Early Years Education and Children With Disabilities

archaean Years Education and Children With DisabilitiesPartnership and corporation e.g. received Start or machinate paymentIntroductionThe local anesthetic anaesthetic presidential term Act of 2000 requires whole local authorities to consult with all an other(prenominal) appropriate bodies when they ar considering strategies for education and c atomic number 18 in the community. This military strength to service provision is termed partnership. The Local Authority may call on representatives from service providers, businesses, the voluntary sphere of influence, and community groups, as they see fit in order to provide a joined-up go about to c be in the community. This approach applies to health operate, community and social c be services, job centres and education. Such local strategic partnership should as well as involve, and take on board the views of, forces in the community. Partnerships that be formed in aras where social deprivation, social ejection and hea lth inequalities exist leave behind need to examine ways of extensioning much(prenominal) problems within that community.1Participation refers to the part played by individuals in a community in end making within local partnerships. rime of governing departments, voluntary sector organisations, and community groups are in bargain that kidskinren and immature people should sop up more involvement in decision making, in this way they participate in the plans for their future. It is envisaged that such(prenominal) conjunction result lead to change that benefits young people and the wider community.2 The Children and Young Peoples Participation Project (CHYPP) believes that involving young people in the decision plow entrust only be achieved through effective partnership working.3 Partnership, as already outlined, and incorporated in the Sure Start initiative agency that the information on a child and its family leave behind be dual-lane with other professionals. The Childrens Trust Phase 1 report run aground that some professionals were concerned about information sharing because of entropy security. Parents, however, were in favour of greater co-operation between agencies and of information sharing providing the security of data was protected.This paper bequeath assess Government discourses of partnership and conflict by looking at the inclusion of children with disabilities in the too soon eld sector and whether this is ruff achieved through initiatives such as Surestart or through Direct Payments.The early geezerhood of a childs life are the most important in terms of their general well being, their frantic and social development, and their physical, intellectual and emotional growth. A really high residual of what children learn takes place in the first five to seven old age of life. Children, whether or not they expect disabilities, develop at different rates. What happens in the home is extremely important to development in ea rly childhood. thither is likewise a growing perception that this is a time when children are most open to high quality dole out and learning experiences. In light of this Government bedevil developed policy for the early years that aims to provide a full and comprehensive range of services for the very young. In line with its initiatives on social inclusion the Government also encourages a more integrated approach to services for children with disabilities or other particular inevitably.In 1999 Early Years Development and child condole with Partnerships were stripe up in each local authority to promote the amplification of early years education. Delivery of services was to be co-ordinated through Sure Start, local authorities and voluntary organisations.The Government instald Sure Start Childrens centres in the most deprived areas. These were designed to combine nursery provision, practice information and family jump out on one site.The Sure Start Childrens Centre progra mme is based on the concept that providing integrated education, care, family support and health services are key factors in determining easily outcomes for children and their parents. The concept itself is not a new one. Sure Start Childrens Centres are about building on existing good practice, kind of than starting afresh.4At Sure Start Centres under the new regulations parents go forth be able to access all the information they need and will be able to participate in the decisions that affect them and their children. However, the plan to introduce multi-agency working throughout childhood and to document young peoples progress from early years on into the workforce suggests increasing government control of peoples lives. The document Every Child Matters pledges an put across of the early years sector and more and better provision.5 These policies were introduced in an hear to encourage greater participation and combat social ejection, however it is Billingtons (2000) cont ention that current practice tends to pathologise rather than celebrate and incorporate difference. business leader relations that are reproduced in the everyday actiones of social interaction which are generated by governments and institutions need to be resisted as they tend to support the pathologising of difference.In November 2005 the first piece of legislation relating to early years provision the childcare Bill was introduced in Parliament. to a lower place this Bill parents panorama of high quality childcare and childrens services for the under fives will become enshrined in law.The Bill aims to achieve greater user participation and flag the parents of children with disabilities more say in the provision of care. Nutbrown (2004) suggests that the multitude of early years policy developments in the UK in recent years have had an impact on the effective inclusion of children with disabilities or other special educational take into pre-school settings. Under the 1970 C hronically Sick and incapacitate Persons Act social services have a profession to find out who are the people with disabilities, how many there are in their area and what help it can give people. It also has a duty to publish details of its services and to inform clients of their rights in relation to such services.6 The 1995 DDA covers everyone with a mental or physical disability. The needs of disable children are also covered by legislation relating to special educational needs (sen) as identified in the 1996 Education Act. All LEAs and educational settings have duties under this