Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care, Children and Young People Unit 11 Essay

Poverty can have a huge impact on a Young Persons life. A family living on a low –income or benefits might not be able to provide for their children as they would like or as is necessary. Accommodation may be poor and inadequate, with not enough space or functioning essential home items. Money may not be available to pay the energy bills. The children’s dietary needs may be affected by low income. The local community in low-income areas may be impoverished. This may lead to a higher crime rate, vandalism of local amenities, reducing the Young Person access to local parks and playgrounds and affecting them being able to play outside of the house at leisure time. The prospects of a lack of continued higher education after school and fulfilling employment in impoverished areas could affect the Young Persons outlook on life causing fear and insecurities and a lack of motivation. In some research carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 2007 into the impact of poverty on young children’s experience of school, the key points found from interviewing 220 children aged Four to Eleven as well as parents and teachers were The level of disadvantage they face determines how most children experience school. Poorer children in the study accepted that they were not going to get the same quality of schooling, or the same outcomes, as better-off children. Children and parents identified the main costs of school as uniform (including shoes), lunches and school trips. Children in disadvantaged schools were very aware of all the costs and of the difficulties parents faced in finding as little as 50 pence or a pound for school events. The experiences of school for children from poorer families were narrower and less rich. For example, children in disadvantaged schools had limited access to music, art and out-of-school activities that children in advantaged schools generally took for granted. Boys as young as nine in disadvantaged schools were disenchanted with school and starting to disengage. They are being particularly failed by the education system due to the interaction of: educational disadvantage faced by children growing up in poverty; the difficulties faced by teachers in disadvantaged schools; and differences in the ways that boys and girls are socialised. Social Issues – Divorce introduces a massive change into the life of a child no matter what the age. Witnessing the loss of love between parents, having parents break their marriage commitment, adjusting to going back and forth between two different households, and the daily absence of one parent while living with the other, all create a challenging new family circumstance in which to live. In the personal history of the boy or girl, parental divorce is a life-changing event. Life that follows is significantly changed from how it was before. For the young child, divorce affects the trust of the parents who can now behave in an extremely undependable way due to their own problems and life changing circumstances. This can produce anxiety, aggression and rebellious behaviours in a child. Cultural – I have chosen to look at one aspect of Culture and that is Religion and it’s positive effects on young people. Religious practice is usually done in a  group context and thus involves social relationships. These relationships can provide friendship and social support in times of emotional needs. Religious participation can have beneficial psychological effects. Religion can improve psychological health through increased self-esteem, producing a sense of belonging to the immediate religious group and an interconnection with the world, which is so lacking in modern times, and can help a young person to find meaning in life. Family participation is typical in religious activities, as distinct from other groups that family members may individually participate in (e.g., sports clubs, after school clubs, book clubs) that tend to separate people by age, sex, and personal interest. Thus, if the whole family practices the same religion, religious activities can serve to strengthen ties among family members. 3. 2.3 The choices young people make can have immediate and long-term effects on their lives. As adults and support staff we have to ensure we empower young people to make the right decisions. Children and young people can be seen as experts in their own lives; they often know what it feels like to be in their situation and to have had their personal experiences. Children and young people know something different to adults. It has ben said that adults follow paths, children explore. Treating children and young people as experts in their own lives means showing respect for what they say or communicate. This is not to say that children and young people always know what is in their best interests and they often want adults to help them make important decisions. Sometimes it is the role of adults (parents, family and professionals) to set boundaries and to identify the best course of action. Yet this needs to be done with children and young people who may know best how they feel. Some of the choices young people face making are – academic, career pathway and lifestyle choices i.e. smoking, drinking and drug taking. Children and young people with disabilities may need parents and support staff to make decisions for them if they are unable to due to their conditions. This always needs to be done in the best interests of the child and within international and local law and guidelines. Learning outcome 2 – Understand how practitioners can make a positive difference in the outcomes for children and young people 1. 2. Every child is an individual with individual needs and their own potential that they should be encouraged to develop. As support staff we should try to get to know the young people we are caring for as best as is possible to be able to achieve this. Sometimes the positive outcomes for a young person are seemingly small, but because of varying disabilities these small steps can be massive. One of the young people I am supporting has many issues with diet. I recently through much hard work encouraged him to try a new food. This addition to his diet is the first new foodstuff he has eaten in Three years. We should be constantly striving to help our young people to be all they can be through the person centered approach to caring. With the help of the multi-disciplinary team working holistically each young person can actuate to the best of their abilities. Each young person has their own care plan, which is constantly updated through the feed back from all staff supporting that YP. These care plans are in place so each member of staff is aware of the specific needs of the individual. The person centered approach to care means we are supporting and treating the individual and not the disability.