What should be key worker role?

[pipiandbelle]

My LG who is 21 months started nursery a few weeks ago (1 day a week). She has had three short settling in sessions. We were told who her key worker was going to be and on the first day the key worker came to get her from the front door. She had only met her briefly before so was a bit wary. Ever since then it has been a different person who had picked her up from the front door in the morning drop off( 5 different people) only a couple my LG has seen briefly before. So my question is what should the key worker be doing if not picking her up from the front and settling her in? I get a report at the end of the day but basically that is a cut and paste of what the group have done, not how my LG has been. I don't see the key worker at the end of the day either. Is this normal?!
I have picked my LG up twice now and both times I could hear her crying (not like her). Last time I was told she was crying because she's just bumped her head but I got no head bump form or anything, I had to press (not the key worker but the person who brought her to the front door) how she bumped her head and where. They told me she had bumped the back of her head but later she had a red mark on the front of her head which makes me think they didn't see it happen.

Aghhh- not sure if I'm being over cautious but I expected a closer key working role it's my LG to feel safe, a report on a head bump and more info on the day. The head bump
And crying wasn't mentioned at all in the daily report btw.

Any thoughts on if all of this is normal?

EYFS regulations are clear that the key worker role is "...to help ensure that every child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs... to help the child become familiar with the setting, offer a settled relationship for the child and build a relationship with their parents. "

The regulations also state that the nursery should have made this role clear to you, which they seemto have failed to do.

Note there is no set way of fulfilling this role, whatever happens in anyone else's nursery or childcare setting. It is not an instant thing, and it is not a matter of the key worker being the child’s personal career or shadow.

Bumps are very common at this age and may well go unnoticed initially. Just to flip this for a moment, IME 25-50% of parents dropping a child off have little or no idea why they have an existing bruise or graze, despite having the luxury of to one supervision at home. In a group setting, the ratio is one adult to three under-2s but, as that figure is assessed the entire premises, there may be a lower level of supervision on the ground.

That said, you should be informed of any accidents on the day, and a bump form provided without too much delay (though not necessarily on the day.)

Your child’s key worker may not do the same hours as your child which is possibly why you don’t see them at drop off/pick up if you have an early start/late finish but they will likely be with them for at least the core part of the day. It’s their job to get to know you child and help them develop. Depending on numbers at your nursery there is a good chance your child has a good bond with all the staff regularly in the room.

On one day a week, it's not realistic to expect there to be a particularly secure or strong bond with a key person. This is one of the reasons that many settings don't offer just a single a week.

Would it be possible for your child either to attend for more days, or to split the one day into two half days to give them the chance to develop more secure relationships.

If that's not possible, then I would suggest switching to a childminder until your child receives their 15 or 30 hour funding.

As others have said, your child's key person may not be there for the same hours as your child, and they will also have other key children.

foundationyears.org.uk/eyfs-statutory-framework/ here is the EYFS framework the explanation of a keyworkers role is stated there on page 22 when you download a copy. Although for safeguarding and SEN purposes the responsibility of a keyworker is much more. In my setting who every is free greets a child at the start of their session. I have children who are not my key children but have bonded with me. Most settings have the highest standard of team work so will know the children well. I can pretty much tell you what every child's next steps are in my room key child or not. I can tell you what they like and which child will like which activities. It's my job to know!! Some parents won't talk to me because I am not their child's keyworker. Which I find odd our whole team at my work loves every child and wants the best for every child. I would like to think that every setting is the same. Nursery practitioners are one of the lowest paid professionals out there. The work we do with care, planning and next steps is of a similar standard to teachers only half the pay. Please parents cut these caring professionals some slack.