Using an Understanding of Child Development in Child Care Assessments

Participants will be offered the opportunity to:

• Understand the developmental stages and transitions experienced by children and young people and be able to use this knowledge to appropriately assess and meet children’s needs
• Understand the way in which the child’s brain develops and how brain development and brain chemistry is affected by close relationships
• Develop knowledge of language development and its subsequent impact on cognitive development
• Understand the factors that influence child development, including parenting styles, the environment and the community within which a child is living
• Reflect on the importance of considering family history and functioning in relation to assessment
• Develop an understanding of the process of making a professional judgement in the assessment process
• Practice child observation skills and understand importance as stated in Serious Case Reviews
• Understand the relevance of this knowledge to the assessment framework and care planning
• Develop an understanding of the impact of parenting capacity on child development, particularly in relation to substance misuse, domestic abuse and mental health
• Create a plan to take into the work environment using new knowledge and skills gained.