Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn) Day Care of Children Lawthorn Primary School Lochlibo Road Lawthorn Irvine KA11 2AY Telephone: 01294 211654
Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 25 July 2014 Inspection report continued
Contents
Page No Summary 3 1 About the service we inspected 5 2 How we inspected this service 7 3 The inspection 11 4 Other information 20 5 Summary of grades 21 6 Inspection and grading history 21
Service provided by: Girdle Toll Out Of School Care
Service provider number: SP2003000879
Care service number: CS2003004353
If you wish to contact the Care Inspectorate about this inspection report, please call us on 0845 600 9527 or email us at [email protected]
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn), page 2 of 22 Inspection report continued
Summary
This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection.
Grades for this care service may change after this inspection following other regulatory activity. For example, if we have to take enforcement action to make the service improve, or if we investigate and agree with a complaint someone makes about the service.
We gave the service these grades Quality of Care and Support 4 Good Quality of Environment 4 Good Quality of Staffing 4 Good Quality of Management and Leadership 3 Adequate
What the service does well Children's views are sought and their suggestions acted on.
The service promotes and supports the health and wellbeing of the children attending in an inclusive environment.
Staff work very well together as a team and share responsibilities. They provide a fun, welcoming environment and enjoy positive relationships with the children attending.
The provider and manager are committed to improving and developing the service to provide positive outcomes for the children attending.
What the service could do better The provider, manager and staff should take account of the recommendations and areas for improvement identified within this eport.r
What the service has done since the last inspection The manager and staff are continuing to develop practices and procedures to further improve outcomes for the children. Staff continue to update their knowledge and understanding through training sessions and good practice publications.
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn), page 3 of 22 Inspection report continued Conclusion Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn) full day holiday care provides children with a welcoming, inclusive environment in which they are safe and secure. The manager and staff know the children well and are responsive to individual needs and preferences when organising activities and outings. Parents/carers we consulted with are confident in the overall care and support their children receive.
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn), page 4 of 22 Inspection report continued
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.
Requirements and recommendations If we are concerned about some aspect of a service, or think it could do more to improve, we may make a recommendation or requirement.
- A recommendation is a statement that sets out actions the care service provider should take to improve or develop the quality of the service but where failure to do so will not directly result in enforcement. Recommendations are based on the National Care Standards, relevant codes of practice and recognised good practice. - A Requirement is a statement which sets out what is required of a care service to comply with the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and Regulations or Orders made under the Act or a condition of registration. Where there are breaches of the Regulations, Orders or conditions a requirement must be made. Requirements are legally enforceable at the discretion of the Care Inspectorate.
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn) is based within Lawthorn Primary School, Irvine, North Ayrshire. School holiday provision is operated out of Lanfine Community Centre in the Girdle Toll area of Irvine. The service is managed by a voluntary board of directors.
The service can cater for 40 children aged four years and above within the service provided in the primary school and 32 children aged four years and above in Lanfine Community Centre during school holidays.
The company also operates an after school care service in Annick Primary School in the Girdle Toll area of Irvine in North Ayrshire and Ardeer Neighbourhood Centre in the Ardeer area of Stevenston in North Ayrshire.
The service principally aims to:
- provide a welcoming and safe environment - ensure that the children's individual needs are met - employ qualified staff and ensure they have access to continued training
Based on the findings of this inspection this service has been awarded the following grades:
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn), page 5 of 22 Inspection report continued Quality of Care and Support - Grade 4 - Good Quality of Environment - Grade 4 - Good Quality of Staffing - Grade 4 - Good Quality of Management and Leadership - Grade 3 - Adequate
This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection.
Grades for this care service may change following other regulatory activity. You can find the most up-to-date grades for this service by visiting our website www.careinspectorate.com or by calling us on 0845 600 9527 or visiting one of our offices.
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn), page 6 of 22 Inspection report continued
2 How we inspected this service
The level of inspection we carried out In this service we carried out a low intensity inspection. We carry out these inspections when we are satisfied that services are working hard to provide consistently high standards of care.
