1. Unit 2.1 An introduction to the role of the early years practitioner

2. Learning Outcomes
LO1 Understand the role of the early years practitioner.
AC 1.1 Identify the skills, knowledge and attributes required for the role of the early years practitioner.
AC 1.2 Identify settings which provide early years education and care.

3. 1. Understand the role of the early years practitioner (1.1)
What made you decide to be an early years practitioner?
Think about:
Your previous experiences
Your skills
Your relationship with younger family members and friends.
Lets make some bunting to share our feelings

4. Research what the following words mean Skills Knowledge Attributes
Skills - the ability, of someone's knowledge, and practice. Ability to do something well.
Knowledge - the facts, feelings or experiences known by a person or group of people.
Attributes - The personal qualities that contribute to the role of the Early Years practitioner

5. 1. Understand the role of the early years practitioner (1.1)
Skills and attributes
Reliable
Flexible
Adaptable
Inclusive
Caring
Patient
Organised
Motivated

6. Skills, knowledge & attributes (1.1)
Skills are things we can do.
Attributes are qualities or characteristics we have.
As well as a wide range of skills and attributes, early years practitioners need a good level of knowledge in many areas, including:

7. Child development
Observation and assessment
Safeguarding and welfare
Legislation, policies and procedures
Working with others.

8. A range of early years settings (1.2)
Settings that provide early years education and care include:
Crèches
Toddler Groups
Playgroups
Daycare or Day Nurseries
Nursery Schools and Nursery Classes
After School Clubs
Childminders.
These can be statutory, private and voluntary.

9. Name a voluntary setting and state what services it offers.
Plenary Unit and 1.2
Name a voluntary setting and state what services it offers.
How many skills and attributes can you think of that the EYP needs and state why?
What is a statutory setting and give an example.

10. Learning Outcomes
LO1 Understand the role of the early years practitioner.
AC 1.3 Describe the relationship between legislation, policies and procedures.
AC 1.4 Describe the role of the early years practitioner in relation to current frameworks.
AC 1.5 Identify everyday routine tasks which ensure a safe and stimulating setting.
AC 1.6 Describe reasons for adhering to the agreed scope of the job role.

11. Legislation, policies and procedures (1.3)
Legislation are laws passed by Parliament, for example:
Data Protection Act 1998
Children Act 2004.
Policies give an outline of how a setting aims to comply with legislation, for example:
Confidentiality Policy
Behaviour Policy.
Procedures give a detailed explanation of what to actually do in practice.

12. Current frameworks (1.4)
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards to be followed for children from birth to 5 years.
Early years practitioners are required to follow the EYFS to support the learning and developmental needs of all children, assess their progress and maintain the safeguarding and welfare requirements.
Early years practitioners will also work in partnership with parents/carers to meet the holistic needs of the child.

13. Everyday routine tasks (1.5)
Can you name everyday routine tasks that early years practitioners have to carry out to make sure the setting is safe and stimulating for babies and young children?

14. Everyday routine tasks (1.5)
There are many everyday routine tasks that early years practitioners have to carry out to make sure the setting is safe and stimulating for babies and young children. These include:
Risk assessments
Checking equipment is safe for children to use
Hygiene checks
Security during arrival and departure at the beginning and the end of the day
Planning activities to stimulate and challenge the children
Meeting the individual needs of all children.

15. 1. Understand the role of the early years practitioner (1.6)
What is the Scope of the job?

16. Scope of the job (1.6)
The scope of the job describes the range of duties an early years practitioner will be expected to carry out.
Early years practitioners must know the limits and boundaries of their role and it is important that they observe these closely.
Your job role will be stated in
your contract.

17. Early years practitioners need to know what to do in a variety of situations, for example:
Fire drill
Accident or illness
Complaint from a parent/carer
Concerns over a child’s health or welfare
Confidentiality.
What could happen if you did not stick to the rules and boundaries of your job role?

18. Why should EYP’s stick to their job role?
Plenary
Name four everyday routine tasks you will need to follow to help keep children safe.
Why should EYP’s stick to their job role?
What is the current framework that EYP’s must follow?
What is the relationship between law and policies and procedures?

19. Learning Outcomes
LO2 Be able to communicate to meet individuals’ needs and preferences. AC 2.1 Identify reasons why people communicate. AC 2.2 Explain how communication affects all aspects of own practice. AC 2.3 Use communication methods that meet individuals’ communication needs and preferences.

20. 2. Be able to communicate to meet individuals’ needs and preferences (2.1)
Draw a simple picture, but make sure your partner cannot see it.
Sit so that you are back-to-back and cannot see each other’s pictures.
Take it in turns to describe your picture to your partner.
When your partner is describing their picture, you must try to draw it on a blank piece of paper.
When you have both described your picture, turn round and compare the originals with your attempt.
What stopped you from making an exact copy of your partner’s picture?
What was difficult about this task?

21. To share news To ask questions To answer questions To be friendly
2. Be able to communicate to meet individuals’ needs and preferences (2.1)
Why we communicate
To share news
To ask questions
To answer questions
To be friendly
To help others
To help ourselves
To learn

22. Communicating with others (2.2)
Communication affects all aspects of practice, and practitioners need to be able to communicate with a range of different people. These will include:
Parent/s carers
Children
Colleagues and other
professionals.

