PROMOTE CHILD AND YOUNG PERSON DEVELOPMENT
Different areas of development of the child or young person can be assessed. These
areas are; physical development, development of communication, intellectual orcognitive development, social, emotional and behavioural development; moral
development.There are many factors that one has to take into consideration when assessing a child’s development: These factors include: a child or young person’s wishes and feelings, ethnic, linguistic and cultural background, disability or specific requirements, additional needs; reliability of information; avoiding judgements or bias, age and stage of development; confidentiality and circumstances where total confidentiality is not appropriate e.g. safety of the child or young person is at risk.When assessing the child or young person, assess the child or young person’s overall development making reference to the expected developmentally norms for the appropriate age.
Read more
Also give an explanation of the selection of the assessment methods used for
example assessment frameworks, observations, standard measurements; external
assessment; internal assessment; peer assessment; self-assessment; importance of
appropriate questioning techniques and listening; learning styles; knowledge
acquisition; review; procedure for information sharing with parents, carers, children
and young people, other professionals and colleagues; use of photographs or other
similar material
A plan to meet the developmental needs of a child or young person in the work setting
When developing a child or young person’s development plan, one has to make sure
that the plan meets the development needs of the child or young person. The plan
should refer to developmental norms as a guide and recognise that development is
both holistic and interconnected. It should also include the value of involving the
child or young person in taking responsibility for own development and contributing
to the plan. When developing a plan one should be aware of prior learning of the child
or young person. The plan should also consolidate learning of child or young person
and provide a suitable structure. The plan should also try to remove barriers to
learning to the child or young person, develop strategies to inspire and motivate the
young person. It is also important that the plan provides for ways to provide
constructive feedback e.g. performance indicators, timely communication, use of
praise, constructive criticism, reflection and allow room for review.
The development plan should also incorporate the following:
a) Timescale: the plan should be able to spell out the length of time it will take
b) Aim and purpose: This to enable everyone involved in the plan to understand
the aim.c) Targets or criteria for success: This help to focus in exactly what needs
doing and also the way in which one can tell that it has been achieved.
d) Suggested activities: Plans usually suggest activities that need to be taken in
the case of children, this is often about actions children will be
offered. Activities to take into consideration the interests of the children and
young people.
e) Equipment /resources: Some particular resources or equipment are needed
and so there may be noted on the plan.
f) Location: plan to be drawn so that it can be followed in a number of setting,
e.g. home, child minder and nursery.
g) Roles and responsibilities: It is important that everyone knows who is
responsible for implementing its different elements.
How to implement the development plan for a child or young person according to own role and responsibilities, taking into account that development is holistic and interconnected
Once a development plan for a young person has been drawn. It should be
implemented be of any use. The individual plan needs to be incorporated into the
overall planning of the setting. This means that the individual child or young person
plan opportunities are target for a particular child. The plan should be implemented
with the child or young person according to procedures for the setting. In our setting
each person has a role to play. My agreed role is support worker. This means that it
is my responsibility to support the individual child as per their development plan. For
example in personal care, if the target for the individual child is to learn to shower
themselves independently, it is my responsibility to support the child to achieve that
target. I have also to keep records to show what the child has achieved to help
anybody else supporting him not to repeat what the child has mastered instead
proceed to the next step.
Also as I support the individual child or young person, I have always to remember
that a child’s development should be holistic. This can be achieved by finding
activities for the child which are enjoyable and use this opportunity to support the
child to develop both physically, mentally, communication skills and also to develop
cognitive skills. For example a child who loves climbing may enjoy hunting for his
card name that is attached to the top of a climbing game.
Also as I am supporting the child I should be able to evaluate success of plan through
observation and revise the plan if necessary.
To evaluate and revise the development plan in the light of implementation
Once a child or young person’s plan starts to be implemented, it is the time that we
can be able to see whether it is working properly. This is the time that we can be
able to see how well it works and whether it is fulfilling its objectives. Therefore it
is important that plans should be routinely monitored and added to and adapted as
the needs of the children or young person are reviewed and their progress is
considered. Changing and adapting plans must be done in consolidation with those
who have overall responsibility for the child or young person as they may wish to
make some assessments for the child beforehand. It is also advisable to get a
feedback from the child or young person concerned when reviewing the development
plan.
To encourage children or young people to actively participate in decisions affecting their lives and the services they receive according to their age and abilities.
Any plans that involve supporting an individual should be focused on their needs and
interests and wherever possible we should involve them in the planning process. The
young person should be involved; this is in line with their rights under the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the child. In terms of promoting children’s
development this means looking for ways of involving them in the choice of activities
that we provide to support their development and also encourage them to set their
own priorities for learning and development. This is important because by involving
them, they are more likely to make significant progress. This involvement should
take into consideration their age. For early years setting, involve the children to get
out activities, toys and resources for their child initiated play and consulting them
about the type of adult-led activity that they would like to participate in. And with
older children and young people means taking into account their feelings and views
and also asking them to set their own targets and helping them to achieve these.
This person centred approach should include reference to holistic development of
the child or young person through e.g. individual learning plans, the role of
observations, working with parents or carers, use of effective planning, equality of
opportunity, providing constructive feedback and encouragement
To demonstrate provision of structured opportunities for children or young people to explore the effects of transitions on their lives.
Children or young people experience many transitions in their lives as they grow
up.
•Schools/starting nursery is a part of everyday life the child/ young person will have
to make this transition many times in their life. The transition that most children/
young people experience is moving from one school or care setting to another will
happen a number of times over a child’s life for many different reasons and the
challenges of the transition will change each time and will have to be handled in
different way.
•Toilet training is a big step for most children/ young people as they have to learn
to read their own body signals and to understand what they should do at this point.
•Sibling. It is common for children to have younger brothers and sister and they will
have to learn to deal with the transition of having a baby in the house.
•A parent starting a new job or doing more hours at work so the parent is not
around when the child expects them to be or may not understand where the parent is
going.
•Moving house to accommodate a growing family or due to parent separation/ loss
there are many other reason to move house also all of which with effect the
transition progress of the child differently
• Separations/ divorce can be very difficult on children and young people of all ages
as it can lead to many other transitions that take place moving house changing
schools feeling of loss and confusion all of which can be very difficult for a young
person to understand and cope with.
•Puberty can be very difficult for some young people to cope with the mood swings,
confident issues or low self -esteem, how the body changes, how it can affect their
relationships with others and how others may see them.
Children and young people mostly learn to cope with a number of these changes or
transitions in their life time and they need support. Supporting children or young
people through transition involves:
• Explaining what's going on
• Discussing what is happening
• providing activities that help to distraction, focus and give opportunities for
communication, language and literacy
• Have routines that reassure children of what's next
• organise visits that help children be familiar with places they'll be attending.
These transitions may be grouped as:
a) emotional, affected by personal experience e.g. bereavement, entering/ leaving
care
b) physical e.g. moving to a new educational establishment, new home/locality, from
one activity to another
c) physiological e.g. puberty, long term medical conditions
d) intellectual e.g. moving from pre- school to primary to post primary
e) smaller daily transitions
©2014 All rights Reserved