A trusting relationship between the practitioner and parents begins with the initial contact
and it is crucial that, from the start, parents appreciate that staff value their knowledge and
understanding of their child. Parents need to feel that they can trust you. A professional and
honest approach by all staff will encourage that trust to grow.
Successful relationships become partnerships when there is a two-way communication, where
parents and practitioners listen to each other’s views to achieve the best outcomes for each child.
As well as listening to parents, staff can share their knowledge. Different stages of development
can cause stress and tensions but practitioners can offer advice and assistance to ease parents and
children through such changes; including emotional times such as weaning, toilet training and
behaviour issues.
Settings should communicate with parents in a range of ways and it is vital to keep the parent fully
informed about their child. These can include:
Arrival and collection times
An opportune time for communication to take place. In larger settings this may be more difficult as
some parents may be at work and cannot be regular visitors.
Communication diaries
Can be useful when daily contact is limited. However, it is important that regular times are made
for the key worker and parent to review the child’s progress and for the parent to contribute to
their child’s progress.
Online application
Your setting may have an application already set up to encourage communication between
parents and staff. This should be updated on a regular basis, including any social media pages you
have regarding parent events, etc.
Be honest from the start, respect diversity and ensure parents feel valued!