Jesters Kids Club Staff Settling In Procedure

All children are unique and the amount of time that a child takes to settle into Jesters can vary enormously. Therefore, children will be given time to settle in at their own pace, so as to make them feel welcome, safe and confident in a new environment.

We strongly encourage parents/carers to visit the premises with their children during the week before they are due to start. During this week, we require that the parents/carers concerned both complete and return the Admission Form (See Appendix Four).

Children new to Jesters will be greeted in a warm and friendly manner. They will be introduced to all members of staff and told about any other regular visitors to Jesters.

Depending on the age and maturity of the child, the parent/carer will stay with the child while the rules and routines are being explained. The parent/carer will have the option of being part of the induction process if they so wish.

Children will be informed about Jesters routines and the programme of activities. They will be shown around Jesters, told where they can and cannot go, and have both registration and signing out procedures made clear.

Ground rules will be explained to the child and they will be encouraged to ask questions and raise any concerns. The child will be told about the fire evacuation procedure and the locations of all fire exits, according to the provisions of the Fire Safety policy.

Parents/carers are offered the opportunity to stay with their child for a period of time during their first week.

On their first day, children will be introduced to the other children at the Club. The child will be allocated a ‘buddy’ who, under the supervision of a member of staff, will show them around the Club and introduce them to the other children. The child will then be encouraged to get to know the other children and settle into the group.
 
All staff will supervise children new to the Club to ensure that they are happy in their new surroundings. The appropriate level of such supervision will be judged according to the child’s age, maturity and previous experiences.

Staff will ask on a regular basis how a child is feeling, what activities they enjoy and if they are unhappy about anything. At the end of the first, second and third weeks, the Team Leader will find time to talk to the child about how they are settling in.

If it seems that a child is taking a long time to settle in, this will be discussed with their parents/carers at the earliest opportunity. Likewise, if a parent/carer feels that there is a problem during the settling in period, they should raise this with a member of staff.

Staff will always be available to discuss any concerns or other issues with parents/carers regarding their child and their attendance at the Club. If parents/carers wish to meet with the Team Leader, they should make an appointment to come in for a chat.

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Jesters Kids Clubs, Main Road, Bicknacre, Essex, 
Main Office Tel: 01245 222384