Analyse the Ethos of Partnership with Parents Essay

The relationship between parent and practitioner or the service that they are working within is crucial to the effective outcome for all those concerned. It now seems impossible in modern Britain to imagine developing any kind of relationship with a child without taking into account the wider family and the impact it has on that child. Given that this is the case it is essential to understand the nature of that relationship and although there can be many types, the most effective parent-practitioner relationship is a partnership. Ideally, this would be defined by mutual participation, shared power, involving the expertise of both partners, with agreement about aims and process, negotiation, mutual respect and trust, and open and honest communication. In caring for someone else’s child, we inevitably work within an ‘emotional framework’ (BOVE 2001) and need to ensure that the ‘equivalent expertise’ of parents is fully recognised. Although the idea of partnership is widely accepted in current service policy, its meaning is rarely fully understood. Dictionary’s provide a range of meanings from â€Å"a person who takes part with another in doing something† to â€Å"an accomplice† but a parent- practitioner partnership has to be one in which both parties work closely together with active participation and involvement as opposed to the professional working on (e. g. treating) the parent. A fitting definition of partnership working that sits with this ethos is: ‘†¦. cross sector alliance in which individuals, groups or organisations agree to: work together to fulfil an obligation or undertake a specific task; share the risks as well as the benefits; and review the relationship regularly, revising their agreement as necessary. ’ (Quoted in Partnership made painless – a joined-up guide to working together, Harrison R et al, Russell House Publishing, 2003) In education, the idea of a partnership between parents and practitioners has been around for many years. In the late 1970s the Warnock Report reviewed provision for children with special educational needs in England and Wales. The report contained an influential chapter entitled ‘Parents as partners’ (CEEHCYP, 1978). In 2003 the government published a green paper called Every Child Matters (ECM). This started a big debate about services for children, young people and families. There was a wide consultation with people working in children’s services, and with parents, children and young people. The organisations involved with providing services to children and young people – from hospitals and schools to police and voluntary groups – began to team up in new ways, sharing information and working together to protect children and young people from harm. Following the consultation, the government published Every child matters: the next steps, and passed the Children Act 2004, providing the legal framework for developing more effective and accessible services focused around the needs of children, young people and families. In November 2004, Every child matters: change for children was published. This outlines the way local programmes for children, young people and families should be developed. Every Child Matters emphasises a vision for working with families that puts outcomes for children and young people first. It stated that working together as a partnership had a positive effect on parenting. For example, more self-confident adults are likely to be more self-confident parents. Together from the start, guidance published in 2003, on which the Early Support programme is based, said: ‘Parents have rights and responsibilities in relation to the development and care of their child. Professionals have a duty to acknowledge and understand the unique role and relationship each parent has with their child. ‘ This focus is shared by many other and more wide-ranging policy initiatives. The Children’s Plan, Building brighter futures, which sets out a ten-year Government agenda from 2007, identifies partnership with parents as its ‘unifying theme’. A partnership needs to respect the special knowledge that each partner brings to the relationship. Parents are the experts on their own children and when a partnership is built upon the well-being and the rights of all concerned and share common goals and shows mutual respect for differing roles and opinions, then children,parents and practitioners will all benefit. There are a number of basic principles of partnership as defined in the Quality in Diversity in Early Learning (Early Education Forum 1998). Below is a brief summary of these principles and how they can be achieved within a setting or any relationship: * Respect children/adults as individuals regardless of ability, disability, race and religion. Encourage individuals to bring in items from home to inform groups/practitioners about their culture or every day experiences. Personalised transition stages. * Respect cultural differences and beliefs in raising a child and explore these with open and sensitive dialogue. Speak to the parents about their belief systems and how they differ, explore ideas that may not be apparent to them. Self-education regarding differing cultures. * Have a willingness to relate to children and their parents in diverse ways and to share the responsibility of the relationship Home/school agreements. ‘Family plan’ booklets. Agreed aims and objectives and clear outcome indicators. * Respect parents in their decisions. Set up good communication methods ie. communication book. Set up parent councils for settings. Regular feed back questionnaires. * Commit to communicate regularly and in as many languages as needed. Translators. Literature in differing languages. Parent notice boards. Newsletters. * Commit to listen to parental views and take their concerns into account Regular meetings and open communication. Feedback questionnaires. Parent days. * Clear communication about the ways in which parents can contribute to their child’s education and improve the quality of the setting at home as well as outside. Offering parenting groups (i. e. PEEP) Parenting courses (i. e. literature and numeracy) * Clear communication channels between parent and practitioner to share knowledge. Communication book, being approachable and listening. Acting on the parents suggestion. Discussing aims and outcomes. * Clear procedures to support parents becoming involved in the management and day to day life of their children in various settings. Home/school agreements. Parent consultation days. Parent workshops. Open access. Partnership is not a relationship that can develop quickly and naturally; it requires time, effort and skill. It also follows that an effective partnership may not be possible in all cases or at all times; it depends upon what the participants bring to the situation, and some may not want or be able to work with others in this way. The better the partnership between the parent and practitioner the easier it will become to achieve agreed outcomes. Parents will be more in control and motivated and will understand what is expected of them in their role as partner. In sharing the process the parent will feel more empowered and is more likely to draw on lessons learnt in times of future difficulty. Their trust of professionals will also be reinforced and they are more likely to ask for help in other aspects of their lives.