7 things you didn’t know about Tapestry

4 min read:

Since Tapestry’s humble beginnings way back in 2012 it has grown exponentially… and continues to do so. This means there is a high chance that Tapestry does a few things you’re not aware of. Here is a collection of 7 functions of Tapestry that you should definitely know about!

1. You can transfer children’s journals between packages.

This is something lots of our users already do, but one that can’t be understated. One of the best things about Tapestry is that it can follow the child’s journey for as long as you want. If a child moves to a new setting that uses Tapestry, you can transfer their whole journal to their new provider. This seamless transition means the journal can be continued and ensures there’s no interruption for the relatives.

2. Name and drawer labels

This one is constantly being discovered by our new and seasoned Tapestry users! You can generate and print name/drawer labels straight from Tapestry. There are a number of styles and sizes to choose from to fit your needs, but if you need a different size or design, send us an email and we can look at adding it.

Generate these labels by clicking the “children” tab, selecting the children you want to create labels for and then using the “print name labels” button:

3. Splitting group observations.

An invaluable technique that often goes overlooked is being able to split group observations. As you probably already know, you can create a “group observation” simply by adding more than one child to it. But what if you wanted to add a piece of media, or a note that only pertained to one of the children in the group? That’s where “splitting” comes in. When you split a group observation you essentially make an identical copy of the observation for each individual child that you select. Once that’s been done, you can personalise that child’s observation without the worry of parents of other children having access.

4. User permissions

The User Permissions section on Tapestry helps managers set up their account to suit them. With customisable settings for staff, relatives and children you can make your account work in a way that suits you and your setting. Need to turn comments off for relatives? Want your staff to be able to publish their own reports? Want your children to be able to log on at home? Review your User Permissions from Control Panel > User Permissions.

5. Bespoke flags

You may already be familiar with “flags” on Tapestry, such as the EYFS 2021 flag set, but did you know you can create your own flag sets for whatever you want? Do this by going to Control Panel > Settings > Flags > “Add a new set of bespoke flags”.

Flags are great for monitoring your provision. Perhaps you want to see how many observations include children working 1:1 with an adult or peer supported. You could create your own flag set called “Ways of Working” which includes the flags like “1:1”, “Independent” etc. Then, if you need to, just use the Flags screen to bring up all your observations containing your bespoke flags.

6. Accident forms

Accident forms on Tapestry was originally part of the Care Diary feature. While they are still there, you can also enable Accidents Only on your account. This is useful if you don’t require all the features of the Care Diary for your setting.

Once created, accident forms can be discussed with a parent or carer. They can then be digitally signed off (you can also export a hard copy to sign if preferred). Once it’s been marked as discussed, you can share an online copy with the child’s relatives and keep a copy for your records.

7. You can keep it!

Lastly, something that may seem obvious but isn’t as common as you’d think, everything you upload to Tapestry is yours to keep! You can export pretty much everything you put on Tapestry whenever you like or keep it all online. As long as whatever account the data is part of remains active then you can continue to access it whenever needed.