Can i accept gifts from key children’s families?

Question

Q – “How do people feel about staff taking expensive gifts from their key children’s family”

Answers

A – “I worked in a private school nursery where we would receive very generous gifts from parents. Fortnum and Mason hampers, White company gift cards, pandora jewellery etc… It was only ok if the nursery managers received them too surprisingly… If not you had to have a ‘chat’ with the headmaster about ‘appropriate relationships’ He used to laugh about it and tell us we’d obviously done a good job to be rewarded so well!!!”

A – “Feel personally or from a management’s point of view…? Personally I think it isn’t a problem it’s a lovely gesture from parents/carers 🙂 it doesn’t matter what it is or how much it costs even a sentimental card! it’s just showing appreciation. From a management point ofor view… again I feel it’s a lovely thought and up to the parents/carers. The only downside fall I’ve ever experienced is… not sure of this is the correct word, but jealousy/envy from other staff. They may have worked with the child a lot but not necessarily got the credit due. We use to let people keep what was personally given to a staff member and share anything else.”

A – “What does it matter. If a parent wants to give you a gift no matter how big or small it means you done your job right by building that relationship and have amazing parent partnerships with them.”

A – “It is up to the parents, what they give you. You are taking care of their most prized possession. They obviously feel you deserve it.”

A – “As a staff member I’ve always been sat on the fence between feeling guilty for accepting gifts and not wanting to seem ungrateful. As a parent I always used to get my boys teachers and support staff gifts at school. I wanted to show my appreciation for all they do. I did that right up until they left primary. I guess if they are expensive gifts then it would make it a bit harder but the parents really wouldn’t have bothered if the nursery staff didn’t mean so much to them”

A – “This is a really tough one..when I was working in a nursery I remember receiving an expensive candle as a leaving present from one of my key children…I really didn’t want to accept it because I knew it was expensive…but on the other hand I didn’t want to seem ungrateful…i guess they are only rewarding you for doing a great job looking after their child/children…”

A – “Its up to the parents I think. I always buy my sons key person a present at Christmas 🙂 they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t want to 🙂 no one has ever said anything about it at our setting. I had presents brought in by parents when I went on maternity leave on my last day I even had someone come in just to give me a gift”

 A – “We are allowed to accept gifts up to the value of £50”