E1 – As a professional practitioner, I am going to look at the subject of promoting children’s health. In this subject area there are a number of important aspects that I need to examine in order to support all of the elements to ensure a healthy lifestyle and environment for children in my care.
I will need to examine aspects of the legislations and laws that directly impacts on my job role. Health and safety is one of these laws where by risk assessments are an important aspect of practice to keep children safe in our care. According to (REF: http://www.new2teaching.org.uk/tzone/health_and_safety/healthandsafety/risk_assessments.asp) “The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stresses the importance of not over-complicating risk assessments and states that the risk assessment process is basically common sense. Broadly, a risk assessment is a careful examination of what could cause harm, so that one can judge whether enough precautions have been taken to prevent harm. The overall aim is to ensure that no one gets hurt or becomes ill as a result of incidents that could have been avoided.”
As a practitioner I will examine some of the factors that may have an impact on children’s health and wellbeing.
From the evidence presented poverty is a significant factor as to how a child grows and what environment they are growing up in. (REF: http://www.jrf.org.uk/topic/education-and-poverty) “Children growing up in poverty are less likely to do well at school. This can put them at a disadvantage in later life which, in turn, can affect their children.” So I will examine how as a practitioner it is important to be sure to keep healthy routines in school as they may not get that at home. As a practitioner it would be of vital importance that children have a good health routine such as diet, exercise and hygiene. There are five main key points to why children need routines in school these are, “Improves cooperation - Studies show that children as young as preschool age benefit from having a visual daily routine. Having a visual daily routine helps them co-operate better in event transitions, such as going from breakfast to a play date or from school to the doctor's. When a child can see pictures or words of what their “shape of the day” looks like they are more willing to go to the next event because they have been given the “head's up”.” (REF: http://www.nwresd.k12.or.us/autism/FiveImportantReasonsWhyYourChildNeedsRoutinetoSucceed.html)
Promoting a healthy lifestyle can also be done with activities within the class I will be looking at two activities which I have taken out within the setting one which helps promote hand hygiene and one which helped promote healthy eating, these kinds of activities are important because it will help the children learn how to be healthy in a fun and interactive way so they will understand more about health and hygiene through the activities I have done with them.
E2 –
There are many different legislations which help support the rights of children to a healthy lifestyle such as the Children’s Act 2004. This legislation have five main outcomes which help ensure children have a healthy lifestyle these are:
-Being healthy.
- staying safe.
-Enjoy and achieve.
-Making a positive contribution.
-Achieve economic wellbeing.
“The Children’s Act 2004 is designed to ensure that different services for children and young people work more effectively together.” (Tassoni.P, et al, Child care and Education 4th edition, 2007) Parents and practitioners should work together to ensure a healthy lifestyle, it takes both parents and practitioners to ensure a healthy lifestyle for each child.
Another legislation which helps support the rights to a healthy lifestyle is The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
“The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain.” (REF: