Duty of Care in Childrens and Young People Settings

ASG 1 Unit 054 Task A Provide a brief written explanation of the following: 1. What duty of care means in children and young people’s settings. Duty of care in childcare settings means to keep children and young people safe, protecting them not only from physical harm but also from neglect, emotional and sexual harm and abuse. It is guarding the rights of the child in your care, as they have the right to be independent and to be treated with respect and dignity.

This also includes respecting their rights, cultural beliefs and values of their parents and families. 2. How the duty of care contributes to the safeguarding or protection of individuals. Whether it is physical or psychological safeguarding, babies and toddlers under the age of 3 years are almost fully dependent on their parent/carer to keep them safe from any harm.

In a childcare setting, there are many ways in which the childcare workers will help to safeguard the children in their care, such as:- Carrying out risk assessments and taking precautions to avoid any potential hazards Carrying out observations on each child and keeping check on their development Being aware of the signs that a child may be experiencing abuse by others, and following procedures if it is suspected And; Setting out clear boundaries for the children’s behaviour and using different ways of discouraging behaviour that could harm others, in relation to their age and stage of development.

Task B Fill in the table below with three examples of conflicts or dilemmas that may arise between an individual and the duty of care. Example of potential conflict or dilemma| How to manage the risk| Where to get additional support and advice| Outside play equipment is wet | Make sure that all outdoor play equipment is dried thoroughly by an adult, before the children are allowed to use it. | The EYFS framework states that children should be allowed to play outside every day. | A child is refusing food at mealtimes| Record the information so that parents are made aware. Talk to parents so that they are aware, and ask if the child has any likes or dislikes. | Broken toys| The toys should be taken out of reach of the children, and either repaired or disposed of. | | Task C Provide a brief written explanation of the following: 1. The main points of agreed procedures for handling complaints in children and young people’s settings. Parents are able to talk to any member of staff they want to when they are dropping off or collecting their child from nursery. If they have any questions or complaints, they can also telephone the nursery at any time during the day.

If they need a formal meeting about their child, this can be arranged between the parent and their child’s key person. 2. How you would respond to a complaint. I would start off by maintaining my professionalism and making sure that the complaint is not ignored. I would then listen to the complaint that the parent has, and decide whether it can be sorted there and then, or if they will need to speak to a senior member of staff or the nursery manager if it a more serious complaint I would make sure they do so as soon as the complaint arises.

If it is not a very serious complaint, it might be that my colleagues and I could sort it out, providing that the parent has consulted us in the first instance. References: http://www. studymode. com/subjects/main-points-of-agreed-procedures-for-handling-complaints-in-childrens-settings-page1. html http://www. studymode. com/essays/Example-Of-Potential-Conflict-Or-Dilemma-920003. html