As young children grow, it is important to check on how they are developing to make sure that they have everything they need to get the best possible start in life. Age 2 -2 ½ is a crucial stage of development for children. All two year old children must now have an integrated review this is called the 2yr old Integrated Review.
There are currently two different reviews of children’s development at aged 2. One review has a health focus and is carried out by a Health Visitor or community nursery nurse. The other has an educational focus and is carried out by the child’s nursery or childminder. There are lots of similarities between the two reviews. They both look at how the child is developing physically, socially, emotionally and in their communication and language.
Achieving for Children Early Years team have worked with health visiting teams across Kingston and Richmond to come up with a process to integrate the two checks.
The integrated review;
- identify the child’s progress, strengths and needs at this age in order to promote positive outcomes in health and wellbeing, learning and development;
- facilitate appropriate intervention and support for children and their families, where progress is less than expected; and
- generate information which can be used to plan services and contribute to the reduction of inequalities in children’s outcomes.
The integrated review requires health and early year’s practitioners to combine their professional knowledge with that of parents, and to work together in a holistic approach to support each child and their family. This shared responsibility for working together means that children and families can get the support they need at an earlier stage.
How will the integrated check work in practice?
The Progress Review
An early years provider will have much longer to get to know a child than a health visitor who may have a very short time to assess them. Therefore the information that they can provide towards the progress check will be invaluable. Where possible, an early years provider will complete their part of the progress check before the child is 27 months old so parents can take the completed check with them to their child’s 27 month development review appointment with their health visitor.
If your child does not attend an early years setting they will still be entiltled to the 2yr old Integrated Review with their health visitor team to complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) - see below.
The Health Review
The review that health visitors complete is called a 27 month development review.
Richmond
In Richmond health visiting teams ask parents to contact their health visitor for an appointment. During the appointment the health visitor will review the ASQ-3 questionnaire and the progress check at age two document as well as talk to the parent and ask the child to complete some simple exercises.
They will use all this information to assess whether or not the child is progressing as they should be.
If you have any questions about these checks you should discuss them with your health visitor or early years professional.
Kingston
In Kingston health visiting teams ask parents to contact their health visitor for an appointment. During the appointment the health visitor will review the ASQ-3 questionnaire and the progress check at age two document as well as talk to the parent and ask the child to complete some simple exercises.
They will use all this information to assess whether or not the child is progressing as they should be.
These two reviews combine together to form the 2yr old Integrated Review.
If you have any questions about these checks you should discuss them with your health visitor or early years professional.
Useful websites
You may find the following websites useful