This case study is about a change of, appearance and behaviour within a child and how we as early years practitioners make relevant assumptions without accusing carers, it also states how we could help support not only the child but also the carers.
1. Some of the signs and behaviours that would worry me about Tim are that he is often
keen to have breakfast and wants seconds at lunch, this would indicate to me that
Tim is not eating enough at home as he is showing signs of hunger in nursery by
wanting more food and being keen for breakfast. Also, the fact that Tim is coming into
the setting with poor standards of hygiene, unwashed clothes and wearing the same
clothes from previous days would worry me as a practitioner as i would be wondering
why he isn't wearing different clothing, why he hasn't been cleaned and washed at
home, and why his father isn't washing his clothes for him. Lastly, a behaviour that
would worry me as a practitioner would be Tim's father asking for an extension on
nursery fees, this would alarm me as I would be concerned whether or not he could
provide for his child and himself or whether support needs to be put in place and
advice needs to be given.
2. The type of abuse i would suspect Tim is going through would be physical neglect, i
suspect this because Tim's father is not managing to meet his child's basic needs, as
it states in the brief Tim's dad openly shared that he is struggling with money and he
is having to work a lot of hours to earn enough, this would explain him asking for an
extension on nursery fees, also that Tim is appear quite hungry when being eager for
breakfast in the mornings and wanting seconds at lunch, this may mean that he is not
receiving enough food at home which would make sense if his dad is not making
enough money to buy much food in, and Tim appearing unclean, with bad hygiene
and wearing the same clothes for periods of time may be because his father cannot
afford to buy him any more clothes or pay for water or electricity to bathe Tim or wash
his clothes, however i also suspected neglect as it states that Tims behaviour and
mannerisms have not changes and he is still a happy child, this tells me that no
violent behaviours are going on at home.
3. My next steps would be to offer Tim's dad advice and support on his situation and try
to find ways to help him get back on his feet and provide the right care and safely for
Tim, also to put plans in place that will help Tim's dad get by easier such as making a
payment plan over periods of time that will make nursery fees easier for him to afford
at this time and giving him vouchers or setting him up with aps and sites that will
provide him with fee food and laundrette vouchers to allow him to have more food to
feed Tim and himself and clean their clothes.
4. If a child isn’t given enough food, they will immediately experience hunger and
discomfort and may have trouble concentrating, longer-term malnourishment will also
affect their physical health and development. Children who have experienced neglect
are more likely to experience mental health problems such as: depression,
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociative disorders, memory impairments,
panic disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children who
don’t get the care they need may develop problems with attachment; they may
struggle to form a strong relationship or bond with their caregiver; this can then lead
to a child becoming isolated and affect their ability to maintain healthy relationships
with others later in life. Children who have suffered neglect can also take part in
some risk-taking behaviour later in life young people who have experienced neglect
may take more risks, such as: running away from home, breaking the law, abusing
drugs or alcohol, becoming involved in unhealthy and/or abusive relationships. Lastly,
children who have experienced physical neglect can end up with eating disorders,
developmental delays and money worries later in life as they know how hard it can
get not having much money and living in poverty.
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