Settling In Policy

Settling In Policy

Policy Statement

At Play Inclusion Project we want children and young people to feel safe, stimulated and happy at all the groups we run and to feel secure and comfortable with staff. We recognise that due to the complex needs of the children and young people we support, starting a new group can be an overwhelming experience, especially if they have had limited experience of another form of care outside the home or school. The settling in period is a time of importance to their later happiness in the setting.

We aim to make all of our activities a welcoming place where children and young people settle in quickly and easily because consideration has been given to their individual needs. This policy has been written with the child’s emotional well-being at the centre. The following procedure has been put in place to make joining an activity a positive experience for all children and young people.

Settling In Procedure

Staff will work in partnership with parents/carers to settle the child or young person into the setting environment and throughout their time with Play Inclusion Project.
Before a child/young person joins the setting parents/carers are given the following information:
- Start and finish times
- The daily routines
- Activities on offer

Prior to a child/young person attending the Activity Coordinator will conduct a home visit; this provides an opportunity for the child/young person to become familiar with their Activity Coordinator. During the home visit an individual care plan will be completed and all the child’s needs will be discussed including how best to comfort them should they become distressed. Any anticipated settling in issues can also be addressed during the visit..
Children and young people are invited to visit the setting prior to starting so they can see the venue, meet the staff and other children/young people and see what activities are on offer. Children and young people must be accompanied by a parent/carer when visiting the setting.

Children and young people will be required to attend in-house sessions prior to attending trip days. This is to enable the child to settle, staff to build a relationship with the child and also to assess their support needs.
On the first day parents/carers are free to phone the Activity Coordinator to check their child is settling in and enjoying themselves.

On collecting their child, parents/carers will be given feedback as to how their child has progressed throughout the day from their individual support worker.

Updated July 2022

By Joanne Barnes