23. Communicating with others (2.1, 2.2)
Practitioners will need to communicate regularly with parents/carers.
This will range from saying hello in the morning, to telling parents/carers something that has happened to their child in the setting.
Communication with parents/carers is very important, as it supports working in partnership.

24. Communicating with others (2.1, 2.2)
Children and practitioners are constantly communicating throughout the day.
Communication is a two-way process, and practitioners may need to adapt their communication methods so that all children can understand what is being said or asked.
Adapting the way we communicate with children will support the individual needs of the child.

25. Communicating with others (2.1, 2.2)
Practitioners need to communicate with colleagues and other professionals.
Practitioners will communicate with their colleagues in the setting on a daily basis.
From time to time, practitioners may need to communicate with professionals outside the setting.

26. In two’s identify why practitioners need to communicate with:
Be able to communicate to meet individuals’ needs and preferences unit 2.1 (2.1, 2.2)
In two’s identify why practitioners need to communicate with:
Parents/carers
Children
Colleagues and other professionals.
Examples to include:
Parents/carers – greeting, sharing news, round-up of the day
Children – greeting, Q&A, during activities, story time, giving instructions
Colleagues – team meetings, sharing information, Q&A, queries or concerns
Other professionals – meetings, reviews, advice and guidance.

27. It is important that practitioners have good communication skills.
2. Be able to communicate to meet individuals’ needs and preferences (2.1, 2.2)
It is important that practitioners have good communication skills.
Communicating with others is a vital way of information sharing and it helps build relationships.
If practitioners did not communicate with others, then they would not be able to do their job effectively.

28. Methods of communication (2.3)
It is important that appropriate methods of communication are used to meet individual needs and preferences of all children and adults.
Practitioners may need to adapt how they communicate with others.
There are a range of communication methods, and practitioners need to consider what they are saying, who they are saying it to, and why they are saying it in order to select the most suitable method.

29. People with a hearing impairment People with a visual impairment
2. Be able to communicate to meet individuals’ needs and preferences (2.3)
Time: 15 mins
Some people may need to communicate in different ways. In groups, discuss different methods of communication to support those with individual needs.
This may include:
People with a hearing impairment
People with a visual impairment
Young children who have difficulty communicating
People who do not have English as a first language.
Examples could include:
BSL, sign language, lip reading, communication support workers, Braille, talking books, Makaton, PECS, dual text information, interpreters.

30. Plenary Why is communication important?
How would you communicate with a child who has English as a second language? Who else would be able to help you?
If the EYP did not communicate to another EYP that a child had an allergy, and then went home, how could this affect practice?

31. Learning outcomes Unit 2.1
Understand working relationships in early years.

32. Understand working relationships in early years Unit 2.1 3.1
Practitioners may be friends with colleagues outside of the setting, but while at work it is important to have a professional relationship.
Practitioners might be related to, or friends with, parents/carers who use the setting, but when their child attends the setting, the practitioner must remember that they are at work and that the child becomes their professional responsibility.

33. Different working relationships Unit 2.1 3.2
Practitioners always need to be friendly to all parents/carers, but remain professional at all times.
Practitioners have different working relationships with a variety of people.
These include:
Colleagues
Other professionals
Parents/carers
Children.

34. Working in partnership Unit 2.1 3.3
Working in partnership with others will make sure the individual needs of all children are met.
When working in partnership with parents/carers, practitioners will be able to gather and share important information.
Practitioners will work with other professionals and this will make sure of positive outcomes for children.
Working in partnership requires effective communication between everyone involved in order to meet the holistic needs of the child.

35. Skills and approaches for resolving conflict Unit 2.1 3.4
Conflicts, arguments and disagreements may occur within the setting.
A consistent and fair approach has to be used when resolving any conflict, and it is important that practitioners follow the policies and procedures of the setting.
It is important that everyone is valued and respected and that each individual’s point of view is listened to.
Effective communication will support practitioners to resolve conflicts, as this will help them deal with situations in a calm and professional manner.

36. Skills and approaches for resolving conflict Unit 2.1 3.4
Time: 15 mins
Discuss how to manage the scenarios: on your tables.
two children argue over a car?
A parent comes in angry because their child has paint on their clothes
A disagreement between practitioners
Learners should be encouraged to discuss examples of good practice as well as areas for improvement from their own setting. If learners have not observed situations of conflict, then they can be encouraged to discuss how they might deal with the situation if it were to occur.

37. plenary
Name one thing you could do with a friend that you must not do with an EYP?
Which other professional may be working with a child in the setting and state why.
How would you deal with an upset mother ?

38. Continuous Professional development
Unit Explain the term ‘professional development’.
Unit Identify professional development opportunities.
Unit Explain why Continuing Professional Development is integral to the role of the early years practitioner.
Unit Identify own professional development needs.

39. Understand why Continuing Professional Development is integral to the role of the early years practitioner
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) allows practitioners to keep up to date with new knowledge and skills.
CPD provides practitioners with opportunities for training and refresher courses.
CPD is very important in the role of the practitioner to make sure that they are following the latest legislation, guidelines and policies.
CPD will enable practitioners to learn new skills to support them in their role.

40. 4. Understand why Continuing Professional Development is integral to the role of the early years practitioner (4.1)
Consider what you want to do as a job and using your mobile phones, research the training that you need to become qualified. Don’t forget to include your English and maths.
Learners should discuss a range of reasons as to why practitioners may need to update their knowledge and skills.

41. Plenary
What is CPD?
Give 3 examples?
Why is CPD important?