It is essential that childcare workers ensure that they are meeting children's needs with regard to health, well-being, learning and development. One way to ensure this is to strike a balance between safety and risk.
The benefits to children of taking part in challenging activities and experiences which include elements of risk need to be considered. This will ensure that the balance between safety and risk is identified and that opportunities are given to the children to take risks and challenge themselves as they encounter new experiences in their play. The fact that children have accidents does not mean that an activity includes too much risk. It shows that the child needs to asses the risk in order to ensure the same accident does not happen again. Eliminating all risks would prevent the child from discovering dangers and how to cope with such dangers when playing. It is important that the childcare worker uses common sense and considers the age and development stage of the children in their care. A specific risk can be beneficial to one child but can pose a danger to another.
It is necessary to provide opportunities that include risk to children at a young age in order to minimise or prevent accidents as they get older. Offering such an environment encourages the children to develop physically and emotionally as they challenge their abilities and gain pride in their achievements.
By taking risks, children will develop positive outcomes which will support them as they develop. 'Positive outcomes' can include health, education, leisure, high levels of self-respect, positive image and children and young people's contribution within the community. As well as complying with the seven core aims based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Government is aiming to ensure that each child, regardless of their ability and background, has the right to achieve the five outcomes within 'Every Child Matters'. There is a duty on childcare workers to ensure that children have the opportunities to achieve these outcomes, namely;
Being healthy – Children can consider the effect on their health when they take part in activities which include an element of risk. Children need to adopt active lifestyles which lead to physical, emotional and social development with a variety of activities that keep them healthy.
Staying safe – It is essential that childcare workers ensure that the environment is safe for children and young people. The children need to consider and respect the environment and understand how the environment can change. Rain can make the surface of the outdoor area much more dangerous.
Enjoying and achieving – Children will enjoy and achieve by taking part in activities and events at the setting as well as in the community. They will make choices whilst playing and the childcare worker needs to observe their play in order to understand their needs and identify their abilities. The children will enjoy taking risks if they are given the opportunity to follow their interests and to consider their previous experiences.
Making a positive contribution – By taking part and playing with other children, children will be given opportunities to share ideas and to listen to the opinions of others. They will be able to assess risks together and make decisions on how to solve problems. Through this, they will learn how to work in a team and follow instructions from others when playing.
Achieving economic well-being – By assessing and taking risks, children will develop the confidence and self-respect to be able to cope with challenging situations. This will enable them to play safely and to be aware of what could happen if they are not careful. By following the five outcomes, children will succeed with regard to economic well-being and will develop independently as they grow. They will feel satisfaction as they succeed with tasks and will be able to adapt situations to further promote their learning.
The challenge to childcare workers is to balance the need for safety with the need for children and young people to explore risks. Babies and children are naturally curious and as they are not aware of dangers, there is a risk that they could harm themselves. Babies and children love to explore the world around them and early years childcare workers need to ensure that they do so within safe limits. What could go wrong should be considered, as should ways of eliminating or reducing dangers. Keeping a risk assessment record helps early years childcare workers to become aware of what they need to do to keep children safe. The childcare worker should ensure that everybody encounters a variety of risks that will contribute towards developing their well-being, including:
Physical risks – This could include exciting activities for the child where they learn about the limits of their bodies and the risk of physical harm.
Emotional risks – The child asks himself whether they will succeed in doing something. If the child succeeds, then their confidence will develop.
Behavioural risks – Children can behave negatively which can affect the way that they deal with risks. Overconfident children may believe that they can complete tasks that are beyond their ability, which can lead to an accident. Other children may follow them, in the belief that the situation is safe. Children need to learn the cause and effect of their behaviour.
Environmental risks – Children like to take risks in a familiar environment. Here they know the limits of their abilities and learn that the environment should be respected.
Mae’n hanfodol bod gweithiwyr gofal plant yn sicrhau cwrdd ag anghenion iechyd, llesiant, dysgu a datblygu plant. Un ffordd o arfer hyn yw drwy gael cydbwysedd rhwng diogelwch a risg.
Mae angen edrych ar y buddiannau y caiff blant wrth gymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau a phrofiadau heriol sydd ag elfennau o risg. Bydd hyn yn sicrhau bod y cydbwysedd rhwng diogelwch a risg yn cael eu hadnabod gan roi cyfleoedd i blant fentro a herio eu hunain wrth ddod ar draws profiadau newydd yn eu chwarae. Nid yw’r ffaith bod plant yn cael damweiniau yn golygu bod gweithgaredd yn cynnwys gormod o risg. Mae’n dangos bod angen i’r plentyn asesu’r risg ei hunan er mwyn atal y ddamwain rhag digwydd eto. Byddai dileu pob risg yn atal y plentyn rhag darganfod peryglon a sut i ymdopi â hwy wrth chwarae. Mae’n bwysig bod yr ymarferwr yn defnyddio synnwyr cyffredin gan ystyried oedran a cham datblygiad y plant yn eu gofal. Gall risg penodol fod yn fuddiol i un plentyn tra gall fod yn berygl i blentyn arall.
Mae’n angenrheidiol rhoi cyfleoedd sy’n cynnwys risg i blant pan maent yn ifanc er mwyn lleihau neu atal damweiniau wrth iddynt dyfu’n hŷn. Mae cynnig amgylchedd o’r fath yn annog y plant i ddatblygu’n gorfforol ac yn emosiynol wrth iddynt herio eu galluoedd ac ennill balchder yn yr hyn maent yn cyflawni.
