Early learning and childcare: national induction resource

Note To Mentors

It may take some time to build trusting relationships where the newly recruited team member is able to share thoughts, feelings and progression. Take time at the start to plan how this induction process will work for them. Remember each is an individual, and will progress at different rates. You should develop your own timetable for this process, particularly for part time workers, or for those with limited previous experience.

The first month should encourage the newly recruited team member to observe practice, develop confidence in practical skills and get to know procedures within the setting. It is of particular importance that they understand the importance of managing the environment children are in, including how to spot potential - and minimise - risks to children. Take the opportunity to point out safety measures in each area and why these are important. Explain why specific measures are needed as babies grow and develop into toddlers, and explore their environments with new found confidence. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has some easily accessible information to support understanding of the kinds of accidents children have, which can help the team member begin to identify potential hazards.

An important area to highlight is the need to have an awareness of where children are at all times. New team members need to know the processes in place to ensure children cannot exit the premises unaccompanied, from either indoor or outdoor spaces. It is also important that they are made aware of the ways in which children are kept safe on visits outwith the setting. This won’t be the sole responsibility of new team members for some time, but it is important that they recognise that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep children safe, and habits formed now will stand them in good stead as they develop in their career. The Care Inspectorate resource ‘Keeping Children Safe’ highlights some trigger areas where children are more likely to wander off if unobserved or to leave a childcare setting without staff or a parent/carer.

A key aspect of supporting children’s emotional attachment within the setting is to ensure that parents and children are welcomed into the setting together. Having the opportunity to share directly in children’s experiences and building relationships with staff positively supports respectful and trusting relationships. Now that Covid restrictions have been lifted you will be working to actively encourage families into your setting, in addition to any virtual approaches which may have been adopted during the pandemic. The team member will need support and guidance to gain confidence in engaging professionally with families to support these relationships. Take time to explore the importance of family involvement in their children’s care, learning and development with your new team member.

Encourage the new team member to provide examples from their practice and share your observations of them. Use this induction in conjunction with the on job guidance and support. For each question, encourage the new team member to reflect on how it affects outcomes for children. We have included some suggestions of what may be discussed in order to help you prepare. It is helpful for the new team member to have a copy or link to the following documents to refer to: Realising the Ambition; the Health and Social Care Standards; the Common Core Skills; the Quality Framework, the Continuous Learning Framework; How Good is Our ELC?; and the SSSC Codes of Practice or the GTCS professional standards for teachers. Further support for you as a mentor include Step Into Leadership - which provides a range of mentoring tools - and the SSSC guide to mentoring in ELC.