Care service inspection report Quality themed inspection (day care for children) Rainbow Childcare and Education Ltd Day Care of Children Little Crook Forres Inspection completed on 13 May 2016
Service provided by: Rainbow Childcare and Education Ltd Service provider number: SP2003001947 Care service number: CS2003008948 Inspection Visit Type: Unannounced Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and set out improvements that must be made. We also investigate complaints about care services and 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. Contact Us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 www.careinspectorate.com @careinspect page 2 of 15
1 About the service we inspected The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information about all care services is available on our website at www.careinspectorate.com This service was previously registered with the Care Commission and transferred its registration to the Care Inspectorate on 1 April 2011. We carried out a 'themed' inspection. This targeted approach means that we looked at identified aspects focusing on children's experiences under each Quality Theme. The Care Inspectorate is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all children receiving a care service. We want to ensure they have the best start in life, are ready to succeed and live longer, healthier lives. We check services are meeting the principles of Getting It Right For Every Child (also know as GIRFEC). Set up by Scottish Government, GIRFEC is a national approach to working in a consistent way with all children and young people. It is underpinned by the principles of prevention and early intervention. The approach helps services focus on what makes a positive difference for children and young people - and what they can do to improve. GIRFEC is being woven into all policy, practice, strategy and legislation that affect children, young people and their families. There are eight wellbeing indicators at the heart of GIRFEC. They are safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included, often referred to as SHANARRI indicators. We use these indicators at inspection to assess how services are making a positive difference for children. Rainbow Childcare and Education Ltd is a Day Care of Children service. It provides local authority funded places; it is registered to provide a service to a maximum of 25 children aged from 2 years to 9 years. The service operates from a one level detached building situated in Forres close to local amenities. The service mission statement incorporates the aims of the service: page 3 of 15
'Rainbow provides high quality integrated childcare and pre-school education within a safe, secure and attractive environment. We employ highly qualified and experienced staff who are welcoming, caring and trustworthy. They promote learning and development through play and first hand experience, encompassing all areas of the curriculum. Rainbow aims to be a parent's first choice for childcare and pre-school education within the area, placing great value on the relationships we have built between children, parents, staff and the local community. Our quality assurance programme promotes continuous self evaluation in providing an effective and efficient service'. What we did during the inspection We compiled the report following an unannounced inspection. The inspection was carried out by a Care Inspectorate inspector. The inspection took place on 12 and 13 May 2016 between the hours of 8.40am and 5.30pm. Feedback was given to the manager at the end of the inspection. We sent 22 Care Standards Questionnaires to the service to distribute to parents/carers. Eleven sent us completed questionnaires. During this inspection process, we gathered evidence from various sources, including the following: We spoke with: - the manager - four staff - 10 children - seven parents face to face, one by e-mail and three by telephone We looked at: - evidence from the service's most recent self assessment - Care Standards Questionnaires (numerous positive comments) - on-line learning journals - care plans page 4 of 15
- individual work books - child protection - staff development - Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) registration - improvement plan - quality assurance - the premises - observation of interaction between staff and children during inside and outdoor play and a walk to the woods. Taking the views of people using the care service into account We observed the children having fun and taking part in different activities such as crafts, threading, drawing, matching games, jigsaws. Children clearly enjoyed the experience of choosing to be outdoors using the concrete area for wheeled push along toys and the garden to explore, such as; sand play, shops, ball play and creative/active play with bread baskets, wood blocks and tyres and a mud kitchen. Children appeared very relaxed, happy and confident and moved around the play space independently. Specific comments from children included: 'Rainbow is fun' 'I like playing football' 'look at this stick it's like a snack' 'we can climb up the hill, look' 'I like playing in the sand' 'I can cycle, look' 'I can throw and catch' 'I like being outside' 'I know my numbers and can draw them' 'I can write my name look' 'I have been coming to rainbow since I was little, I like it lots'. page 5 of 15