act. SEN duties are integrated with the duties defined in the DDA which focuses on the remotion of barriers, increased access and prevention of discrimination. The 1996 Education Act specifies that all those professionals heterogeneous with the needs of a child are required to provide advice to LEAs so that they can make decisions about a childs educational needs and placement. The Act states thatDis abled children should not be treated slight favourably than other children.Ad providedments should be made to accommodate disabled children in the settingIncrease access to the physical environmentThe curriculum essential be accessible to disabled childrenIntegrated partnership working to chink continuity for disabled childrenRegular suss out of policies and practice to anticipate and address barriers for disabled children.Despite such legislation not all childcare centres are equipped to deal with the needs of children with disabilities and numbers of them do not have sufficient funding for a designated SENCO to address the needs of such children.Government claim that the new Childcare Bill means that parents will be able to choose the services that best suit their needs. They will be able to access services provided through Surestart Centres even though they may not live an area covered by Surestart. Under the terms of the Bill all Local regime must break the well-being of yo ung children and reduce inequalities in relation to Being intelligent physical and mental health and emotional well-beingStaying safe shelter from harm and neglectEnjoying and achieving education, training and recreationMaking a substantiating contribution to society support for the vulnerable and positive outlooks accessible and scotch well-being parents in employmentIntegrated early childhood services must include Early years provision (integrated childcare and early education)Social servicesRelevant health services e.g. health visitors, ante-natal, post-natal careServices provided by Jobcentre Plus to assist parents to obtain work knowledge services (under the revised duty in clause 12) (Every Child Matters Childcare Bill 20052).The Bill promises to put early childhood education at the centre of Local Authority Activity. Targeted Surestart funding will be utilise so that child centres can be sustained for the long term. then giving more resources to local communities t o tailor these services to meet the needs of local people. The Bill states that Local Authorities will need to have specific regard for the childcare element of Working Tax citation and for childcare that is suitable for disabled children (Childcare Bill, 20054). The Authority will need to review the childcare needs of everyone in their area while paying particular proposition attention to the needs of those families who may have a child with disabilities. The Government is determined, through its introduction of Childcare Trusts, to encourage greater participation of families and young people in the decision making process.Under the Health and Social Care Act 2001, following assessment parents of children with disabilities are entitled to come up to payments in lieu of social services in an attempt to give them greater choice and flexibility in the care of their children. In 2003 parents of children with special needs were issued with a guidance booklet on how to get the best val ue in care and services and how to interview and employ carers themselves. Families with disabled children would also be entitled to a key worker so that they have one point of contact for information regarding their entitlement and choice of care. Government guidelines recommend that the best way of use Direct Payments should be intractable by Local Authority Partnership schemes and participating users who would then fade up a plan that best suited their local needs. The Guidelines also recommend that Authorities produce promotional material with respect to the benefits of using Direct Payments. Parents who have children with disabilities and who use direct payments to access services are still entitled to regular assessments of their situation by the Local Authority. final stageRecent policy making encourages partnership between organisations and greater participation of service users in decision making. At the same time such policies might be viewed by some social workers as j ust another form of social control where Government and other agencies taste control over peoples lives from the cradle to the grave. Although Government are providing more childcare and more inclusive measures for those families who may have children with disabilities, and this is to be applauded, other aspects of this policy making may result in the exclusion of those who most need help.While the Government maintains (Direct Payments Guidelines 2003) that people will have a choice whether to receive Direct payments or to access care through social services, at the same time it is incumbent on Local Authorities to increase the number of people in pass along of Direct Payment and this will be monitored by the Government. It is arguably the role that Direct Payments are just another move in the process of dismantling welfare provision in this country. Monitory Local Authorities in this way is usually a result of budgetary concerns and so it seems fair to postulate the Government a re cutting costs under the banner of providing greater choice.Referenceshttp//www.surestart.gov.uk/surestartservices/settings/surestartchildrenscentres/http//66.102.9.104/search?q= hoardPV4FziMsekYJwww.rcu.gov.uk/articles/news/everychildmatters.pdf+every+child+mattershl=enhttp//www.after16.org.uk/pages/law5.htmlhttp//www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1133744http//www.participationworks.org.uk/Categories/Findoutabouttheimpactofparticipation/tabid/76/Default.aspxBillington, T. 2000 Separating, Losing and Excluding Children Narratives of Difference New York, Routledge.Nutbrown, C. 2004 ed. Research Studies in Early Childhood Education London, Trentham Books11 http//www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=11337442 http//www.participationworks.org.uk/Categories/Findoutabouttheimpactofparticipation/tabid/76/Default.aspx3 http//www.participationworks.org.uk/AboutParticipationWorks/tabid/58/Default.aspx4 http//www.surestart.gov.uk/surestartservices/settings/surestartchildrenscentres/5 http//66.102.9.104/se arch?q=cachePV4FziMsekYJwww.rcu.gov.uk/articles/news/everychildmatters.pdf+every+child+mattershl=en6 http//www.after16.org.uk/pages/law5.html