Académique Documents
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The childcare
practitioner
in the
home-based
setting
Childcare in a home-based setting has unique and distinct characteristics. You
may have decided upon this career because of the flexibility it offers, or the fact
that you can match your workload to the demands of your own family. Nannies
may have opportunities for travel that they would not otherwise have. There
are of course many other reasons why you have chosen this career. Whatever
your reason, it is essential that you have a professional approach to your work
at all times and can look objectively at your strengths and weaknesses.
This unit is assessed by one assignment that can be presented in a variety of
formats. It will be marked by your tutor and then externally moderated by
CACHE.
Think about it
Do a SWOT analysis for yourself and families, other professionals and your
identify your strengths, weakness, own practice. Think carefully about your
opportunities and threats. These points action points and ways that you can
can be in relation to the children, their reflect and develop your practice.
Use the area that you briefly described to answer • Parents can develop more effective partnerships
E7 criterion and give more detail as to why this and relationships with one person. Sometimes
is an area for development and what you plan to in a daycare nursery, although they may
do about it. It might be a good idea to consider operate a ‘keyperson’ system, the parents may
a timescale for implementing your plans. not always talk to the same person about their
child. Home-based childcare can be much more
personal.
Hint Hint
Look at the study skills section at the back of
You will need to think of the benefits of home-
the book (page XXX) to find out what the term
based care for:
‘evaluate’ means.
• the child
This criterion is a development of E6 and is about
• the family all aspects of reflective practice. You will need
to consider how reflective practice helps you
• yourself.
to deliver a high-quality home-based childcare
E9 Show an understanding of anti-discriminatory/ service, taking into account support, development
anti-bias practice in relation to your home-based and change. This may include you looking at the
childcare service. value of being self-aware and regularly reflecting
on your strengths and areas for development. You
Hint
will need to think about your targets or action
Evidence for this criterion can also be found points for change, how you will implement these
in E2 and E5 as well as in your answer for E1 and over how long a period of time. You must
above. However, this criterion should be reflected consider both negative and positive aspects of
throughout your assignment. being reflective and self-aware.
It is important that you think about what Everyone needs to have time for themselves,
arrangements you will need to make if you or and spending all of your free time involved in
another family member are unwell, or suddenly activities that are associated with work will not
taken sick. You have a legal responsibility to the necessarily make you a better childcarer. In some
children in your care to make sure that if you have cases the reverse is actually true. You can become
to leave them with someone else, that individual is so involved in childcare issues that you close your
known to Ofsted and to the parents. Many home- mind to everything else going on around you,
based childcarers include this information in their which can make you boring to others.
welcome packs or at the initial meeting.
How much free time you spend away from the
What do you do if you have made plans to go demands of your working life is very much up to
out for the evening and the parents are late back? the individual, and nobody can say that another
Sometimes parents can be delayed at work or in person should spend a specific amount of time
traffic and you must make allowances, especially if away from work.
they have let you know. However, if this scenario
is a regular event, you should discuss it with the
parents. Professionally and calmly explain to them
the impact that this has on your personal life and Link to assessment
come to some agreement.
E6 Describe ways to balance the individual
The everyday running of your business can affect
needs of the home-based childcarer with the
your home life in many ways, such as where you
demands of the role.
store confidential information. This can be quite
a contentious issue as your partner’s garage, or Hint
Case Study
One parent has asked Mandy, a registered have on her own children and family life, but
childminder, to mind her two children for an cannot really afford to lose the income.
extra two hours each weekday as the parent
What would an assertive person do in this
has to work late for the next month. This
situation?
means that the children will not leave Mandy’s
until 8pm. Mandy is unhappy about this What would your response to this situation
request because of the impact that this will be?
Case Study
Debbie was very upset to receive an angry clean and dry. The mum reluctantly agreed
phone call from a parent one evening saying that maybe the baby had soiled her nappy in
that her baby had a dirty nappy when she the car when they were stuck in traffic on the
picked her up and now she had a very sore way home.
bottom. The parent implied that Debbie
Debbie followed good practice in that she
had not cared properly for the baby and
made a note of every time she had changed
should not have sent her home with a soiled
the baby’s nappy. She didn’t get into a
nappy. Debbie asked the parent to come a
conflict situation on the telephone because
bit earlier in the morning so that they could
she suggested that the parent talk to her the
talk properly and so Debbie could show her
next morning, so she was assertive but not
the chart that she kept on nappy changes.
challenging.
The next morning Debbie showed the mum
that she had changed the baby’s nappy only What would you do if a parent criticised your
five minutes before she was collected and standards of care?
that when she handed the baby over she was
Challenging
mumble an incoherent reply or avoid eye contact.
