Parents can become upset, angry or distressed when they feel they aren’t included in their child’s education, listened to or are frustrated with lack of communication. Managing parent complaints and frustrations can be challenging for nursery staff. In this article, we get expert advice from Tamara Bennett on why a good relationship is necessary for success, the top 5 causes of conflicts and 7 conflict resolution strategies that will avoid complaints.
What you will find in this article:Tamara Bennett has been the Headteacher of Abercromby Nursery for 6 years and has worked in the Early Years field for 14 years. She is passionate about effective parental engagement in EYFS. Based in the heart of Liverpool and catering for a vast diversity of languages, backgrounds and development levels, Abercromby Nursery has been awarded the School of Sanctuary Award several years on the run. The award celebrates the outstanding provision which supports parents from all backgrounds: refugees, domestic violence backgrounds, and parents with high anxiety levels.
The universal childcare offer is 15 hours per week, meaning children may spend most of their week with their parents. Parents are hugely influential in a child’s education and progression; it is important to work as a partnership to achieve the highest outcomes for the child.
Many children that enter your nursery will have limited verbal communication skills. Your window into the child’s needs is via the parent, relying on a positive partnership between home and nursery.
“First and foremost, the initial aim when managing upset or distressed parents is to defuse the situation“, Tamara explains, “The parent will not be able to reason if they are in a heightened emotional state.”
Your staff must be encouraged not to take an upset parent’s reaction personally and respond professionally and calmly.
It can be helpful to acknowledge the feelings without admitting any wrongdoings (especially before finding out all information necessary). Try using language that validates the parent’s feelings and allows them to vent their frustrations (remaining vigilant of staff safety at all times).
It can take your staff by surprise when parents are reactive; teach your team to approach challenging situations with curiosity. Recognising there is always a reason for the behaviour, your staff can begin to effectively implement reflective practice techniques to unpick the cause of the upset. Tamara implements a coaching system in her nursery, where staff can reflect with an experienced colleague and create conflict resolution strategies.
There should be a balance between privacy and a quiet space for discussion with the parent whilst remaining safeguarding aware. Having an additional adult within earshot of the conversation can be useful for protecting all involved. Tamara suggests discussing with staff the need for quietly clearing away the paint pots from the day’s activities at the back of the room whilst a discussion is going on. This can give your staff additional confidence and support if needed.
Your staff must remain calm and professional when faced with a challenging situation. Using scenarios during a staff meeting can help to practice when to bring in another colleague for additional support. Sometimes, parents need to speak to the manager or deputy manager about complaints; this can be seen as a new opportunity to defuse the situation.
If a parent has raised a concern, it is important that you check in with your staff and the family to ensure they are happy with how the concern has been resolved.
Tamara recognises that you can’t always win, sometimes, you help as much as possible and follow all the correct steps, and the parent may still want to complain. Confidence in your team and procedures can highlight that this may be a sign of external pressures, and this complaint may be the controllable outlet for the parent. If your setting is maintained as Abercromby Nursery is, the governors will implement the complaints policy.
Although a statutory requirement, some childcare locations can pay lip service to allocate each child a key person. Tamara celebrates the importance of developing meaningful relationships with the families.
Each child has a special person; they complete all the assessments, upload to their online journal and communicate with the families. It helps the children and the parents to feel secure and looked after.