Common Core of Skills, Knowledge & Understanding and Values for the "Children's Workforce" in Scotland
Identification of the skills, knowledge & understanding and values that every worker should demonstrate if they work with children, young people and families in Scotland
Common Core of skills, knowledge and understanding and values
Essential Characteristics of those who work with children, young people and families in Scotland
| UNCRC guiding principles |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-discrimination |
Best interests of the child |
Right to life, survival & development |
Respect the views of the child |
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| As an employee or a volunteer you will: |
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| Context A: Relationships with children, young people and families |
A1. Recognise that the needs and strengths of children, young people and families are unique and will be influenced by their environment, backgrounds and circumstances A2. Understand your impact on children, young people and families and how they might perceive you. Adapt your tone, language and behaviour to suit the circumstances |
A3. Help identify and work with the needs and strengths in parents, carers and their networks in the interests of children and young people for whom they care A4. Ensure children, young people and families understand what information will be kept in confidence; and why some information from or about them may be shared |
A5. Be aware of how children and young people develop, seek to understand vulnerability and promote resilience A6. Understand appropriate child protection procedures and act accordingly A7. Consider the needs and potential risks for each child & young person in the context of where they live, their relationships and their wider world |
A8. Include children, young people and families as active participants, listening to them, offering choices A9. Explain decisions and ensure children, young people and families fully understand them and their implications, especially if the final decision isn't what they hoped for A10. Keep children, young people & families informed of progress |
| Context B: Relationships between workers |
B1. Be aware of who can help when provision for the needs or promotion of the strengths of children, young people or families is affected by their environment, backgrounds and circumstances B2. Be aware of who can help when you cannot communicate effectively with children, young people or families for any reason |
B3. Understand the extent of your own role and be aware of the roles of other workers B4. Respect and value the contribution of other workers B5. Know what information to share, when to share it and with whom B6. Be aware of who can help parents or carers identify their own needs or strengths |
B7. Know who to contact if you have a concern or wish to make a positive recommendation about a child, young person or family B8. Contribute to assessing, planning for and managing risks in partnership with others |
B9. Seek to support children, young people and families in partnership with them, their networks and other workers B10. Recognise that timely, appropriate and proportionate action is appreciated by children, young people and families as well as other workers |
Common Values of those who work with children, young people and families in Scotland
Common values and principles are at the heart of the Common Core and the Getting It Right For Every Child approach. These values and principles build from the Children's Charter and reflect legislation, standards, procedures and professional expertise. They bring meaning and relevance at a practice level to single agency, multi agency and inter agency working across the whole of children's services. Together with the Common Core essential characteristics, the values provide a common platform for working with children and young people which all workers can draw from.
- Promoting the well-being of individual children and young people: this is based on understanding how children and young people develop in their families and communities and addressing their needs at the earliest possible time
- Keeping children and young people safe: emotional and physically safety is fundamental and is wider than child protection
- Putting the child at the centre: children and young people should have their views listened to and they should be involved in decisions
- Taking a whole child approach: recognising that what is going on in one part of a child or young person's life can affect many other areas of his or her life
- Building on strengths and promoting resilience: using a child or young person's existing networks and support where possible
- Promoting opportunities and valuing diversity: children and young people should feel valued in all circumstances and practitioners should create opportunities to celebrate diversity
- Providing additional help should be appropriate, proportionate and timely: providing help as early as possible and considering short and long-term needs
- Supporting informed choice: supporting children, young people and families in understanding what help is possible and what their choices may be
- Working in partnership with families: supporting wherever possible those who know the child or young person well, know what they need, what works well for them in their family and what may not be helpful
- Respecting confidentiality and sharing information: seeking agreement to share information that is relevant and proportionate while safeguarding children and young people's right to confidentiality
- Promoting the same values across all working relationships: recognising respect, patience, honesty, reliability, resilience and integrity are qualities valued by children, young people, families and colleagues
- Making the most of bringing together each worker's expertise: respecting the contribution of others and co-operating with them, recognising that sharing responsibility does not mean acting beyond a worker's competence or responsibilities
- Co-ordinating help: recognising that children, young people and families need practitioners to work together, when appropriate, to provide the best possible help
- Building a competent workforce to promote children and young people's well-being: committed to continuing individual learning and development and improvement of inter-professional practice.
Contact
Email: David Purdie
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