Placing children at the centre of safeguarding principles and practices is vital for ensuring the best child protection. This essential resource provides early years practitioners with all that they need to be confident and competent as they fulfil their roles and obligations to safeguard and protect children. Exploring the main factors that impact on the lives of young children in the current safeguarding climate, this book is a starting point for understanding the risks and categories of abuse and neglect. Grounded in best practice, it gives practitioners encouragement and advice to help shape and drive practice forward with child-centred motives, practices and perspectives. The book offers: Insights into the current safeguarding climate backed by practical examples An introduction to managing the different safeguarding challenges faced by early years professionals Methods for contextualising these for children in the early years Guidance on supporting vulnerable children, their families and other agencies working alongside them Reflections, case studies and a wide range of example scenarios Voices and insights from across the sector woven throughout for a holistic understanding of safeguarding With accessible chapters drawing on best practice from across the sector at every level, this is a valuable resource for all those working in the early years, whether just starting out or highly experienced in the field.

Since the Munro report (2011), a greater emphasis has been placed on the value of child-centred practice in social work with children, young people and families. It has come to be recognised that social workers cannot make an assessment or intervene to safeguard children and promote positive outcomes without engaging with the children themselves. This involves recognising the rights of the child, getting to know who they are, what they need, how they feel about their situation, and what they want for their future. Split into two distinct sections, this authoritative text focuses on the foundational knowledge required for child-centred work, unpacking the ethical and theoretical principles that form the basis of the approach and exploring current debates around working with children and families. Benefitting from the authors' extensive experience in academia and practice settings, each chapter: - Provides insightful practitioner testimonials and case study examples to help the reader apply what they have learned to everyday practice. -Highlights important research studies that give voice to children and young people, providing the reader with background knowledge of the evidence base for child-centred approaches. - Includes engaging questions and activities to enable the reader to reflect on what they have learned, and make links to their own practice, values and beliefs. With a strong focus on developing the reader's practice skills, particularly in engaging and communicating with children, Child-Centred Practice is an essential handbook for students and professionals involved in this complex yet rewarding area of social work practice.

Getting young children active and supporting their physical development right from the start is essential for children’s all-round development and good health. However, children’s levels of physical activity are declining. This book helps readers increase their understanding to support young children’s overall development, health, and wellbeing. Breaking current physical activity guidelines into bite-size chunks, the book provides key advice on caring for and educating babies and young children on how to meet the recommended amount of physical activity each day. Current research is accessibly explored, including links with screen time and neuroscience, and informs a range of flexible, open-ended activities and practical strategies to use in every early years setting. Chapters include: Suggestions on planning an enabling environment to support young children’s physical development without expensive equipment or classes. Steps for making physical activity inclusive for all children, including those with special educational needs and physical conditions. Key research translated into easy-to-understand, informative guidance. The voice of the child and the importance of listening to children woven throughout. Opportunities for readers to assess how their own setting supports physical activity. The importance of early physical development to communication and future academic performance. Grounded in best practice for supporting physical development in the early years and working with parents, this book is essential reading for trainee and practising early years educators, as well as parents and carers of young children.

Are all children treated equally in your class? Are you aware if you are displaying unconscious bias? How might this be playing out in your setting? These conversations need to take place if we are ever to shift systemic racism, for the wellbeing of all children in the early years and beyond. This essential guide addresses diversity and inclusion in a meaningful and constructive way. The holistic approach explores a range of pertinent topics for the early years and demonstrates the positive impact educators can make by developing their knowledge of systemic racism, critically reflecting upon their provision, and embedding anti-racist practice within their settings. This book includes: A framework to embed and sustain anti-racist practice in early years education. Case studies to explore constructions of racism in early childhood and the experiences of black children and their families. Reflective questions to encourage readers to consider their own practices and to drive change. A brief history of racism to create a sense of understanding and awareness of how we got to where we are today. Practical strategies to equip those who work in the early years and to gain confidence in their anti-racist practice. A focus on the power of professional love and co-creation to shift the dynamic and build the best outcomes for all children. By making anti-racism real in our learning environments and reflecting upon and reviewing provision, early years educators can ensure they are committed to their remit of advocacy for the children and communities whose lives they touch. This powerful book is a vital read for all trainee and practising early years professionals, reception teachers, nursery teachers, and managers.

