eymp1 a7 barriers to parent participation - examples of support which may be offered to parents
 

could somone please help me i have to explain briefly how important partnership with parents/carers is within the work setting and outline the benefits for the children when parents and parctitioners work well together.
Suggest practical ways in which parents and practitioners can coooperate and give examples of possible barriers to participation and how these can be overcome. realy need to get this done thanks

Possible barriers and how they can be overcome.
a few ideas...

Language: Parents may not speak the same language as the member of staff this can cause not much or no communication and can lead to frustration.
This can be overcome by getting the parent to bring in someone with them who can help them understand what has been said this may also have to be in written format but a lot of computers these days also have a translation setting of written words.

Disability: disability can cause problems in the partnership and the ways that we can help overcome these barriers it depends of the individuals need for example... Sign language for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, Training can be attended to learn the sign language if its desired or they can bring along a friend or family member who knows sign language and can translate for them, Large print for those who are visually impaired, wheelchair access ect...

Time: A parent might not have time to communicate with the staff they may be in a hurry and sometimes messages are not passed on either side. There are many ways to overcome this situation day to day books can be filled in by the staff and are given to the parent at the end of the day, parents can also write if they want to say anything in the day book and give it to the staff at the beginning of the day, also email addresses and phone calls can be used to exchange information sometimes its best for the parent to contact the staff first and then use all their communication skills to expand this, even letters can go out giving any additional information or consent forms.

Under the influence of drink/drugs: A parent could be under the influence of drink and or drugs, this can cause possible side effects such as spaced out, drunk, day dreaming, tired, aggressive, withdrawn, anxious all these effects can cause lack of communication and can cause a danger to the staff and the children/child. Ways to overcome this is offer support for the parent try to talk to them and approach them calmly ask them how they feel and if they are ok and try to offer additional support.

Fathers: Sometimes it can be embarrassing for a father to be in a nursery with lots of mothers and they may want to drop off their child quick and rush out the building this can be due to, shyness and feeling uncomfortable. To overcome this the father is introduced to the partnership model of the nursery and made sure he is aware of the policy, make him feel comfortable and include him in conversations, if he still feels shy then mention to him he can personally phone the key worker to speak to them throughout the day for any information needed about their child.

thank you very helpfull xxxx Any starter points on how important partnership with parents is ?

have a look at the PEAL website and the resources pages of the eyfs on positive relationships.

Lookiing at the barriers that prevent children's carers from participating there are examples of support which may be offered to parents

Page 222 of the CYPW handbooklooks at these barriers, explaining what they are and how they can be overcome . Prroviding support ensures parents are able to take an active role in their child's learning and development.

Home link books

Choosing effective methods of communication - txt, sms, email, phone calls, home visite. parent sessions.

Confidence is a barrier. Quote: some parents or carers can find it hard to be active partners in their child's care and education because they lack confidence. There are many reasons for this, although parents previous experiences of education or interactions with other professionals are perhaps the most common. Some carers also feel they do not have anything particulary to offer or that their views will not be of interest. To overcome this significant barrier, it is important that a parent's first contact with the setting is a positive one and that our communication skills are excellent. Some settings find home visitis very useful in this respect as parents can see practitioners in a familiar environment and one they are in control of.

Language and literacy

Disability

Culture - Quote some parents or carers do not have the experience of the culture of working in partnership. They may not know what is expected and this in turn may create anxiety.

Supporting carers in partnership opportunities p. 223

Although we may do our best to create partnership working with carers, there will still be some people who do not wish to take up the opportunities or who may react negatively. It is important first to understand that they have the right not to participate should they choose not to and that they should not be put under pressure to do so. Taking this approach can reap benefits as sometimes a more relaxed attitude can make carers feel more comfortable. In addition, it is important to see if we can find out if there are any particular reasons why our attempts are not working. In some cases, this may be about style, timing or accessibility. Where partnerships with carers are strong, it is useful to capitalise on this.

Parents or carers may have suggestions as to how they could be morefully involved or may have ideas as to how to engage with other parents. Many settings will thereofr carry out evaluation questionnaires or have suggestion boxes in order to learn more about what they are doing well and which aspects of their performance they could improve.