We are CFHD: Early Child Development
Our Early Child Development (EDC) pathway helps babies and children aged under 5 in Devon (excluding Plymouth) with severe delay or differences in multiple areas of their development.
We caught up with Larisa and Manu to find out more about what they do within CFHD’s Early Child Development pathway and why they enjoy it:
What is your role/title?
Larisa: Early Years Practitioner
Manu: I am clinical psychologist working with children under 5s who have significant developmental needs. I am also the clinical lead for this county wide pathway.
What do you do within CFHD?
Larisa: Contribute towards children’s autism assessments.
Manu: As a clinical psychologist, I over see developmental assessment autism assessment. I contribute to the assessment of the most complex children with a history of developmental trauma, attachment difficulties and complex medical needs. I provide supervision to staff and alongside senior member of the team, I ensure that the planning of assessment and specialist intervention are timely and child led. As a team, we work very closely and ensure that our work follows NICE guidance and CQC standards.
What do you love about your job?
Larisa: The team I work with, the knowledge and skills shared throughout us as a team, the variation of each working day e.g. visiting schools, supporting parents, running courses, intervention with younger children.
Manu: I love working as part of a true MDT where all clinicians contribute to a team formulation around a child’s particular presentation. I love how our small team work in a holistic way by putting the needs of the child and parents first by consulting with them and showing flexibility in their approach. I am also very proud of how trauma informed we are in our practice, working hard to understand the unique perspective and lived experience of our parents and their children. The work is very varied and I keep learning every day from working jointly with my colleagues who bring their own unique perspective to my understanding of the children I see.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in ECD pathway?
Larisa: To have a good knowledge and understanding of typical child development. To have good knowledge of autism and how to look for those differences in communication and language.
Manu: If you are a candidate who loves MDT working and variety of assessment and specialist intervention, including supporting team formulation and bringing psychology into physical health, then the ECD clinical psychology role is for you
Tell me a bit about your day working in Early child development.
Larisa: In a typical day, I may visit a school, observe a child and make notes about the differences I see that might be due to Autism. I have duty calls, where I speak to parents of families on the waitlist and offer support for sleep/eating/behaviour/sensory differences. I attend TAF (team around the family) meetings to offer support and strategies for children with parents and schools. I help run a parenting course to give support of how to care for your child once receiving diagnosis. I support younger children with intervention around communication and play.
Manu: I am involved in clinical meetings, face to face appointments, joint clinics and I am a member of the leadership team in the pathway. Safety, responsiveness, compassion and effectiveness inform the work that we do. Report writing, consultation and supervision are important aspects of my role.
