A Unique Child: A-Z of inclusive practice - W is for Well-being

The concept of well-being for children is integral to the aims and objectives of inclusive practice. An inclusive setting should be concerned about the well-being of all its members. While there is no agreed definition of well-being, there is a consensus that it draws in many different factors, including material conditions; housing and community; how children feel and do in education; their health; exposure to risks; and the quality of relationships and the ways in which they develop.

Every Child Matters and all recent legislation and guidance reflect the current concern in our society about the well-being of children. In 2007 a UNICEF report compared overall child well-being across material well-being, health and safety, education, peer and family relationships, behaviours and risks, and young people's own subjective sense of their own well-being. It ranked the UK in the bottom third of countries for five of the six dimensions reviewed. While the UK ranked higher in educational well-being, we lagged behind in terms of relative poverty and deprivation, quality of children's relationships with their parents and peers, child health and safety, behaviour and risk-taking and subjective well-being.

While it is clear that improving children's well-being should be a central objective of policy, it is also true that well-being is a complex concept that may have different meanings to the wide range of professionals who work with young children.

The Well-being Project is a joint initiative between the NCB Early Childhood Forum and London Metropolitan University. This project aims to examine the concept of well-being in early childhood, with the following aims:

1) To enable debate and discussion about what is meant by children's well-being.

2) To gather evidence about well-being that will support the early years sector in developing clarity in relation to principles and practice.

3) To directly influence early years policy and provision.

The Children's Society's Good Childhood Inquiry showed there is no strong or consistent relationship between per capita GDP and child well-being. The Czech Republic, for example, achieves a higher overall rank for child well-being than several much wealthier European countries. However, a relationship does exist between lower inequality and higher well-being.

We know that early childhood is a crucial time in life and that there is much that we can do to support positive outcomes for all children and families. Policy that reflects clarity of principles and purpose and a strong sense of direction is needed.

In the meantime, by developing inclusive practice in early childhood settings we can ensure a sense of belonging in individual children and the confidence and self-esteem necessary to achieve their potential

More information

• - www.ncb.org.uk/ecu_network/ecf/well-being_project.aspx
• - www.cpag.org.uk/info/childwell beingandchildpoverty.pdf
• - www.childrenssociety.org.uk/all_ about_us/how_we_do_it/the_good_childhood_inquiry/1818.html
• - www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policyhub/news_item/ child_well_being07.asp
• - www.childwellbeing.org.uk

Mary Dickins is an early years consultant (All Together Consultancy/London Met. University)