Inclusive Practice In Roehampton: Promoting Equality Of Opportunities

What is inclusive practice and how does it promote equality of opportunity?

Inclusive practice is the approach of teaching that realizes the diversity in people and enables them to participate in learning activities irrespective of their diversification. Through this practice, every individual, be it young children, students or adults is given an access to course contents and are guided to demonstrate their acquired knowledge and strengths. The process helps to enhance the learning experience of people and helps them to change their attitudes and behaviors to promote their development as a whole (Yan & Sin, 2014). These practices try to identify the needs and interests of the people, especially the young children to foster their learning processes and development. The chief notion of the inclusive practices is to ensure equality of opportunities for the people and render the highest achievement for the children. The UK Government has been initiating and funding various organizations and authorities to render free education and other essential services, focusing mainly the young children so that they are not differentiated and are given equal opportunities to prosper in life. Along with all the other parts of the country, various authorities have been integrating inclusive practices in Roehampton to promote welfare and equal opportunities to the people of the region that has been discussed in the essay. 

The professionals who are working with the children can be divided broadly into three categories. These are the health professionals, the social welfare workers and the educators who work with the children in their early life. In this part of the country there is an emphasis on the growth of the children’s mind in a holistic and comprehensive manner giving them the chance to develop and grow in their fullest potential. The children in their early years are deeply influenced by philosophies and teachings that they come across. Therefore the childcare professionals are to be at their best in giving the children the healthiest environment to achieve the targeted knowledge accumulation. Treating the children equally is one of the pillars of childcare in early life, however this does not mean to not recognize the different needs of the different children, and this actually signifies that the individual child will be given the amount of attention needed. Accepting people as they are and treating them with no differences serve to be the underlying motive in the operational inclusive practices (Florian & Spratt, 2013). This helps children to identify themselves as an integral part of the society, valuing own self and making efforts to attain a prosperous and happy life. They thus, initiate all the necessary methods and programs, respecting varying beliefs and cultures of people to promote equal opportunities for them without any differences.

The services in this locality working together and promoting inclusive practice

People varying in cultures, ethnicity, social background and languages form the population of Roehampton, a suburban district in southwest London. Due to the leading global concern of equal treatment to people, a number or local authorities and services have been shaping up in the different localities all over the nation to aid the social cause (Wingate, 2015). In Roehampton, the famous Roehampton University there are dedicated courses for early childcare and childhood studies (University of Roehampton, 2018). They have a special provision that relates to the basic childcare and education program. The early childhood education that the university provides aim to guide the intrinsic creativity of the children (Cheminais, 2013). The childcare education program of the University is supported by the “Froebel Archive for Childhood Studies”. The students who graduate with this course leaves the university with a great knowledge of early childhood care and education. This has helped the local area to be filled with professionals in childcare. This has an overall impact on the quality of childcare in Roehampton. The three categories of professionals required for this field as already mentioned are, healthcare specialist, social care experts and early childhood educators. The training at the university mainly focuses on the educators and social care experts among these three groupd of professionals in early childhood care. The various categories which are focused in this course are “Working with under 3s”, “Working with 3-8 year olds”, “Working with Children and families”, and “Working for children and families”. To be a professional in the early childhood care the professionals have to be expert in dealing with not only the children but also with their family members and the community. This requires them to be proficient in sociological and psychological theories. Often there are conflicts and struggles in the family that may hamper the healthy upbringing of the child in a way that will help him or her realize their fullest potential. However the childcare professionals are expected and required to help the children in growing up in a harmonious environment. That may require the professionals to have conversation and counseling sessions with the family members of the young children so that the problems may be resolved. 

