In this article, we review the procedures and systems we use to induct and onboard our new staff to ensure that they are adequately trained in the basics of their role, from which our probationary assessments and reviews can progress.
Staff Inductions Policy
Hatching Dragons takes HR and the management of its staff very seriously. All new staff will receive an in-depth induction prior to the commencement of their active duties on the floor. For the purposes of clarity, this requires the inductee to be booked off the floor for 2 weeks every morning to run through operating procedures, systems and practice s o that they can practice and rehearse those aspects of training in the afternoons. Only after the induction programme is complete and the staffer has confirmed they are happy to proceed onto he floor can and should they be deployed as a key person.
Pre-Induction Process
Prior to starting, The Hr department will ensure that the new starter is issued on onboarding packet via BambooHR’s onboarding module, to welcome the staff to the team, invite them to submit responses to questions that help the wider staff team get to know who they are and to complete various fields of their staff profile. The onboarding process will also issue the following documentation for signature:
- A health declaration
- Staff declaration of disqualification by association
- Code of Conduct
- Data Consent
- Induction Checklists that contain links to all of our individual HR Policies and procedures and other policies for the staff to check off to confirm that they have read, and understood, their terms
For the purposes of clarity and due to the potential changes employee handbooks are subject to, the company has opted to create an employee handbook that is online, via this Knowledge base, and staff are made aware that all HR Policies and procedures, along with our code of conduct, are located on resources.hatching-dragons.com for their review
As part of this onboarding checklist function, the Hr team are issued tasks to ensure that the staff has:
- An active EY Log and EY Man profile for teaching and learning assessments to be undertaken
- Bamboo - completed profile with updated / uploaded documentation from Safer Recruitment with the correct Access Permissions / Job Title
- Has been added to the school's slack channels / been issued a Slack and Workast account if required (Room Leaders and above)
- Has been added to Educare for all online training programmes and modules to be completed by the end of probation
- The Induction programme is booked into the HR & Staffing calendar so that inductee and manager have their time booked off and secure for the 2 weeks that induction takes place over
- Managers must ensure that the staffer has a new name tag and completes all induction tasks as set by BambooHR Onboarding
- Probationary reviews are booked into the school's HR & Staffing calendar
First Day
On the first day, the new starter will be inducted into the Company’s Safeguarding policies and HR & Company Policies by the Nursery Manager . The manager will run through the policies in detail, specifically:
- Safeguarding policies and procedures
- Their Job Description and role in the organisation - HR overview
- The Terms of their contract
- The terms of the code of conduct and terms for dismissal
- The training programmes and our expectations on their commitment
- Holiday entitlement and booking
- Sickness and Attendance
- Probation and reviews and our policy on extension
- Payroll - time and attendance management
FIRST 2 WEEKS
On the second day and over the course of the first 2 weeks, the New Starter will spend time EVERY MORNING with the Nursery Manager to review:
- Culture & Organisation - who is who / what they do ; who reports to who ; when feedback is required; how they can submit recommendations and grievances to the central team (feedback form); when staff meetings are to be held; when their non contact time is and how to use it; training expectations and time to do; who they will work and report to; how to use BambooHR for goals tracking / performance management etc; room evaluations and timetable for inspections / competitions ; staff newsletters etc
- Learning and development - planning and observations and weekly routines with an in-depth review of:
- EY Log - how to make an observation / daily diary / undertake planning / share information with parents / undertake an assessment / how and when to produce development tracking reports; how to review child profile information and update; how to update medical and allergy information et
- EY Man - how and when to use to review staff shifts and schedules and parent communications
- Google Calendar - how to review the staff routines for rota on tasks; how to review settling in / transition information; how to look at educational routines for the day; how to use the HR & staffing calendars for staff movements; when is non-contact time
- Safeguarding and Welfare - systems and procedures regarding the supervision of children; outings; risk management; health & Safety
At the end of the induction period, the new starter will have checked off all induction materials and policies reviewed as part of the BambooHR induction and onboarding process, which is available for Ofsted / third party review on the staffer’s personnel profile on BambooHR
Agency Workers and Bank Staff
All agency staff and bank staff are required to have a full induction on their first day at the setting before working on the floor. The nursery manager will use the Induction Information Sheet to induct agency/bank staff in the following areas:
- Code of Conduct
- Mobile Phone Policy
- Safeguarding Policies and Procedures/ Child Protection/
- Allegations against staff policies/Whistleblowing policy
- Mobile Phone and Electronic Device Policy
- Health and Safety
- Behaviour Management /SEN
- Medication Policy
- Accident and First Aid
- Initimate Care Routines
- Food and Meal Time
- Outings
- Fire Evacuation
- Policies and Procedures.
Once completed the nursery manager /deputy manager and agency/bank staff will sign to confirm that they have been inducted in full. The nursery manager will store copies of the induction information sheet for agency workers in a folder, the bank staff induction sheet will be uploaded to the bank staff profile in BambooHR and the manager will confirm that this induction has been ticked off from their onboarding tasks.