Fact, opinion and judgement

Ffaith, barn a dyfarniad

Doctor supervision

Fact, opinion and judgement mean three different things and developing an understanding of these definitions can have a significant effect on how to come to a decision and make records. It is also useful when deciding what, how, when and with whom to share any information gathered.

Fact - something which has been proven to be correct. Facts about children are gathered from parents/carers when they start in an early years or a childcare setting. Facts can include their full name, date of birth, address, dietary requirements etc. A childcare worker will be able to gather more facts about children through observing them. These facts can be used to plan for individual children. These facts can be shared with parents/carers and other professionals to make them aware of their children's development and what they can do to promote their development further.

Opinion - a view which is not necessarily based on fact or information. Everyone can voice their opinion and this should be considered carefully in relation to children and young people. Parents/carers may not agree with the opinion of childcare workers and this must be remembered when recording and giving them information about their children. Professionals may not agree with the opinion of the childcare worker at all times either. Childcare workers should not allow their opinion to dictate their choices, e.g. it should not be presumed that arranging regular visits with the speech and language therapist is the best way to promote a child's ability to communicate more confidently. When observing children, care should be taken to avoid voicing opinion and coming to conclusions on matters. Instead, there is a need to be objective and to ensure that opinion does not dictate what should be recorded. It is far better that others hear about information that has been seen and heard during observation.

Judgement - the ability to form an opinion and make good decisions or come to a conclusion on a specific matter. Experienced childcare workers should have developed the ability to make professional judgements in different situations. They should know when and how to share information with colleagues and when further support is needed from professionals. The experience and ability to make good judgements will lead to a positive outcome for a child's well-being and development. Childcare workers will be able to see when children are experiencing difficulties, knowing who needs extra support. During observation, childcare workers will be able to make judgements based on information already gathered about the child. For example, childcare workers should be able to make professional judgements about possible abuse by taking time to listen to the child, observe him/her and notice if he/she is behaving differently to normal.

Sharing information is crucial when working with children and young people and childcare workers have a responsibility to do so. It ensures that individuals receive appropriate support at the right time. Other professionals will be able to work on this in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. If an individual is at risk of harm, the childcare worker must not hesitate and assume that someone else will share the information. A situation may arise where the childcare worker cannot share information for the child's benefit. For example, if there are suspicions that a child is being abused by a parent/carer, the information should not be shared with them. Instead, the information needs to be shared with social services and/or the police in order to ensure the child's well-being.

The UK Government has produced a document giving guidance on how to share information safely. This document is for childcare workers working with children and young people and their families/carers. This advice is non-statutory but it is available to support childcare workers in the decisions they take to share information promoting the well-being of children and young people. The guidance document highlights seven rules which should be considered when sharing information.

  1. The 'Data Protection Act' is not a barrier to sharing information but provides a framework to ensure that personal information is shared appropriately.
  2. There is a need to be open and honest noting why, what, how and with whom information will be shared. Consent will be needed unless it is unsafe or inappropriate to do so.
  3. It is important to seek advice from other childcare workers if you are in any doubt about sharing specific information, without disclosing the identity of the individual where possible.
  4. If circumstances allow, childcare workers may share information with consent but the wishes of those who do not consent to having their information shared must be respected. Information may be shared without consent if it is felt that there is a basis to do so, such as where an individual's safety may be at risk.
  5. Safety and well-being must be considered. Decisions to share information must be based on the safety and well-being of the individual and others.
  6. It is important that the information shared is suitable and is shared only with affected individuals. It is crucial that information is accurate and up-to-date and is shared in a secure and timely fashion.
  7. Records must be kept of decisions and the reasons for them. If childcare workers decide to share information, they must record what they have shared, with whom and for what purpose.

