Maintain and support relationships with children and young people — Skills and Education Group Awards QCF Childcare & Early Years Revision
This unit concentrates on the practical skills required to communicate effectively with children and young people, fostering positive two-way interactions
Topic Synopsis
This unit concentrates on the practical skills required to communicate effectively with children and young people, fostering positive two-way interactions that establish trust and respect. It covers strategies for building and sustaining professional yet warm relationships, while also equipping learners to facilitate and support social connections between children and their peers, families, and other professionals within the setting. Mastery of these skills is essential for creating an inclusive and emotionally secure environment that promotes overall development and well-being.
Key Concepts & Core Principles
- Safeguarding and child protection: Understanding signs of abuse, following procedures, and knowing your responsibilities under the Children Act 1989 and 2004.
- Child development: Knowledge of developmental milestones from birth to 19 years, including physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
- Equality, diversity, and inclusion: Applying inclusive practices to ensure every child feels valued, regardless of background or ability.
- Communication and partnership working: Effective communication with children, parents, and colleagues, including active listening and confidentiality.
- Supporting play and learning: Using play-based activities to promote development, linked to the EYFS framework.
Exam Tips & Revision Strategies
- Always connect theoretical principles (e.g., attachment theory, social learning) to real examples from your placement to demonstrate applied understanding.
- In your portfolio, include a variety of evidence: witness testimonies, observation records, and your own reflective logs showing how you’ve adjusted your practice over time.
- When demonstrating support for peer relationships, detail the specific strategies you used, such as modeling turn-taking or narrating social scenarios, and evaluate their effectiveness.
- For assessment criteria related to supporting relationships between children and others, ensure you show how you collaborate with parents, carers, or multi-agency teams, and reference relevant policies.
Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming that all children communicate in the same way, leading to a failure to adapt approaches for different ages, developmental stages, or communication preferences.
- Focusing solely on verbal interaction and neglecting the importance of non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, and tone.
- Confusing a professional relationship with a personal friendship, which can blur boundaries and undermine the child’s sense of security.
- Overlooking the need to record and reflect on relationship-building attempts; unsupported claims lack credibility in assessed work.
- Forgetting to consider the role of the setting’s policies and procedures, including safeguarding, when facilitating relationships between children and others.
Examiner Marking Points
- Award credit for demonstrating the use of age-appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication techniques that encourage children to express themselves.
- Provide clear evidence of actively listening to children, interpreting their non-verbal cues, and responding in a way that validates their feelings.
- Include documented observations showing how the learner maintains consistent boundaries and uses positive reinforcement to sustain trusting relationships over time.
- Assessment should capture practical examples of supporting a child to initiate or sustain a social interaction with a peer, such as during cooperative play or group activities.
- Credit reflection on how the learner adapts communication style for children with diverse needs, including those with SEND or EAL, to promote inclusivity.