The important question to address in this regard is What is inclusive practice and how does it promote equality of opportunity? Since any association or foundation, including Neighborhood Authorities, medical caregivers and organisations, instructive foundations, the police benefit, deliberate associations and working environments, that supports and promotes consideration illustrates that it esteems everything about the general population required inside it. Inclusivity sustains a feeling of prosperity and of trust in ones claim personality and capacities. And it guarantees that everybody can accomplish their potential and assume their legitimate position in the public arena. Research has demonstrated that specific components diminish the probability of building up a feeling of having a place and living an upbeat and beneficial life. There are two types of segregation, immediate and indirect. Coordinate segregation happens when somebody is purposefully treated unjustifiably, for instance provocation based on skin color or belief and faith. Backhanded segregation happens when principles or rules intended to apply to everybody accidentally influence one gathering of individuals more than others. For instance, an organization arrangement requiring everybody to work night moves in a roundabout way victimizes single individuals who administer to elderly relatives, and menus that fall flat to offer a choice of nourishment in a roundabout way is biased against individuals with particular dietary needs or inclinations. Inclusive practice is about the states of mind, approaches and systems taken to guarantee that individuals are most certainly not rejected or segregated. It implies supporting diversity by tolerating and respecting individuals’ disparities, and advancing equality by guaranteeing square with open doors for all. Inclusive practice is best practice. Wellbeing and social care specialists show inclusive practice by working in ways that perceive, regard, esteem and make the most of all parts of diversity. Having a sound familiarity with and reacting delicately to a person’s assorted needs supports them in building up a feeling of having a place, prosperity and certainty in their personality and capacities. And it causes them to accomplish their potential and assume their legitimate position in the public arena. Inclusive practice includes having an understanding of the tragic effect that separation, inequality and social prohibition can have on a person’s physical and psychological well-being. Having such an understanding guarantees proper, customized care and support, in this way empowering a person to create selfrespect and keep up an esteemed part in the public arena. Since individuals who neglect to help diversity or advance equality are generally altogether unconscious of their mentalities and the effect of their conduct, inclusive practice includes reflecting on and testing ones claim preferences, practices and work practices. It additionally includes testing those of partners and other administration suppliers, with a view to adjusting methods for considering and working and to changing administrations to expand on great practice and to better help diversity and advance equality. Segregation is a bad form and has decimating impacts. The UK has set up various bits of enactment (laws), rules, controls, direction records and statutory codes of practice, all of which are proposed to advance diversity, guarantee equality and end separation. As it were they are set up to advance everybody’s entitlement to reasonable and approach treatment, paying little mind to their contrasts.

How are the children and families viewed by these services and what is prioritized for them?

The next question that may be raised is How are the services in this locality working together and promoting inclusive practice? Apart from the University, there are multiple numbers of local authorities functioning in the various parts of the United Kingdom making efforts to reduce discrimination and any kind of disadvantages that presently prevails in the childcare scenario of the area (Hatton, 2013). In Greater London England, the most popular local authority Wandsworth London Borough Council works for the welfare of the children and people (Gov.uk, 2018). Roehampton forms the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. The Wandsworth council thus, promotes welfare to the young children and their families of Roehampton along with multiple other places for better living and secured future of the people. Children in England are entitled to have free and quality education following their third birthday (Bradshaw, 2016). The Wandsworth council school, also known as the maintained school provides basic education to the young children of the locality. Children who have moved to England and lack citizenship of the country are also entitled to get the free education. Inclusiveness is the main objective of all the authorities and everyone works towards a better and inclusive service scenario. 

How does the children and families are viewed by these services and what is prioritized for them can be discussed in this section, The one particular children service to be discussed in this regard is the role of educators in the early childhood of the children. This implies mainly to the primary teachers and the playgroup mentors. These professionals also have to be knowledgeable about social issue as already mentioned. These professionals work in the primary schools and the daycare and children centers and also serve as “nannies” visiting the home of the children. What is required for this profession is high level of patience, and perseverance. It is imperative for the child care professionals to know the psychological dimensions of the children in order to deal with them in an ideal way. The Children centres indulge in inclusive practices focusing on helping children with proper health and learning. They are nurtured to mix freely with others and relish high quality play. They also provide aid to those children who have family problems and incorporate sessions with parents to develop the child. The various children centre supports children to perform better when they attain school in the later stage. The council has a provision for special education for the children as well and is involved in the preparations and implementation of the Special Education Needs and Development (SEND) Reforms. The SEND reform is a very crucial aspect of the UK government that lies in part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. The local authorities of Roehampton send children to the schools under the Wandsworth council that has seven special schools and is collaborated with twelve other mainstream schools. These schools provide aids to children having moderate learning difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, problems in language and communication, speech and hearing disorders and such other issues.

The ACCESS Child and Youth Mental Health Service help children and young people up to the age of 18 years that aids the people of Roehampton as well (Fis.wandsworth.gov.uk, 2018). The service is for those who are suffering from mental disorders and helps the young generation to improve their emotional well-being. Through conversations with the child and their families, the authority tries to detect the psychological problems and distress that the person is suffering from (Peer & Reid, 2016). With efficient mental health professionals, they help the person to stabilize the mental condition and regain their normal life. The CAMHS Team also helps people suffering from mental illnesses including efficient child and adolescent psychiatrists, systematic family therapists, clinical doctors and others.