Taking carers' views into account Eleven parents returned completed Care Standards Questionnaires and we consulted eleven parents as part of the inspection. Overall parents were very happy with the service being provided. Specific comments included: 'I am impressed with the good relationship that my child has with his keyworker' 'I couldn't be happier with the service at Rainbow, staff are dedicated and genuinely care for the children' 'the manager is hands on and motivated and the atmosphere is excellent' 'well qualified staff who have been committed to the team for a number of years and value diversity' 'we have been very impressed with the standard of care provided' 'the staff make the kids and adults feel so welcome and it has such a lovely warm feel to it; I am delighted with the progress my child is making' 'the quality of learning and teaching is outstanding; it is obvious they have adapted the curriculum to meet my child's developmental needs and continually challenge them' 'we will definitely be putting our second child there' 'we hold the manager in high regard, very hands on, shared objectives and targets' 'as a parent the communication is spot on and we know our child's targets for learning' 'communication is fantastic, staff are very approachable and the manager is very knowledgeable and I can discuss things with her' 'can't speak highly enough of the staff and manager 100% responsive'. Comments on Self Assessment Every year all care services must complete a 'self assessment' form telling us how their service is performing. We check to make sure this assessment is accurate. The Care Inspectorate received a completed self assessment document from the provider/manager. We were satisfied with the way the provider/manager had completed this and with the relevant information included for each heading that we grade services under. page 6 of 15
The self assessment form identified what it thought the service did well and areas for development/changes it had planned. page 7 of 15
2 The grades we awarded We grade the quality of care and support, quality of the environment, quality of staffing and quality of management and leadership. In each case, we award a grade on a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent. Quality of care and support Quality of environment Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership 6 - Excellent 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good 3 Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection Aspect: Child Protection The manager advised us that there had not been any child protection concerns. The manager and staff had liaised closely with social work in the past and had participated in multi-agency meetings to assist in supporting the welfare of the child and keeping them safe. A child protection policy was in place, the staff had sound knowledge of child protection issues and procedures as a result of training and discussion, which contributed to safeguarding the children. Staff had got to know the children very well; we saw that they were sensitive and responsive towards each of the children, helping them to build self confidence and trust. The establishment of positive relationships also enabled staff to be alerted to changes or signs of stress that needed to be monitored. Communication between the staff and parents/carers was also strong in recognition that partnership working increased a result of better outcomes for children. Aspect: Children receive the help and support they need Children experienced sensitive and responsive interactions with staff in a nurturing, adaptable and enquiring environment; as a result they were extremely happy and confident individuals. The manager and staff operated a holistic approach when page 8 of 15
considering the wellbeing of the child, encompassing the Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach. Robust, early identification, monitoring and assessment systems were in place to ensure that every child had a positive and healthy experience. Agencies such as education, health and social work were involved as necessary, to support the best possible outcomes for the children. The manager and staff clearly recognised the benefits of family learning and care, working closely in partnership with parents/carers, engaging them in all aspects of their child's journey. Parents told us that staff had got to know their child extremely well, both valuing and acting upon their contributions. As a result, targets for achievements were realistic, based on sound knowledge and effective engagement. Grade The quality of care and support is graded 6 - Excellent Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 4 Quality of environment Findings from the inspection Aspect: Children have access to outdoor play and physical activity Children's physical development was influenced by their growing confidence and enjoyment of the freedom of playing outside, which was an integral part of the service and very much an every day experience. Energetic play involved children clambering, throwing and catching with equipment/materials such as a pirate ship, push and pull carts, ride on toys, bats and balls that helped them to develop their strength and coordination. Natural resources within the nursery such as tyres, bread baskets, mud kitchen/pots and pans and water play, supported children's curious and creative nature through exploration and problem solving. Children went for walks in the local community to play parks and woodlands/lake; the weekly mile walk at the local park was also an open invite to family, all of which enabled them to learn about the local community, environment and nature. The manager advised us that the outdoor play space would continue to be rejuvenated page 9 of 15
