Voice Of The Child

1. Voice Of The Child Listening to Young Children

2. Subtitle Arial 24pt Body text Arial 16pt.

3. Aims What is our Statutory duty? What do we mean by ‘Listening to children?’ Implications and ideas for practice Empowering Managers and Leaders to ensure that the least experienced member of staff develops this skill.

4. Statutory Duty The Children Act (1989, 2004) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2017) Two Year Old Progress Check(EYFS, 2017 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5) Child Protection (EFYS, 3.4 – 3.8) OFSTED Self Evaluation Framework

5. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1991)

6. North Yorkshire Children’s Trust 2017

7. Voice, Influence and Participation • Voice, Influence and Participation Team • Youth Voice Executive The Youth Voice Executive are currently focussing on three topics. These are:- • Developing Resilience and Emotional Wellbeing • Curriculum for Life • Transport • For further information email VIP@Northyorks.gov.uk

8. What do we mean by listening? ‘An active process of receiving (hearing and observing) interpreting and responding to communication. It includes all the senses and emotions and is not limited to the spoken word.’ (Young Children’s Voices Network, 2011)

9. “Technoference: Parent Distraction with Technology and Associations with Child Behaviour Problems”

10. Why do we listen to young children? • Listening is a vital part of establishing respectful relationships with children and is central to their learning process • It makes a difference to our understanding of how children feel about themselves. • It helps us understand children’s priorities, interests and concerns.

11. Children’s disclosure Research suggests that children attempt to tell, over time, in different ways (Alaggia 2010). Disclosure is a process that unfolds rather than it being a single event or conversation (Reitsema and Grietens, 2016) Disclosure is an interplay between children’s signs and expressions and the reactions of the adults around them both verbal and non-verbal (McElvaney, Greene and Hogan 2012)

12. Listening to when a child might be showing you they are at risk An 18 month old freezes during nappy changes A two year old draws a picture of herself “me and my holes” A three year old draws a picture of his step father with his “hurty fingers” A three year old plays “jections” (injections) A four year old repeatedly plays bedtime but whispers “Don’t tell or I’ll kill you”

13. Children’s unspoken communication You are experts at understanding young children. You listen to their whole being:- what they say and what they do; their expressions, body language, behaviour, play, gestures and what they say through their drawings. Does everyone in your team know what to do when a child makes a disclosure?

14. Mosaic Approach A framework for listening to young children Helps adults ‘to gain a deeper understanding of children’s lives….’ (A Clark & P Moss 2005/08)

15. How does the Mosaic Approach view young children? Children are ‘experts in their own lives’ Young children are skilful communicators Young children are active participants Young children are meaning makers

16. How does the Mosaic Approach work? Observation Interviewing Cameras Tours Map making Parents’ and practitioners’ views

17. Pieces of the mosaic Creating a detailed picture for children and adults to be able to share and discuss together. Using the Mosaic Approach to support the Two Year Old Progress Check

18. Reggio Emilia The Hundred Languages of Children Young children from birth to age 6 are encouraged to explore their environment and express themselves through many “languages” or modes of expression including words, sculpture, shadow play, collage, movement, drawing, painting and music leading to high levels of symbolic skill and creativity.

21. Top Tips for listening. Be … Patient Interested Available Observant Realistic

22. Imagination We need imagination in order to design ways of listening which are enjoyable and varied and which take into account children’s different strengths and abilities. Imagination may often be required in order to act upon young children 'ideas and expressed interests (‘if I had a magic wand‘)

23. Resources Practical ideas to share to support good practice

24. It’s also important to… Be respectful Focus on what children can do Acknowledge children’s emotions and not to dismiss them as being “silly” Be positive Reflect back to children

25. Voice of the Child in Southend

26. Key outcomes of the research project:- Practice became more child-led Listening was more established in practice Children were more relaxed Families were more included Children felt more important and empowered Practitioners were more aware that even the youngest children can have a voice and make choices The quieter children were heard Children were more in charge of their own learning Planning became easier as it focused on children’s interests and was not adult led/directed http://www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/earlyyears/vlpdeatails.aspx?lpeid=96

28. Ofsted Requirements Outstanding: Leaders and managers actively seek, evaluate and act on the views of parents, staff and children to drive continual improvement Good: Leaders and managers are ambitious and communicate high expectations to all. Self-evaluation is accurate and includes the views of parents, staff and children. Outstanding: Accurate assessment, including through high quality observations, is rigorous and sharply focused and includes all those involved in the child’s learning and development. Where appropriate, children are involved in the process. Good: Practitioners make regular and precise assessments of children’s learning that they use effectively to plan suitably challenging activities. They observe carefully, question skilfully and listen perceptively to children during activities in order to re-shape activities and give children explanations that improve their learning.

29. Auditing the quality and impact of “listening to children” in your setting. Monitoring so that your least experienced member of staff develops this skill.