Wrth gymryd risgiau bydd plant yn datblygu canlyniadau cadarnhaol a fydd o gymorth iddynt wrth ddatblygu. Gall ‘canlyniadau cadarnhaol’ gynnwys iechyd, addysg, hamdden, hunan-barch uchel, hunaniaeth bositif a chyfranogiad plant a phobl ifanc yn y gymuned. Yn ogystal â chydymffurfio â’r saith nod craidd sydd yn seiliedig ar Gonfensiwn Y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau’r plentyn, mae gan y Llywodraeth nod i sicrhau bod pob plentyn, beth bynnag eu gallu a’u cefndir yr hawl i gwrdd â phum deilliant sydd yn rhan o ‘Every Child Matters’. Mae dyletswydd ar yr gweithiwyr gofal plant i sicrhau bod plant yn cael cyfleoedd i gyflawni’r deilliannau hyn sef;
Bod yn iach – gall blant ystyried yr effaith ar eu hiechyd wrth gymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau sydd ag elfennau o risg. Mae angen i blant fabwysiadu dull bywiog o fyw sy’n arwain at ddatblygiad corfforol, emosiynol a chymdeithasol gyda gweithgareddau amrywiol sy’n eu cadw’n iach.
Cadw’n ddiogel – mae’n hanfodol bod gweithiwyr gofal plant yn sicrhau bod yr amgylchedd yn ddiogel i blant a phobl Ifanc. Mae angen i’r plant ystyried a pharchu’r amgylchedd a deall sut mae’r amgylchedd yn gallu newid. Gall cawod o law wneud arwyneb yr ardal allanol yn llawer mwy peryglus.
Mwynhau a chyflawni – bydd plant yn mwynhau a chyflawni drwy gymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau a digwyddiadau yn y lleoliad yn ogystal ag yn y gymuned. Byddant yn gwneud dewisiadau wrth chwarae ac mae angen i’r ymarferwr arsylwi eu chwarae er mwyn deall eu hanghenion ac adnabod eu galluoedd. Bydd cymryd risgiau yn fwynhad os yw’r plant yn cael cyfle i ddilyn eu diddordebau ac ystyried eu profiadau blaenorol.
Gwneud cyfraniad positif – wrth gymryd rhan a chwarae gyda phlant eraill mae plant yn cael cyfleoedd i rannu syniadau a gwrando ar farn eraill. Byddant yn medru asesu risgiau gyda’i gilydd a dod i benderfyniadau ar sut i ddatrys problemau. Trwy hyn byddant yn dysgu sut i weithio mewn tîm a dilyn cyfarwyddiadau eraill wrth chwarae.
Cyflawni o ran lles economaidd – wrth asesu a chymryd risgiau bydd plant yn datblygu hyder a hunan-barch i fedru ymdopi â sefyllfaoedd heriol. Bydd hyn yn eu galluogi i chwarae yn ddiogel gan fod yn ymwybodol o beth all ddigwydd wrth beidio bod yn ofalus. Trwy ddilyn y pum deilliant bydd plant yn llwyddo o ran lles economaidd gan ddatblygu yn annibynnol wrth dyfu. Byddant yn teimlo bodlonrwydd wrth lwyddo gyda thasgau ac yn medru addasu i sefyllfaoedd i hyrwyddo dysgu pellach.
Yr her i gweithiwyr gofal plant yw cydbwyso’r angen am ddiogelwch yn erbyn yr angen i blant a phobl ifanc archwilio risgiau. Mae babanod a phlant yn naturiol chwilfrydig a gan nad ydynt yn ymwybodol o berygl mae risg y gallant niweidio eu hunain. Mae babanod a phlant wrth eu bodd yn archwilio'r byd o'u hamgylch ac mae angen i gweithiwr gofal plant blynyddoedd cynnar sicrhau eu bod yn archwilio o fewn terfynau diogel. Rhaid meddwl beth allai fynd o'i le ac ystyried ffyrdd i atal neu leihau'r peryglon. Mae cynnal cofnod asesiadau risg yn helpu'r gweithiwyr gofal plant blynyddoedd cynnar i ddod yn ymwybodol o'r hyn y mae angen iddynt ei wneud i gadw plant yn ddiogel. Mae gan yr ymarferwr rôl i sicrhau bod pawb yn dod ar draws amrywiaeth o risgiau a fydd yn cyfrannu tuag at ddatblygu eu llesiant gan gynnwys:
Risgiau corfforol – gall fod yn weithgareddau cyffrous i’r plentyn lle maent yn dysgu am gyfyngiadau eu cyrff a’u bod mewn risg o gael niwed corfforol.
Risgiau emosiynol –mae’r plentyn yn holi ei hun a fydd yn gallu llwyddo i wneud rhywbeth. Os daw llwyddiant yna bydd y plentyn yn datblygu’n fwy hyderus.
Risgiau ymddygiadol – gall blant ymddwyn yn negyddol a fydd yn effeithio ar y ffordd maent yn delio gyda risgiau. Gall blant sydd yn or hyderus feddwl eu bod yn medru cyflawni tasgau tu hwnt i’w gallu ac yn cael damwain o ganlyniad. Efallai bydd plant eraill yn eu dilyn gan feddwl bod y sefyllfa yn un ddiogel. Mae angen i blant ddysgu achos ac effaith eu hymddygiad.
Risgiau amgylcheddol – mae plant yn hoffi cymryd risgiau o fewn amgylchedd sydd yn adnabyddus iddynt. Yma maent yn gwybod cyfyngiadau eu galluoedd ac yn dysgu bod angen parchu’r amgylchedd.
Complete the activity below.
Cwblhewch y gweithgaredd isod.