Child Protection Case Study and Equality Proofing in Early Childhood Environment

With reference to current Child Protection Legislation in Ireland, complete a review of the Case Study presented on Joey

With reference to current Child Protection Legislation in Ireland (namely Children First Guidelines 2011), you are required to complete a review of the Case Study presented on Joey under the following headings:

• Give a brief outline of the history of Child Protection Legislation. With reference to Children First Guidelines 1999 & 2011, and Our Duty to Care 2002 as they apply to ECCE settings.
• Provide accurate identification of potential needs of the individual (s) involved in the Case Study.
• Outline your immediate concerns, what type of abuse should be considered and evidence?
• Steps you would take to support the child and the family in question, relate to best practice
• Steps you would take within the childcare setting to gather as much information as possible include collaboration and best practice.

As Joey attends your service, you as supervisor have a duty of care for him under Child Protection legislation. You are required for this part of your project to devise and outline an action plan outlining how you will ensure Joey’s health, safety and well-being in the short, medium and long term.

• Actions that need to be implemented in the short term; from now – 1 month.
• Actions that need to be implemented in the medium term; 1 month – 3 months.
• Actions that need to be implemented in the long term; 3 months – 6 months.

The action plan must be realistic, time bound, promote positive practices and demonstrate collaboration with Joey’s parents, social worker and staff in the centre.

Complete the Tusla Standard Reporting Form attached according to the facts presenting in the Case Study and include this as part of your assessment in order to demonstrate your competency in completing same.

You must clearly review the case study and clearly and accurately identify all issues and needs to be addressed. You may also highlight areas of practice that may have been dealt with differently.

You are the supervisor in The Alphabet Crèche & Pre-School. The following situation has arisen and you must use best practice in current Chid Protection Guidelines to deal with the issues.

The following child attends your pre-school. You have become concerned about his welfare. The Case Study presented below records the child protection issues which require addressing. Your task is to review the prepared case study and identify the issues and actions that are required to respond to and manage the situation. You must also complete the Tusla Standard Report form, using only the information presented in the case study.

Joey Murphy is aged 3 years and 7 months. He has been attending The Alphabet Crèche & Pre-School since he was 18months old.  Initially, he attended three days a week from 8am until 5pm, whilst his mother returned to employment. Since the age of 2 years and 6 months, Joey has been attending full-time. Joey’s mother drops him off at 7:45am each morning and collects him no later than 5:15pm.

Joey lives with his mother Jennie, his father Rob and his older sister Alice aged 7 years. Alice also attended ‘Alphabet’ as a baby and toddler. Jennie is expecting her third child and is currently twenty weeks pregnant. Both parents work full-time – Jennie manages an office in the local town and Rob owns his own contracting business. Alice is in 1st Class in the local primary school. They live in a very pretty rural area and have just completed renovations on a cottage that has been in Rob’s family for some time. The family are well known in the local area.

Devise and outline an action plan to ensure Joey’s health, safety, and well-being in the short, medium, and long term

Until recently, Joey was a very easy going little boy. He was always friendly and very good at sharing and playing with others. His social interaction skills had developed at a very young age.

A member of the childcare team raised concerns about Joey’s behaviour on the 8th March, when he appeared tired and in bad form. Although not unusual for many children, this was very unusual for Joey as his parents were strict on his routine and this had not been experienced with Joey before. You as Supervisor, asked the key worker to keep a watchful eye over the following days and to report anything of further concern.

Throughout the three days that followed, Joey’s tiredness developed into exhaustion, he was hungry and began to exhibit temper tantrums. On day three he soiled himself. At 5pm on Thursday 11th March, the Supervisor casually asked Jennie if she had any concerns about Joey as he was displaying unusual behaviour.  Jennie appearing uneasy, answered ‘he is a little tired these days’ and quickly left the premises. Joey did not appear in on the Friday 12^th March. The supervisor could not help but notice that Jennie was also looking tired and she was not her normal, relaxed self.

On Monday 15th March, Joey’s grandmother dropped him off. Further concerns were raised as this too was out of the ordinary. Staff noticed that Joey was unclean and was back in nappies. Again, he was hungry. When his nappy was removed later that morning to encourage Joey to go to the toilet, a bruise was found on his left hip bone.

You telephoned Joey’s mother but were unable to get through. You then called his father who answered. You explained that you would like them both to come in for a meeting when they were collecting Joey at 5pm as there were some concerns about Joey which needed to be addressed. Joey’s father told you to ‘mind your own business’. The bruising was recorded in the incident book for the parents to sign when they came in.