and a longer plan was to have more direct access to the garden from the playroom and an all weather canopy. Aspect 2: Children are able to influence and be involved in decisions about their play. The manager and staff recognised that each child was a unique individual and found out as much as possible about the child from the start. Positive relationships between the child, their family and staff helped to ensure that current interests were known. Children's contributions were clearly valued; staff sought their views and ideas through conversation, play situations and group activities. For example, children had voted to have a wooden pirate ship for their garden. The manager and staff considered that children would continue to be involved in decisions that affected them and to take active roles/responsibilities. Staff used open questions to encourage thinking whilst knowing the moment to stand back and allow the child to find things out for themselves, as a means of consolidating their learning. The organisation of toys and materials enabled children to select what they wanted to do, enabling them to try out ideas and let their play evolve through the use of their imagination. Grade The quality of environment is graded 5 - Very Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 5 Quality of staffing Findings from the inspection Aspect: The staff team work well together Procedures are well known and implemented by a qualified, well established and consistent team of staff, who were skilled and experienced in meeting children's individual needs. The manager clearly recognised the benefits of involving all page 10 of 15
members of the staff team in the delivery of the service to create a shared vision and a culture that valued staff. Staff told us that they were given the autonomy to use their skills and knowledge to influence the day-to-day delivery of the service, sharing roles/responsibilities throughout the day and key-working (an individual and reciprocal commitment between a member of staff, the child and their family) and attending multi-agency meetings, if and when necessary. Daily informal and formal discussions such as the weekly planning meeting provided a conduit for staff to influence the delivery of the service. Parents spoke very favourably about the staff team and their creation of a nurturing environment that valued diversity and clearly benefited the well being of the children. Aspect 2: Staff receive training relevant to their roles/responsibilities. The manager actively encouraged the professional development of all staff, with a view to ensuring that, their knowledge and skills reflected current and innovative practice and that they remained confident practitioners. Staff described how training, formal and informal discussion supported an open, challenging and effective learning culture so that children gained the best experiences. Staff were well led by the manager and their 'hands on approach' was conducive to them knowing the staff very well and ensuring the right support was provided. The manager was encouraging staff to maintain their own personal record for the purposes of registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and would continue to ensure that staff received training relevant to their professional development and the quality of learning and child care. Grade The quality of staffing is graded 5 - Very Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 page 11 of 15
6 Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection Aspect 1: Developing, evaluating and implementing the Improvement Plan Leadership and management reflected the high aspiration of the manager who, whilst having a clear direction and focus for the setting, clearly engaged with staff, parents/carers and children, with a view to sustaining improvement and enhancing the experiences for children. Whilst the improvement plan had a clear focus, there would be benefit in having clearer objectives and follow up, so that it remained a living document that underpinned continuous improvement. Aspect 2: Self Evaluation The well established and motivated staff team worked closely together with the manager to evaluate practice, continually monitoring and reviewing practice and procedures to drive improvement. Day to day activities were evaluated and adapted as necessary to ensure that all children were able to participate and gain the most from their experiences. There was clear acknowledgement by the manager that the engagement of children, parents/carers staff and stakeholders in self evaluation led to a more open and honest debate about what needed to improve. It was the intention of the manager to use the new assessment framework, 'How good is our early learning and childcare' (HGIOELC) with the intention of providing a fresh approach to self evaluation and improvement. The manager was advised to continue to establish robust systems of evaluation with particular emphasis on observation/ reflection and the impact of training on service improvement. Grade The quality of management and leadership is graded 5 - Very Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 page 12 of 15
7 What the service has done to meet any requirements we made at our last inspection Previous requirements There are no outstanding requirements. 8 What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at our last inspection Previous recommendations There are no outstanding recommendations. 9 Complaints No complaints have been upheld, or partially upheld, since the last inspection. 10 Enforcements We have taken no enforcement action against this care service since the last inspection. 11 Additional Information There is no additional information. 12 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings page 13 of 15
15 Nov 2011 Unannounced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment 6 - Excellent Staffing Not Assessed Management and Leadership Not Assessed 26 Oct 2010 Unannounced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Not Assessed Staffing Not Assessed Management and Leadership Not Assessed 19 Nov 2009 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment Not Assessed Staffing 5 - Very Good Management and Leadership Not Assessed 14 Jan 2009 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment 5 - Very Good Staffing 5 - Very Good Management and Leadership 5 - Very Good page 14 of 15
To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. You can also read more about our work online. Contact Us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 www.careinspectorate.com @careinspect 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 c?nain eile ma nithear iarrtas. page 15 of 15