It is important that you do not view challenging Assertive people would check that they had
behaviour as threatening, and should be prepared heard or seen the challenging behaviour or
to challenge all prejudicial and discriminatory circumstances correctly before acting. Remember
remarks regardless of who makes them. You that assertive people stay calm and deal with the
should never ignore what was said or done, situation.
Listening
Key Terms Listening is a basic communication skill. It is not
a passive activity; to be a good listener requires
Challenging – responding and facing up time, effort and concentration.
to another individual in ways that are
assertive, but not confrontational. You should be aware that listening is a two-way
skill involving a giver (speaker) and a receiver
(listener).
Affirmation
Affirmation means that you confirm or verify the Think about it
actions or speech of others, in a non-judgemental
but professional way. Assertive people do not It is not ‘big headed’ or pretentious to
blindly agree with everyone else’s point of view tell others publicly about your quality
regardless of what their personal values and service. If you have good news, share
views are. Assertive people are usually good at it. Contact your local newspaper, radio
building social and professional relationships and station, childminding/nanny network or
understanding the differences between the two. group and tell people. Some childminders
They do not make assumptions or label people, produce a newsletter for the families they
but respect differences and value other people, as work with and nannies that work with
well as negotiate and problem-solve. more than one family could do the
same.
your childcare service pack that includes the aims and values of their
service (see Unit, 1 page XXX). This shows the
In an ideal world you would never have to parents that you have really thought about what
market your childcare services, and would never you are trying to achieve. Aims and values do not
be unemployed or have vacancies. However, we have to be complicated or full of technical jargon,
do not live in an ideal world so marketing and very often the simpler the better.
managing your childcare service is essential.
• enthusiastic.
Again, do you recognise yourself in this list?
Are you enthusiastic about what you do and do Case Study
the children and other people know it?
Are you dedicated to the care and well-being of Sherrie is a member of her local childminding
all children in your care? This does not mean that network. When working or at work-related
you have to be fanatical or obsessive, just realistic events, such as training courses and network
about what you can do to the best of your ability. meetings she always wears smart blue or
white polo shirts with the network logo
embroidered on the front. ‘These are my work
Being well-organised and businesslike clothes’, she says, ‘I feel more professional
dressed like this and other people know what
The key to being well-organised and businesslike
I do.’
is planning.
How do you dress for work?
Remember the 5Ps:
Does it matter, do appearances matter?
Prior
Think about it
1 Some years ago it was common felt sorry for them. Today, children
practice to cover up a burn or scald. with a disability are encouraged to
Today we know that the skin and lead full and active lives, and society
tissue under the burn or scald can go is starting to see the child first, not
on being damaged for some time after the disability. If you are not aware
the heat source has gone. Burns and of how attitudes have changed over
scalds are now treated by putting the recent years you could not offer a non-
injured part under cold running water discriminatory service in which every
for several minutes. In such a case, if child is respected as an individual.
you do not keep up with your first-aid
These are two examples of the ways
qualifications and research you could
in which care for children has changed
do more harm than good.
in recent years. Unless home-based
2 Children with a disability were often childcarers keep up to date they will not
referred to as handicapped and people be offering a professional service.
Most parents are able to get help with the cost Income support is usually only available to people
of childcare. Also, employers who provide their who work for less than 16 hours each week,
staff with childcare vouchers will be able to offer however a special rule allows some registered
the first £50 of vouchers each week free of tax and childminders to claim it even if they are working
National Insurance contributions. Both of these full-time.
extra benefits are available to parents as long as
the childcarer they use is registered or approved
(see Unit 1 for details of the nanny approval
scheme, page XX). Find out!
Working Tax Credit supports working people with
low incomes and is available to self-employed For more information on benefits and
people as well as those who are employed. tax credits visit www.dwp.gov.uk or for
NCMA members more information can be
Working Tax Credit has a childcare element to
found in the NCMA Members’ Handbook.
help parents on low incomes meet the costs of
• Can you offer overnight stays? • Do you have references that are up to date?
• Have you got a dedicated play area and a safe • Can you drive and so take children to different
garden? after-school activities? Do you have a clean
driving licence?
Skills, qualifications and experience • Are you offering to cook all meals and meet
All home-based childcarers can use their skills, specific dietary needs or requirements, such as
qualifications and experience as selling points. diabetes, vegetarian, organic?
Think about including the following points in any • Are you prepared to do children’s laundry, clean
advertisements. and tidy their rooms?
• Your first-aid qualification. • Can you provide evidence that you offer a wide
• Your initial training, pre-registration or range of stimulating, creative and enjoyable
approval. experiences and opportunities for development
and learning?
• Your membership of a professional organisation,
such as NCMA.
Other selling points
• Other qualifications you have or are working There are also other selling points that you may
towards, such as the Diploma in Home-based want to think about.
