It is often overlooked that nursery practitioners are working with vulnerable children on a daily basis, the report ‘Their challenges are our challenges’ by the Anna Freud Centre states.

The centre, which specialises in child mental health research, training and treatment, surveyed more than 900 nursery practitioners during the last three months of 2020. They revealed that they have experienced working with children facing complex backgrounds and challenging emotional and behavioural needs.

Many of the nursery staff surveyed admitted that they had found the children’s needs difficult to manage and wanted more access to training. More than half (53 per cent) said they had not received any additional training, alongside their standard training, that related to early years mental health.

Domestic violence, parental substance use, abuse and bereavement were listed as some of the issues affecting the children in their care. Other challenges involved different emotional or mental health needs.

The effects of the pandemic were also a cause for concern for some of the respondents (see below). One nursery worker said, ‘Children’s behaviour has changed. Some are very noisy, others are very quiet. The atmosphere at work doesn’t feel “normal” – ie I feel there is an underlying stress for everyone…’

The report found that:

• 69 per cent of nursery staff who responded to the survey said they had experienced working with babies or children affected by trauma or abuse.
• 71 per cent of nursery staff said they had worked with babies and children affected by domestic violence.
• 60 per centreported that they had worked with babies or children from families affected by substance usage.
• Almost half (48 per cent)said they had worked with children who had experienced the bereavement of either a parent or sibling.
• 42 per cent of staff said they had noticed signs that children in their care had had their emotional wellbeing affected by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.
• Three quarters (75 per cent) of staff said they had looked after young children who displayed ‘unusually aggressive or violent behaviour’.
• 91 per cent said they had dealt with challenging situations that involved children who potentially had mental health issues, or social or emotional difficulties.

Dr Camilla Rosan, head of the early years programme at the Anna Freud Centre said, ‘The early years are the most important in terms of a child’s development, and the results of this survey are truly eye opening.

‘When most of us think about who will be directly supporting our most vulnerable children and families, we normally think of social workers and mental health professionals. But we forget that our nursery workers are engaging with vulnerable children on a daily basis. Aside from their own families, these children probably spend more time with nursery workers than anyone else during their early formative years. This research should fundamentally shift the way we view the role of nursery workers within our society.’

Many of the nursery workers surveyed said that they felt stressed and upset (71 per cent) when it came to dealing with children’s challenging needs. While almost three quarters (74 per cent) reported feeling confused and unsure of the best way to deal with those children.

‘At times, nursery staff are clearly feeling under-prepared and under-resourced to manage and support children who are experiencing challenging emotions or have mental health needs,’ said Dr Rosan.

‘They are telling us that they want to know more about what lies behind emotions such as anger and aggression, as they are encountering them more than we think. They also tell us they want more training in the best ways to support a child who is experiencing these difficult emotions. It’s clear we need to prioritise the development of these skills and give nursery staff the support and training opportunities they so want and deserve about early years’ mental health.’

To read more: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/early-years-staff-struggling-to-support-children-s-emotional-and-behavioural-needs

To Access our Early Years Positive Handling Training:
https://www.positivehandling.co.uk/early-years-positive-handling/