Staff Induction Session Please see Appendix 11 for Sample Staff Induction checklist. Please see Appendix 12 for Sample Staffing & Management Checklist.
Welcome to ……… Childcare Service. During your first week we will cover the following topics. You will be asked to keep a record of your induction. ………………………………………………………………………
General Induction to the service.
Tour of the building and immediate outside area. Provision of locker space. Introduction to other staff members, children and parents. Explanation of rota including shifts and meetings.
Policies and Procedures. Read through the polices-Question session, sign and date individually. Explaining all records kept in relation to an individual child. Observations of all children to help plan activities.
Record Keeping Staff records-register, time sheets, T.O.I.L etc Child Records-register, daily records, accident forms etc Service Records- cleaning schedules, Health and Safety issues, audit issues. Duties on staff to report issues on health and safety.
Personal Information
P45 from previous job. PPS Number Address ands contact Numbers Next of Kin.
Job Description Contract of employment Staff Handbook Garda Clearance Personnel Objectives –Appraisals.
Good Practice Dress/Uniform Confidentiality Attitude The role of the role model Good Communication Telephone Manner Line Manager
Structure of Creche, Pre-School School aged childcare service. Staff structure Services provided
Working with colleagues and parents. Professionalism Respect Support and Supervision Communication: General, Concerns, Difficulties and complaints Each staff member’s role Designated person in charge, next in line. Welcoming parents/daily feedback to parents Role of the Pre-school Inspection Team. Staff training courses
Working with children Positive thinking Dealing with challenging behaviour Individual observations and plans.
Daily record keeping and routine.
Child Protection Introduction to named child protection officer. Child Protection policy and procedure. Familiarise all staff with Children First Guidelines. Reporting procedure and documents.
Health and Safety Personal and child hygiene. Vaccinations (importance to adult and child) Cleaning and maintenance. First aid supplies and first aid contact. Evacuation routine Fire Drill/Display fire drill book to record. Security routine. Domestic routine and duties/ Food Safety, Safe Handling. Sick Leave.
Equipment Safe use, care and storage of equipment. Procedures for use of equipment Safe food storage Inventory
Sample of Policies and Procedures that you could cover as part of your staff induction: Observations and Assessments XXXXXXX Childcare Centre recommends when undertaking observations and assessments the following should be considered: Staff members should be aware of their own values and beliefs and ensure they are observing and assessing impartially. When we look at children and interact, with them, we interpret and make meaning of what we see, even if we are not aware of what we are doing. The assessment we make will be affected by interpretations we make of our observations. Our values and beliefs affect interpretations. We need to be aware of these values and talk about and explain them. There is an emotional dimension to assessment for everyone involved – parents, children and educators. Observations skills must be developed and reviewed as part of the daily routine. Basic principles to guide and inform practice must be established. Assessment should be used to help review provision as a whole. An effective written format for record keeping and transferring that material to others must be created and updated.
Planning for observations:
Good early year’s assessment should be based on observation of children in action and conversations with children while they are reflecting on their actions. This allows early year’s staff to match their provision to the individual needs of children. It is important that early years staff members gather evidence on which to make an informed assessment.
Principles of Assessment: Drummond, M.J. and Rouse, D. (1992) present the following statements about assessment that have been taken from documents produced in a variety of early year’s services. These embody the principles of assessment. Parents are providers as well as receivers of information and should be involved in the assessment process. All the adult staff should who work with the children should be involved in the assessment process. Where possible children should be involved in the assessment of their own progress and development. All aspects of development and learning should be considered when assessing children. Assessment must be based on detailed observations of what children do and say. Written records should contain factual information. When appropriate, assessments of bilingual children should be made in the child’s first language by a person who knows about the child’s cultural heritage. Assessment must take account of the possible effects of the context on the child (for example, the language used, the child’s previous experience, the child’s emotional state and the setting). Assessments of individual children should be used in planning activities for those children.
Parents need time to talk about what they feel, as well as about what they know before making decisions about what to do next for the benefit of their child. All assessments must be of benefit to the child. Due regard must be given to the Freedom of Information Act.
Effective Record Keeping: XXXXX Childcare centre keeps records to contribute to the quality of children’s experiences, supports their development and helps to keep them safe. XXXX Childcare Centre in the development of effective record keeping uses the following criteria: Quick to complete. Records are more likely to be kept up to date if a regular short amount of time can be allocated to complete them. Easy to understand. This is especially important when the records may be passed on to parents. Useful. Records serve as the starting points for educators both in the child’s present setting, and in the next. Objective. Records need to be factual, focusing on what children do and say, avoiding assumptions. Records should be reasonably easily accessible for agreed staff and volunteers so information can be shared readily with families. Records must be kept securely and not left in vulnerable places so that confidentiality is a risk. Records must be protected from possible fire, flood or burglary.