Childcare, an NVQ, baby massage, British Sign
Language, Makaton. • If you are eligible for tax credit claims.
• Other training courses you have attended, such • If as a nanny you have public liability insurance
as caring for a newborn baby, Birth to Three (all registered childminders must have this).
Matters Framework, working with children • If you have a vehicle that is insured for business
who have a specific medical conditions such as use.
diabetes and cystic fibrosis. • If you have house insurance for damage.
• Belonging to a childminding network and being • If other members of your family have CRB checks.
quality assured.
The above lists are suggested points only and are
• Speaking more than one language (this can by no means complete. They are intended to help
include sign language). you recognise your unique selling points – you
• Your personal health checks. may be able to add a lot more.
• An enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check.
Advertising your service
• Experience with particular forms of childcare, Now you have a list of your selling points what
such as a disabled child, triplets, premature next? How do you advertise yourself? If you are
babies. happy about your full address being published
• Previous childcare experience, such as working you could consider advertising in:
in a daycare nursery, after-school club or holiday • free ads newspapers
play scheme.
• local evening or weekly papers
Unique features of service • parish newsletters, school fair programmes,
All home-based childcarers can think about the organisations newsletters
unique features of their service. • on the Internet: set up your own website or join
• Can you be flexible enough to meet the shift a group of like-minded people and set one up
work patterns of parents, working at weekends together
or overnight? • your local radio station.
Case Study
Candice is a registered childminder with envelope in the newsagent. She also put it in
several vacancies which she does not seem the health centre, on the local school parents’
able to fill. She wrote out brief details of her noticeboard and contacted the local CIS.
service on the back of an envelope and paid
Candice had several enquiries following this
50 pence to advertise in her local newsagents
advertising, and although she didn’t fill all
for one week. She has had one enquiry from
of her vacancies she was able to provide a
parents who wanted a drop-off and pick-up
service for several families.
from school each day plus holiday care, but
were only prepared to pay £2 per hour, when Think about how you advertise?
the going rate in the area was £3.10.
Is it effective, does it work?
Candice’s support worker suggested that
Can you advertise better with higher quality
the advert did not give the best impression,
materials?
it was a bit rough and ready. Candice’s elder
son developed an attractive smaller flier on Does your local CIS have your details?
his computer which she used to replace the
• behaviour management
See also Unit 1, page XX
• confidentiality
• lost child
Key Terms
• nappy changing and other care routines.
Policy – what you have decided to do in If a registered childminder becomes part of a
certain situations. network they will be asked to develop more
policies; these are listed in Unit 1 on page XXX.
A policy can be a course of action that you intend The Data Protection Act 1998 is designed to
to take, or a set of good practice guidelines that prevent personal and confidential information
you follow in certain circumstances. They are not from being passed on without a person’s
set in stone, but should be constantly updated permission. Therefore all home-based childcarers
and reviewed in line with statutory changes, new should have a policy, written or not, on how they
developments and changes in your service. A ensure confidentiality.
policy is a working document, not just a piece of
paper to be filed away and brought out to show
parents or an inspector. It can be a procedure that
you follow in your work. You need to understand Keys to good practice
why you should have such procedures or
guidelines and how they can help you develop
As a registered or approved home-based
and reflect upon your practice.
childcarer you have a statutory duty to
comply with the Children Act 1989 and
the Children Act 2004. It is good practice
Find out! to make sure that you fully understand
your responsibilities and develop a policy to
Your policies do not have to be original; share with parents which clearly shows your
you may wish to adopt policies from understanding of these important Acts.
other organisations such as NCMA, your
early years team or network. However,
it is good practice to read them through
carefully and adapt or modify as needed.
How to write a policy
Find out if you can use and adapt other How you write your policies is very much a
organisations’ policies for your service. matter of personal preference; there is no set way,
If you do use a policy from another but there are important things that you should
agency or organisation make sure that consider.
you have their agreement to do this. • What is the policy about?
based settings • Does your policy go on to say what you will do,
how you will do it and when (if appropriate) you
Although Ofsted and CSIW do not specifically
will implement your policy actions?
require home-based childcarers to have written
policies, it is good practice to consider: • Does it say when you will review your policy?
I have very few ‘rules’ in my childcare setting, How can you make sure that parents
but I do expect all children that I care for in my read your policies and support you in
home to learn to accept them and their parents to implementing them?
support me in implementing my policy.
I will discuss the boundaries for behaviour with What do you need to do to be a reflective
all of the children. If the children know and practitioner when it comes to your
understand why we have boundaries they will be policies?
more secure.
When setting boundaries I will be firm and fair
and will take into account the age and stage of
development and the needs of each individual
child.
