Support Children and Young People in Residential Childcare

Support Children and Young People in Residential Childcare to Achieve their Learning Potential

Ø The aim of this presentation is to deliver a deeper and wider understanding of how you can contribute to the support the development of children and young people in residential care. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Ø The objectives of this unit are to enable you to engage with children and young people in learning, support them to sustain that engagement and work with them to maximise their learning. Ø This includes encouraging and supporting children and young people to recognise and build on interests, skills and talents, supporting them to develop attitudes in order to overcome barriers to learning and the importance of engaging family members in their learning.

Understand the context of learning for children and young people in residential childcare To understand the context of learning, we must first look at the many detailed Theories behind this. The accompanying handbook refers to all the following in greater detail: Piaget: Cognitive/Constructivist, learner centred theory Bandura: Social Learning Freud and Erikson: Psychoanalytical theories Rogers: Humanistic, growth promoting climate Maslows: hierarchy of needs Skinner: Behaviourist theory

Learning, Learning Potential and Education ØLearning is viewed as what's going on in the here and now, it's how we use our senses to experience the world, understand evaluate everything that's being presented to us. ØLearning potential is seen as a forecast, the possibilities that can happen if a child's current stage of development & their interests are known, and then experiences, freedom and opportunity is given to enable the realisation of that potential. ØEducation is seen as a structured way to deliver learning through setting and meeting targets and desired outcomes as in curriculums of various stages.

Life Experiences and Factors Some of the restrictive factors affecting children in residential care are: Attendance at school or college, this could be brought about by peer pressure on them not being sociably accepted by classmates. Health Status linked to sensory impairment or learning difficulties. Adult Expectations teachers and others not being understanding or empathetic. Family Function or Dysfunction either social, financial or cultural Bullying through discrimination All of these link to learning and development and affect this.

Understanding Circumstances Once you begin to understand the factors and circumstances affecting children's development, you can begin to develop and implement supportive strategies. It is extremely important to: Øinvolve child or young person in decisions affecting them Øuse child’s current interests and needs as focus and a connection point Øprovide adequate, appropriate opportunities for children or young people to express their educational ideas and aspirations, their likes and dislikes

Understanding Circumstances Ølisten carefully to what child or young person has to say ØSeek clarification as necessary and seek feedback from each child ØRemember the importance of the physical environment, ensure this is conducive to learning. ØProvide adequate and appropriate resources, play and learning areas with ease of access ØEnsure involvement in others learning and support this ØRespect privacy

Physical Environments ØTo understand a practical and supportive learning environment, we must look at the questions. How does the environment shape the learner? and, in turn, how does the learner influence the learning environment? ØA responsive deign approach to learning environments should embrace educational ideology and support the link with the learner to the learning environment. ØGood learning environments should allow learners the opportunity to explore and adapt suitable learning styles to encourage self development

Physical Environments ØThe integration of modern technology allows learning to take place to suit learner needs. The use of interactive smartboards, Internet and social media all contribute to interaction between learner and environment ØTwenty-first century learning environments are envisioned as places where the learner is engaged in self-directed and cooperative learning activities, and the physical environment is planned so that it can be routinely re-organised to mediate learning