Undertaking the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce is a bit like doing a jigsaw with learners adding more and more units to complete it.
Just as people grappling with a jigsaw need to remember not to focus exclusively on the corners but to keep an eye out for the little pieces that complete the picture, learners must not overlook the importance of the smaller units in the CYPW.
Two of the smallest units are 'Develop positive relationships with children and young people' and 'Working together for the benefit of children and young people'. The former is worth just one credit and is expected to require only eight guided learning hours, while the latter is valued at two credits and takes 15 guided learning hours. Both are key to effective practice.
TALKING TO COLLEAGUES
Tracy Phillips, head of internal verification at Smart Training, says the unit 'Develop positive relationships with children and young people' is important because it goes into depth about the benefits of positive relationships - not only with children, but with other adults inside and outside their settings. 'It really encourages the learner to develop the relevant skills in order to be more effective at building relationships,' she says.
'The biggest challenge the learner could face could be gathering constructive feedback from their mentor or manager. In a busy setting, with the children's care and learning as the main focus, it can be hard for the relevant staff to find the time to review this with the learner. The difficulty can be overcome, if learners put into place good communication with the relevant staff and implement effective time management.'
At the heart of this unit is the need for practitioners to be effective communicators who cannot only explain themselves clearly - whether in speech or written communications - but can listen well too.
For young learners, the step up from school to the workplace can be very challenging. This unit shows them how to behave in an adult way. The unit emphasises that positive relationships are built and maintained through:
- communicating effectively
- identifying and sorting out conflicts and disagreements
- being consistent and fair
- showing respect and courtesy
- valuing and respecting individuality
- keeping promises and honouring commitments
- monitoring the impact of their own behaviour on others
- keeping confidentiality as appropriate
- recognising and responding appropriately to the power base
underpinning relationships.
Nicola Jackson, a practitioner at Cherubs Montessori Day Nursery in Rochester, who is taking the diploma with Smart Training, says, 'At the beginning I was not very good at dealing with parents. This opened my eyes and taught me to be aware of communication skills and listen to people and then try to come up with ideas between you.
'When you are talking to the parents, you have to understand what you are trying to achieve and work with them.
'Previously I was employed in a bank and most of my work was with computers. I was not very used to dealing with people. The unit on multi-agency working was one of the first we did. I found it very helpful.'
A WIDER UNDERSTANDING
Ms Phillips says that in the context of increased emphasis on joined-up working, the unit 'Working together for the benefit of children and young people' is vital.
'It is an area which is of high focus for the Government, Ofsted and relevant agencies, in order to raise the quality of current practice and to ensure that children and young people's needs and development are fully met,' she says.
'The unit covers new ground, as it develops the learners' understanding of the concept of multi-agency working, from a range of different aspects and how this impacts on them. They gain an understanding of how the legislation governing multi-agency working affects them. They are also required to develop the relevant skills in order to work within a multi-agency relationship.
'The difficulties a learner may face with this unit is that the concept is not always understood by others in the work setting. It could make it difficult to seek support from others. Overcoming these difficulties will require the manager and training personnel to have a good understanding of the units in the qualification and have good systems of support in place.'
Part 8 in Nursery World 9 August
Engage in personal development
Top tips
Gill Mason, enterprise director for Vauxhall Neighbourhood Council, specialising in training and education for the children's workforce, says:
- Remember the aim is to build positive relationships. That doesn't mean you have to be 'best friends' with everyone, but just that you must be consistent, and show respect.
- Communication is a two-way process - are you listening to what people are telling you?
- Be aware of body language - when you are talking to a parent/professional you find a bit daunting, do you come over as lacking in confidence and evasive, or do you make eye contact and smile?
- Learn to ask open questions.
- Think about how well you explain yourself - do the children, parents or your colleagues always understand what you are saying?
- Find out what other agencies and professionals work with your setting.
KEY ELEMENTS: POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS
The aim of this unit is to enable the learner to understand and practise the skills required to develop positive relationships with children, young people and carers, including colleagues and parents.
Learners need to be able to explain why positive relationships are important.
KEY ELEMENTS: MULTI-AGENCY WORKING
This unit is designed to enable the learner to understand the importance of multi-agency and integrated working and to develop the skills of effective communication for professional purposes.
The key learning outcomes are:
- Understand integrated and multi-agency working, which covers analysing how this delivers better outcomes for children, explaining the common barriers to integrated and multi-agency working and how they can be overcome.
- Be able to communicate with others for professional purposes, using appropriate communication methods for different circumstances and preparing reports that are accurate legible and concise and meet legal requirements.
- Be able to support organisational processes and procedures for recording, storing and sharing information which includes showing how to maintain secure recording and storage systems for paper-based and electronic data and analysing the potential tension between maintaining confidentiality and the need to disclose information.
