Common Core of Skills, Knowledge & Understanding and Values for the "Children's Workforce" in Scotland

Components of the Common Core

11. The Common Core is mapped onto the 4 guiding principles within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This section expands on what we mean by the essential characteristics in the Common Core and provides some additional information taken from the views expressed during a public consultation and workshops.

12. In response to views expressed during the workshops we have also included some examples of questions that workers can reflect on alone or discuss in their teams. Doing so begins the process of implementing the Common Core and helps to bring the content to life.

13. As well as discussing these questions (and solutions) within your teams you are invited to post questions or solutions up on the online GIRFEC Knowledge Hub (see Annex B for details on how to access this free resource).

All the rights guaranteed by the Convention must be made available to all children without discrimination

UNCRC Article 2

Relevant sections of the Common Core:

As an employee or volunteer you will:
Recognise that the needs and strengths of children, young people and families are unique and will be influenced by their environment, backgrounds and circumstances

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

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

Be aware of who can help when you cannot communicate effectively with children, young people or families for any reason

What people told us during the Consultation and Workshops:

Recognise that the needs and strengths of children, young people and families are unique and will be influenced by their environment, backgrounds and circumstances (Common Core ref: A1)

14. Every child, young person and family is unique with a variety of needs and strengths. The factors that make them unique are broad and varied and may not be immediately clear.

15. During the workshops the most commonly discussed factors were disabilities, long term health conditions, additional support needs, immigrant families and children, young people and families suffering through poverty, unemployment or abuse (this list is not exhaustive, for a broader understanding of the factors that make people unique, reference should be made to the Equalities Act 2010).

16. It is important to get to know the likes and dislikes of children, young people and families, as well as the environment and community they live in, their backgrounds and circumstances. An important area that people raised was the need for workers to understand that, as well as individual factors, different economic, environmental and social circumstances in which children grow and develop contribute to unequal outcomes for children and young people. Consequently there is a need for workers to understand both the importance of prevention and early intervention in reducing these unequal outcomes (health, educational and social), and their role in this.

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 (Common Core ref: A2)

17. Given the centrality of relationships to the Common Core it is understandable that the importance of social skills was highlighted regularly. Being self aware, empathetic, non-judgemental and having a grasp of non-verbal communication (e.g. body language) were the most frequently mentioned points. A number of commentators stressed that these skills must also be demonstrated in relationships between workers as well as between the worker and the child, young person and family.

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 (Common Core ref: B1)

18. For children and young people with complex needs there is always a variety of workers involved. With such a variety there are often delays in providing the right support when it is needed. The good practice examples in the workshops highlighted the importance of minimising delays and where possible having one key person to liaise with the family.

19. The key importance of professionals like teachers, social workers and various health workers working well together was highlighted but many good practice examples also highlighted the benefit of including the voluntary sector or workers such as childminders. For example "befrienders" or support workers quite often know the child, young person and family the most but their views are not always sought by statutory agencies. The value of community childminding was also raised on a number of occasions, especially as a temporary resource that can be used when parents are under pressure and can often avoid more significant problems materialising.

Be aware of who can help when you cannot communicate effectively with children, young people or families for any reason (Common Core ref: B2)

20. The importance of going the "extra mile" and bringing additional help to children, young people and families with any form of communication difficulty was raised. Examples cited through the consultation and workshops included children whose first language was not English to those who need specialist equipment to communicate. As a worker it is important to be aware of the variety of other workers (e.g. Speech and Language Therapists) and range of equipment available to help you and the child communicate.

21. From the workshops we heard about one family who had recently moved to Scotland, did not speak much English and seemed wary of the Police. Officers brought in a victim support worker who spoke their language with immediate positive results.

Relevant quotes from the consultation:

Unless practitioners have an understanding of the context in which individual children, young people and families live their lives, they cannot accurately make sound observation, judgement and decisions. Lanarkshire specifically included a core competency about understanding the inequalities of health and poverty within our communities and understanding more about how adverse factors can co-exist….this was seen as vital by practitioners.

It is important that the children's workforce is encouraged to be self reflective in their practice and to continually consider the ways in which their own attitude and behaviour might impact on the individuals they work with.

Deaf children deal with a variety of professionals in any given day and this variety causes hurdles for children and young people. We need to have more streamlined procedures.

Under the social model, disability is understood as being caused by the barriers in society - attitudinal, institutional and environmental and barriers in information and communication - rather than being caused by the individual's condition or impairment. Understanding this idea will help workers empower children with disabilities to overcome the barriers they may face.

Self reflection / Discussion questions:

22. The following questions are examples of the sorts of questions you can reflect on individually or discuss in your team. By doing so you are already beginning to implement the Common Core.

• Do you understand the factors that contribute to well-being and health and to the differences in outcomes for children? Where can you go to find out more about this?

• Can you think of instances where you have adapted your tone or body language and this has led to positive results? This can be in your contact with children, young people and families or your contact with other workers.

• Are you aware of a range of options and contacts available to you if you need extra help to communicate effectively with children, young people and families? Where can you go for more information?

• Which individuals or agencies do you have a good working relationship with? What is it that makes the relationship work? Can you use this knowledge to refresh relationships with all of your contacts and establish new ones?

• Using the definition of the social model of disability consider the barriers listed and reflect on times when you have worked with disabled children, young people and their families. Do any of these barriers exist where you work? How can you / your employer overcome them?

• Do you feel confident working with the families of children and young people (the adults)? How can you build your confidence in this area?

• Where can you find out more about the 54 articles within the UNCRC?

Would you like to share your views or do you need more help?

Post your comments or questions on the workforce section of the GIRFEC Knowledge Hub. See Annex B for details.That the best interests of the child must always come first