The keyperson approach
The Keyperson approach
Research has shown that a key person approach is the most effective way of ensuring children form and build reltionships with a significant adult in the setting.
Why is this important?
Children develop best when they feel safe, secure and cared for, and the responsibilty for this is in the hands of adults responsible for their care. This may be a sole responsibilty from parents alone or the case where care is shared it also becomes the role of the key person to ensure this is achieved during a childs time in a setting.
The key person approach at Tyseley Tots
At our nursery we have an established key person approach and this is threaded through our ethos, policies and procedures.
Our approach gives children the reassurance to feel secure and cared for helping them to become familiar with the nursery environment and to feel confident within it.
The key person has special responsibilities for working with a small number of children and building relationships with you, their parent. In addition they will talk to you to make sure that the needs of your child are being met appropriately and that any records of achievement are shared with you or any other professionals as necessary.
The key person is also responsible for responding sensitivley to your child's needs, feelings ideas and beahaviours, meeting all your child's physical care needs where practible, and planning and recording for your child's education and development.
This ENSURES above all else that your child's individuality , efforts and achievments leaves them feeling valued and respected for who they are and who they aspire to be.
A key persons role begins from a childs first settling in visit at at the nursery or onto the next age group. A key person will be assigned to you on your first visit to the nursery and they will take you and your child step by step through this period and tailor make an induction programme built around you and your child's needs ( please see our settling in policy in "getting started" in the tool bar)
All children will be assigned a key person on their first settling in visit ensuring you have and your child have a point of contact and more importantly a familiar face from the begining.
The key person will form part of the key team responsible for the children within this age group. The role of the key team is to provide a consistent approach to the children's care, and to have knowledge of all the children who attend in this age group. In addition they will take over your key persons responsibilities in their absence for holidays etc. They will be familiar with your child as they will be working closley with your keyperson and your child on a dialy basis. Your child willbe comfortable with this staff member as they will support your key perosn in providing care for your child and this will ensure you also have someone you are familar with to discuss your child with in the key persons absence.
Where children are moving up to a new age group your key person will support you and child during this period, slowly handing over responsibilty to your new assigned key person.
Our staff team heavily endorse our key person approach making this a strong element in our ethos here in the nursery. As such your key person will strive to be the best person to undertstand your child's individual needs and to share information with you about their experiences here in the nursery.
The child care specialist Elinor Goldschmied describes the "Triangualr relationship" that needs to develop among the early years practitioner (primarily the key person), a child;s parents(s) and the child. She chose the image of the triangle deliberatly because each part of the shape is equally important and contributes to the whole. If anybody in the practitioner- parent- child triangle feel anxious, unhappy or under emotional threat, than everyone else wil be effected.
