him.
He is now titled in a foster placement with a loving family and keeps in regular contact with us. C) Intellectual/ Cognitive – We have recently had a 15 year old young man come to reside within the home where work, I will call him L. He comes from a background of neglect and has been in care for several years. He has not been willing to engage in any form of education for at least 3 years. Myself and other team members began our initial cognitive assessment with L by offering him the chance to have home tutoring rather than attending our own school.
L was at first reluctant to do this but after persuasion and the hence to gain activity rewards by engaging in education he eventually participated in the program. L was given a number of Math’s and English test sheets that ranged from Entry Level basic questions up to those of GEESE level. L completed a wide range of questions within the lower end bracket but struggled with the questions that were appropriate for his age range. Understand the reasons behind L’s lack of ability due to him being at least 24 – 36 months behind in his education provision.
We concluded, with support from the education tea that L should be focusing on Math’s of age range 13 ears+ and, as his English was better, English Language/Literature at age 14+. 1. 2) Assess a child or young person’s development in the following areas: e) Moral -? Morality is our ability to learn the difference between right and wrong and understanding how to make the right choices. Have witnessed firsthand how a young person showed morality when coming into our home. P was a 15 year old girl who had spent nearly her entire life in care. She was violent and verbally abusive constantly when she first came to reside with us.
Over time, with constant support, understanding and reassurance p came to trust, ND dare say it.. Like! Some members of staff. Observed P go from a young person who had a massive “self preservation” complex to a girl who would occasionally show empathy, compassion and caring to others as well as preparing on the odd occasion, a meal for the household which she had paid for herself. These moments were few and far between but it did highlight the ability for someone who had an “armor plated” exterior to sometimes show a glimmer of morality when given a chance in a caring, nurturing and safe environment. . 3) Explain the selection of assessment methods used. Various methods of assessment: These include, Observation – Looking and watching a person in a systematic way. Anecdotal recording – gives a brief written description of behaviors, etc of an individual. Event sampling -? Focuses on a particular highlighted behavior, strength or weakness at a particular time. Checklists – these identify certain traits or behaviors or skill sets that a person may possess. Interviews – Engaging in a discussion with a person, could also include questioning on a certain subject area.
When assessing development the rate of development ND the way in which a person develops will never be the same as someone else’s. Each person is individual and must be treated and assessed as so. 2. 3) Explain the importance of a person-centered and inclusive approach and give examples of how this is implemented in own work. Person-centered approaches. In my job role as a Senior Residential Care Worker would hope to be able to provide all 5 of the key elements laid down in the Every Child Matters policy.
As an ISRC I have the opportunity to work alongside 3 teenage male children who require all of the above elements in their day-to-day care. This is revived in a number of ways by both myself and other members of the care team. A short run-down of how apply the 5 elements are applied in my own work setting are written below: BE HEALTHY – I help to provide the children in my care with a varied and healthy diet on a daily basis and prompt them to choose healthy options at meal times rather than eating junk food.
Although a major part in STAYING HEALTHY is diet related also realize that physical exercise and mental stimulation play an active part in building the complete package of a healthy lifestyle. The children I care for are encouraged to articulate in various sports and activities that enhance both their physical and social skills whether this is playing football in the local park or outdoor pursuits such as kayaking, white water rafting and various other team based sports.
This also encompasses the active promotion of achieving good grades at school and education. STAY SAFE -? One of the most fundamental parts of my role as an ISRC is the safety of all children within my care. I totally understand that the children within the care environment are both physically and emotionally vulnerable from their peers in the home and at school, adults and children within the community and also via various types of social media such as Backbone, Twitter, etc.
I actively promote general safety while in the home such as making sure the correct cooking queue moment is used as required, keeping the children aware of dangers around the home such as the unsafe farm buildings close by, setting realistic boundaries for the children and making sure that these stay in place even when challenged by the young people in my care, adhering to the correct safety procedures when the young person is transported to and from various locations using the company car i. . Stables are used at all times, child locks are fitted and used on rear car doors if applicable, etc.
If am uncertain or unsure of ANY safety related aspects of my role I immediately seek advice and guidance on the subject from my superiors to expand my knowledge on that issue. I also let the children know that if they have any issues at all then I am always available to give a listening ear or any help that I can provide to them should they need it. ENJOY AND ACHIEVE – In the home I work in, myself and all other staff actively encourage the children in our care to take part in various activities hat are appealing to them.
This can range from various outdoor activities such as kayaking, football, white-water rafting gorge-walking and numerous other activities to possible future careers such as hairdressing, plumbing, motor vehicle maintenance, etc. If a child shows an interest in a specific sport or COPY Core 3. 2 ; Promote Child and Young Person Development. 2. 3) CONTINUED. Pass-time I will search out as much information as possible regarding the subject and pass this on to the child to enhance their knowledge and interest.
