The role of the key person
It is a statutory requirement of the EYES that all children although have a key person. A key person is someone who can develop a strong relationship with an individual child and their family. This supports the child’s emotional well-being and so allows them to settle and learn. The role is particularly important in relation to children who have SEN and disabilities and as such is recognised in the Code of Practice.
Developing a bond with a child.
The basis of a strong key person relationship is that that child develops a bond with a practitioner. This does take time, especially if a child has never been separate from their parents before or has had an ‘unsuccessful’ separation which has left the child unsettled. It is worth finding out as much as you can about a child’s temperament, interest and previous experiences from a parent, preferably before meeting the child. This way you can gain an insight into how best to respond to the child and how you might build the child’s trust. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, you should ensure that you have made a bond with a child before any separation takes place and parents leave. This is because young children can quickly show separation anxiety and their distress can prevent them from being able to form a relationship.
Tips for good practice
Step 1 : Key person, parent and child play together
Step 2: Key person and child play together while the parent moves slightly away
Step 3: Key person and child play together while parent moves in and out of sight
Step 4: Key person and child play together when parent leaves the room for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Key person and child play together when parent leaves the room for 20 minutes.
If you have any questions or enquiries, please feel free to contact us.
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