Sharing policies with parents
I will praise the children when they behave well
and others
and will be a positive role model for them at all A policy is a working document that should
times.
be shared, discussed, monitored and reviewed
I will never use any form of physical punishment. by all concerned, including children. It is good
I will never humiliate, restrain or isolate a child. practice for older children to develop policies, for
The boundaries are: example behaviour management, or safety and
independence when outside.
we will all care for each other
we will not do anything that might hurt another Just because you give parents a file of your policies
person, or is dangerous or offensive. or procedures you cannot necessarily assume
that they will read them. We are all guilty of this
I will record all incidences of unwanted behaviour
and will discuss any concerns about your child sometimes, for example have you really read the
with you. instruction book for your washing machine from
I will review this policy when a new child comes page one to the end, and can you remember what
into my care and/or if asked to do so by parents you read? To go one step further, have you read
or legislation. the introduction to this book? If not then go back
If you would like to talk to me about this and read the introduction – it contains valuable
behaviour management policy please speak to me information that could help you get the most from
when you bring or collect your child, or telephone
your studies.
me in the evening on 01234 567890.
Parents can provide you with valuable feedback
A. Jones
on your service because children may tell them
April 2006 what they have been doing. This feedback can
influence and inform your practice.
Compare this policy with the example
In the same way children can tell you important
in Unit 1, page xxx.
information about your service. If you take time to
Monitoring, evaluating and reviewing your Choose one of the policies that you named to
policies is much more than just reading them meet the criterion E3. Write about how you use
through or printing another copy off from the this policy and what the benefits are to you,
computer and putting a different date at the the children and their families.
bottom! It involves:
Term Meaning
Annual Performance A yearly assessment of a council’s specific contributions to improving
Assessment (APA) outcomes for children and young people, carried out by the
Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the Office for
Standards in Education (Ofsted).
Children and Young Single overarching multi-agency plan covering the activities required
People’s Plan to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Children’s Centres A range of services for children and families, including information,
advice and guidance, early years provision, health services, family
support and parental outreach and employment advice.
Children’s Trust A high level partnership arrangement of agencies involved in children
and young people’s services.
Commissioning Developing an overall picture of children’s and young people’s
needs in an area, and developing provision through public, private,
voluntary and community providers to respond to those needs.
Link to assessment
E4 Describe how the home-based childcarer Hint
can work with other professionals.
This is linked to your answer for criterion E4
Hint above, but requires detailed information about:
Think about all of the professionals that you • legal requirements for the country in which
may work with. you live and work
Write about ways that you can: • ensuring the safety of children
• understand their roles and responsibilities • helping children to meet their full potential
• what you need to record and/or report • ways to ensure consistency of care
It is good practice to attend any training events or • a common assessment framework for children’s
courses that your local early years team organise services
about protecting children. Attending a course in
the early days of your career will not necessarily • every case to a have a lead professional
mean that you do not need to attend another one
• on-the-spot service delivery through multi-
on the same subject at a later date.
disciplinary teams based within children’s
centres and schools.
The social context of abuse These proposals will have an important bearing on
including reasons for abusive the structure of children’s services and the roles of
practitioners within these services.
behaviour
Caption to follow
If you were working in an organisation with In Unit 1, page XX, there is a case study about
several employees there is a process where you Kerrie and her experience of child protection.
can air your concerns about bad practice, usually Kerrie kept written records of the evidence of
referred to as ‘whistle blowing’. The Public signs of abuse, for example the child showing
Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protects staff from sexual behaviour in their play. She kept these
victimisation provided they make their claim in records in a locked filing cabinet in the study,
good faith. But home-based carers do not have a room that the minded children did not have
such protection and are therefore vulnerable to access to. Kerrie was asked by a member of
accusations. It is essential that you make sure you the LSCB about the content of her records,
have a support mechanism in place for yourself, as but did not have to hand them over.
discussed earlier in this unit.
If you were in such a situation, do you have a
In general terms, there is a possibility of abuse secure place to keep records where you can be
when a child shows a number of signs or any one certain they will remain confidential?
sign significantly. It should also be remembered
Think about it
Link to assessment
Keeping secrets – is this a good idea?
Children are sometimes told that if E5 Identify two ways the home-based childcarer
they do not keep a secret they will be can help children protect themselves from
punished, but this cannot be right. bullying or abuse.
Children should be told that they can
break secrets, especially if the secret is a Hint
bad one. However, isn’t it better not to Re-read the section in Unit 1 (page XXX) as
have any secrets? Tell children that you well as the above sections. Write about two
are hoping to have or give someone a
different ways children can be helped, such
surprise, but if they want to tell they can.
as discussions, opportunities to develop self-
Read what Bea said earlier in the last esteem, helping children to understand their
Think about it box about keeping secrets. rights, activities to empower children.