Further information: https://bit.ly/2OeqDCD

Mae ffaith, barn a dyfarniad yn golygu tri pheth gwahanol ac mae datblygu dealltwriaeth o’r diffiniadau hyn yn medru cael effaith sylweddol ar y ffordd mae dod i benderfyniad a sut i gofnodi. Mae hefyd yn gymorth wrth benderfynu beth, sut, pryd a chyda phwy y dylid rhannu’r wybodaeth a gasglwyd.

Ffaith - rhywbeth sydd wedi’i brofi i fod yn gywir. Cesglir ffeithiau am blant oddi wrth rieni/gofalwyr wrth iddynt ddechrau eu cyfnod mewn lleoliad blynyddoedd cynnar neu ofal plant. Gall ffeithiau gynnwys enw llawn, dyddiad geni, cyfeiriad, gofynion dietegol ac ati. Bydd gweithiwr gofal plant yn medru casglu rhagor o ffeithiau am blant wrth eu harsylwi. Gellir defnyddio’r ffeithiau hyn i gynllunio ar gyfer y plentyn unigol. Gellir rhannu’r ffeithiau hyn gyda’r rhieni/gofalwyr a gweithwyr proffesiynol eraill fel eu bod yn ymwybodol o gamau datblygiad eu plant a beth maen nhw’n gallu ei wneud i hyrwyddo’r datblygiad ymhellach.

Barn - safbwynt, nad yw, o reidrwydd, yn seiliedig ar ffeithiau neu wybodaeth. Mae hawl gan bawb i leisio barn a dylid ystyried hyn yn ofalus os yw’n ymwneud â phlant a phobl ifanc. Efallai na fydd rhieni/gofalwyr yn cytuno gyda barn gweithwyr gofal plant ac mae’n rhaid cofio hyn wrth gofnodi a rhoi gwybodaeth iddynt am eu plant. Efallai na fydd gweithwyr proffesiynol chwaith yn cytuno â barn yr gweithiwr gofal plant ym mhob achos. Ni ddylai gweithwyr gofal plant adael eu barn reoli eu dewisiadau, e.e. ni ddylid tybio mai trefnu ymweliad cyson gyda’r therapydd iaith a lleferydd yw’r ffordd orau i hyrwyddo gallu’r plentyn i gynyddu hyder wrth gyfathrebu. Wrth arsylwi plant, dylid osgoi lleisio barn a dod i gasgliad am faterion. Yn hytrach, mae angen bod yn wrthrychol a pheidio â gadael i farn reoli'r hyn y dylid ei gofnodi. Mae’n llawer gwell bod pobl eraill yn clywed am y wybodaeth sydd wedi’i weld a’i glywed wrth arsylwi.

Dyfarniad - y gallu i ffurfio barn a gwneud penderfyniadau da neu ddod i gasgliad am rywbeth penodol. Dylai gweithwyr gofal plant profiadol fod wedi datblygu’r gallu i wneud dyfarniad proffesiynol mewn sefyllfaoedd gwahanol. Dylid gwybod pryd a sut y mae rhannu gwybodaeth gyda chydweithwyr a phryd mae angen cymorth pellach gan weithwyr proffesiynol. Bydd y profiad a’r gallu i wneud dyfarniad da yn arwain at ganlyniad positif o ran lles a datblygiad y plentyn. Bydd gweithwyr gofal plant yn gallu sylwi pryd bydd plant yn profi anawsterau gan wybod pwy sydd angen cymorth ychwanegol. Wrth arsylwi bydd gweithwyr gofal plant yn medru gwneud dyfarniad, yn seiliedig ar y wybodaeth sydd eisoes wedi’i chasglu am y plentyn. Er enghraifft, dylai gweithwyr gofal plant fedru gwneud dyfarniadau proffesiynol ynghylch camdriniaeth posibl trwy gymryd amser i wrando ac arsylwi’r plentyn a sylwi ar ei (h)ymddygiad os yw’n wahanol i’r arfer.

