The Principles Underpinning the Role of the Practitioner Working with Children
E1) As a practitioner, you would be expected to form professional relationships with many different people within the setting. In a childcare environment there may be a child who has behavioural problems, effective communication would then need to take place with a behavioural therapist in order to ensure the child has their individual needs met. As a practitioner it is highly recommended that they should develop high standards of communication, as it is required in all aspects of working with children. Communicating with the child’s parents is very important, and because the parents are the child’s first educator/main carer, it is important that their wishes are met and understood. As part of skill to be able to communicate effectively with parents, it is necessary to build up trust within that professional relationship because; the parent might not feel comfortable talking about a problem with the practitioner and this might affect the child badly if it’s based on them. When building up trust in a professional relationship it is important to be honest and specific when speaking to parents, so they understand your point of view or what you’re talking about. Keep the child’s parents informed of any meetings, events, child’s progress, any problems and school trips etc… This is good because then the parents know that the practitioner is interested in getting their children into a good experience and enjoy it. If parents are of a different culture or language, the practitioner should provide newsletters and letters to parents in their language to allow them to still be a big part of their child’s education/experience within the setting. All documents should be translated so the parent has easy access and can read them well.
E2) Maintaining professional relationships with children and adults are very important when working in a childcare setting; communication and confidentiality are very important parts. Communication is extremely important because the practitioner