An induction should be an ongoing, in-depth process - not just an hour running through policies and procedures when the new staff member first joins.
The primary purpose for staff induction is to ensure that the children in your care are safe and well looked after. The preparation for induction starts at the interview stage. Many settings now do 'working interviews' where the candidate spends a few hours or a morning in the setting working alongside staff. Notes should be made at this stage of areas where the new member of staff may need extra support.
TWO-WAY PROCESS
The induction session should be well planned and timetabled for the first day that the member of staff joins the setting. A pre-prepared induction pack is essential to ensure that everyone starts with the same policies, procedures and internal paperwork (such as holiday forms and staff medication forms). The session should be in a quiet area and preferably with no interruptions. The manager, or person conducting the induction, should explain that this is a two-way process, encouraging questions from the new member of staff. In addition, other staff should be aware that a new member of staff is starting and may need support.
The suggested order in which the subjects should be approached is:
1. Safeguarding - This should apply to both the children and the whole family, so things such as spotting the signs of domestic abuse should also be discussed.
2. Security - This includes the security of the children within the setting but also issues such as not opening the door for parents or carers until the probationary period is over.
3. CRB checks - It is good practice not to allow a member of staff to work with children unsupervised, until the CRB check and references have been checked. Part of the induction process should be to empower a new member of staff to stay within these boundaries - for example, to explain to existing staff that the new member of staff is not allowed to open the door to a parent, even if it would be quicker.
4. Individual areas - Once these areas have been thoroughly covered and the new member of staff is confident with their role within them, the rest of the policies and procedures can be explained individually. There may be many policies, some with more serious consequences than others. It is part of the manager's skill to spend the correct amount of time on each. So the 'no smoking' policy may be straightforward and almost common sense, whereas the Special Educational Needs (SEN) policy will need further explanation - the reasons behind it, for example.
All the paperwork should be completed as soon as possible, particularly forms such as staff medication, medical questionnaire, next of kin and permission to work in the country because these could have serious consequences if the information is not readily available. These will then be stored in a locked cabinet, to meet the Data Protection requirements.
The revision to the EYFS Statutory Framework suggests two extra examples of the types of subject areas that settings should provide in their induction training: safeguarding and the provider's equality policy. In general, the revised EYFS moves the responsibility for safeguarding on to the setting, so the manager must be extra-vigilant about things such as the candidate being able to work in the country and to have the paperwork to evidence this.
EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT
The induction is not complete until the member of staff feels settled and is confident in all the routines. This may be weeks or months and can be assessed in a number of ways, including asking for specific examples of achievements from other staff, such as how an accident has been dealt with or an interaction with a parent.
There are some basic assessments that settings can carry out to evaluate the effectiveness of their induction process. For example, this may be a spot check with staff on their knowledge and understanding of the policy and procedures. Or observing staff to confirm that procedure is being followed. Feedback from the other staff members must be included as part of the induction because it is essential that staff can work together as a team. It is also important to keep an open dialogue with the new member of staff, in case the induction process is not working well.
However, the most reliable gauge of an induction process is the level of staff turnover. Low staff turnover suggests that the right people are being chosen to join the team. This is like putting together a good casserole - you need to understand the qualities and quantities of the ingredients to create the perfect combination. For your setting this may be team members who have skills with parents, those who would like further qualifications or those who understand the business of childcare.
PAPERWORK
The new member of staff will need to complete paperwork for the setting's records, as well as being familiar with the setting's paperwork, policies and procedures. The type of paperwork that is required can be divided into three basic areas:
- Administrative requirements
- Employer specific details
- General good practice.
Administrative requirements
- Medical questionnaire
- Evidence of qualifications
- CRB (or application for one)
- References followed up
- Signed contract
- Signed handbook acknowledgement
- Job description discussed and agreed
- Tour of the premises
- Mentor allocated
Employer specific details
- Requirements of job
- Rates of pay (including any overtime)
- Hours of work (including lunch and break time rules)
- Method and time of pay
- Holiday and booking
- Pension scheme
- Absence and sickness
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures
General information
- Smoking policy
- Uniforms and dress code
Accident reporting
- Fire procedures
- First aid
- Behaviour policies
Settings should be committed to the induction process, as an indispensable part of the employment for any member of staff.
Des Forrest has been in the childcare industry for 13 years. As manager of her last nursery she achieved an Outstanding Ofsted and she is now working on the same aim at the House of Rompa, Wilmslow
Kathy Brodie lectures at Stockport College. Her book, Observation, Assessment and Planning: Bringing it all Together, will be published by Open University Press in May.
Part 2, in Nursery World 25 February., will cover appraisals
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Guidance on data protection can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/personal-data-my-employer-can-keep-about-me.