Santana Taylor

I Have been working as a Personal Assistant for a young boy and his family. This particular young person has a condition called Smiths Meginis Syndrome and this affects his chromosome 17. My role would include;

• Assistance with personal care
• Organised and Assisted with Activities outside the home to keep him active, stimulated and happy.
• Creating a safe home for him to access fully and enjoy the environment.
• Encourage relationship building by socialising with regular friends and their families.
• Create activities based on his interests including providing him with a key board (he's very good on the piano), visits the park, charity shops, baking, role play and many more.
• Create meals and explore food options with him, he loves food and trying new things.

During my time with this young man I have had to adapt how I communicate with people as his vocabulary can be limited at times sot his can include giving him more time to explain himself, learning basic sign language, following his gaze and directions and flash cards when needed.

This role has taught me a lot of patience and love. he has taught me to slow down, smell the roses and listen to the aeroplanes above. Limitations are in yourself.... everything can be overcome!

During this time as a Childminder I was tasked with being in control of every aspect of my day with children aged as young as 4 Months old to 10 years old. I found myself really enjoying finding new things to do both outside and inside the home and we found some really incredible activities and support networks. As part of our day to day care we would :

• Accompany children on outings to ensure their safety.
• Promoted good behaviour with consistent boundaries in place, encouraging positive behaviours with rewards and responsibilities.
• Communicated effectively with parents regarding the child's day-to-day activities and behaviours through a diary filled with photos and comments about the routine and activities.
• Maintained detailed records of each child's progress and behaviours whilst adhering to the EYFS framework.
• Planned and prepared home made meals following all procedures, dietary requirements and made them adventurous where possible.
• Facilitated nap times, helping children develop healthy sleep habits.
• Facilitated personal development by allowing choices within boundaries.
• Incorporated cultural awareness into daily activities to foster diversity appreciation.
• Provided emotional support during periods of distress or discomfort.