> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://pigeonholeapp.co.uk/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Monitoring

> Start monitoring something in a child's development, back it up with observations, and keep it up to date with progress, talks with parents and other agencies.

When something about a child's development is worrying you, perhaps they're not yet joining words together, are unsteady when they walk, or are finding it very hard to settle, **start monitoring** it. Monitoring keeps everything in one place: what you first noticed, the observations that show it, and every update since.

Your SENCo and managers are told when you start monitoring something, and they use the [Monitoring page](https://pigeonholeapp.co.uk/docs/managers/development/monitoring.md#the-monitoring-page) to keep an eye on every child being monitored.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Monitoring is **staff only**. Families never see what you're monitoring or its updates. If you talk to a parent about it, log that conversation as an update.

> [!WARNING]
>
> If you're worried about a child's **safety or welfare**, don't use Monitoring. [Raise a safeguarding concern](https://pigeonholeapp.co.uk/docs/staff/raising-a-concern.md) instead.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Open in app: [Development → Monitoring](https://pigeonholeapp.co.uk/app/staff/development/monitoring). If it's not in your sidebar, your setting hasn't switched Monitoring on.

## Starting monitoring

You can start from the **Monitoring** page with **Start monitoring**, or from the child's profile: open their **Development** tab, choose **Monitoring** and click **Start monitoring**.

![Maya Okonkwo's Development tab with the Monitoring sub-tab highlighted, showing what's being monitored for her and the Start monitoring button](https://mintcdn.com/pigeonholeearlyyearsltd/3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I/images/monitoring-child-tab.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I\&q=85\&s=25383ec4aadec665a7f3416326d55f18)

1. Choose the **Child**, if you started from the Monitoring page.
2. Under **What are you monitoring?**, give it a short title, such as *Few spoken words for her age* or *Unsteady when walking*.
3. Choose the **Area of need** it falls under:
   * **Communication & interaction**: speech, language, understanding, social communication
   * **Cognition & learning**: learning, memory, problem-solving, attention to play
   * **Social, emotional & mental health**: feelings, behaviour, settling, relationships
   * **Sensory & physical**: movement, walking, hearing, vision, sensory needs
4. Optionally, pick the **Framework area** it relates to, such as Communication and Language.
5. Under **What have you noticed?**, describe what you've seen and how it compares with what you'd expect for their age.
6. Click **Start monitoring**.

![The Start monitoring dialog for Hugo Marchetti, with the title Not yet using a spoon or fork, Sensory and physical selected, and a description of what staff have noticed](https://mintcdn.com/pigeonholeearlyyearsltd/3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I/images/monitoring-raise-concern.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I\&q=85\&s=29531caa669b19ddf84f52a462139fce)

It opens straight away so you can link observations or add the first update.

## Adding an update

Add an update whenever something changes. Open what you're monitoring and click **Add an update**, then:

1. Choose what kind of update it is:
   * **Progress note**: what you've seen since, good or bad
   * **Talked with parents**: what you discussed, and anything the family has noticed at home
   * **Agency involvement**: another professional is involved, such as the health visitor or speech and language therapy. Add the agency's name too.
2. Check the date under **When**. It's today unless you change it, and it can't be in the future.
3. Write the update.
4. Optionally, click **Attach observations** to attach the observations that show it.
5. Click **Add update**.

![The update box for Maya with Talked with parents selected, today's date, a note about sharing the speech and language referral with mum, and the Attach observations and Add update buttons](https://mintcdn.com/pigeonholeearlyyearsltd/3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I/images/monitoring-add-update.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I\&q=85\&s=da4d65cd54d199e1ed28f6f400b33def)

Logging a **Talked with parents** update matters: until there is one, it's counted under **Parents not yet spoken to** on the Monitoring page.

You can edit or delete your own updates with the pencil and bin icons next to them. Deleting an update doesn't unlink the observations attached to it; they stay linked.

## Linking observations as evidence

Observations show what you've noticed, so link the ones that matter. There are two ways.

### From the Monitoring timeline

Click **Link observations**, tick the observations that show what you're monitoring, and click **Link observations**. Ones already linked are ticked for you.

