national cares tandards early education and childcare up to the age of 16

4-11 Confidence in the service

4 Engaging with children
5 Quality of experience
6 Support and development
7 A caring environment
8 Equality and fairness
9 Involving the community
10 Involving other services
11 Access to resources

Engaging with children

Standard 4

Each child or young person will be supported by staff who interact effectively and enthusiastically with him or her.

1 You can expect staff to have a good understanding of the stages of children and young people's development and learning.

2 Children and young people receive support and care from staff who understand the significance of high quality interaction. This develops the quality of all activities, including play and leisure.

3 You can be confident that staff will interact with children and young people in a way that builds confidence, extends learning and encourages and values their contributions.

4 You can be confident that the staff will:

• regularly assess the development and learning of each child and young person;
• use this assessment information to plan the next steps in the child or young person's development and learning; and
• share this information with the child or young person as appropriate, with parents and carers and others professionally involved in the child or young person's development.

Quality of experience

Standard 5

Each child or young person can experience and choose from a balanced range of activities.

1 Children and young people can experience and choose from programmes and day-to-day activities that are planned, designed, evaluated and put into practice by staff, taking account of national and local guidelines.

2 Children and young people will be able to enjoy the activities and be motivated by them. The activities will be flexible and take account of ages, development needs, interests, and hours and patterns of attendance of each child or young person.

3 You know that the activities provided by staff will allow the children and young people to enjoy both organised and free play and leisure and recreation, including quiet times.

4 Children and young people will have opportunities to express their views, exercise choice and, where possible, influence the programme.

5 Children and young people will be able to interact with others or play or work individually.

6 The progress in children and young people's development will be regularly monitored by staff, who will use this information to improve the programme.

Support and development

Standard 6

Each child or young person receives support from staff who respond to his or her individual needs.

1 You can be confident that staff are flexible and responsive to children and young people's personal, emotional, educational and physical needs. They are responsive to the support needs of children, young people and families and are sensitive to individual circumstances including disabilities.

2 You know that staff will work effectively with parents, carers and children and young people to support each individual child or young person's development and learning.

3 You know that staff will establish effective working relationships with support agencies. These may include medical services, teachers, therapists, educational psychologists and learning support staff and social workers.

4 You know that staff will draw up and put into practice individualised educational programmes and plans to support children, young people and families where appropriate. They will do this in consultation with parents and carers, children and young people and professionals.

5 You can be confident that staff are knowledgeable about, and have a clear understanding of, relevant legislation relating to children and young people, including those with special needs.

6 You have help to use services, aids and equipment for communication if your first language is not English or if you have any other communication needs.

A caring environment

Standard 7

In using the service, children, young people, parents and carers experience an environment of mutual respect, trust and open communication.

1 Parents, carers, children and young people receive information about the aims and values of the service in a language and format you can easily understand. Staff actively promote these aims and values. The service has a clear code of behaviour, which is consistently applied by staff and understood by staff, parents and carers, children and young people. Children and young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour and to show care and consideration for others.

2 You experience a service where mutual trust, respect, confidence and a caring ethos are evident.

3 Children and young people are consulted about the service provided and their views and ideas are valued. They are generally happy and confident.

4 You can be confident that staff will establish positive working relationships with each other and with parents and carers, children and young people.

5 You can be confident that staff will work in partnership with parents and carers to promote positive behaviour and deal with difficult behaviour. Staff will challenge and respond to bullying and discrimination. This will be done in a caring and sensitive manner without threatening or using physical punishment or emotional or verbal abuse.

6 Parents and carers will be encouraged to take part in the service, with staff establishing an effective partnership and keeping in regular communication. Staff will value and take account of parents' and carers' knowledge and views of their child's development needs, interests and personality.

7 If you make an enquiry or a complaint, staff will deal with it efficiently and effectively and provide full information about what will happen as a result of the complaint. You will not be penalised in any way by the service if you have made a complaint. You can talk to staff in private.

Equality and fairness

Standard 8

You will be treated equally and fairly.

1 You can be confident that staff will make sure that all children and young people, parents, carers and the members of staff themselves are treated with respect and in a fair and just way, respecting the needs and characteristics of the individual.

2 You know that staff will assist families who experience difficulties in accessing support services.

3 If parents and carers face any barriers which prevent them from playing an effective part in their child's care and education, staff will work to reduce these barriers.

Involving the community

Standard 9

You can be confident that the service contributes to the community and looks for opportunities to be involved in the community.

1 You know that the service:

• contributes to the life of the community;
• has effective links with community organisations;
• makes information about its provision readily available to members of the community;
• makes efforts to provide information to you about community resources;
• knows about and makes effective use of community facilities (where appropriate); and
• provides opportunities for children and young people to take part in the wider community.

Involving other services

Standard 10

You can be confident that the service keeps up links and works effectively with partner organisations.

1 You benefit from:

• the well-developed links between the service and other relevant childcare services, schools and agencies such as health and social work services in the local area; and
• the way in which the service links with relevant national and local organisations.

Access to resources

Standard 11

Each child or young person has access to a sufficient and suitable range of resources.

1 Children and young people have access to equipment and materials - including multi-cultural materials - which are effectively organised by staff and used to support key aspects of children and young people's development and learning.

2 Children and young people's interests are encouraged through displays that are attractively presented and include a variety of examples made by them. Staff change the material regularly.

3 Children and young people find their quality of experience enhanced by the effective use made of skills and ideas from staff, parents and carers, the children and young people themselves, and from visitors.

4 Children and young people benefit from the use that staff make of a range of outside resources and information and communication technology.