Children and Young people

Children and Young people

Children and Young people

4.1

There are differ legislations, guidelines, policies and procedures when it comes to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people. It was the death cases of Maria Colwell in 1973 and Victoria Climbie in 2000 that drew the U.K to pay more attention towards improved legislation. Some f these legislations are as follows:

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

This convention set out 54 articles in which the rights and freedoms of the children were acknowledged. These included the right of the children to care, furnishing services for the disable children, the right to express views and be listened, right to protection and services for those children who were away from home. The UK signed the treaty in 1991 and therefore is now legally bound to implement these articles.

Children Act 1989

The children act of 1989 makes the parents and professional responsible for ensuring the safety of the child. This Act mostly involves two significant sections which call for child protection. Section 47 declares it obligatory for the local authorities to investigate cases in which the child is suspected to suffer from harm. While section 17 calls for services to be provided which would guard and promote the welfare of the children.

The Education Act 2002

This Act holds the Local Education Authorities (LEAs), teachers and other school authorities to make sure that the children have a safe environment free of harm.

Children Act 2004

This act focuses on providing services to children and forming an integrated service. It also states that the needs of the children are to be assessed and data base that is relevant to the safety and welfare of the children be shared.

Some other similar regulations include:

• E-safety 2008• Safeguarding• Human rights act (http://www.nspcc.org.uk).

4.2.

Children need a safe learning environment which is necessary in order to grow and mature into a well learned and responsible individual. Such an environment is needed in the preschool classroom but it is not one which is easy to maintain. To provide a safe learning environment for children and young people, a well organized plan must be made. A well-planned, hygienic and clean space is needed that is free of the dangerous substances. Teachers need to prepare rules and routines to maintain the decorum of the classroom. They must teach good and acceptable to the teachers and enhance their learning capabilities so that they are able to learn in a positive environment. There is a need to implement rewards and punishments so that they are made to be aware of the need to study. They must be provided an environment in which they are encouraged to study knowing full well that there would be consequences if they do not. Furthermore, rewards would encourage them to continue with the learning process. The environment needs to be physically non-threatening, welcoming, interesting and according to a routine (www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk).

4.3

As a teaching assistant, one must closely work with a child or young person and closely observe ...