APEL Level 3 Certificate in work with children(Early Years or Playwork), Unit 2: reflect on practice
Section 2 - Child protection
Explain the impact of child protection procedures in your setting and how your practice has changed in response to current thinking.
Your account should include an explanation of:
* the legal basis for the child protection procedures in your workplace
* your role in protecting children and how this relates to other professionals, the child and their family
* the ways you have made sure that you have kept up to date with current practice and new thinking.
Do not forget that you are asked to explain so don't simply describe your child protection procedures. Use phrases like: .* Because * as a result of * so that n in order to.
This will link what you do with an explanation of why you do it.
Sub-section 1
* It will be helpful to know which are the relevant Acts of Parliament and the appropriate regulations and guidelines. These may vary across the UK so make sure you refer to those that affect you.
* Link these to policies and practices in your setting, including how you relate to external agencies. These may be specialists in child protection or have a statutory role.
* Explain your own experiences of working with agencies to highlight the strength of your understanding and practice.
Sub-section 2
Comment on your own role and how you and your setting interact with other professionals and support families. Although this section is about protecting children from abuse, some practitioners do not have immediate experience of work in this area. But everyone who works directly with children should be able to demonstrate a clear understanding and awareness of the key issues involved and their own role in protecting children.
* Remember to cover what you actually do to protect children. This is not just about what you do if abuse is suspected or disclosed - although that is essential - but is also about how what you do in your work has an impact on the protection of children.
* Being alert and aware of the risks and signs of abuse and ensuring high quality practice within the setting are among the most effective child protection measures.
* You might also wish to explain how you encourage children to protect themselves and link it to the importance of the development of children's resilience and self-confidence.
You will have to think quite widely about what you do in relation to child protection. It might help to think through an average day or week, looking at what you do that has an impact. Remember the effects on practice of high profile child abuse cases. Has the management of children's personal care changed - how and why?
Sub-section 3
Explain how you have kept up to date and how you have changed your practice to include new thinking or changes in regulation. You could link this with your own development, for example:
* include a table of training days or new courses you have attended
* use extracts from your personal or professional development plan, minutes of staff meetings, information from other staff, inspectors or other professional colleagues. Remember to ensure you use appropriate confidentiality
* identify any training needs showing your awareness of the need to keep up to date
* refer to current issues in child protection, for example the new Green Paper 'Every Child Matters' to help you to explain what you do and highlight your up-to-date practice.
NB: Remember to always follow the requirements of your awarding body - your mentor will provide support to help you get a clear picture of what these are.
Next month: Section 3 - identifying children's needs.
