In this article: |
Making an Observation
Observations are used to record development, interest, experiences, and achievement, and create an overall picture of the children in your care.
To make observations, you'll need the 'Manage Observations' permission enabled. If staff only have this permission enabled, the observations will be sent to a manager with permission to review and send.
From the Newsfeed
Log in to the app and go to the Newsfeed.
In the top box, next to Post you will see Observation - click on this tab
Search for the child or children you are observing in the 'To:' box.
*If you create a group observation, please note that any future edits made to the observation will be reflected in the observation for all of the children. You are not able to remove a child from the observation after it has been sent without deleting the observation completely.You have the option to upload a photo, video, or document.
You can also add Next steps in the bottom box, if you choose to.
From a Child Profile
From the child's Journey tab on their profile, select New, then select Observation from the drop-down menu, or from the Newsfeed, click on the Observation tab.
The boxes above the text allow you to choose the framework in which you're working.
The panel to the left, called 'Reference material', is where you'll find the curriculum guidance, to support your knowledge of the child's development. When you enter the child's name, relevant bands or stages are offered as a starting point.
Currently, to see the reference material on the app, you will need to be on a tablet device (iPad or similar, not a mobile phone), and it must be in landscape mode.
It'll look something like this:
You can view the child's past observations and assessments for reference too, just click on 'Past observations and assessments'.
You can choose to add what you'll be doing next to support the child and extend their learning, by clicking on 'What's next?'
💡 Draft observations will be deleted 90 days after they were last edited.
Scottish Frameworks
The most up to date frameworks for Scotland on Famly are Realising the Ambition, the Curriculum for Excellence - Experiences and Outcomes, and GIRFEC. If you have any questions about this please reach out to support@famly.co.
How to enable the updated child development
The updated child development can be toggled on by going to Settings → Child Development → Setup.
Once you've been moved over to the new child development you can enable the correct frameworks under Settings → Child Development → Learning Frameworks or Reference Material.
Please note that the new child development no longer involves linking to the frameworks. Instead staff should use the reference material as a guide, placing focus on the written portion of the observation to state key moments in development for a child. The goal here is to move further towards a child-centred practice.
Adding links to observations (only available on the old version)
When making an observation, click on the 'eye' icon at the bottom of the text box to add links to the framework you choose. When you click on the icon, a new screen will open, where you can select the appropriate links. Once you have selected the statements, click 'Send' to either post directly or send for review.
The observations will now appear on the staff member and child's newsfeed, in the child's Journey tab in their profile, as well as in the Child Development App.
Reviewing Observations
The Overview page is under the Learning Icon under the Child Development tab. It shows you all the recent observations made in your setting, in chronological order (depending on your role, what you see here may differ.) As a manager, this page is where you can review observations, request changes, and send them to parents.
Filter Observations
When viewing all observations you can use the filters on the left-hand side to filter by:
Type
Date range
Observation status
Author
Key person
Review an Observation
To review an observation, start by clicking on it. When reviewing an observation you can:
Edit the observation yourself
Add links to the curriculum you use
You can add a comment on the box to the left-hand side, then click the paper aeroplane icon to send it. Finally, click Request changes to send the observation back to the original author
Change the author (take ownership of the observation)
When you are happy with it to be sent to the parents and added to the journey, click Approve and Send.
Notifications about observations
Staff and managers will receive notifications in Famly based on the following rules:
A notification is sent to the staff member who wrote an observation when a manager requests changes (having sent the observation for review)
A notification is sent to the manager when a staff member updates an observation in review
A notification is sent to the staff member when an observation is sent (approved) by a manager
A notification is sent to the staff member who created the observation when the child's parents comment on it.
Parents and Observations
To promote great partnership with parents, it is possible for parents to add their own observations to their child's Journey.
Parents are guided through creating in-app observations in their own help centre article on observations
Parent observations are sent to be reviewed by management before they are posted. Setting staff will see the observation in the Child Development app and can add links to statements, request changes, take ownership if necessary, or write a comment back to parents. If you request changes, the parent will receive a notification.