"Proposal of a Public Health Intervention to Address a Key Health Issue in the United Kingdom"

Unit 1: Understand Children and Young Peoples Development in Residential Childcare

Unit reference number: M/506/7650 QCF Level: 5

Credit value: 3

Guided learning hours: 25

Unit aim

The aim of this unit is to enable learners to gain an understanding of the development of children and young people from birth to 19 years, including factors and influences on this development.

Unit introduction

This unit provides the knowledge and understanding of aspects of development expected for children and young people from birth to 19 years including physical, intellectual and emotional development. Theories and frameworks supporting development are also explored in order to establish the effect they have on current practice. Learners will also explore factors impacting on progress, including personal factors such as health and disability and external factors such as family environment and education. Children and young people develop at different rates and monitoring this in order to take appropriate action is vital; learners will explore approaches to assessment and intervention.

Additional information

Aspects of development including:

• Physical


• Communication


• intellectual/cognitive


• Social, emotional and behavioural


• Moral


• Identity

Personal factors including:

• health status


• disability


• sensory impairment


• learning difficulties


• genetic


• Trauma


• Grief and loss

External factors including:

• Poverty and deprivation


• History of abuse and neglect


• Family environment and background


• Behaviour of mother during pregnancy


• Personal choices


• Looked after/care status


• Education

Theories of development including:

• Cognitive


• Psychoanalytic


• Humanist


• Social Learning


• Operant conditioning


• Behaviourist


• Attachment


• Transition sociology

Frameworks to support development including

• Social pedagogy

Times of transition including:

• emotional, affected by personal experience g. bereavement, entering/ leaving care


• physical g. moving to a new educational establishment, a new home/locality, from one activity to another, between a range of care givers on a regular basis


• physiological g. puberty, long term medical conditions


• intellectual g. moving from pre school to primary to post primary

Methods of assessing development needs e.g.

• Assessment Framework/s


• Observation


• Standard measurements


• Information from parent, carers, children and young people, other professionals and colleagues

Types of interventions e.g. those offered through:

• social worker


• speech and language therapist


• psychologist


• psychiatrist


• youth justice


• physiotherapist


• nurse specialist


• additional learning support


• assistive technology


• health visitors


• counsellor/therapist


• foster carers


• residential care workers

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria determine the standard required to achieve the unit.

On completion of this unit a learner should:

Unit content

1 Understand the pattern of development that would usually be expected for children and young people from birth to 19 years

The sequence and rate of all aspects of development that would usually be expected in children and young people from birth to 19 years:

• physical development: gross motor physical development, g. development of locomotion, balance and co-ordination; fine motor physical development,

e.g. palmar grasp, pincer grasp, hand-eye coordination; physical maturity,

e.g. target height, hormones, puberty, sexual maturity

• communication development: g. pre-linguistic vocalising; linguistic; theories of language, language acquisition device, nature/nurture debate, critical period


• intellectual/cognitive development: g. object permanence; use of symbols; development of abstract concepts, memory, imagination; multiple intelligence - Gardner; maturation theory, Gesell scales


• social development: g. social interaction; cooperation with others; development of friendships; importance of friendships


• emotional and behavioural development: g. attachment; theories of attachment, Bowlby, Ainsworth; effects of separation; the distress syndrome; self-concept; emotional resilience


• moral development: g. stages; theories, Kohlberg, Eisenberg, Piaget,

Gilligan

• identity development: g. personal identity; social identity, Rogers, growth promoting climate


• sequence of development: g. broadly the same sequence; normal ranges of development; cephalocaudal development in infancy, links with the nervous system

- rate of development: e.g. individual differences in rate, different aspects of development affect one another; range of factors affecting individual differences; principles of physical development

• the impact of adolescent development on a young persons thoughts, feelings and behaviours: g. sequence/rate of development; risk taking; vulnerability; social and emotional development; decision making

2 Understand the factors that impact on children and young peoples development

How children and young peoples development is influenced by personal factors: including: health status; disability; sensory impairment; learning difficulties; genetic; trauma; grief and loss

How children and young peoples development is influenced by external factors: including: poverty and deprivation; history of abuse and neglect; family environment and background; behaviour of mother during pregnancy; personal choices; looked after/care status; education

How theories of development and frameworks to support development influence current practice: including: cognitive; psychoanalytic; humanist; social learning; operant conditioning; behaviourist; attachment; transition sociology; frameworks, including social pedagogy

3 Understand how to support children and young peoples development during transitions

How and why children and young peoples development can follow non-linear paths at times of transition, including: emotional, affected by personal experience, e.g. bereavement, entering/leaving care; physical, e.g. moving to a new educational establishment, a new home/locality, from one activity to another, between a range of care givers on a regular basis; physiological, e.g. puberty, long term medical conditions; intellectual, e.g. moving from pre-school to primary to post-primary

Support to minimise disruption to development during periods of transition: e.g. assessment framework/s; observation; standard measurements; information from parents, carers, children and young people, other professionals and colleagues

4 Understand how assessing, monitoring and recording the development of children and young people informs the use of interventions

Methods of assessing, recording and monitoring children and young peoples development: e.g. routine screening; assessment frameworks, e.g. common assessment framework (CAF); observation, e.g. narrative, time sampling, longitudinal study, diagrammatic, e.g. graphs, charts, sociogram, assessment for learning; standard measurements, e.g. centile charts; information from others, e.g. parents, carers, children and young people, professionals, colleagues; Leuven Involvement Scale

How children and young peoples own account of their development contributes to the assessment process: e.g. needs; preferences; choice; child/person- centred; their experience/view; evaluation; review

How information from assessment and monitoring is used to select appropriate interventions: intervention provided by specialist services, e.g. social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, physiotherapists, health visitors, speech and language therapists, youth offending teams, residential social workers

The importance of accurate documentation in assessing, monitoring and recording the development of children and young people: e.g. registration and inspection frameworks; legal requirements, e.g. principles of the Data Protection Act 1998; policy and procedures of setting; importance of accuracy and objectivity; ethical guidelines; bias; confidentiality

5 Understand the use of interventions to support the development of children and young people

The importance of early identification of development issues and the potential risks of late recognition: e.g. language and communication delay; impacts on cognitive development/learning, social development, and emotional development/behaviour

How types of interventions can achieve positive outcomes for children and young people where development is not following the pattern expected: e.g. those offered through: social worker, speech and language therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, youth justice, physiotherapist, nurse specialist, additional learning support, assistive technology, health visitors, counsellor/therapist, foster carers, residential care workers

The role of multi-agency teams working together to address development issues in children and young people: e.g. social work support for looked after children, children who have disabilities; speech and language therapist support with communication difficulties; psychologist support with learning and behavioural difficulties; psychiatrist support with emotional difficulties

Essential guidance for tutors

Delivery

This unit should be delivered in a way that develops learner knowledge and understanding of the importance of the expected sequence and rate of development for children and young people from birth to 19 years. The unit also explores how to support the development of children and young people and the impact transition can have on development.

Learners may benefit from focusing on the overall requirements of each learning outcome, rather than focusing on each assessment criteria individually. Learners will develop knowledge and understanding of theoretical, statutory and legal frameworks informing the development of children and young people.

The unit also includes the role of monitoring and recording children and young peoples development and effective interventions to support development.

Learning outcome 1 addresses the sequence and rate of all aspects of development and the effect adolescent development can have on young people. Learners could be encouraged to carry out independent research and then liaise with colleagues and peers to gain insight into the characteristics of each area of development. The evidence gathered could then be used to identify what sequence and rate is usually expected of children and young people.

Learning outcome 2 focuses on key factors affecting children and young peoples development.

This could be delivered through enquiry based learning, using case study material or anonymised examples from the learners work setting. Learners should identify the relevant theories and frameworks; link them, using their chosen examples, to the impact of internal and external factors on children and young peoples development.

Learners could also use the material to explore how theories and frameworks can be effective in supporting children and young peoples development.

Learning outcome 3 explores transitions and the impact this can have on children and young people. This could be delivered through the use of relevant video clips on line which learners could use to gain insight into the key role support mechanisms play in supporting children and young people through transitions, ensuring that their development is as unaffected as possible. Findings could be used to analyse why development might not follow the expected paths during transition.

