Positive Touch Policy
At Daisy Play Centre, our staff are very clear on our policies and procedures for Safeguarding children. With this in mind and the fact we are working with young children, we advocate that staff use appropriate physical contact in order to meet the children’s needs.
Within our general day-to-day activities, there are often times when children need appropriate physical contact either when they hurt themselves, get upset about something or need their clothes changing.
We consider that appropriate touching can be very reassuring for children and therefore, it is an intrinsic part of good practice. Children’s needs do vary, some will benefit from being physically comforted during their settling-in period to enable them to feel secure within the setting. Equally important, if not more so, is the fact that some children find any appropriate physical contact extremely uncomfortable. Likewise our team are aware that there is a need to respond to any cultural norms specific to individual children. All of our staff are very aware of this and respect it.
Examples of appropriate touch:
Acknowledging a child - through light touch on the head, arm or shoulder. Studies have shown that if an adult lightly touches a child’s head or shoulder while talking to them, what the adult is saying is much more meaningful to the child.
Comforting a child–an adult will offer the child some physical reassurance in a way the child feels comfortable.This may be an arm around their shoulder, rubbing their back or containing a child on an adult’s lap.
This will happen if
- a child is distressed because they have hurt themselves. An adult may ‘kiss it better’ if a child requests this and if appropriate.
- they are having separation anxiety
Addressing a child’s physical needs - staff may need to touch a child to change their clothes in case of getting wet or messy while playing or if they have had a toilet-related accident. For a very young child it may be appropriate to carry them, particularly for the very youngest of children in our care.
Interactive play – or Tumble time was developed to give children a constructive, specific time to be allowed to ‘bop’ each other with pillows within very clear boundaries. Parents are aware these sessions are taking place. Please see our Tumble Time Policy for further information.
Holding Time
As a staff team, we have all been receiving regular training regarding the connection between young children’s attachment with their significant adult during their early years to their personal, social and emotional needs.
If children have experienced interruptions in their attachment with a significant adult, they may present a variety of behaviours, which need to be sensitively handled by staff.
If the children’s challenging behaviour happens regularly, we will complete a THRIVE Plan for that child with strategies to support the child. The plan is reviewed each term and if behaviour is still an issue, we may look for some support from outside agencies.
If a child regularly presents challenging behaviour, appropriate intervention may be necessary to prevent them hurting themselves or others or damaging resources. We may suggest ‘Holding time’ with the parent’s written agreement. Through this we are helping the child to drop their defences, so we can re-dress the balance of the child feeling omnipotent and the adult taking back the control, which is a big relief to the child.
In order to reduce the need for holding time arising, staff should employ a variety of strategies such as:
- Referring to our Behaviour Policy which contains a detailed summary of the input received on the 10 day THRIVE course that some of the team attended
- The four main strategies used in THRIVE are containment, soothing, validating and attunement
- Adults can select strategies from this policy to support the child in raising their self-esteem and ability to manage their emotions through naming and acknowledging them
- Through Thrive we have learnt that some young children think of themselves as omnipotent (in charge); they need to learn that adults can keep them safe
If the child continues to deregulate (meltdown) we may need to use holding time:
- Holding time will only be practised by adults who have received some training from a senior member of our team who feels competent with the strategy.
- As a team, consider your children and if you think a child may need holding in the future complete the attached form and share with a parent
- Using what we know of the child, we will try to identify and therefore anticipate when the child is going to deregulate
- Holding time should be used if adults have good grounds to believe that immediate action is necessary to prevent the child harming themselves or others or maybe used as part of a previously agreed strategy to support the child’s emotional well being
- Holding time can take place in the room with other children present providing we explain we are holding the child because we are keeping them safe.
- The adult approaches the child and says to the child ‘I can see you look like you need holding’ and ‘I am going to hold you’.Children, who are deregulating or in meltdown, don’t hear what is being said so, if necessary the adult may need to repeat the child’s name and say clearly ‘I am going to hold you.” once again.
- 2 adults need to be involved and both need to be in a calm state of mind to support the holding.
- The adult supporting the holding process will move any furniture in the immediate vicinity and provide cushions
Adults need to use a cushion between their chest and the child’s back to prevent injury
Cushions or bean bags can be used to make the experience more comforting and may help the child feel contained
- Throughout holding, the adult keepsbreathing deeply, calmly and loudly, the child will be able to gradually feel the rhythmic constant which assists them in regulating. Sometimes repeating familiar rhymes will help the child regulate.
- The assisting adult can reassure the child, ensure the calm deep breathing is happening and introduce the rhymes. The assisting adult will also need to monitor the child as the holder can not see their face.
- Holding Time involves an adult sitting behind or to the side of the child. If you hold your hands as though you were going to pick a child up with your fingers tightly together and outstretched with your thumb uppermost and sticking up (This is called ‘caring Cs’ - your hands look like they could be fish). Gently slide your hands down the child’s arms with your thumb one side of the arm and your fingers on the other. When you get to the bottom of the arm take the child’s hands and wrap them around the child’s middle. You may feel it is appropriate to wrapyour legs around their legs too so the child feels completely contained by the adult.
- During holding time the child may shout out lots of reasons for the adult to let go – you’re hurting me, I am going to be sick etc. Keep reassuring the child by validating ‘I can feel how hard this is for you’ ‘I am keeping you safe’ ‘I am so sorry you are so worked up’
- Wait until the child visiblyand tangibly relaxes ( as though they are letting go of all the tension) thentake time for both of you to enjoy the moment of calmness before gradually releasing your hold
- The adults involved need time afterwards to de-brief and to complete the holding report form, signed by bothadults and shared with the Centre Manager and child’s parents
- For children under 3 or physically small children it would be more appropriate to cuddle them and soothe through rubbing their back while acknowledging and validating them.
Resources:
Margot Sutherland has a section in her book ‘Helping Children Locked in Rage or Hate’ Page 60
Updated: 19.3.13
Policy formulated on:Policy last reviewed on: / March 2013
Signed:
Holding permission form
Date:……………………………………
Name of child:……………………………………………………………………………………
The Coordinator or Key person will have explained the theory behind ‘holding’ and the purpose, in brief
- At TCC we are working within a THRIVE approach to support children’s development.
- We consider that holding with some children has a therapeutic and reparative effect.
- Holding can help children who need additional support for their behaviour
Identify behaviours/situations which may arise which may lead to you needing to hold a child
I understand the THRIVE approach to holding and I am happy for my child to be held if the need arises. I understand that I will be notified as soon as possible and be given a written report when I collect my child.
Signed by parent:
Signed by Senior staff member:
Holding Report for ………………………………………………………………….. (name)
It is a requirement that the parent receives a copy of this report as soon as practicable after this incident.
If holding occurs please complete fully
Date of holding:……………………………………………
What strategies were used prior to holding to help regulate the child:
Brief account of what led to the holding
Where did the holding take place?
How long did you need to hold the child for before they calmed?
How was the child during holding:
How was the child afterwards?
Signatures
Holders: / Coordinator:
Assisting adult’s: / Centre Manager/SENCO:
Parent/s: / Date: