4.1. Explain how own working practice can affect children and young people’s development

This guide will help you answer 4.1. Explain how own working practice can affect children and young people’s development.

The way you work with children and young people has a direct influence on their development. How you communicate, behave, and handle responsibilities can shape their emotional, social, and cognitive growth. This includes supporting their confidence, ensuring inclusivity, or even unintentionally limiting their potential through poor habits or lack of awareness.

Every interaction can affect a child’s daily learning experience. It is important not to underestimate the impact of small actions. In this guide, we will provide some examples of how your working practices can affect their development in different areas.

Building Trust and Positive Relationships

Children and young people benefit enormously when professionals build warm and trusting relationships with them. If you demonstrate fairness, consistency, and kindness, children develop feelings of safety and security. This creates a foundation for learning and growth.

A child who feels valued becomes more confident to try new things. They are more likely to participate in activities, express opinions, and take healthy risks that support development. Working in an affectionate and respectful way can encourage them to form meaningful relationships with others as well.

If, on the other hand, your approach seems indifferent or dismissive, this can harm a child’s confidence. They might avoid engaging or feel reluctant to seek help, which could impact their ability to achieve developmental milestones.

Promoting Effective Communication

How you communicate sets an example for the children in your care. Using clear, respectful, and age-appropriate language helps children develop their own communication skills. Modelling active listening shows them that their opinions and ideas matter.

Good communication doesn’t just improve their language and literacy skills. It also supports emotional development. When you respond to their feelings with empathy, you teach children how to manage emotions and interact compassionately with others.

If you unintentionally model poor communication, however, the opposite might occur. For example, shouting or using negative language could teach a child that aggression is acceptable. Similarly, ignoring their contributions could make them feel unheard, which might stifle their development in confidence and self-expression.

Encouraging Independence

Encouraging children to take small responsibilities fosters independence and resilience. Whether it’s allowing them to make choices about activities, helping tidy up, or encouraging them to explore a task themselves, this builds problem-solving skills. It also creates a positive self-image as they see themselves as capable individuals.

If your working practice is overly controlling, you may unintentionally limit independence. For example, completing tasks for a child instead of helping them attempt it independently could leave them underdeveloped in self-reliance or critical thinking. The balance between offering support and letting them try is a vital area to reflect upon.

Providing Inclusive Opportunities

A cornerstone of good practice is creating an inclusive environment. All children, regardless of culture, background, or ability, need equal access to growth opportunities. Failing to adapt activities or resources could restrict a child’s development.

For example, if materials are not accessible to a child with special educational needs, they may feel excluded and lose interest in both the activity and learning generally. On the other hand, demonstrating inclusion helps children develop social awareness and an understanding of diversity. Properly adapted working practices give every child the tools they need to succeed.

Modelling Positive Behaviour

You are a role model, and children learn a significant amount through observation. By modelling good behaviour, such as patience or good manners, you provide them with a template for developing their character.

If you demonstrate respect during disagreements or show appreciation for others’ ideas, children are likely to mirror these behaviours in their own interactions. This boosts social development and emotional maturity.

Conversely, if you exhibit inappropriate behaviours, such as favouritism, children might copy these negative patterns. This could lead to unhealthy peer relationships or frustration.

Boosting Emotional Support

Children’s emotional development hinges on the emotional environment you create. Offering consistent support to children helps them understand how to regulate their feelings. Being approachable and calm when they are upset shows them ways to process emotions in a healthy way.

For example, if a child is anxious, your reassurance can help ease their stress. This might prevent long-lasting issues around anxiety or self-doubt. The absence of emotional support, however, may cause a child to internalise difficulties, making them feel unsafe or unsupported.

Encouraging and Celebrating Achievements

Praising individual progress, big or small, boosts children’s self-esteem tremendously. Validation from a trusted adult helps them feel proud. It also motivates them to try harder, knowing that their efforts are appreciated.

For example, saying, “Well done for solving that puzzle!” reinforces problem-solving skills and curiosity. Celebrating achievements also encourages goal-setting and resilience. Ignoring milestones or failing to celebrate successes, on the other hand, may leave the child feeling ignored or unimportant.

Adhering to Safeguarding Policies

Your practice has a major impact on children’s safety and wellbeing. Ensuring safeguarding procedures are followed, such as supervising outdoor play areas or reporting concerns, protects them. Creating an environment where children feel safe ensures they can focus on development rather than worry.

Working practices that overlook safeguarding responsibilities can place children at serious risk of harm. Even minor oversights can lead to physical or emotional damage, which could impact their development far into adulthood.

Being a Lifelong Learner Yourself

If you regularly improve your own knowledge and skills, children benefit. This might mean staying updated on educational approaches, attending training, or engaging with colleagues to reflect on your work. Learning more about supporting children’s learning naturally improves your working practice, leading to a more positive developmental impact.

Failing to invest in your own growth could lead to outdated methods or missed chances to better support those in your care. For example, a lack of awareness about a child’s cultural needs might cause accidental exclusion. Therefore, being open to improvement helps enhance your practice continuously.

Creating a Balanced Environment

Your working practice also determines how structured or flexible the environment feels. Children need a healthy balance between routine and freedom. When environments are overly restrictive, children may feel stiffled. In comparison, minimal structure might lead to chaotic surroundings where children struggle to focus.

For example, over-scheduling might deny them valuable free playtime, which limits creativity and independent exploration. On the other hand, consistent but flexible routines provide children with the safety of predictability, while still giving them room to express themselves freely.

Recognising and Supporting Individual Needs

Every child is unique. Identifying and catering to these differences ensures no one is left behind. For instance, some children might need extra time to process instructions, while others may thrive with new challenges. Tailoring your approach ensures that developmental progress is maximised.

Ignoring individual needs could disadvantage some children. For example, failing to notice that a child prefers visual learning might mean they struggle with lessons delivered verbally. Adjusting your practices to meet such needs removes obstacles in their development.

Final Thoughts

The way you work directly impacts the development of the children you support. Positive working practices boost confidence, skills, and emotional health. They also create safer and more inclusive learning spaces.

Think about how you communicate, behave, and adapt daily. Focus on creating a supportive, inclusive, and encouraging environment. Every small action can make a huge difference to how a child grows and learns.

When reflecting on your practice, ask yourself: “Am I supporting every child’s needs? Am I being a positive role model? Am I offering emotional support?” By honestly evaluating the answers, you’ll keep improving the valuable impact you have on children’s lives.