Learning outcome 4 explores the value of assessment, monitoring and recording children and young peoples development to determine appropriate interventions. A taught session introducing the methods of assessing and recording development and the information which can inform this would be useful. Desk based research could support this and findings could be applied to work based scenarios.

Learning outcome 5 could be delivered through revisiting the case studies identified for learning outcome 2. The focus of learning outcome 5 is interventions which facilitate children and young peoples development and how the early identification of issues relating to development is important. Multi-agency working is also explored and its role in supporting children and young peoples development.

Discussions with other professionals who have worked in a multi-agency scenario could be beneficial. Desk based research could support this and findings could be applied to the scenarios given.

Learners could be encouraged to engage with employers and other employees to gain knowledge and understanding of the interventions and support available and factors impacting on areas of development.

Assessment

This unit is internally assessed. To pass this unit the evidence that the learner presents for assessment must demonstrate that they have met the required standard specified in the learning outcomes and assessment criteria and the requirements of the Assessment Strategy.

Wherever possible, centres should adopt a holistic approach to assessing the units in the qualification. This gives the assessment process greater rigour and minimises repetition, time and the burden of assessment on all parties involved in the process.

For learning outcome 1, learners will need to demonstrate an understanding of the expected sequence and rate of development for children and young people, explaining key terminology and the role of adolescent behaviour in areas of a young persons development. An assignment focusing on the sequence and rate of development could be used. Learners should be encouraged to interact with the concepts as required by the assessment criteria and indicate how this knowledge and understanding impact on their current work practices or past experience.

They could then consider how they could potentially use this knowledge and understanding in their job role to inform their practice. This could be supported by a professional discussion, to enable further questioning on the sequence and rate of all aspects of development in assessment criterion 1.1.

For learning outcome 2, learners are asked to demonstrate an understanding of the theories of development and frameworks that have an impact on practice when supporting the development of children and young people. This could be addressed through learners producing a reflective account using evidence relating to their own place of work or, alternatively, learners could generate their evidence through a relevant case study. For example for assessment criterion 2.3, learners could evaluate how theories of development and frameworks support development influence practice within their setting or within the setting in a relevant case study. In addition, learners need to show they can analyse the influence of personal and external factors on children and young peoples development, covering assessment criteria 2.1 and 2.2. This could be carried out through a presentation to colleagues, referring to experiences within the work setting as examples or using relevant case studies.

For learning outcome 3, learners will need to demonstrate an understanding of the range of resources available to support children and young peoples development needs during transition and how they can be best supported. A reflective account or a report, supported by a professional discussion, could be used for 3.1 and 3.2 where learners will first need to analyse reasons for non-linear developmental paths during times of transition and then analyse the support available to meet the needs of children and young people at this time.

For learning outcome 4, learners will need to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of assessing, recording and monitoring children and young peoples development. In a reflective account or report, covering all assessment criteria, learners could explain approaches to assessment, recording and monitoring, when they would be used, the importance of accuracy and how findings influence the selection of effective interventions. The value of children and young peoples input into their progress also needs to be explored.

For learning outcome 5, learners will need to demonstrate an understanding of the key area of early recognition of issues around development for children and young people and analyse the use of interventions. Evidence could be in the form of a reflective account or learner diary, using anonymised examples from their own work setting or from case-study material. For assessment criterion 5.3, learners could explore a given case study or an anonymised example from their own work setting, in order to produce a report that evaluates the role that multi-agency teams play in working together to address developmental issues in children or young people.

Essential resources

There are no essential resources required for this unit.

Indicative resource materials

Books

Brown, S Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul (J P Tarcher/Penguin Putnam; reprint edition 2010) ISBN 9781583333785

Else, P The Value of Play (Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd, 2009) ISBN 9780826495655

Lindon, J Understanding Child Development (Hodder Education, 2012) ISBN 9781444167184

Meggitt, C Child Development, an Illustrated Guide 3rd edition with DVD

(Pearson Education 2012) ISBN 9780435078805

Minett, P Child Care and Development (Hodder Arnold, 2005) ISBN 9780340889152

Trodd, L Transitions in the Early Years: Working with Children and Families

(Sage, 2012) ISBN 9781446249789

Journals

Nursery World www.nurseryworld.co.uk

Play Right International Play Association www.ipaworld.org