What we did during the inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection that took place between 9.30am and 4.35pm on the 25th July 2014. The service was inspected during the school summer holiday period while it was operating full daycare within Lanfine Community Centre.
As requested by us the service sent us an annual return.
We sent copies of our questionnaires for the service to give to parents/carers. Six were completed and returned to us before the inspection took place. We also sent out staff questionnaires. Two were completed and returned to us.
In this inspection we sampled evidence from various sources, including the following:
- Returned Care Standards questionnaires - Parent questionnaires - Questionnaires for children - Children & Young People Participation policy - Breakfast/snack choices - Accident/incident records - Policies and procedures - Summer activities programme - Children's personal information - Outings and photographs parental consent - Administration of medication forms - Visitor's signing in/out sheet - Children's register - Risk assessments - premises and outings/venues - Staff meetings minutes - Staff SSSC registration - Staff training - Good practice guidance folder - Personal development plans - Registration certificate
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- Discussions with the manager, senior, two staff members and some of the children - Observations of the environment, resources and staff/child interaction
Grading the service against quality themes and statements We inspect and grade elements of care that we call 'quality themes'. For example, one of the quality themes we might look at is 'Quality of care and support'. Under each quality theme are 'quality statements' which describe what a service should be doing well for that theme. We grade how the service performs against the quality themes and statements.
Details of what we found are in Section 3: The inspection
Inspection Focus Areas (IFAs) In any year we may decide on specific aspects of care to focus on during our inspections. These are extra checks we make on top of all the normal ones we make during inspection. We do this to gather information about the quality of these aspects of care on a national basis. Where we have examined an inspection focus area we will clearly identify it under the relevant quality statement.
Fire safety issues We do not regulate fire safety. Local fire and rescue services are responsible for checking services. However, where significant fire safety issues become apparent, we will alert the relevant fire and rescue services so they may consider what action to take. You can find out more about care services' responsibilities for fire safety at www.firelawscotland.org
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What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at our last inspection N/A
The annual return Every year all care services must complete an 'annual return' form to make sure the information we hold is up to date. We also use annual returns to decide how we will inspect the service. Annual Return Received: Yes - Electronic
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 last self assessment was submitted by the provider on the 17th September 2013. We discussed the notification sent to the service on the 23rd February 2014 to update and submit this document. The manager has agreed to progress with updating this document.
Taking the views of people using the care service into account Seventeen primary school age children were present during our visit. They were all engaged in their chosen activities both indoors and in the outdoor play area. They were happy to talk to us, involve us in their activities and demonstrate their skills. They told us that they were happy to come to the service, there was plenty to do in the hall and outdoors and they made their own choices. They also told us of outings they had been on and what further trips were planned.
Taking carers' views into account Carers include parents, guardians or relatives of the children and young people attending the service.
All were satisfied with the quality of care their children received. Comments made included different aspects of the service including breakfast club, after school care and holiday care. They said:
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"My daughter enjoys going to after school as she has friends there" "The after school care provided is excellent and I am more than pleased with the service provided" "I find the activities they arrange during the summer holidays very welcome and my child enjoys his days out with the staff and other children" "Both children would like to go to breakfast club every day" "This is a wonderful service where my daughter gains the opportunity to play and learn with children of different ages and abilities"
Additional comments can be found within this report.
Two parents disagreed that the service provided children with a healthy diet and one commented that communication with regards to future developments could be improved. We made the manager aware of these observations and she agreed to act on them.
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3 The inspection We looked at how the service performs against the following quality themes and statements. Here are the details of what we found.
Quality Theme 1: Quality of Care and Support Grade awarded for this theme: 4 - Good
Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the care and support provided by the service. Service strengths On the evidence we sampled we graded this Quality Statement 4 - Good. We looked at how parents and children/young people were consulted with and how they were kept informed.
The service operated a children and young people participation policy. They were consulted with on various aspects of the service including what they enjoy, staff, snack, if they are happy and where they would like to go during holiday care. Their comments and suggestions were valued and there was evidence that their suggestions for outings/activities had been included in the school holidays summer programme.
