SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Facilitating Healthy Development

SAQA US ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE
11293	Facilitating Healthy Development
ORIGINATOR
SGB Early Childhood Development
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-
FIELD			SUBFIELD
Field 05 - Education, Training and Development			Early Childhood Development
ABET BAND	UNIT STANDARD TYPE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Undefined	Regular	Level 4	NQF Level 04	14
REGISTRATION STATUS		REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE	SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date - Status was "Registered"		2000-10-11	2003-10-11	SAQA 0632/00
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2004-10-11		2007-10-11

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This unit standard is replaced by:

US ID	Unit Standard Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Credits	Replacement Status
13851	Facilitate healthy development in ECD programmes	Level 4	NQF Level 04	14

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD

This is a core unit standard of the National Certificate in ECD at Level 4.

The learners are able to establish and maintain a safe and caring environment that facilitates the healthy development of children in a holistic, inclusive developmentally appropriate way.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The applied competence outlined in Facilitating Healthy Development at Level 1.

UNIT STANDARD RANGE

This Unit Standard is suitable for practitioners working with children between the ages of 0 and 9 years and their families in all types of settings. Practitioners are required to demonstrate applied competence in one of the following developmental phases/settings:

0 - 3 years (group or informal or family setting)

2 - 6 years (group or informal or family setting)

5 - 9 years (group or informal setting)

At this level, practitioners demonstrate the ability to:

create a safe learning environment and contribute to providing primary health care (including sharing information relating to nutrition, AIDS, TB and other health hazards);

support the development and learning of children with special needs within the group, and to contribute to the protection of children from abuse;

foster the social and emotional development of children and use a range of positive techniques in managing children's behaviour;

practise anti-bias strategies and inclusiveness relating to race, ethnicity, language, culture, religion, gender, age and ability.

The underpinning knowledge required focuses on the particular developmental phase and work setting within a general understanding of the developmental needs of children from before birth to about nine years old.

The following contextual information relates to this unit standard:

This unit standard focuses specifically on the competence required to protect children's safety and support the good health and nutrition of children between the ages of 0 and 9 years in an ECD learning site. It does not provide credits in specific areas of health care, such as First Aid (although it includes basic first aid requirements). Separate unit standards are or will be available in areas of health care that could be credited towards a Level 4 ECD qualification as electives.

Safety refers to the children enrolled in the ECD programme and the adults (and older children) who are responsible for the care of the children or for assisting with, or contributing to, the programme in any way (e.g. family members assisting with outings, visitors, health practitioners).

Children with special needs include children with all types of disabilities, children with special talents, and those coping with abuse, stressful home situations and/or communal crime and violence. The focus of this unit standard is on the identification and active support of children with special needs who are included in the ECD programme. For practitioners working with children with specific disabilities other qualifications may be more relevant.

Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1

Protect the safety of children and adults.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. Safety measures and routine practices for maintaining a clean and safe environment are recorded and explained.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. Children are protected from environmental health hazards (e.g. polluted water, poisonous plants).

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. Children are supervised appropriately for their developmental level in relation to the degree of risk involved.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

4. The extent of an injury or an emergency is quickly and calmly assessed, and appropriate action is taken immediately.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

5. Information about any accident to a child is recorded accurately and reported calmly to a responsible member of guardian of the child.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2

Support good health and nutrition.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. Preventative hygienic measures to limit the spread of disease and infection are understood and implemented appropriately and consistently.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. Through the daily routines, children are encouraged to learn and practise health maintenance habits (e.g. washing hands, toilet, and teeth cleaning).

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. The nutritional needs of children in relation to their age, any special dietary requirements and cultural preferences are provided for as far as possible.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

4. Children's general health and immunisation status are monitored and recorded appropriately in association with existing health services.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

5. Signs of malnourishment, ill health and abnormality are noted and appropriate action is taken (e.g. contacting a family member or guardian, obtaining medical assistance, medication procedures).

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3

Support children with special needs.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. The importance of the early identification of children with special needs is understood, and appropriate action is taken.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. Children with special needs are helped to participate fully in the ECD programme.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. Indications of possible abuse are noted, and appropriate action is taken.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

4. The contribution of poverty, crime and violence, substance abuse and addiction to child abuse and neglect is understood.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

5. Support is provided to children coping with experiences of violence (including abuse).

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6

6. Activities, stories and discussion are used to enable children to express their fears and explore issues of personal safety in ways which are appropriate to their level of development.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7

7. Co-operative working relationships are established with families, health practitioners and specialist agencies to include and support children with special needs.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4

Support each child's emotional and social development.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. Children's adjustment to new settings is supported.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. All children are helped to develop self-reliance and initiative in developmentally appropriate ways.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. Children are helped to recognise and deal with their feelings.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

4. All children are helped to develop a positive self-image and identity.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

5. Children's social development is facilitated in developmentally appropriate ways (e.g. smiling, sharing and taking turns, conflict resolution skills).

