The meaning of a child-centred approach is to guarantee that the child is put first before anyone else. This type of approach promotes the right of the child/young adult to choose, communicate, connect with people and achieve. A child centred approach is also beneficial for children and adolescents to learn the correct skills they need for living a fulfilling life. Every person who works with children and young people has the responsibility to look after them and make sure that each single child they encounter is safe.
Children should be given every opportunity to learn and no one has the right to do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. Children and young adults should be taught and encouraged not to put up with any behaviour from adults or other children that makes them feel in danger or threatened. It is important to establish open and honest discussion with children and young people about all kinds of issues that can affect them. It is also very important that children learn how to manage risk themselves.
In fact, the importance of a child-centred approach is to ensure that the child is considered first before anyone else. Obviously, statutes, regulations, policies and procedures applied to all School’s children, but at the core the approach must be individual. In fact, no individual education plan, Common Assessment Framework or Child Protection Order will ever be identical; because of this, it is vital that practitioners centre their approach around the child and his/her circumstances. According to “Making a positive contribution” (Every Child Matters) every child must have a voice and they should be always listened. And the right to be heard applies to every aspect of a child’s life: at home, in school, in healthcare, in play and leisure, in the media, in the courts, in local communities, and in local and national policy-making, as well as at the international level. This approach provides children with feelings of self-worth and belonging.
By using a child or young person-centred approach carers, early years practitioners and school’s staff increase children’s and young people’s chance of learning and also enhance their self-esteem: this can be very helpful in later life for achieving their full potential. Children want to be respected, their views need to be heard, and they should have stable relationships with professionals built on trust. Anyone working with children and staff members should always listen and not interrupt; if the opportunity comes they should reassure students taking their views seriously; and work with them collaboratively when deciding how to support their needs.