![The Link observations dialog listing six of Maya's observations, three already ticked as linked](https://mintcdn.com/pigeonholeearlyyearsltd/3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I/images/monitoring-link-observations.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I\&q=85\&s=9baa8bb72f6c0f94b742890c0d7ae764)

### While writing an observation

When you write an observation for a child who's being monitored, an **Evidence for something you're monitoring?** box appears under the learning links. Turn on the switch for the one it relates to, and the observation is linked when you save it.

![The observation form for Maya with the Evidence for something you're monitoring box highlighted and the switch for Few spoken words for her age turned on](https://mintcdn.com/pigeonholeearlyyearsltd/3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I/images/monitoring-observation-evidence.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I\&q=85\&s=6ab6cc3402daa10da775bf852ed96cec)

If you've tagged several children, each switch shows the child's first name.

You can link drafts and observations that are still waiting for approval. They show as **not yet published** on the timeline until they're shared. Click the **×** on a linked observation to unlink it.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Linking an observation never shares what you're monitoring. Families see the observation in their child's journal as usual, with no mention of Monitoring.

## Using the staff app

In the staff app, open a child's profile and scroll down to **Monitoring**.

* **To start monitoring**, tap **Start monitoring**, fill in **What are you monitoring?**, choose the **Area of need**, add what you've noticed, and tap **Start monitoring**.
* **To add a progress note**, tap what you're monitoring to open it, type what's happened, and tap **Add progress note**. Talks with parents and agency involvement are recorded on the web.

![The Monitoring section of a child's profile in the staff app, starting to monitor Not yet joining words together under Communication and interaction](https://mintcdn.com/pigeonholeearlyyearsltd/Oe9qsYFbGbkcRyeB/images/app-monitoring-raise.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Oe9qsYFbGbkcRyeB\&q=85\&s=2ee8eb9e951311c9973835fd8a7b2dd4)

![Something being monitored in the staff app, showing its latest update, the What's happened box and the Add progress note button](https://mintcdn.com/pigeonholeearlyyearsltd/Oe9qsYFbGbkcRyeB/images/app-monitoring-update.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Oe9qsYFbGbkcRyeB\&q=85\&s=248c029e63a4399d8476cd6562c8012f)

When you write an observation in the app for a child who's being monitored, the same **Evidence for something you're monitoring?** switch appears near the bottom of the form.

![The new observation screen in the staff app with the Evidence for something you're monitoring switch turned on for Not yet joining words together](https://mintcdn.com/pigeonholeearlyyearsltd/Oe9qsYFbGbkcRyeB/images/app-monitoring-evidence.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Oe9qsYFbGbkcRyeB\&q=85\&s=30ebde37cd90c00a43bdcb625956c540)

Linking observations from the timeline, editing, stopping monitoring and downloading the PDF are done on the web.

## On the two-year check

If you're writing a [two-year check](https://pigeonholeapp.co.uk/docs/staff/development/two-year-checks.md) for a child who's being monitored, you'll see a **Being monitored** panel above **Other professionals involved and our plan**. Click **Add a summary to this box** to start that section from what you've recorded.

![The Being monitored panel on a two-year check, with the title, area and latest update, and the Add a summary to this box button](https://mintcdn.com/pigeonholeearlyyearsltd/3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I/images/monitoring-two-year-check.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=3-7QAe5Zsrz1vT3I\&q=85\&s=2a557b8cd22bd62a168d4aa9ba702d64)

The two-year check is shared with the family, so reword the summary in warm, plain language before you share it.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I stop monitoring something?

Only your SENCo or a manager can stop, restart or delete monitoring. If you think it can stop, add a progress note saying why and let them know.

### Can I see what's being monitored for children who aren't my key children?

Yes. Every member of staff can see everything being monitored at your setting, so everyone knows what to look out for. On the Monitoring page, switch between **My key children** and **Everyone**.

### Should I start monitoring every small thing?

No. Start monitoring when something is persistent enough that you want to watch it over time and gather evidence. For a one-off moment, an observation is enough.


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