Disability and Children Essay

14.01.13 Adjustments to Unit 3 Assignment Sammie Starr

E1/E2. The ‘Human Rights Act 1998’ enforces fairness, respect, equality and dignity, which means an act giving effect to rights and freedom guaranteed under the European convention on human rights. In a setting staff and practitioners will allow every child choose to do, for example, children can choose what religion they are or want to be as the setting is open minded and allow each and every child to be who they want to be.

‘Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001’, strengthens the right of access to mainstream school for parents, this reinforces the idea of inclusiveness as the parents and children will not feel left out as they have ways around a setting and can get around individually as it ensures that all children are included regardless of their disability. For example, bring an activity down to a child in a wheel chairs level so they can participate fully in the activity.

‘Children’s Act 2004’ which gives the legal underpinning to ‘Every Child Matters; Change for Children’ all services for children aim to improve and adjust outcomes for all children and young people. This can include children finding it hard to fit in to a new area as they’ve moved away, or a new setting/school. For example in settings, we make sure the children have healthy fruit and vegetables in their snacks and main meals, which also includes fresh ingredients, this fit in ‘Every Child Matters; Be Healthy’.

‘Equality Act 2010’, is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society. It also simplifies, strengthens and consolidates discrimination, in a practise setting this can help get rid of discrimination. For example, children of different religion have days that they celebrate, so the setting should celebrate all cultures to include everyone.

‘Protection of Children Act 1999’ changed the way we look at child protection in the setting, the act organised a register of people that are seen as unsuitable to work with children and young people or thought to be a risk in any setting. This can lead to families feeling more trusting of any setting which choose their staff based on a CRB check to make sure their children are safe.

E4. Policies and Procedures are used to promote fair, just and inclusive strategies. An inclusion policy ensures that practitioners enable all children to fulfil their potential, there are many procedures that practitioners can do to adapt the activities for children with disabilities, medical conditions, communication needs etc. For children with a disability, the practitioner needs to make the activity wheel chair accessible, for example, moving the activity to their height so they can participate fully. This is connected to ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001’.
There are different policies that practitioners need to follow, who work with children, for example;

Equal Opportunities Policy
SEN Policy

-Equal Opportunities Policy statement; ‘All children, irrespective of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties or disabilities, gender or ability will have the opportunity to experience a challenging and enjoyable programme of learning and development within a culture of care and attention.’ With this policy it connects with ‘Equality Act 2010’ as they value and celebrate differences of ethnicity, culture, religion, language, gender and ability.
-SEN (Special Educational Needs) Policy, States that children with SEN and disabilities will be treated with the attention and consideration as any other child in the nursery. They ensure that; Reasonable assistance is provided and adjustments made to maximise the children’s play and learning opportunities, Individual education plans (IEP) are used, Every setting has a Special Educational Needs, Coordinator (SENCO) and Staff have the appropriate training. This would include

Show More