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Children, Young People and Families Practitioner Level 4 Apprenticeship Standard

Duration 24 months
Funding Maximum funding band is £6,000
Delivery Workplace assessments, EPA preparation

Role Profile

A Children, Young People and Families Practitioner will work with children, young people and families, including carers, to achieve positive and sustainable change in their lives.

A practitioner may work in a number of settings including children’s homes, residential special schools or secure children’s homes and the children may be living on their own or in a larger group.

The role requires the practitioner to demonstrate a passion to care for and about children, young people and families and take the lead in developing and delivering the child’s placement plan while working with the child to support their health, education, social and day to day needs, playing a significant role in helping them to thrive and fulfil their potential.

Each piece of work with a child or family will be different and responsibilities may include; recognising and assessing the complex needs that children, young people and families often present; working alongside other professionals and organisations to improve outcomes; exercising judgement on a range of evidence-based approaches to inform your practice; regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your methods and actions.

Reflection on work practice should be encouraged through regular supervision with an experienced practitioner.

Entry Requirements

GCSE Maths and English at grade 4 (grade C) or above, or Level 2 Functional Skills preferred but not essential.

Apprenticeship Content

This apprenticeship covers the following knowledge, skills and behaviours:

Knowledge:

  • Communication that enables the voice of the child, young person or family members to be heard
  • Multiple factors that contribute to uncertainty in the lives of children, young people and families
  • Equality, rights, diversity and cultural differences, and the values of the organisation in which you are working
  • The range of potential safeguarding risk factors (e.g. domestic violence, membership of gangs, missing children, online activity, radicalisation and Prevent agenda), the different forms of harm to children and vulnerable adults (e.g. neglect, child sexual exploitation, physical abuse, emotional abuse) and the local and national thresholds for safeguarding
  • the safeguarding requirements contained within mandatory local safeguarding training or nationally accredited equivalent
  • Child, adolescent and adult development
  • The spectrum of needs and how they may be met
  • The principles of effective assessment and the importance of analysis and professional judgement
  • Models for monitoring changes in a child, young person or family member’s wellbeing
  • A range of evidence based interventions and their strengths and weaknesses
  • The duties, responsibilities, boundaries and ethical nature of the role
  • Theories and guidelines underpinning sound practice
  • Systems and policy frameworks for work with children, young people and families. e.g. education, health, care, employment, criminal justice, special educational needs and disabilities, first aid, safeguarding
  • The role of professional judgement and analysis in complex situations
  • The importance of considering ethics and values, challenging self and the systems in use
  • Techniques for establishing shared goals and outcomes when building relationships with others
  • The legislation and compliance requirements for residential care
  • The aspirations for a child in residential care
  • Group living and group dynamics
  • Legislation and the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs and Disability
  • The ethos of the home and how to create and promote it
  • Team dynamics and collaborative approach in residential environment

Skills:

  • Communicates in way that enables the voice of the child, young person or family members to be heard
  • Encourages individuals to engage positively with their community and relevant agencies and actively participate in the way their care and support is delivered
  • Actively promotes respect, equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Works together with children, young people and families to keep them safe and manage risk and promoting the development of skills the family need to successfully manage risk themselves
  • Works with and supports other professionals to respond to safeguarding concerns
  • Identifies the influences on the individual and the family and supports them to make informed choices
  • Leads on the development and recording of holistic plans, delivery of interventions and evaluates their effectiveness
  • Identifies and addresses barriers to accessing resources
  • Identifies and manages evidence-based approaches and evaluates their effectiveness
  • Contributes to the development of a resilient, consistent and persistent approach to practice
  • Models clarity of purpose, clear expectations and a professional approach to decision making
  • Appropriately challenges and/or offers alternative perspectives with the children, young person or family
  • Contributes to own professional development
  • Applies knowledge of legal, economic and social justice systems and implements policy frameworks in support of positive outcomes for children, young people and families
  • Demonstrates critical evaluation of practice and insight into own emotions, behaviour and feelings, and uses these insights to challenge own practice
  • Takes an active part in continuous professional development
  • Sharing and agreeing goals and outcomes when building relationships with partner organisations, other workers, children, young people and families, to ensure appropriate and timely support
  • Assumes the role of professional parent
  • Contributes to creating and reviewing placement plans based on individual need
  • Is able to support traumatised children and young people to live together and make progress
  • Develops and promotes the ethos of the home
  • Models collaborative team working and the ability to support and appropriately challenge each other

Behaviour:

  • Care
  • Compassion
  • Courage
  • Competence
  • Commitment

Additional Qualifications Gained

  • NCFE Diploma for Resident Childcare (Level 3)
  • CYPD Mental Health, Infection Control and Autism

Assessment

Apprentices will complete an End Point Assessment, which will assess each of the knowledge, skills and behaviours detailed above.

Assessment consists of two elements:

  1. Observation of practice
  2. Competence interview underpinned by a portfolio

Enquire Now

If you would like to find out more about employing an apprentice, please complete our Employer Apprenticeship Enquiry Form or call our Business Development Team on 01744 623521.

If you would like to learn more about becoming an apprentice, please complete our Apprenticeship Enquiry Form or call us on 01744 623521.