Blog

It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride for the UK’s businesses – from education to healthcare, everyone has had to adapt to keep their services and customer relationships going.

And as well as reflecting on the difficulties arising from nurseries furloughing large numbers of staff, one of the main topics of conversation was communication. Notably, the role it has played and will continue to play in keeping practitioners, parents and children feeling both ‘in the know’ and supported, during these unusual times.

This debate around how communication has, during the months of lockdown, helped staff and parents to maintain contact surrounding child development and progress was an interesting one. This revealed that keeping talking during this critical period of change has not only proven beneficial in supporting home-schooling parents, but it has also helped to keep vulnerable children safe.

But it wasn’t just the communication during lockdown which attracted the panel’s attention, it was also apparent that this regular dialogue – be that in person at a safe social distance or virtually – will continue to play a key part during the next chapter of the transition to a ‘new normal’ for Early Years settings.

It was in this context that wellbeing took centre stage in the discussion – of the practitioner, parent and child.

An interesting point was raised that it’s important to recognise there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all approach’ when responding to the pandemic – each setting will have to implement different measures to ensure the safety of the environment for all parties. Of course, practices will be employing strategies to meet the needs and demands of all personnel and parents, but these requirements will inevitably change as time passes, so remaining flexible is also essential.

And as the sector’s doors continue to open and child capacity rises, one of the largest obstacles will be the amount of emotional strain on practitioners, parents and children. There’s a lot to adjust to all at once and there will be apprehensions from all sides, but communication is at the heart of ensuring everyone feels reassured with a sense of ‘we’re in this together’.