This accessible guide introduces neuroscience, demystifying terminology and language and increasing the knowledge, skills and, importantly, confidence of anyone interested in brain development in early childhood. Practical and reflective chapters highlight the multi-faceted role of adults as ‘brain builders’ and encourage the reader to consider how the environment, play and interactions are crucially interlinked. The book considers cutting-edge science and introduces this in an accessible way to look at a range of ways that adults can support children, exploring: how poverty, adversity, and social, emotional and mental health all influence the developing child the science behind play, and why it is so important for young children how we can take ideas from different disciplines such as psychology and anthropology and interweave these with the overarching research of neuroscience why adult interaction (both practitioner and parent/carer) with children is crucial for the developing brain the importance of reflective practice to encourage readers to consider their actions and develop their understanding of important topics raised in the book. With a wealth of case studies and reflective practices weaving throughout, readers will be encouraged and empowered to pause and consider their own practice. Little Brains Matter will be essential reading for anyone interested in early childhood development.

This book equips professionals with the ability to recognise a child at risk and to work with a child already suffering. Advice is offered on how to navigate the multi-disciplinary processes. Fictional case studies and exercises immerse the reader in scenarios. The authors lead readers through learning points, recommendations, and legislation.

With an emphasis on professional expectations, values and practice skills such as building trust, listening and advocacy, this textbook helps enable social workers base their practice with children and young people on a truly child-centred model. Drawing on contemporary knowledge about childhood and children's rights, it provides a critical understanding of the theoretical and legal basis for child-centred practice, and examines the dilemmas faced by professionals in maintaining their focus on promoting children and young people's participation in decision-making. Child-Centred Social Work is essential reading for students and professionals, helping the reader understand what we can learn from the tragic deaths of children such as 'Baby P' and Victoria Climbié, and from children and young people in care who need their voices heard.

This accessible and practical guide explores how we can enhance and embed creativity in the early years to support children’s wellbeing. The book initially explores the work of Anna Craft, Ken Robinson, and Reggio Emilia to think about creativity with young children, before considering what this means for wellbeing. Five core chapters focus on creative mediums – drawing, sculpting and painting; craft; music; dance and drama; and storytelling and poetry – and offer a range of practical ideas and activities to use and adapt. This book provides: A wide range of activities accompanied by examples of collaborative arts projects with children. Interviews with artists and practitioners who support children’s wellbeing using creative mediums. Recommendations for creative activities using accessible and everyday materials. Case studies showing the positive impact of creativity, from developing children’s cultural understanding to soothing and supporting children with sensory experiences. Suggestions for enthusing children with a love of words, enabling them to express their thoughts and feelings through creative language. Moments for reflection to encourage readers to pause and consider the impact of creativity on their own wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of children in their care. With ideas included that every practitioner can use in their setting, this book is an essential tool for early years professionals who want to build their confidence in using creativity in their practice whilst supporting children’s wellbeing.

This book is packed with practical ideas and techniques to enable early years educators to support the communication development of the children in their setting and to understand the relationship between communication and emotional wellbeing. By forming an understanding of the science behind emotional regulation and the role of the adult in supporting the development of this, the book explores how emotions can impact learning and communication skills, and why we must understand how adult responses and communication have a direct impact on emotional wellbeing. Each chapter provides: • practical ideas which will create a culture of communication and connection; • research and case studies with plenty of opportunities for the reader to reflect on their own practice and interaction style; • top tips and ideas for promoting speech and language skills in the early years environment; and • an awareness of how to support the language development and emotional wellbeing of children who are struggling to communicate. Emotions impact interactions, and interactions impact communication and connectedness. This book enables and empowers the reader to understand what communication and wellbeing really look like in the early years environment, and how we can use this knowledge to improve long-term outcomes for children’s learning and mental health. It is essential reading for all early years educators.

This comprehensive guide to the core areas of early learning and childcare is designed to equip students to synthesise theory, research and practice to become reflective, evidence-based practitioners. Featuring a diverse and experienced team of authors, this essential book covers policy, theories of childhood, professional development and urgent issues impacting the sector today such as diversity and inclusion, being trauma-aware and children’s rights. Each chapter includes case studies, key ideas, views from practice, questions and more helping to bring topics to life, making this a rich resource that will support your studies. Dr Mike Carroll is a retired Senior Lecturer currently working as an Associate Tutor in Education at the University of Glasgow, Education Consultant and the co-author of Understanding Teaching and Learning in Primary Education (2018). Mary Wingrave, is a Senior Associate Tutor and was formerly a Senior Lecture in Education at the University of Glasgow