The role of the key person and settling in 

Policy statement

We believe that children settle best when they have a key person to relate to, who knows them and their parents well, and who can meet their individual needs. Research shows that a key person approach benefits the child, the parents, the staff and the setting by providing secure relationships in which children thrive, parents have confidence, staff are committed, and the setting is a happy and dedicated place to attend or work in.

We want children to feel safe, stimulated and happy in the nursery and to feel secure and comfortable with staff. We also want parents to have confidence in both their children's well-being and their role as active partners with the setting.

SRC Nursery aims 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 procedures set out a model for developing a key person approach that promotes effective and positive relationships for children who are in nursery.

Procedures

·      We allocate a key person before the child starts, or at least as soon as they are enrolled.

·      The key person is responsible for the induction of the family and for settling the child into the nursery.

·      The key person offers unconditional regard for the child and is non-judgemental.

·      The key person works with the parent to plan and deliver a personalised plan for the child’s well-being, care and leaning.

·      The key person acts as the key contact for the parents and the sharing of appropriate information about the child’s development.

·      A 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 the nursery and at home.

·      The key person encourages positive relationships between children in her/his key group, spending time with them as a group each day.

·      We provide a backup key person, so the child and the parents have a key contact in the absence of the child’s key person.

·      We promote the key person's role as the child’s primary carer in the nursery and as the basis for establishing relationships with other staff and children.

Settling-in

·      Before a child starts to attend the nursery, we use a variety of ways to provide his/her parents with information. These include written information (including our prospectus and policies), displays about activities available within the nursery, information days and evenings and individual meetings with parents.

·      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 nursery.

·      Our policy explains that the parent, carer or close relative, will stay for most of the day during the first week, gradually taking time away from their child, increasing this as and when the child is able to cope. As all children are individual there are no restrictions to how long a child takes to settle in. 

·      Some 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.

·      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 settle rapidly are not ready to be left. We expect that the parent 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 nursery.

·      Within the first four to six weeks of starting we discuss and work with the child's parents to start to create their child's profile.