Victoria Park Kindergarten Day Care of Children

1228 Dumbarton Road G14 9QB

Telephone: 01419 596 642

Type of inspection: Unannounced

Completed on: 25 March 2021

Service provided by: Service provider number: Victoria Park Kindergarten Ltd SP2013012046

Service no: CS2013316501 Inspection report

About the service

This service registered with the Care Inspectorate on 8 July 2013.

Victoria Park Kindergarten is situated in the Whiteinch area of Glasgow. It is registered to provide a care service to a maximum of 42 children aged 0 to under two years; 38 children aged 2 to under 3 years; 60 children aged 3 years to those not yet attending primary school. The service is in partnership with to provide early learning and childcare to children aged between three and five years.

The service is accommodated in a converted church and has separate playrooms for each age group over two floors. Children can access a secure garden area to the side of the building as well as an internal courtyard. The service is close to local amenities such as shops, library and parks.

The aims of the service include to: - provide a welcoming, safe, happy, caring and stimulating environment - engage our children in high quality learning experiences to maximise success for all - promote wellbeing and respect - monitor and evaluate our practice for continual improvement - encourage imagination and creativity - value each child as an individual so we can support each child in developing and extending their own interests, goals and dreams - meet the individual needs of all children - foster the children's self-esteem and confidence through encouragement and positive feedback, and so becoming increasingly independent as learners.

A full statement of vision, aims and objectives is available from the service on request.

We started the inspection of Victoria Park Kindergarten with an unannounced visit on Monday 22 March 2021. We continued the inspection virtually using Teams technology and concluded the inspection by giving feedback on Thursday 24 March 2021.

This was a focussed inspection to evaluate how well children were being supported during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the service based on key areas that are vital to the support and wellbeing of children experiencing care during the pandemic. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Our methodology for the inspection included: - Observations of children's routines and staff interactions with children. - Observations of infection prevention and control practice. - Telephone discussions and email exchanges with the manager. - Telephone conversations or emails with five parents. - Virtual discussions with seven members of staff. - Reviewing key records, policies, and written procedures relative to COVID-19.

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What people told us

The manager had collected views of parents as part of the self-evaluation we requested. Their comments demonstrated that everyone was happy with the quality of care and support their child received. We spoke with five parents during the inspection process, most were very reassured by the systems the setting had put in place to keep everyone safe. However it was highlighted to us that physical distancing between parents at children's drop off times was not always reinforced. Physical distancing can help reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. Parents had mixed views on communication from the nursery both during periods of lockdown and once their children returned to nursery

"At the beginning of the first lockdown there was no contact from management. However the playroom has a Facebook page and staff uploaded activities and websites that might be helpful."

"Staff are great at keeping us updated with events using the private Facebook groups so we can see photos of that day, and see what the children have been doing."

"At the first lockdown there were standard emails that were basically copy and paste from the government website. There was no personal touch like supporting your child through lockdown. Since the second lockdown there is a new team leader who goes out of her way and cares about the kids. Off her own back she did zoom calls, reading to children on Tuesdays."

"I have found them to be responsive and sensitive to the challenges of the pandemic and they have never failed to focus on the best interests of the children."

Meaningful communication between the setting and families can help children feel included and enable them to maintain relationships with their friends and staff.

From this inspection we evaluated this service as:

In evaluating quality, we use a six point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent

How good is our care and support during the 2 - Weak COVID-19 pandemic?

Further details on the particular areas inspected are provided at the end of this report.

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How good is our care and support during the 2 - Weak COVID-19 pandemic? Quality Indicator 5.1: Children's health and wellbeing are supported and safeguarded during COVID-19. • Children are nurtured and supported throughout their changed experience in their early learning and childcare setting. • Effective communication with families enables responsive care to support children through changing circumstances.

We found the service to be operating to a good level under this indicator. We observed that babies aged under two received warmth and physical contact from staff that was appropriate to their personal care needs, in particular when they were supported with their breakfast, or when they needed comfort and reassurance. In each of the playrooms, children were engaged in play of their choice. Staff were familiar with children's interests and had set out some appropriate activities and resources. Staff also shared an example of where they had consulted with the speech and language therapists to ensure the right support was in place for one child. Parents confirmed that they were reassured by the effort made by staff to settle their children back after periods of lockdown. This had helped children to settle and feel safe and secure in their changed experience of nursery.