Parents were formally consulted with through 'praise and grumbles' questionnaires. They were asked for their views on the care provided, how well children's individual needs were met, approachability of staff and management and methods of communication. Those we viewed were positive.
Parents were provided with a service handbook and kept informed through letters and text messages. They had opportunities to be involved in fundraising events to benefit the service their children received. Areas for improvement Parent questionnaires should include opportunities for them to put forward suggestions for improvement. Responses should be collated and fed back to parents, including any action to be taken. See recommendation 1 in this Quality Statement.
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn), page 11 of 22 Inspection report continued Grade awarded for this statement: 4 - Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 1
Recommendations 1. Consultation with parents should provide them with opportunities to put forward any suggestions/ideas for improvement. Parents should be informed of the outcomes of consultation and any action being taken. National Care Standards 'Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16', Standard 13 - Improving the service
Statement 3 We ensure that service users' health and wellbeing needs are met. Service strengths On the evidence we sampled we graded this Quality Statement 4 - Good. We looked at information gathered on the children, how staff promoted their health and wellbeing and accident/incident records. As part of this inspection, we have focussed on how this service has promoted children's health and wellbeing through infection prevention measures.
Staff knew the children well and were responsive to their individual needs and preferences. Information gathered from parents/carers, observations made by staff and consultation helped them to do so. Children's booklets held information on their likes, dislikes, hobbies, medical and dietary details, emergency contacts and who would be responsible for collecting them from the service.
Routines in the full daycare included indoor and outdoor play, physical activities and outings. The children attending made their own choices of whether to play outdoors or not in the enclosed play area while we were there. This provided opportunity for them to take part in active play in the fresh air. To safeguard the children, parents were reminded to provide them with sunscreen and extra drinks for outings in the hot weather.
Breakfast and snack menus were varied. The children enjoyed vegetables and dips and drinks were available throughout the day. The children were encouraged to practice good personal hygiene. They were reminded to wash their hands after visiting the toilet facilities and before eating. The children brought their own packed lunches to full daycare and lunch was observed to be a very sociable occasion. They sat in groups, chatting and enjoying each others company.
Consent was sought from parents for the children to participate in outings and to have their photographs taken. Staff gathered medical information and consent to seek emergency treatment should the need arise. The manager had reviewed and
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn), page 12 of 22 Inspection report continued updated administration of medication forms in line with best practice guidance.
Accidents/incidents were appropriately recorded and parents signed to confirm that they had been made aware of any instances and the action staff had taken. To help safeguard the children when on outings the younger ones wore fluorescent vests and all carried laminated information cards.
An activity surrounding the 'Getting it right for every child' wellbeing indicators encouraged the children to put forward their views on how the service was making positive differences for them and putting them at the centre. Comments included "I am listened to when I have ideas", "I like to play outside to get fresh air" and "helping others". Areas for improvement The information gathered on the children should now be further developed to inform personal plans as required by Regulation 5 in SSI 210/2011. The manager advised that she had visited another establishment to gain ideas of how to take this forward. See recommendation 1 in this Quality Statement.
Staff should review the storage of packed lunches. They have access to kitchen facilities within the centre. See recommendation 2 in this Quality Statement.
Staff should ensure that medication administration forms are countersigned by parents/carers at all times. This will confirm that they have been made fully aware of any medication their child has received whilst attending the service.
Grade awarded for this statement: 4 - Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 2
Recommendations 1. Although staff gathered relevant information on each child and they knew them well they should now develop individual personal plans detailing how they will meet their health, welfare and safety needs. Plans need to be reviewed at least once in every six month period or sooner as required. National Care Standards 'Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16', Standard 6 - Support and development. 2. Items within packed lunch containers which need to be chilled should be appropriately stored. National Care Standards 'Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16', Standard 3 - Health and wellbeing.
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Quality Theme 2: Quality of Environment
Grade awarded for this theme: 4 - Good
Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the environment within the service. Service strengths The strengths recorded under Quality Statement 1.1. are also relevant for this Quality Statement. Areas for improvement The recommendation made in areas for improvement under Quality Statement 1.1. is also relevant for this Quality Statement.
