Providing an Enabling Environment for Children

Environment plays an important role in a child’s development and learning. Child’s experience at early age constitutes a major influence on his / her life in the future changes. Assurance, safety and a happy childhood is important. This provides a foundation for children reveal skills and talents as they get older. It is important to understand how each aspect of the environment influences the child’s life. Favorable environment encourages play, because children feel comfortable and relaxed. When children feel emotionally safe and secure, they are able to explore and find out about the place where they are and the things they can see, touch, manipulate or maneuver. Children develop and learn in the environment where their individual needs are expressed, as well as the relationships between the employees and them are positive. Positive environment helps a child to become independent and gain confidence in learning new skills and also achieve a sense of dependency.

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Environment is characterized by three aspects. It’s emotional environment, outdoor environment and indoor environment. These three aspects are the context for games and learning. The emotional environment is more than a physical space. This is because children share emotions as well as parents and members of staff. The emotional environment is an invisible tool to assess feelings. Sometimes it can be a feel-good factor when all the people in that environment feels good. And for others it may not pose such a positive feelings in an environment where people don`t feel happy. It is important to maintain positive feelings and tightened feel safe emotional environment, because if children feel safe and equally, they can express feelings in a safe knowledge and they know that their employees or parents are near and ready to help. The ways to teach children in which they speak and express feelings, allowing them visually express it safely, rather than hold tight it to yourself and leave it as a secret. It is important to express feelings safely and it can be easier resolved than those who remain unresolved.
Let’s talk about outdoor and indoor environments. So generous indoor environment has a direct impact on children’s learning and development quality. Comfortable, interesting and attractive interior environment which is suitable for use by children is known as a rich environment. This is the environment which becomes a second home for a child. There they sleep, play, eat or spend time by doing something else. Suitable environment is slightly different from the child’s age. For example, for a group ofchildren under two years old, is three and a half square meters of space per child required and from two to three-year-old c hild needs just two and a half square meters of space required. But I will discuss it more detailed a bit later. Most importantly, the environment where children feel happy and secure. Inside area must be carefully planned in order to accommodate a flexible and changing for child`s needs and interests. Resources should be of the highest quality. Such as drawing tools, toys or books. A significant benefit is learning outdoor. Ideal conditions, when the children have the opportunity to be outdoors every day, except when weather conditions are not favorable enough. Well, while they are out children are free to move, to breathe clean and fresh air and use all senses like sounds, colors, spaces and a sense of scale. The trust being outside is growing and by support children have the opportunity to play wide, to explain the problems and develop creativity with other children. Physical activity in outdoor environment is enhanced. Well, and the resources do not need to be expensive. This can be logs, boxes, old tires or anything else that encourages imagination and creativity using these resources in different ways. A good idea would be to establish a place of nature in where trees grow or can be ability to plant flowers. This creates greater contact with the natural world. Outdoor environment supports active learning. When this is combined with a peaceful place for reflection, it can really improve the lives of children.
Let’s move on to the next important issue. This is a safe but challenging environment. What is it and what it brings to children? I will discuss the factors you need to consider when planning a safe but challenging environment. The meaning is that the child must be safe, but has a challenging environment. Because it increases the life skills which has a positive impact on all aspects of development. Creating an environment child increases self-confidence and allows him / her to see the deeper perspectives of life decisions. It is vitally important to have a safe environment in preventing incidents and reducing the risk. Parents do not need to worry about any hazard but feel calm. Each activity involves certain risks and the likelihood of children must learn how to deal with it. They need to see and survive, suffer the consequences, when absent careful. It is important to teach children to accept personal risk assessment and think about the possible consequences of their actions. Adults should teach children safely use the equipment. It is important to protect children from harm and danger conscious when allowed to develop independently. We are surrounded by hazards and risk, so we need to evaluate risk. The environment risk in the setting is minimal, but it is important to know. What is the difference between risk and hazard is easy to understand. This is a concept which is the relationship between. So, there is a potential risk of injury causes and risk of injury is more likely. If all other factors are equal, in particular position of people and entities to, then the risk is proportional to the degree of risk. Nevertheless, all other factors are very rarely equal. The risk of doing something that has a chance of bad development. A hazard is something that is a bad influence on the development. As we see the difference between these two concepts are not big because they influence each other. This means that the chance to influence the risk of an event or a cause is 50:50. The danger is that what influences incident such as liquid spills on the floor. It is very important for risk assessment. This work, which has a potential to cause injury to people needs careful observation. There are five basic steps that will help to assess the hazards in the work environment. The first thing to identify, characterize, and then find out how to deal with who can be injured. The third step is to remove risk precautionary decision. Fourth step and record the findings of their realization and evaluation and finally review and update if necessary. I will tell an example of how to manage the risk assessment. So, there are people who are reported to risk assessments. This can be a room leader. Hazards such as subsidence due to the mess is resolved simply by removing toys from the floor, when not in use. Also mats are cleaned every day and spills immediately cleared. Wash the bedding at least once a week and given to the appropriate child. Managers will advise what the potential risks are. A big plus is to hold meetings and discuss about it. Everyone who works in the nursery is responsible for security. Observation at changing conditions of risk assessment is needed. If you noticed a dangerous situation, it is necessary to report it.