At 5pm the grandmother collected Joey. There was no sign of the parents. You asked the grandmother if you could speak with her in confidence. As supervisor, you outlined the concerns. The grandmother acknowledged that the family were under ‘severe financial pressure’ and ‘maybe Joey is picking up on that.’ You informed the grandmother of the bruise on Joey’s hip. The grandmother became upset and told you that she had her own worries about the children; as 7 year old Alice was also showing behavioural problems and was very unhappy. In the absence of the parents, you asked her to sign the incident book as verification that she had been informed of an incident and said it would still need to be signed by a parent.

Complete the Tusla Standard Reporting Form attached according to the facts presenting in the Case Study

Joey did not appear back the following day, although his grandmother telephoned to say that he would return before the end of the week. The family’s house and work numbers were phoned with no reply from the parents and several messages were left.

 As supervisor list the ‘next course of action’ to be taken, breaking it into a short, medium and long-term plans.

Use the headings below within your write up.

You are required to demonstrate your ability to conduct primary research in your work placement in respect of the setting’s policy on equality and diversity practice. ‘Primary research is carried out to answer specific issues or questions; it can involve questionnaires, surveys or interviews with individuals or small groups’.

You must ensure that a copy of your primary research and data is included with the assignment. (This is not included in the word count)

Select one area in the physical environment.

Provide a comprehensive overview of this area, detailing existing provision and any existing aspects of equality and diversity

Make clear and appropriate recommendations to further improve equality and diversity the chosen area.

Devise an implementation plan to take forward your recommendations including changes in the Equality policy.

 

Introduction and Aims for your chosen area of the physical environment.  

A brief explanation of Equality and Diversity, in respect of Policy, Procedure and Practice.  Referring to best practice in, Diversity and Equality Guidelines For Childcare Providers.

Provide an overview of Existing Equality Provision on the chosen area of the physical environment. (i.e. resources, accessibility, layout, displays, books, storage, suitability etc.).

 

Make clear and appropriate recommendations to further improve equality and diversity in the chosen area. (Recommendations must have specific rationale to support them). 

Devise an implementation plan to take forward your recommendations. The implementation plan should include (collaboration, curriculum and policy changes, resources, budget and time line for making improvements) Provide a Conclusion. (Reflect on how personal, cultural identity, attitudes and values can potentially impact on the child at ECCE settings)

Project Guidance

Use the headings below within your write up.

Word count guidelines are suggested for each section.

Learners will conduct secondary research into the history and development of the childcare/early years’ sector in Ireland. ‘Secondary research makes use of information previously researched for other purposes and publicly available. This is also known as 'desk research'. Secondary research includes published research reports in a library, surveys or the Internet. It can also include scientific reports produced by medical councils, universities or governments’.

This project must demonstrate your understanding of the Childcare Sector in Ireland.

You are required to research one area of Social Policy relating to the ECCE Sector that has positively affected children’s early development and education.

Introduce the project and provide a brief outline of the Childcare Sector in Ireland. Make reference to how the sector has developed and changed including reasons for change.

Outline Government Influences and Initiatives on the Childcare Sector in Ireland and demonstrate their application to the Early Years Sector. Including specific programmes that support children’s development.

Provide a summary of the Legislative Issues that apply to the Childcare Sector in Ireland. You must demonstrate their application to the Early Years Sector and how they have supported the creation of a quality early childcare practice in Ireland. Including regulation of services and other quality initiatives.

Outline your understanding of Social Policy.

Select one area of Social Policy relating to the ECCE Sector that has positively affected children’s early development and education in Ireland. Discuss the opportunities this policy affords to families and children. Critically evaluate the research findings of your chosen area of Social Policy.

Provide appropriate and justified recommendations in response to research and findings on how this area can be further improved / implemented on a national level.

Compile a list of logical conclusions. This should include identifying your learning goals’ and how this policy will assist others in identifying learning goals within the context of the social, legal and health framework for ECCE settings which may include further training.

Assess four significant policies and procedures relevant to ECCE settings that ensures adherence to Legislation And National Practice Guidelines. Discuss how they are shared, implemented and updated in the setting by the staff. Give the title of the policy the main aspects that should be in it, and an explanation as how it supports National Policy e.g. ‘A Health and Safety Policy supports the Preschool Regulations by ‘providing a safe secure environment for children’s learning, supporting their welfare and protection’.