Grade awarded for this statement: 4 - Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
Statement 2 We make sure that the environment is safe and service users are protected. Service strengths On the evidence we sampled, we graded this Quality Statement 5 - Very Good. We looked at entry procedures, resources, storage, risk assessments and the general environment. As part of this inspection we have focussed on how this service has promoted children's health and wellbeing through infection prevention measures.
The children had access to the main hall, adjacent quiet room, toilets and enclosed outdoor area. The caretaker was available on entry to the centre and there was secure entry into the hall. We were asked to sign the visitor's sheet on arrival and departure. A children's register was kept and parents' signatures sought when collecting their children.
The areas in use were clean and fresh and provided the children with natural light. There was a good amount of safe storage facilities. The large hall provided space for the children to take part in various activities including physical play. Children could readily access the adjacent quiet room to 'chill out' and watch DVD's if they wished.
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn), page 14 of 22 Inspection report continued The toilets were clean and fresh and liquid soap and paper towels were supplied to help reduce the risk of cross infection. Risk assessments had been carried out in all areas the children had access to and safety measures put in place which were seen to be practiced by staff.
The outdoor area was fully enclosed, well maintained and provided the children with a safe play space in the fresh air. Staff checked this area prior to use to ensure there was no unwanted debris. Varied activities were on offer for the children to choose from. Outings were pre-arranged and risk assessed to identify any hazards to the children. Actions required to be taken by staff were identified.
Activities were suitable for the ages of children attending and we saw them making their own choices both indoors and out. Staff had acted on children's preferences and requests, for example, many of the children attending wanted to practice gymnastics. Staff provided sufficient safety mats to help reduce any accidents/ incidents. Areas for improvement Risk assessments should be dated to inform when reviews have taken place and reflect any changes required.
We discussed the need to provide younger children with easier access to the paper towels within the toilet area.
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
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Quality Theme 3: Quality of Staffing
Grade awarded for this theme: 4 - Good
Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of staffing in the service. Service strengths The strengths recorded under Quality Statement 1.1. are also relevant for this Quality Statement. Areas for improvement The recommendation made in areas for improvement under Quality Statement 1.1. is also relevant for this Quality Statement.
Grade awarded for this statement: 4 - Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
Statement 3 We have a professional, trained and motivated workforce which operates to National Care Standards, legislation and best practice. Service strengths On the evidence we sampled, we graded this Quality Statement 5 - Very Good. We observed staff/child interaction and looked at staff meetings minutes, personal development plans, qualifications, access to best practice material and registration with SSSC. As part of this inspection we have focussed on how this service has promoted children's health and wellbeing through infection prevention measures.
Staff:child ratios were being maintained. A senior project worker and two project workers were caring for the children on our arrival. Three staff members had previously supervised the children attending breakfast club and the manager arrived during the morning.
All staff were either registered or in the process of registering as required with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
Girdle Toll Out of School Care (Lawthorn), page 16 of 22 Inspection report continued The children were relaxed and familiar with staff and confidently approached them with their requests for activities. They were eager to help staff arrange equipment within the main hall. Very good relationships were observed and the staff knew the children well and were able to respond to their individual needs.
Regular staff meetings took place where information was shared by management and staff input was sought. Personal development plans allowed staff to reflect on and evaluate their practice and identify any training needs to progress their own development and inform their practice to provide best outcomes for the children attending the service. The staff training plan for this year included food hygiene, manual handling, infection control, Autism and the annual in-house child protection sessions. The senior project worker had attended training on 'Getting it right for every child', the national practice model to help children and young people achieve their full potential. Staff had ready access to good practice guidance documents/ publications to keep them up to date and help inform their practice.
Staff were involved in reviewing and updating the service policies and procedures. They were observed to put these into practice during our time there when safeguarding the children.
Both staff members who completed and returned our questionnaires indicated that they were aware of the service policies and procedures, that they have the necessary equipment/materials for the job, they are given opportunities to meet up with other staff to discuss their day-to-day work and that they are asked for their opinions on how the service could improve.
