Case study: Practitioners in an Early Years setting not performing nappy changing proper with young children.

1. Assessment Criteria:

• Demonstrate a comprehensive and detailed knowledge and understanding of the legal, ethical and theoretical frameworks underpinning professional practice in a given context.

• Critically reflect upon the ethical issue presented and the implications this has upon professional practice.

• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the need to ensure safe practice when working with children.

• Engage confidently and effectively in written academic discussion and present evidence arguments in a professional manner.

2. Demonstrate a comprehensive and detailed knowledge and understanding of the legal, ethical and theoretical frameworks underpinning professional practice in a given context.

• To meet this criterion, you must demonstrate your understanding of the legal frameworks, such as the UNCRC (1989), The Children Act and any other legal framework relevant to your case study.

• You must also demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the ethical and theoretical frameworks underpinning ethical practice.

3. Ethical Theory application

Do three things;

1. Explain the theory

2. Justify your choice of theory – why is this relevant as opposed to other theories

3. Apply the theory to your case study

4. Critically reflect upon the ethical issue presented and the implications this has upon professional practice

• This criterion requires you to consider your case study, in depth.

• What is the reasons behind the case study, what are the implications for practice, if you are not in practice think about this from the perspective of a practitioner.

• How can the issue be resolved, remember to support your discussion with reference to source material, and apply ethical theories.

• Avoid merely describing the case study in the work, if you are using an example case study then include this in the appendix and refer back to this.

5. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the need to ensure safe practice when working with children.

• You must include a discussion of this in your assignment, remember that in this module the term children refer to all children from birth to 18yrs.

• Consider the aspects of safeguarding and protecting children that are relevant to your case study. If you have not identified a case with safeguarding in it, then justify this and say why it isn’t. What is the case about if it isn’t safeguarding (support, development, care etc)

6. Academic Style

• Support all your points and assertions, with reference to source material.

• Write concisely and maintain an academic tone throughout, avoiding being subjective. Write in the third person.

• Use your references effectively to present a critical discussion and avoid tagging your references at the end of your paragraphs, give voice to your authors and present your views through them. For example 

• ‘Smith (2010) argues that within a deontological theory an action is either right or wrong depending upon the reasons behind the action. However, Jones (2011) highlights a limitation associated with this approach, explaining that the perception of what is a right action is subjective, that is, what is considered right by one person may not be perceived as right by another.

The references I have used in this illustration are fictitious.

• As this assignment is a case study – presented it in the format using headings and subheadings. The minimum headings to use are; introduction, main body, recommendations (optional) and conclusion.

7. A suggested structure for the ECA

• Introduction 

• The case and Issue

• Aspects of Safety, Care, Learning, Development

• Role and professional Expectations of the Agent

• Theoretical Application

• Policy, Legality and Codes

• The Decision

• Evaluation

• Conclusion

• Reference list and Appendices

1. Introduction 

• Introduce and give an overview of the work you are presenting.

• Define ethical practice and what we mean by this.

  
  

  
  

  2. The Case and the issue 

• Give an outline of the case and why this has been chosen.

• Remember that in this module the term children means all children from birth to 18yrs. Is it in the past or is it in the present/future orientated answers? Consider the participants; who are the people in the case – remember that these should be anonymised as should places and settings of practice.

• If the case is very detailed, place the more detailed information in the appendices and refer to it.

• Dilemma/ethical issue: Identify the issue and explain why it is a dilemma/ approximate dilemma in the case.

  
  

  
  

  3. Aspects; of safety, child/children’s learning, care/development.

• You must include a discussion of this in your assignment: Consider the aspects of safeguarding and protecting children in your case – Please note that a history of safeguarding in the UK is not required and summaries of past serious case reviews are not needed in this assignment. Think about the contemporary practices and responsibilities for safeguarding and how it applies to your case. 

• If it is not a safeguarding case: Show your evaluation as to why it isn’t and explore the other aspects you are focusing upon (care, development etc), that impact upon the child.

  
  

  4. Role and professional expectations of the Agent involved

• What is the role of the Agent in this case?

• Identify and discuss Autonomy and to what extent the Agent is expected to work to shared values and ethical standards. What special responsibilities are owed to the child, parent colleagues, discipline, group?

  
  

  5. Theoretical application (Duty, consequence, virtue and care).

• You must demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of ethical theories:

• Underpinning ethical practice. You do not have to discuss every theory but select the most appropriate theories (more than one) for your case study and apply them to the case. There should be a synthesis of options from your theoretical analysis – Present the possible options and choices clearly.

• Remember the – explain, justify and apply rule and you are more likely to present a critical discussion. 

  
  

  6. Policy, Legality and Codes

• What are the influences?

• Critically appraise knowledge of Policy and legal dimensions with regards to your case when making ethical decisions. 

• You must demonstrate your understanding of the legal frameworks, such as the UNCRC (1989), The Children Act and any other legal framework relevant to your case study. 

• Consider the Codes, policy, regs, guidance local, national and international perspective with regards to your case.

  
  

  7. Make the Decision 

What course of action seems best to you and why? 

• Recommendations for the case. 

• List any recommendations that could ensure that ethical practice is maintained. Please bullet point your recommendations.

• Recommendations should be based upon:

• Real needs

• Evidence from previous points used in your discussion in the essay

• Refer to an ethical decision model which could support how you arrived at your recommendations

  
  

  8. Evaluate and Follow up 

• Decide how to evaluate and follow up on the decision

• Identify the outcome/s from this decision-making process and the possible consequences for the children in the case. 

• What do you hope would happen and how could this be monitored?

  
  

  9. Conclusion of the Case study

• A reflection on ethical processes and working ethically with children. Refer to a reflective model -. In first person (only for this part) Consider the extent to which the ethical issue has been addressed and what has been the learning from this, that you would transfer to future ethical practice.

• Reference list (not included in word count)

• Correctly written as per Harvard

• Appendices (not included in word count)