C313 Seeking information

Licensing criterion and guidance for C313 Seeking information.

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Criterion C313

Information and guidance are sought when necessary from agencies/services to enable adults providing education and care to work effectively with children and their parents.

Curriculum criteria documentation required

Guidance

There are numerous situations in a hospital-based setting where information and guidance from outside agencies and specialist services can enhance the ability of a child to fully access the curriculum and therefore improve their educational outcomes. Support and assistance may be focused on an individual child and whānau | family or on the wider group of children, management, and educators.

Building stronger links between ECE services, parents and whānau, parenting programmes, medical professionals, health and social services, and other appropriate specialists, allow the children’s learning and development needs to be met more holistically. For timely assistance, it is useful for an early childhood service to establish these links within their community before they are needed.

It is likely that a large number of specialists will already be working with a child in a hospital-based setting. Before educators approach an additional specialist service, it is important to consult with the parents to ensure that the process is appropriate. Confidentiality issues must always be taken into consideration.

Examples of what this might look like in practice.

  • Educators know and quickly recognise the factors that suggest that additional specialist information and guidance is required.

  • Decisions to seek specialist guidance is made in collaboration with others, including colleagues, parents, and medical staff, and is based on observational evidence.

  • Educators have a directory of specialist services and a ready network who will provide guidance and support to parents.

  • Documentation is kept in relation to the identification of, and the planned response to, a need to seek additional specialist information and guidance.

  • How do our policies provide a clear process for identifying when additional support is needed, and for seeking that support?

  • How do we know that we have considered the family’s wishes?

  • How do we go about making contact with specialist services? Do we know where all our local community facilities are?

  • How do our own values and assumptions impact on our decision whether or not to seek support?

  • What are our own assumptions of how specialist support operates?

  • How do we involve parents when accessing specialist services?

  • How does our service integrate advice from specialist services into the curriculum?

  • What are our service’s strategies to fully include children with special needs into our programmes?