As we can clearly see, the practitioner`s role is important. Let’s start from the environment. A practitioner has to monitor the environment, develo it to be advantageous. This person must create environment for the child which promotes the child’s development. This staff member has to provide a positive environment for all children’s needs including physical, language, emotional and social. Environment must take individual needs of the child, stimulate, provide opportunities for any type of games and activities. It must also meet the positive social interaction and physical development. When the children are older, the practitioner can help children understand how they can protect themselves, how to comply with the safety requirements, and what they do. I will speak more about this a little bit later. The emotional environment provides an ability for children to express their feelings, they are more likely to explore the knowledge and feel safe. So practitioner should encourage a children to express their feelings and allow them to talk and develop active listening skills. A practitioner has a very important role on daily activities. There are other people who are great assistance. Including General manager, health visitor, a pediatrician, social workers, dentists, psychotherapists, speech and language therapist, emergency service and other agencies, such as Ofsted. A brief description of the main responsibilities of a teacher or a health visitor is that those people managers you. Health and safety officer monitors and provides procedures for records and reports. Local manager makes decitions on the removal of barriers of health and safety. And as I said all employees report any information relating to health and safety. Well, on health and safety issues employees have many duties and responsibilities. An employee takes care of the safety of children while they are playing, also draws attention to the room lighting, furniture, security, hot seasons arrange for the safety of children, such as put suncream when children go outside, advised to wear hats and so. Also, as I mentioned earlier worker prepares records, evaluate safety. Potential hazards to health, safety and protection of the work environment is diverse, including lighting, temperature, tired rooms, ventilation, toleto premises and the like. Then the employee starts work he / she must be informed about health, safety and security procedures. He / she must report about their individual needs, desires, preferences and choices. This is in order to ensure safety. It is important to act in accordance with the role and limits the personal liability of relations to solve health and safety issues when necessary. No less important aspect is the report on health and safety issues and let the right people to complete the safety and health records according to legal and organizational requirements. Risk reduction and work with others is necessary in order to minimize the risk of potential risks in the setting. The employee must ensure that their personal health and hygiene is not a threat to others. Similarly, a person working in the nursery must ensure that the right people aware of his whereabouts at all times. Health hazards and safety inspection and security risks at work is required in taking appropriate action if there were expected incident, injury or trauma. Health and safety is the most important factor speculating the appropriate environment for learning and development. Let`s have a look at regulatory requirements that must be followed for the organization of the environment for children. As I mentioned, all suppliers are required to perform the requirements of space environment, as well as the proportion of workers. These requirements shall be calculated with Ofsted, the place registered and they give the maximum allowed number of children to be in the setting at the same time. The staff coefficient ensures the safety of children, as well as children can be observed in their surroundings. As I wrote earlier calculate the area of child age groups takes an important part. Children under two years of age must have a three and a half square meter for each child group located. Also, children of this age group have at least one qualified employee with level 3 of child care and at least half of the staff trained to work with babies and children up to two years. And also three children through ratio has at least one qualified personnel. A group of children from two to three years through ratio four children have at least one qualified employee. Children in the age group of three years and older are required by a qualified worker for eight children and one child found the space of two and three-tenths square meters. Indoor environment of children from birth to three years should have an ability to monitor older children and that is how children get the social and emotional development. Well, from three to five years age group rooms could be replaced by a script of play and exploration. Well, and the outdoor environment is also different for children ages recommendations. The main thing is the social, intellectual, physical and emotional development. It is recommended to use safety equipment such as protective plug sockets, radiator protection, window protection, locked gates, high chair or stair gate. When planning the organization’s environment all fire exits should be kept clean, the furniture does not interfere with the children, a place for children to sleep should be separate and most importantly, all the areas should be visible to the employee. There are laws to be respected. These are the basic laws. First is Health and Safety at work act, 1974 which provides a framework for ensuring the health and safety of all employees in any work activity. Next one is Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations ( COSHH) and these regulations require employers to assess and prevent the risks to health from use of any hazardous substances used in workplace. So obligations to employers are to assess the risks, decide what precautions are needed, ensure that control measures are utilised and maintained, monitor exposure, etc. and the other regulations which are designed to bring the United Kingdom into line with European laws are The Healt and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), Fire Precaution (Workplace) Regulations 1997 and The Food Handling Regulations 1995.
Security controlled actions must be such as: supervised who have a right to be in that environment, used to validate the methods and procedures when there is a risk of potentially promising activity, including the correct movement and storage techniques wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment. It is important to take appropriate and immediate action. Such as the use and storage of equipment and materials, when you want to deal with such things as spills or debris dispositive. These examples require hygiene.
Finally, it would be a good idea to include grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives. It shows respect for the individual needs of children and families and combines their characteristics and communication with members. This will also helps to feel at home as well as allowing to settle and explore. The wider community also plays an important role in children’s learning and development. When a child is determined by what he / she needs to, other professionals are vital to their care, training and development, and they are ready work with other professionals.