2.1 Inclusion

Contents

1. Equality and Diversity
2. Process of Inclusion

1.  Equality and Diversity

The Children's Centre purpose is to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable children, young people and their families.

Staff should underpin this by:

• Encouraging children to develop respect for themselves and for others
• Deliver services that recognise and build on the strengths of children, young people and families from all cultures, religions, gender, age, sexual orientation, ability and backgrounds and in ways that meet their needs and help them to achieve their full potential.
• Every effort is made to ensure that the Children's Centres are welcoming to all parents/carers and children and this is reflected in the posters, information boards, displays and leaflets. In addition to this, resources used to develop work with children and their families are chosen for their suitability for working in an anti-oppressive way.
• Children should be offered the opportunity to try out new experiences, which are not those traditionally offered to that particular group.
• Staff should challenge attitudes, behaviour and language that are discriminatory, in a positive way.

Managers should monitor the parents/carers and children's involvement in terms of ethnicity, gender and disability. This is to ensure the service is reaching those groups of families and not creating barriers to participation.  The Children's Centre Manager should also make sure that the service is not creating barriers for staff accessing training.

2. Process of Inclusion

1. All children should be given the right to be cared for and educated alongside their peers in order to develop their full potential.  Children learn from interaction and their environment and other children.
2. The Children's Centre should have a named and trained SENCO (Special Needs Coordinator) who should work closely with staff, parents and children to implement, monitor and review and evaluate inclusion process within the nursery, and share information on a regular basis.
3. All children should have a settling in period to encourage the child to feel happy and settled over a period of time and to feel a sense of belonging in the Children's Centre.
4. Staff should work alongside parents within the Children's Centre to help make an assessment of the child and the families specific needs, with an aim to support and develop their full potential.
5. Examine ways in which diversity can be valued and activities adapted to met the Individual child's learning needs.
6. Staff should implement the SEN Code of Practice with regard to identification and assessment of children with special educational needs.
7. Staff should acknowledge the importance of a link between home and the Children's Centre in meeting the child's individual need.
8. Staff should offer appropriate support to aid inclusion and ensure that the child and parent can fully participate in the Centre's activities. If necessary seek additional support in order to do this.

End