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6

6. Anti-bias practice and respect for the cultural, religious and experiential background of individual children and their families is demonstrated.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 5

Help children learn to manage their own behaviour.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

1. Techniques that help children learn to manage their own behaviour are used.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

2. Expectations for children's behaviour are developmentally appropriate (within their ability to achieve and do not restrict their healthy development).

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

3. Positive aspects of children's behaviour are deliberately encouraged.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

4. Problem situations are anticipated, and appropriate action is taken to prevent behaviour getting out of control.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

5. Concerns about persistent behavioural problems are discussed with responsible family members or guardians and/or persons qualified to give advice.

UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS

Direct observation of performance in a relevant work setting.

Scrutiny of health records and reports, child observations.

Oral questioning to determine the practitioner's level of understanding of child development and justification of practices observed.

Written examination of knowledge required to perform competently, especially with regard to health and safety outcomes.

Portfolio of assignments, relevant case studies, etc.

Moderation: records of workplace assessments, written tests and assignments, records and portfolio evidence scrutinised and random direct workplace assessments done by an external assessor.

UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE

Learners can understand and explain the following:

the reasons for health, safety and emergency requirements and procedures;

the children's family backgrounds and the implications of different religious beliefs and cultural traditions, especially regarding nutrition and related social practices;

children's physical development and abilities in relation to health and safety needs at a practical level;

methods of preventing the spread of disease and infection; TB, AIDS, Hepatitis, their prevention and appropriate action to be taken; environmental health hazards (pollution, malaria, bilharzia);

food storage and preparation requirements; balanced diet; malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies, growth monitoring;

symptoms and causes of common childhood diseases (e.g. measles, mumps, chicken pox, tonsillitis, 'flu) and health problems (e.g. worms, lice, scabies, sores), how to prevent and treat them;

the socio-economic context and the constraints that impact on the healthy development of children;

inter-sectoral linkages and child protection issues;

personal health care and stress management;

how to help children with special needs participate fully in the ECD programme;

role and responsibilities regarding child abuse and neglect;

general principles of child development and the importance of facilitating the holistic development of each child, including the understanding of children with special needs in this context;

the stages of emotional and social development from birth to nine years, the interrelationship of different aspects of development, factors that influence social and emotional development;

appropriate strategies for helping children develop socially and emotionally during the particular developmental phase of children (e.g. 2-6 years);

the development of self-awareness through the exploration of attitudes, types of oppression, culture and world views, gender and language issues, as well as knowledge of appropriate anti-bias strategies;

awareness of environmental issues;

a range of techniques for helping children manage their own behaviour, including giving meaningful positive feedback, and intervention strategies.

Learners demonstrate the following attitudes and values:

a caring and concerned attitude towards children's health and safety;

inclusive anti-bias attitudes towards the children, co-workers and families;

warmth, trust and respect for children as capable individuals;

respect for traditional childbearing practices which are used as a basis for supporting children's holistic healthy development provided that they do not reinforce racial or gender stereotypes or conflict with children's rights, e.g. physical punishment;

respect for religious and cultural practices regarding health and diet in the community.

UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME

The unit also contributes to the development of the learner with regard to:

1. Reflecting on and exploring a variety of strategies to learn more effectively.

2. Participating as responsible citizens in the life of local communities.

3. Being culturally and aesthetically sensitive across a range of social contexts.

4. Exploring education and career options in the ECD and social services.

5. Developing entrepreneurial opportunities.

Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO):

UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING

Identify and solve problems showing that responsible decisions using critical thinking have been made in caring for children and facilitating their development.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING

Work effectively with others as a member of a team.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING

Organise and manage oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING

Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information relating to children's needs and development.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING

Communicate effectively (with children and adults) using visual, mathematical and language skills in both oral and written modes.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE

Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING

Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

UNIT STANDARD NOTES

This unit standard has been replaced by unit standard 13851, which is "Facilitate healthy development in ECD programmes", Level 4, 14 credits.

Supplementary information:

The following general principles need to be taken into account in assessing practitioners on this unit standard:

All health practices and requirements for cleanliness and safety are appropriate to the setting within its community context, and respect family religious and cultural practices.

All routines, activities and interactions with children are appropriate to their developmental level and individual needs.

The inclusive anti-bias approach specifically demonstrated in relation to children's social development, is integrated into all aspects of ECD practice.

QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD:

	ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	STATUS	END DATE	PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
Core	15982	National Certificate: Early Childhood Development: Preschool Phase	Level 4	NQF Level 04	Passed the End Date - Status was "Registered"	2003-10-11	Was ETDP SETA until Last Date for Achievement

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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