Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales

Transcription

1 Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 Child Minding and Day Care (Inspection and Information for Local Authorities) (Wales) Regulations 2010 The Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010 Inspection Report Ladybirds After School Care St Johns Church Hall Rachel Close Danescourt Cardiff CF5 2SH Type of Inspection Focused Date(s) of inspection Monday, 9 February 2015 Date of publication Wednesday, 4 March 2015 Welsh Government Crown copyright You may use and re-use the information featured in this publication (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License. You can view the Open Government License, on the National Archives website or you can write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk You must reproduce our material accurately and not use it in a misleading context. Page 1

2 Summary About the service Ladybirds after school care operates from the hall of St John s Church Hall in the Danescourt area of Cardiff. Ladybirds was registered to provide sessional day care in 2009 and the after school club provision was added in The sessional day care provision has since been relocated to its own premises in the shopping precinct a short distance away. Only the after school care service now uses the church hall. The after school club provides care for children who attend Danescourt Primary School, which is a short walk away. The staff pick up the children at the end of the school day and escort them to the church hall. Nursery age children are dropped off at the Ladybirds sessional day care setting on the way. The after school club operates between the hours of 3.15 and 5.30 from Monday to Friday and Leah Wadsworth has been appointed as the person in charge (PiC) What type of inspection was carried out? This was an unannounced, focussed, scheduled inspection which looked mainly at the quality of life theme. Evidence for this report came from: observations of child care practices, activities and routines at the setting observations of the interactions between staff and children discussion with the persons in charge (PiC) and other staff a brief visual check of the premises our own interaction with the children present at the time of the inspection. What does the service do well? No significant areas of good practice were identified at this inspection which were over and above those which are determined by the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for Regulated Child Care (2012) What has improved since the last inspection? Ladybirds has now been divided into two separate services which operate independently from each other on two different sites. The after school service has proved popular with parents and the Ladybirds company are reported to be in the process of applying to CSSIW to increase the numbers they may care for at the setting in order to meet demand. What needs to be done to improve the service? No issues of non-compliance were noted at this inspection. The following good practice recommendations were discussed: a menu of the snacks provided at the club should be made available to parents some of the older children who attend the club could be involved in helping to prepare the snacks, under adult supervision staff files and policies relating to the after school club should now be kept on the premises in a secure place detailed planning of activities is needed in order to ensure that all the children who Page 2

3 attend are involved in a good balance of child and adult led activities a record should be kept of any pre- existing injuries or reports of illness discussed with the club staff when the children are picked up from school. Page 3

4 Quality Of Life Overall, we (CSSIW)found that children were provided with a reasonable range of activities at the after school club, which allowed them to make their own choices. They were cared for by staff who knew them well and with whom they had formed good relationships. Children who attend the Ladybirds after school club have choice. This is because the children are asked at the beginning of each evening which activities or toys they would like to play with that evening. The toys and equipment are kept stored in a large cupboard in the hall, as the hall is used by other groups during the day. We saw that the children chose technik lego, a dolls house, paper and pens, action figures and junk modelling on the evening of our inspection. The toys chosen were suitable for the age range of the children present and were in good condition. The hall was also divided in half with chairs so that the children could use a variety of scooters and bikes for physical activity. We spoke to some of the children present who reported that they enjoyed making Lego models at the club. However we noted that some of the children involved in making junk models began to lose interest as the activity lacked direction and they began to paint their hands. Children s needs are partly met because the PiC involves the children in the planning of activities.however these plans lacked detail and provided only a brief outline of the activities. Planning was reported to take place every six weeks and we were able to examine the current planning and previous examples of planning. The current theme was seen to be Things we like to do at ladybirds and we could see where the children had suggested activities for the club such as: making Valentines cards, dressing up or making models. We discussed this planning with the PiC and suggested that although involving the children in choosing activities was good for promoting self esteem and following interests, some structure and direction was required in the planning as well. We discussed the possibility of offering themed nights for example a cookery night or a games night. The children could then continue to benefit from freely chosen activities but they could also choose to take part in an adult planned and led activity if they wished. This would provide the children with variety and interest and introduce them to new skills and experiences. Children who attend the club benefit from good health and hygiene practices as the PiC has an up to date qualification in food hygiene at level 2.We saw that the tables were cleaned before the snack was served and that the preparation area in the kitchen was clean. The snack was crackers and pieces of apple which the staff reported was popular with the children. The children helped to give out the food which was served on clean crockery. The staff sat sociably with the children and chatted with them as they ate. The children helped to clear the tables when everyone had finished eating and we could see that independence and self -help skills were promoted at the club. However we noted that there was no snack menu available for either the parents or the children and staff reported that the snack for the evening depended on whatever the PiC had bought that day. We discussed this with the PiC and recommended that it would be good practice to Page 4

