Key Person

[Guest]

Could you please help with a quick question...

 

I am currently in the first year of a foundation degree. Within the policy module, we have to write a 2,500 word essay on a policy of our choice, and also give a presentation about it in a small team. Myself and one other have chosen the key person policy mainly because we are passionate about the importance of this vital role.

 

However, I am aware that such a policy is not generally considered one of the 'main' policies, sometimes being included in others such as; Settling In, Admission, Parents as Partners policies.

 

It would really help with my background research if you could let me know the following:

 

1. I am interested to get an idea of how many settings have an actual 'Key person' policy, or whether it is refered to in other policies, and if so which ones ?

 

2. Does your setting include the role of the key person in it's induction/training of new staff. If so, does this include the theory behind the role.

 

Also, can anyone confirm (or otherwise !) that Elinor Goldschmied is the main person to attribute the key person approach to, building on the work of Bowlby ?

 

I also need to link my chosen policy back to legislation & Research - so far I'm referring to the EYFS, Childrens Plan, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, EPPE Project.

 

Help on all or any of the above, or anything else related to Key Person, will be much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

Sam

[Pimms o'clock?]

Cathy Nutbrown is another that has written on attachment theory and the key person approach; Treads of Thinking is the book of hers that covers this.

 

BMG

[Guest]

Childminders working alone won't need a policy as they have to be the key worker!

[HappyMaz]

We have a key person and settling in policy, adapted from the PLA policy book. It gives a bit of information about the importance of the key person and why it is so important to have one, apart from being a requirement of the welfare requirements. You're right about Elinor Goldschmied - she wrote a book about key person system in the nursery with Dorothy Selleck and Peter Elfer. Peter Elfer is based at Roehampton University and was very helpful to a BA colleague of mine who was researching the key person system. He might be worth contacting!

 

Maz

[Guest]

Thanks for your responses.

 

Anymore with anymore?... please ?

[Inge]

we had a separate key worker policy, it can be found in the resource library.. it is a bit old now and was updated a bit with EYFS but basically remained the same..

 

yes staff did have induction training in it, but not the theory behind the role... mainly what was expected , all our staff were level 3 so we expected a level of knowledge there already..

 

any staff we had below level 3 were usually apprentices who did not yet have the responsibility, but were taught by their mentor while at the setting about the role and how it worked for us and parents.

 

INge

[Guest]

We have had keypersons for many years in our setting but have only just added a keyperson policy on the insistence of our LA advisors. I'm toying with the idea now of referencing the research in this policy when I revise them for the AGM as I don't think the staff are understanding the importance of the role despite the induction training. My thinking is that possibly some background info will raise their interest and help them grasp the ideas more. Staff are all given induction training on the role as they usually move to be a keyperson shortly after their probation period. And we have all staff as keypersons regardless of qualifications, and to be honest some unqualified staff "get" it better than those who should know. (Sorry this is another of our current "challenges" )

[Guest]

When I did my dissertation about the Key Person, I emailed Peter Elfer and he very kindly emailed me back an article that had been written (cant remember now who had written it), which I thought was very kind of him, given the fact that he must be busy!! So he is definitely worth asking.

 

In answer to your questions, we mention the KP on inductions, but not until staff are given key children do we go into it in more detail, and yes we talk about the reasons why etc. we don't have a separate KP policy either.

 

Good luck

[anita.kennedy]

You could also include the Every Child Matters, Children Act 2006, and the Common Core another person you could look at is Peter Elfer. Hope this is of some help.

 

Could you please help with a quick question...

 

I am currently in the first year of a foundation degree. Within the policy module, we have to write a 2,500 word essay on a policy of our choice, and also give a presentation about it in a small team. Myself and one other have chosen the key person policy mainly because we are passionate about the importance of this vital role.

 

However, I am aware that such a policy is not generally considered one of the 'main' policies, sometimes being included in others such as; Settling In, Admission, Parents as Partners policies.

 

It would really help with my background research if you could let me know the following:

 

1. I am interested to get an idea of how many settings have an actual 'Key person' policy, or whether it is refered to in other policies, and if so which ones ?

 

2. Does your setting include the role of the key person in it's induction/training of new staff. If so, does this include the theory behind the role.

 

Also, can anyone confirm (or otherwise !) that Elinor Goldschmied is the main person to attribute the key person approach to, building on the work of Bowlby ?

 

I also need to link my chosen policy back to legislation & Research - so far I'm referring to the EYFS, Childrens Plan, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, EPPE Project.

 

Help on all or any of the above, or anything else related to Key Person, will be much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

Sam

[Guest]

Brilliant, thank you for your help.

[Guest]

Bowlby on Attachment theory is very interesting - especially if you include what his son Richard has added to it. He talks about having 2 primary attachment figures, and then a list of secondary figures, which could include Early Years Practitioners. He also talked about the the need for a balance of caring versus adventure form attachment figures - traditionally the mother is mostly care with a little adventure, the father the opposite. He make a good case for needing adventure too - that if you can go fishing or mountain climbing etc then you can get your thrill in a safe envirnment, rather than joy riding and mugging old ladies.