Balbeggie Primary School Nursery Day Care of Children Main Street Balbeggie Perth PH2 6EZ Telephone: 01738 454490
Inspected by: Andrea Daley Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 14 January 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 13 4 Other information 24 5 Summary of grades 25 6 Inspection and grading history 25
Service provided by: Perth & Kinross Council
Service provider number: SP2003003370
Care service number: CS2003016085
Contact details for the inspector who inspected this service: Andrea Daley Telephone 01786 432940 Email [email protected]
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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 5 Very Good Quality of Environment 4 Good Quality of Staffing 5 Very Good Quality of Management and Leadership 5 Very Good
What the service does well Staff have very good approaches to involving parents and children in the life and work of the service. They work closely with families and where appropriate, other agencies, to meet children's individual needs where required. Staff know the children very well and create a warm, caring and nurturing environment for them.
Management and staff are motivated, enthusiastic and committed to the continued improvement of the service.
What the service could do better The service should fully implement systems for reviewing children's needs and personal plans with parents at least once every six months.
The service should continue to improve record keeping systems for risk assessment and infection control. The service should ensure that quality assurance systems are capable of maintaining an overview of all aspects of the service including the above.
What the service has done since the last inspection The service has started to look at formats they could use to review and update children's files.
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 3 of 26 Inspection report continued The service has taken advice from the Local Authority on infection control arrangements. They had installed a new sink in the play room to improve hand washing facilities.
The service was keeping risk assessments and food safety toolkit records up to date.
The service has introduced a new and improved record keeping system for accidents and incidents.
Conclusion The service continues to provide high quality care and learning experiences for children in line with stated aims and objectives. They should continue to build on strengths and take action on areas for improvement identified in this eport.r
Who did this inspection Andrea Daley
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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 Regulations, Orders or Conditions, a requirement must be made. Requirements are legally enforceable at the discretion of the Care Inspectorate.
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery Class is a Perth and Kinross provision registered to provide day care for a maximum of 20 children at any time. The service provides a morning or afternoon session each lasting 2.5 hours for children living in the catchment area. At the time of this inspection the service was providing places for 10 children in the morning session and 16 children in the afternoon. The age range of the children was 3 years to those not yet attending primary school. The service operates within a designated classroom in Balbeggie Primary School. Children also have access to a large enclosed outdoor play area and share toilet facilities with the primary classes.
The service is managed by Headteacher, Linda Stewart. There are 3 Early Childhood Practitioners; two job share and one works part-time in the afternoons to meet the increased uptake of places. The service is also supported by a Peripatetic Teacher in line with Perth and Kinross arrangements.
The aims and objectives of the service reflect the principles and capacities of a Curriculum for Excellence. A full statement of aims and objectives is available from the service on request.
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 5 of 26 Inspection report continued Based on the findings of this inspection this service has been awarded the following grades:
Quality of Care and Support - Grade 5 - Very Good Quality of Environment - Grade 4 - Good Quality of Staffing - Grade 5 - Very Good Quality of Management and Leadership - Grade 5 - Very Good
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.
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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. The inspection was carried out by Inspector, Andrea Daley. The inspection took place on Tuesday 14 January 2014 between 9:30 and 16:30 hours. We gave feedback to the Headteacher at the end of our inspection on this date.
As part of the inspection, we took account of the completed annual return and self assessment forms that we asked the provider to complete and submit to us.
We sent 10 care standards questionnaires to the service to distribute to parents/ carers on our behalf. Eight questionnaires were completed and returned to us. We also talked to four parents/carers when they arrived to collect their children. We asked parents for their views about the service and about how this benefited their children.
During this inspection process, we gathered evidence from various sources, including the following:
We spoke with:
The Headteacher Peripatetic Teacher 1 x Early Childhood Practitioner 4 Parents 10 Children
We looked at:
* Information held about children using the service, including personal folios and health and medication plans * Records of consultation with parents and children, including; evaluation forms, planning books and feedback on questions such as "how can we improve our outdoor area" * Health and safety records, including; risk assessment, cleaning and food safety
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 7 of 26 Inspection report continued toolkit * The environment and equipment used in the service * Information for parents and children, including; newsletters and notice boards * Planning and evaluation records * Staff training and continuous professional development arrangements * Minutes of staff meetings * Quality assurance programme and monitoring records * Self-evaluation records and action plans * School Improvement Plan and Standards and Quality report * How the staff worked with the children in their care during the inspection * How the staff interacted with parents during the inspection
We focused on following up requirements and recommendations made in our last inspection report.