Parents we consulted with were positive about the quality of staff in the service. Comments included "All staff are very pleasant, welcoming and communicate well. They are all very caring and enthusiastic. Staff are very interactive with the children" "My daughter has the opportunity to influence and choose activities whilst this is all delivered in a safe working environment by extremely caring staff". Areas for improvement The provider and manager should continue to ensure that staff training needs are identified and met and they are kept up to date with good practice as they are doing.
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
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Quality Theme 4: Quality of Management and Leadership
Grade awarded for this theme: 3 - Adequate
Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the management and leadership of the service. Service strengths The strengths recorded under Quality Statement 1.1. are also relevant for this Quality Statement. Areas for improvement The recommendation made in areas for improvement under Quality Statement 1.1. is also relevant for this Quality Statement.
Grade awarded for this statement: 4 - Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
Statement 4 We use quality assurance systems and processes which involve service users, carers, staff and stakeholders to assess the quality of service we provide Service strengths On the evidence we sampled we graded this Quality Statement 3 - Adequate. We looked at consultation with parents/children and the service's complaints procedure and held discussions with the manager.
Please see methods of consulting with families in the strengths included in Quality Statement 1.1.
The service policies and procedures were regularly reviewed to provide accurate information for parents and staff. The complaints procedure provided parents with details of the steps taken should concerns arise and guided staff in the process.
The manager was supernumerary to staff numbers and spent time in each of the three services to get an overview of daily practices, staff:child interactions, activities etc.
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The manager told us that they were in the process of undertaking the 'Aiming High Scotland Quality Assurance Scheme' which is the Scottish out of School Care Network's quality development resource. She advised that she had visited another establishment to gain knowledge of developing monitoring systems to help evaluate the service provided. Areas for improvement The manager was aware that further improvement was required on developing effective monitoring and evaluation procedures. Developments were in the early stages. Outcomes of monitoring and evaluations should be used to inform the service development plan. See recommendation 1 in this Quality Statement.
Grade awarded for this statement: 3 - Adequate Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 1
Recommendations 1. Management and senior staff should effectively monitor the quality of each staff member's work and the service as a whole. A development plan should be established to inform staff, parents and children of the ongoing improvements planned to take place. National Care Standards 'Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16', Standard 14 - Well-managed service.
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4 Other information
Complaints No complaints have been upheld, or partially upheld, since the last inspection.
Enforcements We have taken no enforcement action against this care service since the last inspection.
Additional Information We could not view the service insurance document on the day of inspection. The manager agreed to forward a copy to us.
Action Plan Failure to submit an appropriate action plan within the required timescale, including any agreed extension, where requirements and recommendations have been made, will result in the Care Inspectorate re-grading a Quality Statement within the Quality of Management and Leadership Theme (or for childminders, Quality of Staffing Theme) as unsatisfactory (1). This will result in the Quality Theme being re-graded as unsatisfactory (1).
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5 Summary of grades
Quality of Care and Support - 4 - Good
Statement 1 4 - Good
Statement 3 4 - Good
Quality of Environment - 4 - Good
Statement 1 4 - Good
Statement 2 5 - Very Good
Quality of Staffing - 4 - Good
Statement 1 4 - Good
Statement 3 5 - Very Good
Quality of Management and Leadership - 3 - Adequate
Statement 1 4 - Good
Statement 4 3 - Adequate
6 Inspection and grading history
Date Type Gradings
20 Jan 2012 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment 5 - Very Good Staffing Not Assessed Management and Leadership Not Assessed
2 Sep 2009 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment 4 - Good Staffing 5 - Very Good Management and Leadership 5 - Very Good
All inspections and grades before 1 April 2011 are those reported by the former regulator of care services, the Care Commission.
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To find out more about our inspections and inspection reports Read our leaflet 'How we inspect'. You can download it from our website or ask us to send you a copy by telephoning us on 0845 600 9527.
This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can get more copies of this report and others by downloading it from our website: www.careinspectorate.com or by telephoning 0845 600 9527.
Translations and alternative formats This inspection report is available in other languages and formats on request.
Telephone: 0845 600 9527 Email: [email protected] Web: www.careinspectorate.com
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