5 ensure that parents and children were provided with a snack menu so that they could see what was on offer. Some of the older children could also be involved in preparing snacks, under adult supervision, and would enjoy being given some responsibility. Children experience responsive care from the Ladybirds team because the younger members of the after school club are allowed to return to the day nursery after their afternoon at school. The staff considered that experiencing three different settings during the course of the day would be too much for the youngest. Staff reported that the younger children are introduced gradually to the church hall setting after the Easter holidays and receive extra support while they familiarise with the new routine and setting. Page 5

6 Quality Of Staffing This inspection focussed on the quality of life theme and the outcomes for children. CSSIW did not consider it necessary to look in detail at the quality of staffing theme in any depth on this occasion. This will be looked at in more detail during future inspections However we noted that the children s welfare is promoted by carers who know what to do in an emergency as the PiC was qualified in paediatric first aid and had current knowledge of child protection procedures and food hygiene. We noted that the required records of accidental injuries were maintained and signed by parents. We discussed with the PiC the need for recording pre-existing injuries sustained during the course of the school day when the children are picked up. A note should also be made of any illness reported by the children s teachers in order for parents to be kept fully informed. Page 6

7 Quality Of Leadership and Management This inspection focussed on the quality of life theme and the outcomes for children. CSSIW did not consider it necessary to look in detail at the quality of leadership and management theme in any depth on this occasion. This will be looked at in more detail during future inspections. However we noted that although details of current staff supervision and appraisal were kept at the setting the staff files and quality of care report were kept at the Ladybirds day care setting in the precinct. We advised the PiC that since the day care and out of school care were now operating on different sites, information relating to the out of school club should be kept at the hall. The PiC reported that it was possible to do so as a lockable cupboard was available and that she would make sure the relevant documents were transferred. Page 7

8 Quality Of The Environment This inspection focussed on the quality of life theme and the outcomes for children. CSSIW did not consider it necessary to look in detail at the quality of the environment theme in any depth on this occasion. This will be looked at in more detail during future inspections. However children who attend the after school club benefit from a clean and spacious environment as the church hall is large and well maintained. The children are kept safe because the main entrance door is kept securely locked so that no one can arrive unannounced. We also saw that fire evacuation drills were practiced on a regular basis and a log kept. Page 8

9 How we inspect and report on services We conduct two types of inspection; baseline and focussed. Both consider the experience of people using services. Baseline inspections assess whether the registration of a service is justified and whether the conditions of registration are appropriate. For most services, we carry out these inspections every three years. Exceptions are registered child minders, out of school care, sessional care, crèches and open access provision, which are every four years. At these inspections we check whether the service has a clear, effective Statement of Purpose and whether the service delivers on the commitments set out in its Statement of Purpose. In assessing whether registration is justified inspectors check that the service can demonstrate a history of compliance with regulations. Focused inspections consider the experience of people using services and we will look at compliance with regulations when poor outcomes for people using services are identified. We carry out these inspections in between baseline inspections. Focussed inspections will always consider the quality of life of people using services and may look at other areas. Baseline and focused inspections may be scheduled or carried out in response to concerns. Inspectors use a variety of methods to gather information during inspections. These may include; Talking with people who use services and their representatives Talking to staff and the manager Looking at documentation Observation of staff interactions with people and of the environment Comments made within questionnaires returned from people who use services, staff and health and social care professionals We inspect and report our findings under Quality Themes. Those relevant to each type of service are referred to within our inspection reports. Further information about what we do can be found in our leaflet Improving Care and Social Services in Wales. You can download this from our website, Improving Care and Social Services in Wales or ask us to send you a copy by telephoning your local CSSIW regional office. Page 9

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