Management of groups of children in 'cohorts' reflected the circumstances of the setting and national guidance. The three playrooms for children aged under two years represented three separate cohorts. The playroom for two to three year olds was divided into two cohorts and for three to five year olds into three cohorts. Consideration had been given to maintaining friendship and sibling groups when establishing membership of cohorts. Consistency of cohorts is beneficial as it enables adults to physically distance from each other and supports the work of Test & Protect should there be a COVID-19 outbreak. Staff told us that in the two to three playroom there was a child who moved between the two cohorts. We advised that ideally efforts should be made to keep children within the same groups for the duration of the session. This is to minimise the number of close contacts and potential transmission of COVID-19.

We sampled children's personal plans and found there to be a mixed understanding among staff of how information should be recorded and used to support children's health and wellbeing. This meant that staff did not always have access to the information that would enable them to support children according to their needs, wishes and choices. We acknowledged that staff often knew children's individual needs well but the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted on how information was shared with parents and recorded. Personal plans had not been monitored by management, which would have helped highlight inconsistencies in practice and where staff required support. We have repeated an area for improvement given at the last inspection regarding children's personal plans (see area for improvement one).

Child protection training was carried out just before the pandemic took hold, which meant staff understood their responsibilities to protect children in their usual day to day practice. However updates, particularly in relation to the challenges of COVID-19, had been delayed due to staff being furloughed. The manager was not familiar with the Scottish Government supplementary guidance for child protection during COVID-19. This meant there was potential for child protection and safeguarding concerns not to be identified or acted upon. The manager agreed to explore the supplementary guidance with staff in their forthcoming child protection training (see area for improvement two).

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Quality Indicator 5.2: Infection prevention and control practices support a safe environment for children and staff. • Children are protected as staff take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of infection.

We found the service to be operating to a weak level under this indicator and improvements were required to maintain a safe and hygienic environment for children.

The previous inspection report asked the manager to monitor the measures that were in place to prevent the spread of infection within the service. The specific examples were procedures for formula feeding and the availability of individual cloths for children. These two areas had been addressed. However more stringent national guidance initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic meant the service had to implement enhanced infection control measures. The manager shared the service COVID-19 risk assessment and sample cleaning schedules within their self-evaluation. The setting had COVID-19 Policy & Guidance that operated in conjunction with the COVID-19 risk assessment. Implicitly all of these documents were in keeping with current Scottish Government and public health guidance although these had not been referenced. The manager agreed that it would be beneficial to include hyperlinks so that staff and parents could quickly access the most recent version of guidance. This will help keep everyone safe.

Staff were confident in telling us about the precautions they were taking to prevent the spread of infection. For example, regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and rotation and cleaning of children's toys. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) was used alongside attention to hand hygiene to protect both children and staff. Staff confirmed that children of all ages spent some of their time outdoors each day. However, we agreed with one parent's assertion that children would benefit from more frequent access to outdoor play experiences where they had opportunities for energetic physical play. Evidence suggests that outdoor environments can limit transmission of COVID-19, as well as more easily allowing for appropriate physical distancing between people.

During the inspection process we observed children were exposed to potential risk from infection as not all staff were familiar with, or following, up-to-date guidance on infection prevention and control in respect of COVID-19. This included:

The use of good ventilation to minimise potential transmission of COVID-19 was not maximised. For example, keeping high level windows open for sustained periods of time or opening windows while children were outdoors to enable free exchange of air.

We observed that staff encouraged children to wash their hands at appropriate times. However older children required significantly more support to follow good handwashing practice and minimise the risk of cross infection. In one instance there were many more children than sinks when children in the three to five playroom returned from outdoor play. Staff accompanying them did not model effective hand hygiene, such as ensuring children spent at least 20 seconds on their technique and dried their hands properly.

Staff wore face coverings at appropriate times, such as in communal areas, but were not following guidance on the donning, doffing and storage of these to prevent transmission of COVID-19. For example they rarely washed their hands before donning and after doffing masks. We noted that, where hand washing facilities were not easily accessed, hand sanitiser stocks had not been checked and replenished.

Staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding cleaning duties however they did not always understand how to carry these out. On one occasion staff used one bowl of water and cloth to wipe down multiple areas in a baby room. Children in the two to three playroom had enjoyed playing with foam. The subsequent trail of foam meant that we could easily identify frequent touch points that had not been routinely wiped down.

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These included the nappy change mat, children's sinks and the bin. We have made an area of improvement about staff training and support under 5.3.

We have made a new requirement about the implementation and monitoring of effective infection prevention and control measures (see requirement one).

Quality Indicator 5.3: Staffing arrangements are responsive to the changing needs of children during COVID-19. • Staffing arrangements meet the needs of children and families. • Staff are well supported and confident.

We found the service to be operating to an adequate level under this indicator. The setting was appropriately staffed to meet the individual needs of children attending. Staff deployment took account of the additional cleaning responsibilities that staff had been given and ensured that these did not impact on the quality of children's care.

Staff could tell us about how they had maintained relationships with families despite restrictions on parents entering the building. For example for one family this meant having a two way diary to support continuity in how a child was cared for. Most parents indicated in their feedback that they felt positively about the relationships between children and staff.

Staff knew the importance of nurturing children throughout their changed experience during COVID-19. Despite additional training opportunities related to early learning and childcare practice, staff did not always demonstrate a sound knowledge of child development when sharing positive behaviour strategies with parents. More care had to be taken to ensure positive language within children's personal plans to help build children's resilience. 'Realising the ambition: being me' gives key information about the characteristics of child development based on research and evidence. help https://education.gov.scot/ improvement/learning-resources/realising-the-ambition/

Room leaders met with the manager on a regular basis and then they cascaded information discussed, such as updates to national COVID-19 guidance, to their teams. Staff we spoke to had been given access to a range of online training related to the pandemic, as well as easy access to management for their own wellbeing and support. This meant they felt safe and respected at work.

The manager agreed that it would be beneficial to allocate time orf staff to reflect together on learning points from infection prevention and control training for the setting context, including the difference national guidance made for children. This will help ensure staff are well supported and confident. (See area for improvement three.)

Requirements

1. By 1 May 2021 the provider must ensure that infection prevention and control measures are effective. They should ensure that:

1. Staff support children to carry out safe and effective handwashing. An adequate supply of antibacterial hand gel should be available for staff, particularly where hand washing facilities are not easily accessible. 2. Adults should adhere to Scottish Government guidance in relation to the wearing of face coverings.

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3. There is adequate ventilation throughout all areas of the setting. 4. All cleaning should be carried out in accordance with COVID-19 – guidance for non-healthcare settings.

This is in order to comply with:

The Social Care and Social Work Improvement (Requirements for Care Services)Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210), Regulation 10 (c) (d)

This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards which state that: 'My environment is secure and safe' (HSCS 5.17) and 'My environment has plenty of natural light and fresh air, and the lighting, ventilation and heating can be adjusted to meet my needs and wishes.' (HSCS 5.19)

Areas for improvement

1. The manager should ensure there is a co-ordinated approach to formulating children's individual personal plans that includes parents, relevant professionals and, where appropriate, children. All elements of personal plans should include detailed and relevant information, which make sure children's individual needs are consistently met by staff. Personal plans should be reviewed at least every six months.

This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards which state that: 'My personal plan (sometimes referred to as a care plan) is right for me because it sets out how my needs will be met, as well as my wishes and choices.' (HSCS 1.15)

2. The manager should ensure that staff have the capacity to competently respond and action any wellbeing, child protection and safeguarding concerns.

The manager and staff should refer to Coronavirus (COVID-19): supplementary national child protection guidance (Scottish Government, March 2020). This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/ publications/coronavirus-covid-19-supplementary-national-child-protection-guidance/

This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards which state that: 'I am protected from harm, neglect, abuse, bullying and exploitation by people who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities.' (HSCS 3.20)

3. The manager should ensure that staff are involved in reviewing and understanding guidance and procedures relating to COVID-19.

This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards which state that: 'I experience high quality care and support based on relevant evidence, guidance and best practice.' (HSCS 4.11)

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What the service has done to meet any areas for improvement we made at or since the last inspection

Areas for improvement

Previous area for improvement 1

The service should continue to consolidate the format for children's personal plans, particularly the care plans for children who present with medical needs. There should be a co-ordinated approach to formulating individual personal plans that includes parents, relevant professionals and, where appropriate, children. All elements of personal plans should be reviewed at least every six months.