This can be as simple as telling them of a local club that offers their chosen abject on a weekly basis or signing them up to take part in team based pass- times. Understand that one of my key aims as ISRC is to promote positivist and self-esteem within the children both at school/college and also within any work placements that may arise. Another important part of my role as an ISRC is to try to enhance the child’s interest in subjects outside the school curriculum and I enjoy the challenges that this brings to the role.
This can have a very important impact on the child’s life both while they are in care and also when they are integrated into society once they do so. Positivist, self- Roth, achievement and attitude all have pivotal roles in helping the child on their way along life’s sometimes rocky path and genuinely believe that if we can make a difference, no matter how small, to the future of the children in our care then that is something we should be proud of. MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION – Within my role as ARC strive to set a good, positive example to the children in my care at all times.
This takes on various aspects of everyday life including showing courtesy and good manners to their peers, the general public and staff whilst in the home, at school or out in the community. I believe that promoting good citizenship and manners helps the children to integrate with others in a positive way and therefore helps the children to respect others within their community. On a daily basis show the children that we all have responsibilities in our everyday lives and these include cooking, cleaning, personal hygiene, washing clothes, etc.
Teaching the children these things in my opinion is a positive way for them to learn that we all have tasks to complete that contribute to healthy and socially acceptable lifestyle. The children are also told to that their actions will have an effect on themselves, their peers, family and the public be these positive or negative and that these should be taken into consideration whenever possible and that they can be positive role-models to others if they wish.
ACHIEVE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING – Although the children in my home are not yet at working age I have on numerous occasions spoken to them about where they hope to be in the future and that they realistically can have an impact on their futures if they strive to do so. One child have worked with for a while has shown a great interest in training to become a plumber once e is old enough.
I encouraged him to take into consideration what is required to become a tradesman and continue to positively prompt him towards gaining good grades in education to help towards his goal. I understand that an important part of my role as ISRC is to help the children in my care to engage in work placements, further education or training once they leave school should they wish to do so and that I play a vital role along with other agencies (social worker, careers advisor, etc) to put them on the right road to gaining this. Eve spoken to the children about the importance f becoming self-confident and flexible and the ability to become independent in society, this can include being able to drive, read a bus timetable and even punctuality and attendance in the working environment as these are all factors in promoting economic well-being. COPY Core 3. 2 – Promote Child and Young Person Development. 3. 1) Explain the features of an environment or service that promotes the development of children and young people. Producing an environment for children and young people requires a large amount of planning, resources and maintenance.
Within the company that work for we have our own school and in it is an activity packed playground area with all manner Of things to occupy and stimulate the young people who attend. These range from football goals, basketball hoops, a sand pit, vegetable patch/garden and graffiti art area. This are along with any others that are designed for the development of young people should include the following: It should be stimulating and attractive: children learn through using their senses therefore the environment for them should be interesting and visually attractive.
Well planned out and organized: working with children in any job ole requires great organizational capabilities. Any area whether it is for babies/toddlers all the way up to children with BED should be designed with the individuals in mind that it is going to be used by. Encourage participation and engagement: No matter who the area is designed for it should make the user feel that they belong there and should actively promote the participation of its users.
Be safe: Should conform to all current health and safety requirements, guidelines and legislation. In place and followed: policies must be also reviewed, updated and evaluated to check for effectiveness Should roving appropriate risks and challenge for the users it is designed for: it is important for children and young people to experience situations in which they are constantly learning to evaluate risk for themselves.
In a controlled environment this will help to give the young people a sense of achievement when things go right and will also make them realize that sometimes when a risk is taken it can also go wrong. This learning curve is important as children start to grow and understand the environment and communities that they live in. 4. 2) Explain how institutions, agencies and services can affect children and nouns peoples development. Multi – agency working plays a fundamental part in many of today’s working environments, especially so in the Social Care sector.
In my job role as a full time Senior Residential Care Worker in a 3 bed Children’s Home I fully understand that multi -? agency working and communication between these agencies is paramount to fulfilling the needs, whatever they may be of every child that comes into my care. Within the Child Care sector there are numerous agencies involved before, during and after a child is placed under either a full care order (Section 31) or an accommodated care order (Section 20). All Of these agencies have a pivotal role to play and work alongside these agencies on a regular basis within my day to day role as a Senior Residential Care Worker.
Multi agency working within the social care sector should always contribute to the 5 key outcomes of the “every child matters” principle. It may not always be possible for a single agency on its own to fulfill these outcomes therefore multi agency working and communication comes into place. This objective brings together professionals with a wide and varied skill base to provide support and knowledge to overcome any challenges that are faced in the child’s and/or their family welfare.
This can include social, medical, educational and psychological fields where any one agency interacts with another to gain a greater knowledge and understanding of what is needed to achieve set outcomes and goals. By working together the needs of the child are met and support and guidance can be tailored to suit the individual’s needs. This usually has positive affect on the life of the child and their families (if appropriate) although the child and the family may not always see it like that at the time.