Keyworker at nursery

[tryingtobemarypoppins2]

I am filling in a questionnaire and not sure how to word my grumble about the keyworker system and wonder if IABU.

Basically because of a shift system operating in the under 3's nursery and us only attending 2 times a week, we often go into nursery and don't see our keyworker. Today I only accually knew 1 member of staff out of the 5 or 6 who were there. This REALLY worries me and its a nightmare with a younger baby, not to mention a 2 year old who is a bit hard to drop of sometimes. He loves it once he is there but drop offs can be hard.

The staff from the under 3's take it in turns to staff the extra provsion in the over 3's and this is the problem I think.

AIBU to expect keyworkers of the under 1's in particular to always be there??

unfortunately yabu

if you want consistency in keyworker then the keyworker will have to be a cm or nanny, a family member or a friend
expecting it to be otherwise, in a business, will only lead to stress, worry and disappointment

See your point Ronaldinhio but is this really unworkable in a nursery?

yes, it is
the ideal is that the keyworker is there but the reality is very different
also very different during the day...what you see in the morning will change greatly during the day

Why though Ronaldinhio?? Why can't staff work the same days and times each week?

because they have holiday, breaks, staffing cover needs...
personal development
training
promotion
spats within the nursery
boredom
want to work with their friends
get fed up with being with the babies

all these things impact upon keyworkers. you are not promised a consistent keyworker but the ideal is that you will get one and that they will generally be available

honestly the only way to guarantee continuity of care is a cm, nanny, family member or friend
a nursery is no guarantee of this...it's very useful for many things but it can't guarantee that your baby will be cared for by the same person all the time

I work in a preschool (different, I know) and part of my job is to carefully match children with keyworkers. The most difficult time admittedly is when children start and only do a couple of mornings, you might have NO adult who works those same 2 days until the child increases their days. That said, even if a child attends just two days the keyworker is always there on one of those days.

If it becomes clear that the KW never sees the child, changes are made.

Attachment is very important to your child's experience of nursery and I do think you should mention it- and expect feedback.

If you want a certain individual with your child constantly, get a nanny or go to a child minder.

YABU.

trying - the reason is that the staff work shifts. That means some weeks they work earlies, some lates and some middle shifts. Its the only way to make it fair to all the nursery workers - different tasks are often given to different shifts (eg cleaning the toilets after lunch, set nappy changes, cleaning up after different meals, etc) and it would be completely unfair for one person to ALWAYS do that because thats the shift they work!

Also, some children are in nurseries for very long days. You cannot expect the keyworker of these children to work 10 or 11 hour days, simply because thats how long the child is there!

Its not ideal, but as ronaldinho explained, the only way to make sure you see your childs keyworker every drop off and pick up is to use a childminder or a nanny.

At our nursery there are 2 members of staff who are in the baby room every day - not all day, 1 week they work the early shift and leave a bit before pick up then the next week they do a later shift so they're not at the drop off IYKWIM. They are there for most of the day every day though. There are 2 or 3 other members of staff who usually cover the drop off/pick up when those 2 staff aren't there, cover holidays and help out if there are more than 6 babies. As far as I'm aware all the babies have 1 or other of the 2 main staff members as their keyworker although I don't know which one is DDs as both know all the babies very well and can tell me how she has been etc. It works really well as I know I will see her 'keyworkers' either at the start or end of the day and they will spend most of the day with DD. Plus I have met all the other girls who cover the baby room and I know they will pass messages on for me if they are there for drop off and will give me feedback if they are there when I collect her.

I DON'T think YABU to at least ask why the staffing isn't more consistent at your nursery. I feel much happier dropping DD off knowing I will leave her with someone she is familiar with and she will spend most of her time there with the same 2 people who know her well and who she is happy with.

The only other thing I would suggest is making an effort to speak to more of the staff there - I didn't know anyone there when I dropped DD off the second week she was there so I just introduced myself and had a quick chat. Now they are all much more likely to come over when I see them and let me know how everything is going.

Sounds much better Rugbylovingmum. I think thats the way to go, keep introducing myself etc. The nursery is open 8-6, we only do 8-4 but I still don't understand why they can't do either an early or a late and have the same day off each week?

It's very hard to schedule lots of part-time workers.

Some may be at college one day or more a week (lots of nursery workers are required to be "working towards" an NVQ qualification.) an colleges have set days.

No you're not being unreasonable.

I have used 2 different nurseries and my children have always attended part-time...maybe we were lucky but their keyworkers were almost always present, unless they were on holiday or sick.

I think you have a right to complain and ask for a keyworker who will be there on the day your child is there.

Hmm - in my nursery each room has at least two key workers (depending on numbers in each room) who are stationed in that room. They do not move to other rooms. They alternate so one starts early, one finishes late. They are not always there five days a week but one of them always is.

The other staff then tend to rotate rooms - so that they get to know each of the children. I can honestly say that every member of staff knows both my children by name and lots about them. I rarely see a member of staff I do not know unless they have just started or are a new student.

It also tends to be the baby / toddler key workers who are there early in the morning - first thing all the children go in together - so that the younger children who are more likely to be unsettled at drop off have a key face there.

So no it is not necessarily the case in every nursery.

Well thanks all. I handed back in the comments form so fingers crossed i'll get some feedback....and they won't black list me!

I dont think YABU. My children have had keyworkers from when they started 2 years ago. They only go 2 days a week (Mon/Tues) so their keyworkers are the staff members always in on those days. (they each get 1 day a week off as they work 10 hour days)

In fact it was part of the reason DS2 got separated from his friends hed been with for 18months - the room they were going into the staff all had their days off on Mondays and Tuesdays so the manager wanted him to be in a room with a stable keyworker for each session.

It works wonderfully. I wouldnt be able to hand over my children to people I dont know either, and they wouldnt want to go.

? At our presschool pretty much the same staff are in all day Monday to Friday. Is this unusual???

At the nursery / preschool my dd attends there are always the same members of staff - if a new one starts I am introduced. My daughter only ever has had two keyworkers in 2 years, so very consistent. So yanbu. It is not unsual to have consistent keyworker / staff system.

You aren't be U really, the keyworker should be a key person to that baby or child, and should be building a significant relationship with the child/ baby and family. Keyworkers are your first point of call etc etc.

In real terms things are not ideal when settings have to work shift patterns etc. OFSTED do require that children have a second keyworker to stand in when the primary keyworker isn't there.

Hairy - this sounds more of a day nursery than nursery school. Am I right?