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 requirements we made at our last inspection
The requirement The provider must seek advice and put in place the necessary controls to ensure the prevention and control of infection for the health and safety of the children at all times.
This is in order to comply with: Regulation 4 (1)(a) and (d) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210)
Timescale - within 3 months of receipt of this report.
What the service did to meet the requirement Action - A new hand washing sink had been fitted in the playroom and children were encouraged in hand hygiene practice. The food safety toolkit records were completed for cleaning of kitchen area and equipment. Children's utensils were provided to reduce risk of cross infection when handling food. There were clear toileting protocols in place. We therefore found that issues identified in our last inspection had been addressed.
The requirement is: Met - Within Timescales
What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at our last inspection We made four recommendations in our last inspection report. Two had been fully met and two were in progress of being implemented. We provide an update as follows:
1) It is recommended that the service develops and implements a system to review and update children's individual files a minimum of every 6 months. The information should be completed in partnership with parents. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16: Standard 14 - Well-managed Service.
Action - This was in progress and on-going. The service was working on a format to evidence reviews with parents and updating children's files. eW have made a recommendation in Quality Theme 1, Statement 3 to take this work forward.
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 9 of 26 Inspection report continued 2) It is recommended that the service develops and implements a system to ensure all confidential information is stored securely at all times. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16: Standard 14 - Well-managed Service.
Action - This has been met
3) It is recommended that the service should review the daily risk assessment to ensure it identifies all areas of risk in the nursery and the outdoor play area. Action taken to minimise the risks should be recorded to ensure the safety of the children at all times. Furthermore, a separate risk assessment should be developed for children accessing the toilet area unsupervised to ensure their safety at all times. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16: Standard 2 - A Safe Environment.
Action - This had been met in part. A separate risk assessment for the service for children accessing the toilet area unsupervised was not yet in place. We made a recommendation about this in Quality Theme 2, Statement 2. This risk assessment should sit alongside the toileting protocols.
4) It is recommended that the service ensure all accident and incident reports are signed by parents and are accurately completed. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16: Standard 14 - Well-managed Service.
Action - This had been met.
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. We received a fully completed self assessment document from the provider. We were satisfied with the way the provider had completed this and with the relevant information they had given us for each of the headings that we grade them under.
The provider identified what they thought they did well, some areas for development and any changes they planned. The provider gave some information on how it encouraged people to give their views on the service and how this influenced
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 10 of 26 Inspection report continued improvements. The service should continue to develop the self assessment to focus on outcomes for service users and families.
Taking the views of people using the care service into account We observed children to be settled, happy and confident in the nursery setting. They were engaged in a variety of activities and learning experiences of their choice. They were polite, well-behaved and happy to chat with the Inspector about what they enjoyed at nursery. They enthusiastically shared their folios and were clearly proud of their achievements and the different work they had chosen to include. They talked about their current learning topic of 'The Three Little Pigs' and used books to retell the story and acting skills to share this story with the Inspector. We saw that children were able to express choice and that staff were responsive to their ideas and views during our visit. Children's comments included:
"I'm making a straw house."
"I'm making a brick one so the wolf won't blow it down."
"I like to draw and paint."
"We are learning about the 3 little pigs; the wolf huffed and puffed and blew the house down."
"I like pancakes and strawberries and raspberries for snack."
We include other views and comments in this report where relevant.
