The Squirrel Collection Nursery Ltd. Day Care of Children. Care service number: CS /71 Goschen Place Broxburn EH52 5JJ

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1 The Squirrel Collection Nursery Day Care of Children 69/71 Goschen Place Broxburn EH52 5JJ Telephone: Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 19 July 2016 Service provided by: The Squirrel Collection Nursery Ltd Service provider number: SP Care service number: CS

2 About the service We carried out an unannounced inspection of The Squirrel Collection Nursery on 11 July 2016 with a following announced visit on 19 July At this inspection we spoke with children, parents, observed staff's practice and checked relevant documentation. The Squirrel Collection Nursery is located in town of Broxburn in West Lothian. The service operates from a detached three storey building of which two floors are used for the nursery and after school club. On the ground floor is a playroom for babies and children under three years old, a children's toilet, nappy changing room and kitchen. On the second floor is a playroom for children aged over three years old, with an area for the older children, and toilets. There is a large garden to the rear of the property which is divided into two areas, a soft surface area used by the younger children and a grassed area which is used by the older children. The nursery is registered to provide a care service to a maximum of 36 children at anyone time between the ages of 6 months and primary school age, of whom no more than 17 will be primary school age. The aims and objectives of the service include the following: - To provide a secure and happy environment. - To encourage learning, both formally and through play. - To assist with social development. - To encourage confident and positive attitudes. - To assure parents that their children receive the best care and attention. - To treat each child as an individual with respect for gender, ethnic origin, culture, religion and specific needs. What people told us During the inspection we spoke with a number of children and asked them what they liked to do whilst at the service and they told us about the different activities they enjoyed. We spoke with two parents who told us that they were happy with the nursery and the care their child received whilst at the service. We sent 15 care standard questionnaires to the service to distribute to parents and received 8 completed questionnaires back before the inspection took place. Parents and children's comments included: "Great nursery, my wife and I like it. It meets our needs, flexible. Good choice of food, he tries things here he won't eat at home. He enjoys coming to nursery and has his group of friends.' "I like it. It's fun." "The care is very personal and the staff are friendly and approachable. They are good at incorporating the children's ideas into further play and activities. The resources are good but perhaps changing them around or exchanging them would stop them being too familiar. Also, maybe a few more trips to the library/park would make the days different." "My daughter has significantly come along with her learning and loves going to nursery. She has grown in confidence." "Both my children enjoy attending Squirrels and interact well with the staff. I'm really happy with the service provided." "My daughter took a while to settle into nursery but the staff were great with her and nothing was too much bother. They also were very helpful with potty training. All staff have a very caring and positive attitude." page 2 of 10

3 Self assessment The Care Inspectorate received a fully completed self assessment from the provider. The provider identified what they thought the service did well and gave examples of improvements in the different areas. The self assessment identified some key areas that the provider believed can be improved and showed how the service intended to do this. The provider told us how the people who use the care service had taken part in the self assessment process and the ways their feedback directed the development of their plans for improving the service. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support Quality of environment Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection Staff clearly knew the children well and were able to discuss how they supported their care needs. Staff had built strong relationships with parents and information was freely shared between them to support the children and ensure open communication. The manager was committed to improving the quality of staff's evaluation of children's learning and development. This had resulted in an improvement in the way staff carried out observations, identified next steps in learning and improved planning of activities. There was now a focus on children's interests. Children had been more involved in the planning of activities and their views and comments were being listened to and respected by staff. This meant that children were beginning to take ownership and responsibility for planning which increased their confidence and sense of belonging to the service. Staff were aware of the children's stage of development. They provided an environment which stimulated and challenged the children and extended their play. Children were able to make requests for different activities and resources which staff met. Resources were stored where they could be easily accessed by children. This supported independence and decision making skills. We observed the daily routines that contributed to children's wellbeing. All snacks and meals were provided by the nursery were based on information in the nutritional guidance document 'Setting the Table'. This helped support children's dietary needs. Water was available throughout the day to ensure the children were kept hydrated. We discussed with the meal time experience with the manager and suggested that children could be more involved by helping to set the table, serve their own food and drinks and to tidy up once they were finished. This would help promote responsibility and independence. Staff promoted healthy lifestyles in a variety of ways throughout the nursery such as supporting the children to page 3 of 10

