Early years practice procedures
Prime times – arrivals and departures
Prime times of the day make the very best of routine opportunities to promote ‘tuning-in’ to the child emotionally and to create opportunities for learning. Arrivals and departures are key times in the day when children need support from their carer to make the transition smooth and happy; these times of day also pose a certain level of risk as parents and carers come and go. All staff are aware of the potential risks and take measures to minimise them.
Arrivals
· Whenever possible the key person or buddy key person always greets young children. This ensures that young children are received into the setting by a familiar and trusted adult.
· If a child who is expected fails to arrive, this is recorded in the absent book and the setting manager is immediately notified so that they can contact the child’s parents to find out why the child is absent following procedure Absence. The manager completes the register of arrivals. Key person encourages children to complete the self-registration with their photo.
· The key person ensures that there is a clear indication of who will be collecting the child.
· The key person greets the parents and takes time to hear information the parents need to share.
· The key person receives the child physically and tunes in to how he or she is feeling and prepares to meet his/her needs.
· Parents should spend a few minutes with their child and key person before leaving. Many parents will be in a hurry, but this can have an unsettling effect.
· Always ensure that the parents say goodbye to their child and say when they are coming back, such as ‘before lunch’, rather than just ‘later’.
· If the member of staff receiving the child is not the key person, the member of staff will hand over the information shared by the parents to the key person when they arrive.
Injuries noted on arrival
· If a child is noted to have visible injuries when they arrive at the setting, parent and staff complete an accident at home form
· If someone other than the key person receives the child, he/she will share any information from the parent and write a note for the key person. Confidential information should be shared with the setting manager to pass on.
· The key person shares information with the buddy key person, in this way they ensure that all information is passed on to the parent in the key person’s absence.
Departures
· Children are prepared for home, with clean faces, hands and clothes if required.
· The key person always aims to greet parents when they arrive, ensuring that the expected person has arrived to collect the child. They hand over the child personally and the manager enters the time of departure in the register.
· Only persons aged over 16 years should normally collect children. If a parent has no alternative, then this is agreed with the setting manager and a risk assessment completed and signed by the parent. In all cases the setting manager will ask the parents to ensure that in future alternative arrangements are made. If the parent is under 16 years of age a risk assessment will be completed. No child will be collected by anyone who has not reached 14 years of age. The risk assessment should take account of factors such as age/vulnerability of child, journey travelled, arrangements upon leaving the setting to go home/elsewhere.
· Key persons verbally exchange information with parents.
· If someone other than the key person is with the child at the end of the day, the key person should pass general information to the other staff or write a note for the parents. Confidential information should be shared with the setting manager to pass on.
Maintaining children’s safety and security
Arrivals and departures pose a particular threat to the safety and security of the children. To minimise the risk of a child leaving the building unnoticed, the setting manager conducts a risk assessment that identifies potential risks and the measures put in place to minimise them. The manager stands at the door at all times until the children have left. The back door is locked and alarmed. The risk assessment is updated as and when required.