Wandsworth’s Family Information Service (FIS) is a free resource for young people with special need and serious disabilities. FIS provide education family support and other helps to the families who have children from 0-19 years in Roehampton and provide the services for 25 years. St. George’s University Hospitals under the NHS Foundation Trust serves to more than 1.3 million people across the South-west London (Stgeorges.nhs.uk, 2018). It renders a large number of services including cardio, medicine, neuroscience surgery and many others. St. George’s Hospitals has a full range of community services to patients of all ages and all communities. Thus, it accounts to inclusive practices with the connotation of equal treatment to the people coming here.

The Youth Support Services also aid to the children from 0-19 years and even up to the age of 25 when there are learning difficulties observed in the people (Jones et al., 2014). Out of the 11 youth clubs operating in Borough, Roehampton also has the aid of it. Through their Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) program, these clubs try to help the young generation who are facing difficulties such as dropping out of school, getting indulged in criminal activities and such others. The services are delivered in areas covering entire Wandsworth and have an area office at Roehampton to look into their proper functioning.

The professionals who are engaged in early childhood teaching service are expected to perform a variety of roles. In this age the role of the early childhood educator is more of a guide rather than being a teacher who just imparts academic knowledge to the children. A guide is expected to train the children in an all pervading and overall manner instead of focusing on just the academic aspect of learning. The guide is also expected to protect the children from any form of physical or mental harm, therefore the role is also of a protector apart from being the ideal guide. The early childhood educators are expected to explore the interests of the children and judge on their ability to perform various co-curricular activities apart from the more serious academic ventures. The educator is also expected to keep on learning himself or herself throughout the process and enhance the skills to understand the psyche of the students in a better way. The experiences must be shared with the children who must feel that the learning experience is shared. The early childhood educators and care givers are expected to make the students go through the learning process in an interactive learning environment where the process of learning is not only informative but also interesting in the early childhood it is very important the children find the learning process interesting. This will help them in broadening their perspectives and developing their IQ. Various props and materials can be used in order to support the learning process of the children in their early childhood. These can be toys or any other interesting and colorful props including books, graphical leaflets and posters.

The educators throughout their working hours have to communicate with a wide variety of people related to the children including “parents, children, support staff, the general public, and administrators”. Therefore it is essential and imperative for these professionals to be great communicators. They must also be experts in understanding the psychology of these people in order to effectively communicate with them. The educators must be prepared for management functions and official responsibilities such as “Paperwork, lesson planning, preparing materials, classroom management, people management, problem solving and critical resolution of issues”.  It is even tougher to manage a classroom than to manage an office of grown up people.  The pre-schools in today’s times have to follow strict governmental rules and regulations so that maximum care of the children can be taken in a comprehensive manner. The early year childhood professionals have to be aware about the intricacies of the governmental and administrative regulations about the field.  The early childhood teachers and educators are most of the time working with young children who are 3 to 5 years old. This is the most complicated age for teaching the children, as they are at their very beginning stage of acquiring knowledge and any wrong method would be leaving lasting impact in their minds. The environment must be kept very safe and conducive for learning. The safety issue is applied to even the smallest matters such as the toys with which the children will play. In Roehampton pre-schools and childcare centers these aspects are strictly taken care of and the childcare courses at the above mentioned University prepare the educators in all the above mentioned aspects.

Apart from the individual educators the government authorities are also extending their support to help the children to develop in their early life learning. The primary focus of all the authorities operating in the district of Roehampton is to provide equal opportunities to the children along with their families to have a happy living. They work with the chief motive to set a fair society by providing equal opportunities to the people of the community and treating them equally as compared to the other inhabitants of the society (Adams & Bell, 2016).  The authorities strive to protect them from social hazards such as sexual violence, domestic violence, exploitation, lack of medical treatments and other aspects that harm the people drastically. The early life educators along with the authorities in tandem try to bring them to the positive light of life helping them to stay protected from over consumption of alcohol, drugs and engagement in ill activities. They view each child to be precious and equal to one another and aim to provide them with sufficient educational and health facilities so that they grow up to have a proper livelihood. They try to deal individually with the people and the children and strive to work in consultation and collaboration with the families (O’Loughlin & O’Loughlin, 2016). The early life educators view every individual to be productive and equally efficient treating whom equally renders opportunity for them to fulfill their potential. They not only aim to provide equal opportunity by eradicating discrimination on grounds of sexuality, religion, race or disability but also try to identify their needs and aspirations. This enables the people along with the younger generation to invest their energies in a productive way. Viewing each individual to be as important as others, the early childhood educators must be in constant engagement to initiate and integrate methods in order to promote equality and diversity in the services that they could provide to the young people. Thus, all the services are rendered prioritizing the value of each life and providing wellbeing of all the young children that ultimately indicates a progressive and developed society. 

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