Abstract
This study examined the leadership approach to child health and wellbeing within the early-years sector; it drew upon the evidence from thirty-two practitioners and ten nursery managers. Practitioners evidenced the challenges in recognising the signs and symptoms of low wellbeing and in monitoring progress. A constructivist paradigm enabled qualitative data to be collected from an interactive questionnaire and three focus groups of nursery managers. Analysis was supported by two wellbeing models: the PERMA model (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) and the SHANARRI wheel (Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included). The findings accentuated the lack of confidence of practitioners in identifying the precursors of health and wellbeing, and their ability to monitor the progress to support children. In conclusion, a clear definition of health and wellbeing should be adopted by managers; their leadership is vital to support the training of practitioners sharing their knowledge and experience to less-qualified staff. The main issues to transpire highlighted that clear mandatory guidance should be available for early-years practitioners, and the creation of a bespoke early-years model to measure child health and wellbeing.
Highlights
The town of Blackpool is a seaside resort on the coast of Lancashire, England which hosts an estimated transient population of 141,500 [1]
This study critically examined the topic of child health and wellbeing within thirty-two early-years settings which evaluated the role of the practitioner in first to recognise the signs of low child-health and wellbeing, and secondly, to measure the child’s progress
A constructive paradigm was identified which allowed for knowledge to be created and meaning to be place to the early-years experiences; this will assist practitioners to reflect on their practice and construct their perception of child health and wellbeing and the world around them [27,28]
Summary
The town of Blackpool is a seaside resort on the coast of Lancashire, England which hosts an estimated transient population of 141,500 [1]. The current data report by Public Health England [2] rates Blackpool as conveying one of the most deprived authorities in England: about 52% (8400) of children live in low-income families. The report states that early-years children living in the local area are severely impacted by the social determinates of the area and the impact of poverty. Contemporary figures further evidence that Blackpool transcends the national averages due to the high rates of drug and alcohol abuse in the town [2]. Further contemporary views by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) state that one in four children are living in poverty, and this has a lasting impact on their wellbeing and emotional development [4]
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