my staff failed their drill

[Zoe Girl]

I will try to make this simple, I know I get confusing at times. In march 3 of our childcare sites had critical incidents with a child not being with the group or being left with an unauthorized person. Damn scary let me tell you (not my site). So the administration put into place a re-training for all staff with our tracking system for kids, added one more way to ensure we have all children at all times and then instituted drills that we will do 2 times a week. I basically walk in and check in 3 ways that they know how many kids are there, they have them all and they can identify the children. The biggest change is that we have the number of children posted where it is easily visible and updated during the program and any staff should be able to give me that number at any time.

My supervisor was at site and ran the drill on them (she gave me a heads up) And the number is where they failed. They said they had X kids and they really were off. Not just one staff but I think both of them. Later I talked to them because now I need to retrain and the one newest young lady looked hurt, she said she was asked for the number of kids but she didn't know it. Okay everyone got training and a chance to look over the drill form and we talked through how to make it work. I even had everyone wait a day before signing off on paperwork so they could really have time for questions. And that training was telling them all that any time i walk into the room any staff needs to be able to tell me how many children we have in program.

I am just disappointed, but this does verify what I have been thinking about my staff in general. I have had a hard time getting us to the quality we need It feels like dragging people through mud and has taken most of the year to get basics down, sigh

[razz]

While I can understand that this is disappointing, the fact is that the staff now know what is important from an outside objective source who is evaluating them. All positive for your position.
Keep nurturing their abilities to know what is right and important for the kids and they will rise in the expectations from themselves.

[iris lily]

That's why you have drills, to find out who doesn't know what. So, it served a purpose, that's good.

[sweetana3]

Make the number posted on the wall bigger? I don't know if you have a constantly changing number or not. If there is a standard number per week they should be able to give you immediately. But if it changes daily or every other day, it is hard to keep it first and foremost in the head while dealing with the kids themselves and the program needs. How about a 3 X 5 card with the correct number that can be swapped out when it changes? I mean if it is that important, make it big and important.

I wish I could post a picture but a 3 X 5 card with the list of kids below it on a separate list?

[Float On]

As someone who had others loose track of her child (at a church Awana program).....keep practicing. Randomly ask for a headcount or location. They'll get the importance of it...eventually.