- Baby rooms must follow statutory training requirements, including training that specifically addresses the care of babies for at least half the tea.
- Hands-on or face-to-face training is best when it comes to working with babies
- Training needs to cover the EYFS’s three prime areas of learning and development, and how these relate to babies, as well as theories of attachment and the importance of developing positive relationships
Baby rooms get a bad name, being traditionally associated with the staff who have the lowest-level qualifications, often working in isolation. Yet there is a training gap when it comes to these practitioners – not a great selection of continuing professional development (CPD) available. The EYFS states that at least half of all baby room staff have received training that specifically addresses the care of babies, but there is no further clarification as to what that training should cover or how it should be delivered.
‘Most Level 3 qualifications would specifically address the care of babies, especially the CACHE-endorsed courses which say at least 25 hours must be spent with babies,’ says Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Early Years Alliance. Level 2 qualifications would not necessarily include this, however.
Hands-on training is best, alongside an experienced practitioner who is able to act as a role model, says Ms Pilcher. ‘We find when we have students in the baby room they often don’t realise the amount of stimulation that babies need; the playful relationship that is so important to babies’ development.’
The three prime areas of learning are particularly crucial for babies, building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive, and creating the roots for later success in the four specific areas of learning. Yet practitioners can lack understanding of the role of the prime areas when it comes to working with babies, says Ms Pilcher. ‘They sometimes see working with babies as being more about nappy changes and bottle feeding, but the prime areas do apply to babies as well,’ she says. ‘The EYFS is very strong in reinforcing the importance of the prime areas and how that applies to even the very youngest, and it is important that training covers this. At the Early Years Alliance we talk about patterns of care, and how practitioners can use nappy changes and feeding times to explore opportunities to grow and develop their attachment with babies.’
‘I find the biggest knowledge gap is around attachment, understanding the theory side and how to transfer that into practice,’ says consultant and trainer Laura Henry, who delivers training on working with babies called It’s All Happening Under Two! ‘We draw on theorists such as John Bowlby, Magda Gerber, and Elinor Goldschmied, while Dr Jools Page’s theory of three kinds of professional love is highly relevant to working with this age group. The whole day is about the principles of the EYFS, starting with the baby as unique child, and moving onto the relationship between the adult carer and the baby.’
Quality training will cover all three of the prime areas and how these relate to babies. Ms Henry’s course, for example, talks about the importance of tummy time in terms of an infant’s physical development, and the impact of sensory play such as treasure baskets. She also ensures her training reaffirms the importance of the enabling and emotional environment both outdoors and indoors. ‘We look at environment and why it should be a clutter-free, home-from-home, sensory-rich environment for the babies,’ she says.
Rebecca Clough, nursery practitioner at The Village Nursery in Rossendale, Lancashire, attended the NDNA’s Brilliant Babies course with another practitioner from her setting. She had covered the theory of attachment as part of her Level 3 training but found the course helped update her knowledge. ‘I found it invaluable in refreshing my knowledge on how important it is to form secure attachments in the early years,’ she says. ‘There were videos about brain development and how babies learn from a very young age. It also gave me new ideas but at the same time reassured me that we have a brilliant baby room and the activities we are implementing are designed for our babies to learn through all their senses and give them the best start on their developmental journey.’
Since attending the course, Ms Clough has introduced more messy play into the baby room, different materials and textures, and created treasure bottles: bottles filled with interesting colours and shapes which babies can explore. She also found her new learning invaluable when her setting recently started looking after an eight-week-old. ‘The course had looked at ways to work with newborns and that helped me know what to do,’ she says. ‘It is quite rare for us to have a baby so young, but I was in a good position having attended that training.’
Veronica Lawrence, specialist senior educational psychologist early years at Nothamptonshire County Council, says, ‘There is very little training covering working with babies, as a lot of the focus is on pre-schoolers. It’s important that training is provided at a time practitioners can do – for childminders that will be weekends, which cancels out a lot of courses.
‘Face-to-face training is essential for working with babies, online just doesn’t do it. There are so many nuances – you can’t capture the essence of what it is like being with a baby or three babies or a room of 20 babies using remote learning.
‘There is so much around about what you should and shouldn’t do with babies that it is easy to get confused. Training should deliver key messages like the importance of a loving relationship – you as a person are far more important than any gadget you have around. We have a lot more information now about how babies pick up on people’s emotions and read faces: within the EYFS people are often so busy writing notes about what babies do that they are not connecting with them.
‘We raise babies’ anxiety levels by placing them in childcare, so it is vital that training covers the neurological aspect. You don’t want it too basic – some people think practitioners won’t understand neurological development, but actually they do get it and are excited about it.
‘We have to think about what age range we are talking about. Some settings have children as young as two months alongside 18-month-olds and call them all babies, but their emotional and practical needs are vastly different.
‘When we see big changes in practice is when managers come on a course along with practitioners. When you just have one person attending it is harder, they might have just finished their apprenticeship and been put in the baby room.
‘Training can have a huge impact on practice. Sometimes people have moved where they had the babies because having the baby room near the front door is stressful for them. Some have changed ratios and placed pre-schoolers together with babies as babies can thrive in a mixed age group. They might change the way they do the nappy rota, seeing it as an opportunity to spend quality time with one baby.
‘I always have something people can make and take away as part of the training, to help process information and remind them of what they have learned. When they are back in their busy setting they can look at it and think, “There’s that crazy ribbon thing I made on that course about baby brain development”.’
Guidance
Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage, Early Education. A guide to how the Characteristics of Effective Learning and the prime and specific Areas of Learning and Development are all interconnected, by age – including sections for babies form birth to 11 months and eight to 20 months.
Tips for working with babies – a mini guide from the NDNA.
Patterns of Care, Early Years Alliance. An introduction to attachment and early child development with pointers for developing excellent practice through creating and supporting healthy relationships.
www.eyalliance.org.uk/patternsofcare
Northamptonshire Baby Room ProjectFacilitator’s Manual. A aid for those looking to train early years practitioners and other professionals working with infants to run the Northamptonshire Baby Room Project.
Courses
It’s All Happening Before Two!, Laura Henry Consultancy. A full-day training course including access to free templates and copy of the presentation.
Amazing and Magnificent: Babies Brains, Veronica Lawrence/ Early Education. A full day including group work, and audio-visual materials.
https://www.early-education.org.uk/courses/amazing-and-magnificent-babies-brains
Northamptonshire Baby Room Project Training has now been opened up to practitioners outside Northamptonshire
www.northamptonshirebabyroom.org
Brilliant Babies, NDNA. This day course has been updated with new sections on tuning into babies’ needs, improving communication sharing and helping babies take risks. All delegates also now receive a booklet containing key activity ideas to take back to their nursery.