We believe that children settle and thrive best when they have a key person to relate to, who knows them and their parents/guardians well, and who can meet their individual needs. Research shows that a key person approach benefits the child, the parents/guardians, the staff and the setting by providing secure relationships in which children thrive, parents/guardians have confidence, staff are committed and the setting is a happy and dedicated place to attend or work in.
We aim to make the setting a welcoming place where children settle quickly and easily because consideration has been given to the individual needs and circumstances of children and their families.
The key person role is set out in the Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Each setting must assign a key person for each child. The procedures set out a model for developing a key person approach that promotes effective and positive relationships for children who are in settings.
Procedures
- We allocate a key person before the child starts.
- The key person is responsible for the induction of the family and for settling the child into our setting.
- The key person offers unconditional regard for the child and is non-judgemental.
- The key person becomes attuned to the child’s individual preferences, learning styles, attitudes and characteristics, and works with the parents to plan and deliver a personalised plan for the child’s well-being care and learning.
- The key person acts as the key contact for the parents and has links with other carers involved with the child, such as a child-minder, and co-ordinates the sharing of appropriate information about the child’s development with those carers.
- The key person is responsible for developmental records and for sharing information on a regular basis with the child’s parents to keep those records up-to-date, reflecting the full picture of the child in our setting and at home.
- We provide a backup key person (‘the buddy’) so the child and the parents have a key contact in the absence of the child’s key person.
- We promote the role of the key person as the child’s primary carer in our setting, and as the basis for establishing positive relationships with other staff and children.
- The key person will provide particular support whenever there is a transitional change, a significant event in the child’s life and throughout the day-to-day events where the child needs personal care.
- Where possible children keep the same key person/group for the duration of their time in nursery.
- Siblings are placed together in the same key group unless this is against the wishes of their parents.
- Key groups split into two separate areas with their buddy groups at the end of the day. This allows relationships to be fostered between the key groups and key people and makes feedback to parents easier.
Settling in
- During the summer term (and or) before the child starts, we offer opportunities for them to visit the nursery with their families.
- New families are invited to the annual summer outing, so that they can get to know the other parents, their key person, the staff and children in a relaxed informal atmosphere.
- We allocate a key person to each child and her/his family before she/he starts to attend; the key person welcomes and looks after the child and her/his parents at the child’s first session and during the settling-in process.
- A time and date for the first session is agreed and the induction procedure explained.
- Parents are given an introduction booklet to the nursery prior to them starting. This includes:
- General information about the nursery.
- A written introduction to each member of staff.
- Our safeguarding Children statement and whistle blowing policy.
- Essential policies.
- Routines.
- Kit list for children’s clothes etc.
- Information about the EYFS.
- Information on where to view all our policies.
- During the first session the nursery manager will ensure that all statutory information about the child is collected and that all necessary permission slips and agreements have been signed.
- When a child starts to attend, we explain the process of settling-in with his/her parents and jointly decide on the best way to help the child to settle into the setting.
- As part of our Induction process, parents will be asked to spend at least one whole day in the nursery with their child. We feel that this is very important for the following reasons;
- Parents/guardians see the nursery day from start to finish and are therefore familiar with the routines and the way in which the nursery works (which helps when parts of the child’s day are referred to on later occasions).
- The child is able to explore and experience every aspect of the nursery day with a familiar adult to support them.
- Parents/guardians, staff and children have the opportunity to get to know each other in a relaxed and informal way.
- Parents/guardians are happy and more confident having seen first-hand the quality of care provided for all the children, an essential element when forging good relationships built on trust and respect.
- Parents/guardians are given access to the nursery staff room and to tea and coffee making facilities in the kitchen, this helps them to feel included and ‘at home’ in the nursery environment.
- Parents/guardians have time to read our policies and procedures and have the opportunity to discuss them with staff and ask questions.
- The key person will discuss with the child’s parents/guardians his/her likes and dislikes, his/her routines and their wishes for care. They will use the nurseries key person Induction form as a guide.
- The key person will spend time with the child playing with them and forming a relationship.
- Parents/guardians will be encouraged to introduce their child gradually to the nursery, leaving him/her for just a few hours at the beginning and building up each day.
- We recognise that younger children will take longer to settle in, as will children who have not previously spent time away from home. Children who have had a period of absence may also need their parent to be on hand to re-settle them.
- The amount of time spent inducting the child to the nursery will depend solely on the needs of the individual child and their parents/guardians.
- We judge a child to be settled when they have formed a relationship with their key person, for example the child looks for the key person when he/she arrives, goes to them for comfort, and seems pleased to be with them. The child is also familiar with where things are and is pleased to see other children and participate in activities.
- When parents leave, we ask them to say goodbye to their child and explain that they will be coming back and when.
- We recognise that some children will settle more readily than others, but that some children who appear to be settled rapidly are not ready to be left. We expect that the parent/guardian will honour the commitment to stay for at least the first week or possibly longer, until their child can stay happily without them.
- We do not believe that leaving a child to cry will help them to settle any quicker. We believe that a child’s distress will prevent them from learning and gaining the best from the setting.
- We reserve the right not to accept a child into the setting without a parent or carer if the child finds it distressing to be left. This is especially the case with very young children.
- We understand that many young children find transitions difficult and will support them to say good bye in ways that are easiest for them. We will encourage children to wave at the window or blow kisses and will stay with them until they are busy and happily at play.
- We will telephone parents/guardians if after twenty minutes of adult support their child is still not settled and happy.
- We will give parents the opportunity to stay in the staffroom to wait whilst their child settles, so that they are on hand to return if required, or have the opportunity to see for themselves that their child is happy and settled.
- Staff do not work shift patterns, so key people are always on hand to assist with these transitions.
Daily communication between parents/guardians and key people
- Wherever possible children are greeted by their key person on arrival, with all staff present to welcome children and families into the nursery and discuss, share and explore any issues, changes or news.
- Because staff do not work shift patterns, all key people are present throughout the whole of the child’s day, with the exclusion of lunch-breaks, enabling the children to feel safe, confident and secure. This enables key people to be aware of the child, the events which occur, and to be knowledgeable when discussing the child’s day with parents and carers at the end of the day, using first-hand knowledge and personal experience.
- The nursery will strive to create an informal relaxed environment, where parents/guardians and staff can chat freely about the children’s day, with the child present and a central part of the conversation.
- Parents/guardians are encouraged to arrive at least five minutes before the nursery closes so that such exchanges can take place. Many parents/guardians choose to come much earlier than this, arriving any time form 4.30 onwards and playing with their children and chatting with staff until 5.00pm.
- Key people’s records, reflecting the full picture of the child in our setting, are compiled onto the online system Tapestry, which is always available for parents/guardians and children to read and contribute to.
- Parents/guardians are asked to inform their child’s key person of any events or incidents that may affect the child physically and emotionally. It is important that we know about any changes in family circumstances or impending changes. We also need know about any illness or sickness that the child or close family members have suffered. We can therefore play an important role in helping to support the child with such events and emotions and are in a better positon to understand their mood and behaviour.
The progress check at age two
- The key person carries out the regulatory progress check at age two.
- The progress check aims to review the child’s development and ensures that parents/guardians have a clear picture of their child’s development.
- Within the progress check, the key person will note areas where the child is progressing well and identify areas where progress is less than expected.
- The progress check will describe the actions that will be taken by the setting to address any developmental concerns (including working with other professionals where appropriate) as agreed with the parents/guardians.
- The key person will plan activities to meet the child’s needs within the setting and will support parents/guardians to understand the child’s needs in order to enhance their development at home.
- Parents/guardians are given the opportunity to meet with their child’s key person, to discuss and contribute to the progress check.
19 November 2024