You will find the new blog here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/additional-funding
Thank you. Sarah.
Independent Childminders |
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This blog has been updated - see 'additional funding' blog published 22.12.2023.
You will find the new blog here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/additional-funding Thank you. Sarah.
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The intention is that all Local Authorities will implement an Integrated Review for children at the age of 2 years. There have been concerns in the past about lack of integration during the 2 year Progress Check which means that parents are receiving mixed messages from practitioners and their Health Visitor. The Integrated Review aims to resolve this by ensuring everyone is more fully involved in the review process.
It is hoped that, at the end of the review, more appropriate intervention will be available to parents should a child need extra support – it will also remove the need for duplication as all involved agencies will be working together as a cohesive team around the child. During an Integrated Review meeting parents, the Health Visitor, Early Years Practitioners and any other professionals and/or agencies involved in the child’s life get together to talk about the child –
The Integrated Review will, when it is working smoothly, provide a complete picture of the child at age 2. It is expected that everyone involved in the Review process will have different perspectives of the child to share with each other – these will ensure the review is as holistic as possible. The Integrated Review will combine information from –
Frequently asked questions about the Integrated Review Early Years Practitioner – will it affect me? It depends on your Local Authority – they are all implementing the review in different ways. You need to ask locally to find out what they will expect of you and their timescale for setting up the Integrated Review. It must be noted that setting up of the Integrated Review is non-statutory – and it can take time to roll out across all areas and settings so it might not be happening in your area for some time. Parent – what will I need to do? You will need to complete an ASQ-3 form which your Health Visitor will send you a few weeks before your child’s Progress Check. If your child attends a setting (Childminder, nursery, pre-school etc) you should let them know the date of your child’s Progress Check and ask them to provide input as you complete the form. You will then need to attend your child’s Progress Check along with your Early Years Practitioner (if relevant). Parent – what does the ASQ-3 look like? What will I have to do? The ASQ-3 encourages you to engage your child in fun activities (things you will probably already be doing with them) and to record their response. By doing this you will be reflecting on your child’s current progress and, where appropriate, asking for contributions from other professionals such as your child’s Childminder or key person in nursery. There are different versions of the ASQ-3 depending on your child’s age at the time of their review and allowances are made for premature babies. Parent – is the ASQ-3 and Integrated Review a test? No, the guidance materials seek to reassure you that the ASQ-3 is not a test to see what your child can and cannot do at the age of 2. It is an opportunity to share information about your child’s development with the Health Visitor so, if your child does need intervention or further support, it can be provided as early as possible in their life. Early Years Practitioner – what will I need to do? You should speak to parents when a child is 2 and ask them to let you know when information about their child’s Progress Check comes through the post. You will then need to write a Progress Check which covers the child’s learning in the prime areas – what they are doing and what you are working on next. You must involve parents in writing this check and ask them to sign it when it is completed. The check should be taken to the Health Visitor by parents and looked at during the meeting – when the Integrated Review is introduced in your Local Authority you might also be asked to attend. Health Visitor – what is the purpose of the Integrated Review? By involving everyone who is part of the child’s life, the Integrated Review aims to show the progress the child is making in both their learning and development at around age 2. If the child’s progress is less than expected, all agencies involved in their life along with their parents can work together to promote positive outcomes in health, wellbeing, learning, behaviour etc. Parent – what areas of my child’s learning and development will the Integrated Review cover? The Integrated Review will cover 5 areas – personal, social and emotional development; communication and language development; physical development and self-care (your Early Years Practitioner will comment on these in your child’s 2 year Progress Check); learning and cognitive development and physical health (the ASQ-3 form will cover these developmental areas). Parent – where will the information be recorded? Information from parents, heath visitors, early years providers and other agencies involved in the child’s life will be recorded on a page and placed in the child’s ‘red book’. The information will identify areas where the child is progressing well and areas where the child needs more support. Early Years Practitioner – will I have to go to the meeting? It depends on what your Local Authority decides they want you to do. In some of the Integrated Review pilot areas it was recognised that it was difficult to get everyone together at the same time, in the same place to have a meeting… so they were having a Progress Check with parents and the Health Visitor, including written information about the child from the Early Years Practitioner – and then sharing what happened with the Early Years Practitioner so any actions could be fed into the child’s planning. Parent – I don’t have time to attend meetings – can my Childminder take my child? It can normally be arranged for a Childminder to take a child to their 2 year review meeting. However, parents are encouraged to attend – they know their child best and are experts in what they can and cannot do. Early Years Practitioner – will we get training in this? It depends on your Local Authority. You can read the ASQ-3 form (it is online) and you are currently required to write 2 year Progress Checks for all children between the ages of 2 and 3 years – the only difference is that if your LA introduces the Integrated Review you might be asked along to a meeting about the child. You will be able to say ‘no’ if you cannot attend because of other commitments. Some Childminders in the pilot areas have offered to hold meetings in their homes but this might not be possible for the Health Visitor. Childminder – at the moment the Health Visitors ignore our 2 year Progress Checks There is some awareness, in some Local Authorities, that Health Visitors do not always regard Childminders as fellow professionals and refuse to read their 2 year Progress Checks when presented them by parents. Barriers will need to be broken down if the Integrated Review is to be a success. Childminders need to be aware that their statutory requirement ends when they have written the 2 year Progress Check alongside parents and given a copy to the parents (another copy must be placed in the child’s file). There is no requirement to give the Progress Check to or have it signed by the Health Visitor. Parent – what happens after the Integrated Review / Progress Check? Depending on what is decided during the Review meeting, the Health Visitor and Early Years Practitioner will continue to work with you to support your child’s learning and development. One of the main aims of the Integrated Review is to ensure it is a process of shared decision making. If there are concerns about your child’s learning and / or development, you might decide with their key person to make changes to your child’s individual planning in their early years provision or your Health Visitor might signpost other agencies who can support them. Further information about the Integrated Review NCB have published support materials here. There is also a toolkit for Local Authorities here. |
Author detailsHello! My name is Sarah Neville and I am an independent Ofsted registered childminder. Archives
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