4 brush their teeth after meals. They also ensured children had regular access to the outdoor area to allow them to benefit from being out in the fresh air and to engage in physical play. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection We observed the children to be confident and happy in the environment. The layout of the playrooms allowed children to move freely around the different areas supporting them to make choices about their play and learning. Staff had reviewed and improved the range of resources and activities on offer. Core resources were available for the children to use and there was a variety of tactile experiences for the younger children. Staff took account of the different ages and stages of development of the children using the playrooms and planned accordingly. This meant children could be independent in their play and make choices. The layout of the building meant children could not freely choose to go outside to play. Staff managed this well and ensured children were out as much as possible. There was a good range of resources for the children to use which allowed them to engage in physical play and to be active. Staff supported the children appropriately in their play. We discussed with the manager that staff could improve the children's experience by making indoor learning opportunities available outside. This would allow the children to be outdoors for longer periods. Children's artwork was displayed where it could be seen by parents and visitors to the service. Staff had created topic tables which related to the children's current interests. Safety procedures were carried out by staff for all areas of the nursery including the outdoor area. This allowed them to identify any potential hazards and put measures into place to minimise the risk. Staff were aware of the steps to be taken in the event of a welfare concern about a child. All staff had completed child protection training and this was refreshed regularly. Discussion with staff confirmed their knowledge of child protection issues and a policy and guidance was available with appropriate telephone numbers. This ensured that adults were aware of the steps to be taken to safeguard children. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 page 4 of 10

5 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of staffing Findings from the inspection The recruitment of staff had been reviewed by the manager and improvements made to ensure staff were recruited in line with latest guidance. Checks were carried out before a new member of staff began their employment with the nursery such as Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG) and the Scottish Social Services Council's (SSSC) register. This helped to ensure they were fit to work in the nursery. Staff told us the manager took them through a thorough induction process which helped prepare them for their role in the service. Training was important to the manager. She ensured that all staff took part in mandatory training such as child protection, food hygiene, infection control and first aid. Staff enhanced their practice and knowledge by accessing training courses through West Lothian Council and staff were able to request training to assist with their role working with the children. A training matrix was in place which showed who had attended training and when refresher courses were due. Staff were responsible for keeping a record of the training they had attended. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection The manager worked closely with staff to improve the delivery of the service and to explore ways to enhance positive learning outcomes for the children. The introduction of an audit calendar allowed the manager to monitor the service such as staff's work practice, the completion of PLPs and the views of parents and children. This helped her to identify any areas which needed further work and resulted in a more focused approach which helped to ensure staff were offered the correct support when needed. The introduction of regular support and supervision meetings with the manager allowed staff to have open discussions about their work practice and any issues they might have. They took place every eight to twelve page 5 of 10

6 weeks and the manager told us that she hoped to make them every six weeks which would allow her to improve the way she supported staff to fulfil their role. Staff participated in the development of the service's Improvement Plan which enabled them to identify areas for improvement over the coming year. The manager spoke to us about the planned changes to the after school club's information gathering tools. She us that she felt the new forms would help staff to gather more detailed information about the children and their interests. Parents were given a variety of opportunities to influence what happened within the nursery and to comment on the quality of the experiences offered to their child. This was done through the use of questionnaires, a suggestion box and staff making themselves available to speak with them at drop off and pick up times. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good What the service has done to meet any requirements we made at or since the last inspection Previous requirements Requirement 1 The provider must ensure that safer recruitment best practice is followed by the service and staff do not start their employment until two references are taken up and retained on file for each newly appointed member of staff. A reference from the most recent employer must always be obtained. The provider must be able to evidence that references have been signed and dated properly (including by electronic means). Also, there must be clear evidence that PVG checks are received before staff commence their employment. This is in order to comply with the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulation 2011/SSI210 Regulation 9(2)(b) - a requirement to ensure that staff have the qualifications, skills and experience necessary for the work they are to perform. Timescale: Before a new member of staff is employed. This requirement was made on 4 June page 6 of 10

7 Action taken on previous requirement The provider has developed systems to ensure staff do not start their employment with the nursery until all checks have been sent for and received. This includes PVG scheme update, SSSC registration and two references. Met - within timescales What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at or since the last inspection Previous recommendations Recommendation 1 The manager should ensure that services infection control policy and procedures are applied by staff in their daily practice. This is to include: - replacing the nappy changing mat, - ensuring all nappy creams are clearly labelled with the child's name and the date the cream started to be used. National Care Standards early education and childcare up to the age of 16 Standard 2: A safe environment This recommendation was made on 4 June Action taken on previous recommendation The nappy changing mat has been replaced and is regularly checked by staff. Every child has their own pot of nappy cream with their name and the date the cream was opened clearly marked. Therefore this recommendation has been met. Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at Enforcement No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. page 7 of 10

8 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 4 Jun 2015 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 9 May 2014 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 14 Feb 2014 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 7 Aug 2013 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 2 Nov 2012 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 27 Jul 2012 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 20 Oct 2011 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership Not assessed 15 Jun 2011 Unannounced Care and support page 8 of 10

9 Date Type Gradings Management and leadership 26 Nov 2010 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 10 Mar 2010 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 20 Nov 2008 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership page 9 of 10

10 To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action when things aren't good enough. Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service. You can also read more about our work online at Contact us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com Find us on Facebook Other languages and formats This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. page 10 of 10