Research has shown that a key person approach is the most effective way of ensuring children form and build relationships with a significant adult in the setting.

Why is this important?

Children develop best when they feel safe, secure, and cared for, and the responsibility for this is in the hands of adults responsible for their care. This may be a sole responsibility 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 child’s time in a setting.

At Kattz Kidz, 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 sensitively to your child’s needs, feelings ideas and behaviours, meeting all your child’s physical care needs where practicable, and planning and recording for your child’s education and development. This ensures above all else that your child’s individuality, efforts, and achievements leaves them feeling valued and respected for who they are and who they aspire to be.

A key person’s role begins from a child’s first settling in visit 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) 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 beginning.
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 closely with your key person and your child on a daily basis. Your child will be comfortable with this staff member as they will support your key person in providing care for your child and this will ensure you also have someone you are familiar with to discuss your child within the key person’s absence.

Where children are moving up to a new age group your key person will support you and your child during this period, slowly handing over responsibility 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 understand your child’s individual needs and to share information with you about their experiences here in the nursery.