This is a Safeguarding & Welfare requirement, but the key person is equally important for children’s learning and development as they are for their safety and welfare.

Providers must inform the parent/carer of the name of the child’s key person and explain what the role involves. In childminding settings, the childminder is the key person or an assistant where appropriate.

Paragraph 3.34 of the group-based and school providers EYFS and paragraph 3.38 of the childminders EYFS says the role of the key person is to:

• Help ensure that every child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs
• Help the child become familiar with the setting, offer a settled relationship for the child and build a relationship with their parents and/or carers. 
• They should also help families engage with more specialist support if appropriate.
• Paragraph 3.86 (group-based and school providers) states that 'providers must hold a daily record of the names of children being cared for on the premises, their hours of attendance and the names of each child's key person'.

The DfE do not stipulate any qualification levels for Key Persons, or a limit to the number of children they can be a Key Person for.

However, they do state that:

• All children deserve high quality early education and care. This requires a quality workforce. A well-trained, skilled team of practitioners can help every child achieve the best possible educational outcomes. Children need to build an attachment with their key person for their confidence and well-being. The key person also promotes children’s learning by developing a deep understanding of their individual needs and children can particularly benefit from their modelling and support. (Paragraph 1.19 Group-based and school provisions EYFS)

Providers may therefore choose their most well-qualified staff to act as Key Person, although there is no requirement to do so. They can set their own limits on how many children are assigned to a Key Person, while taking into account the need to ensure that children's needs are met.

Useful articles

Attachment Theory and the Key Person Approach