Mae rhannu gwybodaeth yn hollbwysig wrth weithio gyda phlant a phobl ifanc ac mae cyfrifoldeb ar yr gweithwyr gofal plant i wneud hynny. Mae’n sicrhau bod yr unigolyn yn derbyn y cymorth priodol ar yr amser iawn. Bydd pobl broffesiynol eraill yn medru cydweithio ar hyn er mwyn sicrhau’r canlyniadau gorau posib. Os yw’r unigolyn mewn peryg o niwed, rhaid i’r gweithiwr gofal plant beidio ag oedi a thybio y bydd rhywun arall yn rhannu’r wybodaeth. Gall sefyllfa godi lle na all yr gweithiwr gofal plant rannu gwybodaeth er mwyn lles y plentyn. Er enghraifft, os tybier fod plentyn yn cael ei gam-drin gan riant/gofalwyr ni ddylid rhannu’r wybodaeth hon â nhw. Yn hytrach, mae angen rhannu’r wybodaeth gyda’r gwasanaethau cymdeithasol a/neu’r heddlu er mwyn sicrhau lles y plentyn.

Mae’r Llywodraeth wedi cynhyrchu dogfen sy’n cynnig canllawiau ar sut i rannu gwybodaeth yn ddiogel. Mae’r ddogfen hon ar gyfer gweithwyr gofal plant sy’n gweithio gyda phlant a phobl ifanc a’u teuluoedd/gofalwyr. Nid yw’r cyngor hwn yn statudol ond mae o ar gael i gefnogi gweithwyr gofal plant yn y broses o wneud penderfyniadau ynglŷn â rhannu gwybodaeth gan hyrwyddo lles plant a phobl ifanc. Mae’r ddogfen canllawiau yn tynnu sylw at saith rheol y dylid eu hystyried wrth rannu gwybodaeth.

  1. Nid yw’r ‘Deddf Amddiffyn Data’ yn rhwystr i rannu gwybodaeth ond mae’n cynnwys fframwaith sy’n sicrhau bod gwybodaeth bersonol yn cael ei rhannu’n briodol.
  2. Mae angen bod yn agored a gonest gan nodi pam, beth, sut a gyda phwy y caiff y wybodaeth ei rhannu. Bydd angen cael caniatâd oni bai nad yw’n ddiogel neu’n amhriodol i wneud hyn.
  3. Mae’n bwysig ceisio cyngor gan gweithwyr gofal plant eraill os oes amheuaeth ynglŷn â rhannu gwybodaeth benodol, a rhaid peidio â datgelu gwybodaeth am yr unigolyn os ydy hynny’n bosibl.
  4. Os ydy amgylchiadau’n caniatáu, caiff gweithwyr gofal plant rannu gwybodaeth gyda chaniatâd ond rhaid parchu dymuniadau’r rhai nad ydynt am eu gwybodaeth gael ei rannu. Gellir rhannu gwybodaeth heb ganiatâd os tybier bod sail ar gyfer gwneud, hynny yw, os yw diogelwch yr unigolyn mewn perygl.
  5. Rhaid ystyried diogelwch a lles. Rhaid seilio penderfyniad i rannu gwybodaeth ar ddiogelwch a lles yr unigolyn ac eraill.
  6. Mae’n bwysig bod y wybodaeth a rennir yn addas a’i bod yn cael ei rhannu gyda’r unigolion a gaiff eu heffeithio. Mae’n hollbwysig bod y wybodaeth yn gywir ac yn gyfredol a’i bod yn cael ei rhannu’n brydlon ac yn ddiogel.
  7. Rhaid cadw cofnod o benderfyniad a’r rheswm dros ei gymryd. Os ydy gweithwyr gofal plant yn penderfynu rhannu gwybodaeth, mae angen cofnodi’r hyn a gaiff ei rannu, gyda phwy ac i ba bwrpas.

Am wybodaeth bellach: https://bit.ly/2OeqDCD

Fact, opinion and judgement

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Ffaith, barn a dyfarniad

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