CHCIC512A: Plan the inclusion of children
with additional needs
Consult with others about ongoing issues that
arise
Contents
Share information about progress amongst all concerned
3
Sharing information about children’s progress
Identify and discuss issues of concern
5
Establish and maintain information exchange with parents or
appropriate family/community members about the child’s needs
and care strategies
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Communication strategies
6
Ensuring communication strategies are effective
6
Seek and gain parental permission prior to consulting with
others regarding the child
8
Ensure communication occurs within a culturally and
linguistically responsive framework
9
Communicating in cross-cultural situations
2
3
9
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9372
© NSW DET 2010
Share information about progress
amongst all concerned
Activity 1
Sharing information about children’s
progress
Your biggest task as a childcare worker is communication. In order to do your job
effectively, you will be continually communicating with at least some of the
following people:
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early childhood staff
children’s services adviser
children
parents
extended family
management committee
speech pathologist
occupational therapist
physiotherapist
SUPS worker
ethnic worker
early childhood special educator
paediatrician
DoCS community worker
psychologist.
You will be sharing information with a great variety of people in working in
children’s services. As we all have different personalities and expectations, this
might not be as easy as it sounds. Yet many people think that because they can
talk, read and write that they are effective communicators.
For example, you may need to use a different style of language when talking to
different people. If you tell a child’s parents that ‘Liam’s fine motor skills in terms
of his pincer and palmer grasp is at the normative level of a nine-month-old child’,
this will not mean much. What are fine motor skills, let alone a pincer or palmer
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9372
© NSW DET 2010
3
grasp? What does ‘normative’ mean? While parents are unlikely to understand
these terms, the occupational therapist or service director would be very familiar
with them.
One of the biggest problems you will encounter when trying to communicate will
be gaining access to people. Now we are in 21st century, we all seem to be busier
than ever. Parents racing in and out to get to work may not be their most
receptive to your suggestions or may even say ‘yes’ to something without really
thinking it through. This, of course, can lead to problems later. So how do we let
parents, specialists and other professionals know what is happening?
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Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9372
© NSW DET 2010
Identify and discuss issues of concern
In working with children and families, issues and concerns always arise. We need
to take issues of concern seriously and ensure that we use appropriate
communication techniques and management strategies in responding to them.
Issues of concern are likely to range over a number of areas including caregiving
practices, the program, the staff or the service’s policies. In basic terms, a concern
is anything that impairs your ability to meet the child’s needs within the service.
Since concerns will continue to arise as you work with the child, it is important
that you quickly identify the issues (through effective communication and
grievance procedures) and implement strategies to address them.
Do you have any concerns about whether a child’s needs are being met?
The following strategies will assist you to identify and discuss issues of concern:
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Ensure there are clear channels of communication with families
Be approachable.
Be respectful of others’ beliefs and attitudes.
Consider issues from both sides.
Access other services for support and guidance.
Exchange information with parents about the child's needs and care
strategies on an ongoing basis.
Activity 2
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9372
© NSW DET 2010
5
Establish and maintain information
exchange with parents or appropriate
family/community members about the
child’s needs and care strategies
Communication strategies
Activity 3
Activity 4
Ensuring communication strategies are
effective
Have you ever heard people say, ‘But I told him that’ or ‘I’m positive I mentioned
that at our previous meetings’?
Unfortunately people do not always interpret what we say the same way and can
have very faulty memories. Whatever the case, communication can go completely
askew. Play the Chinese Whispers game and discover for yourself how easy it is
for communication to become distorted. In this game a large group of people sit
in a circle. One person whispers a message to their neighbour and the others pass
it along. By the time it has travelled full circle it is nothing like the original
message.
So how can we ensure that we are being effective when we communicate?
Active listening is a key skill involving the following actions:
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Summarise what the other person has said to ensure that you both share
the same understanding.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9372
© NSW DET 2010
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Really listen to what the other person is saying rather than thinking about
your own ideas or planning your next comment.
Ask the person to tell you their understanding of what you just said. You’ll
be amazed how often it is completely different from what you thought
you said.
Document as much as possible. While you must be accountable for your
actions and decisions, six months after the event it is very hard to
remember the reasons why you took a particular course of action. Keep a
reflective journal or note information in a communication book.
Effective communication
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9372
© NSW DET 2010
7
Seek and gain parental permission
prior to consulting with others
regarding the child
We each cope differently with the situations that confront us. Having a child with
an additional need can be very difficult for some families whereas for others it is
just part of everyday life.
Some families prefer that others do not know about their child’s additional need
either because they are concerned about what people might think or they believe
that it is no one else’s business. As early childhood workers, we need to maintain
the appropriate level of confidentiality requested by a family.
It is crucial that we have parents’ permission to exchange information with others
about a child and that parents fully understand what information is being sought.
Formal permission in writing must be placed in the child’s file including the names
and positions of the people involved and the dates on which the permission to
consult commences and finishes.
While sharing information between services benefits the child and the family as
well as the professional service involved, we always need to respect parents’
wishes.
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Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9372
© NSW DET 2010
Ensure communication occurs within
a culturally and linguistically
responsive framework
Communicating in cross-cultural
situations
Communication can take many forms. It can either be verbal or non-verbal. Your
own communication with others is just as important as knowing the preferred
communication methods of others. Some general communication strategies are
listed below.
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Use non-verbal communication along with verbal communication
wherever possible. Remember that non verbal communication can take
the form of body language, letters, notice boards, posters, photographic
displays etc.
Be aware of your own body language and observe others body language
during communication.
Accept and value other languages and other styles of communication
through your own words and actions.
Learn greetings and key words in other languages including the many
Aboriginal languages that still exist today.
Group of children saying 'gingahgali,' which is 'hello' in Bundjalung, an
Aboriginal language from far north New South Wales
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9372
© NSW DET 2010
9
We need to ensure that we communicate with families in ways that do not set up
cultural or linguistic barriers.
Some strategies to consider:
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Use interpreters where necessary. You may be able to use a family
member or an Interpreter Service
Remember with some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families the
extended family has as much responsibility for the raising of the child as
the mother and father so may want to be included in the communication
Research the culture of the family and ask about their individual family
culture so that you are aware of family roles, child expectations and
cultural courtesies eg acceptable body language, dress, eye contact etc
There following points are some barriers to families being involved in a service:
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Staff may have racist and negative attitudes.
Services may be institutionalised and impersonal.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may be fearful and shy about
talking to non-Aboriginal professionals who they see as being authority
figures. Families who have been affected by ‘the stolen generation’ have a
very real fear of their children being taken by authorities too.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may feel confusion about
professional procedures, the language professional’s use, or the ways
problems are discussed.
Typical questions asked by service providers might be seen as being
embarrassing and actually insensitive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9372
© NSW DET 2010