This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards, which state that: 'my future care and support needs are anticipated as part of my assessment' (HSCS 1.14); 'My personal plan (sometimes referred to as a care plan) is right for me because it sets out how my needs will be met, as well as my wishes and choices' (HSCS 1.15); 'My care and support meets my needs and is right for me' (HSCS 1.19).

This area for improvement was made on 27 September 2019.

Action taken since then We received an action plan from the service on 15 October 2019, which told us that by the following January they would have researched care plan templates and trained staff in their use. Parents, carers, professionals and, where appropriate, children, would be able to contribute to these care plans to ensure consistency toward children's care and support. Care plans were to be reviewed at least monthly to make any necessary updates. This would be monitored by management. Parents would be required to review care plans at least every six months.

The manager informed us in their self-evaluation that children's care plans had been updated prior to the service re-opening after the first lockdown. taffS had been using using electronic learning journals to record children's learning and development, this included using this technology for communication with parents.

During the inspection process we found there to be a mixed understanding among staff of how to use children's personal plans. For example the different purposes of care plans and learning journals. As a result information was not always recorded appropriately or sensitively. We recognised that staff often knew children's individual needs well but the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted on how information could be shared and recorded. This included different patterns of children's attendance and staff had been furloughed limiting staff training. However personal plans had not been monitored by management, which would have helped highlight inconsistencies in practice.

We have therefore repeated this area for improvement.

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Previous area for improvement 2

The manager should monitor the measures that are in place to prevent the spread of infection within the service. For example, arrangements for preparing babies' formula feeds and for washing children's hands and faces after meals. Staff should refer to Health Protection Scotland's guidance: Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings (revised May 2018). This is to prevent cross infection and keep children and staff healthy.

This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards, which state that: 'my environment is secure and safe' (HSCS 5.17).

This area for improvement was made on 27 September 2019.

Action taken since then We received an action plan from the service on 15 October 2019, which told us that by the following January all staff would have received training in infection control. This included being issued a copy of the updated Health Protection Scotland guidance. Management had also used this guidance to update the service infection control policies and protocols. Implementation of infection control measures was to be monitored. More specifically staff were supported in their understanding of formula feed procedures new face clothes purchased for children to use as individual towels for their faces.

We looked at training plans for during the pandemic and saw that these included infection prevention and control as a topic. Induction for new staff included infection prevention and control as a topic. Staff we spoke to confirmed that they had participated in online professional development around infection control and that this covered COVID-19 information and guidance. Parents mostly believed that the service was careful about infection control during the pandemic, such as wearing of face coverings and attention to hand hygiene. One told us they "felt vulnerable" due to lack of physical distancing during handover of children.

Expectations have changed during the pandemic with enhanced infection control measures being required. The manager shared the service COVID-19 risk assessment and sample cleaning schedules within their self- evaluation. The service now has COVID-19 Policy & Guidance that operates in conjunction with the COVID-19 risk assessment. Implicitly all of these documents are in keeping with current Scottish Government and public health guidance although these had not been referenced. The manager agreed that it would be beneficial to include weblinks so that staff and parents could quickly access the most recent version of guidance. This will help keep everyone safe.

During the inspection process we observed some poor practice in relation to infection prevention and control measures and have highlighted this in our report. This included staff understanding of the relevance of good ventilation to minimise potential transmission of COVID-19. Staff modelling and supporting children's effective hand hygiene. Staff following guidance on the use of face coverings. We acknowledged that staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding cleaning duties however they did not always understand how to carry these out.

The area of improvement had not been met. We have made a new requirement about the implementation and monitoring of effective infection prevention and control measures.

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Detailed evaluations

How good is our care and support during the COVID-19 pandemic? 2 - Weak

5.1 Children's health and well being are supported and safeguarded 4 - Good during COVID-19

5.2 Infection prevention and control practices support a safe environment 2 - Weak for children and staff

5.3 Staffing arrangements are responsive to the changing needs of 3 - Adequate children during COVID-19

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To find out more

This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website.

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