Taking carers' views into account We sent 10 questionnaires to parents/carers via the service and eight of these were completed and returned to us before writing this report. We also chatted to four parents/carers at the end of the morning session when they arrived to collect their children. Parents were very positive about the quality of all aspects of the service. They thought that their children benefited from their experiences and were happy and settled in the service. They told us that staff were approachable and kept them well- informed about their children's progress and wellbeing. They enjoyed opportunities to get involved in the nursery, for example, stay and play sessions. They told us that they were asked for their views, for example, by completing forms and questionnaires and felt that these were valued by the service. Parents' comments included:
"Children are happy and content."
"Staff are very approachable."
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"You can stay and play and just join in or do a specific job if you want."
"There are always lots of things going on; we get plenty of information."
"My child is very happy here; no problems at all."
"I like that they have good links with the other schools children may go to."
"My child is always happy to go to nursery and has very positive relationships with all the nursery staff."
"Lovely nursery with friendly staff; my daughter loves going."
We include other comments and views in this report where relevant.
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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: 5 - Very 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 Based on the evidence we sampled, we graded the service as very good in this Quality Statement. We concluded this after we talked to parents and staff, observed how staff worked with children, looked at a range of records and reviewed relevant evidence given in the self assessment.
We found that the service continued to have very good, well-established approaches to involving parents and children in its work. The warm and welcoming ethos contributed positively to parents and children being valued and included in the service. Please refer to our inspection report of January 2013 for full details of the ways in which parents and children were involved in assessing and improving the quality of the service.
Parents confirmed that they and their children continued to be asked for their views and ideas and therefore had a say in how things developed or improved. For example, since our last inspection, the service had taken on board parents' feedback about the congestion in the entrance area. They had changed procedures so that children now put their coats and outdoor shoes on in the nursery class at the end of the session. This enabled children to practice self-help skills such as dressing themselves and reduced congestion in the small area outside the class. Parents commented; "they have changed this cloakroom area and it is much better." Parents had also been asked to evaluate initiatives such as 'Stay and Play' sessions and the 'Travelling Ted' home link diary. As a result, parents could now choose to do a specific job or activity at 'Stay and Play' sessions if they wished. The service also planned to continue with 'Travelling Ted' as a result of positive feedback from parents.
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 13 of 26 Inspection report continued We found that children continued to have very good opportunities to express their views and exercise choice in the service. For example, staff used mind maps and talking and thinking books very well to involve children in planning learning experiences. This meant that planning reflected what children wanted to learn and how they would take this forward. Children were also deeply involved in planning the resources they would need and the experiences they would like to have. As a result, children were very engaged in and enthusiastic about the current context for learning; the story of 'The Three Little Pigs.' They were able to retell the story from the book and enjoyed dressing up as characters to act out different parts. Children were also involved in developing snack menus. This provided valuable opportunities for talking about healthy eating, likes and dislikes as well as involving children in making decisions. We found therefore that children were becoming confident in expressing their views and ideas because these were respected and valued by the staff team.
Overall, we found that the service routinely created a wide range of opportunities for parents and children to evaluate and contribute to developing the service and responded positively to their views. Areas for improvement We discussed the following area for improvement with the service:
* To continue to build a history of how the service acts upon parents and children's views, for example; linking parents' feedback to planning books where relevant and using action points or a 'you said, we did' format as a summary to evaluation questionnaires. (Standard 13.1 Improving the Service)
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
Statement 3 We ensure that service users' health and wellbeing needs are met. Service strengths Based on the evidence we sampled at this inspection, we graded the service as very good in this Quality Statement. We concluded this after we talked to parents and staff, observed how staff worked with children, looked at a range of records and reviewed relevant evidence given in the self assessment.
The service was part of a health promoting school. We saw that children had many opportunities to learn about keeping safe, active and healthy in the service. For example, children took part in the national tooth brushing programme. This encouraged them to look after their teeth and promoted good dental health. Children were involved in planning snack menus. They learned about making healthy food
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 14 of 26 Inspection report continued choices and why this was important. They told us; milk is good for you; that's why we drink it all" and "today it's toast and bananas; it's healthy." Through every day routines and activities, children were learning to share and take turns and to show respect for others and their environment. For example, we saw how they all responsibly contributed to tidying up before rhyme time and after their snack. We saw that children were developing positive friendships with their peers and engaged well in small groups to play games such as matching dominos. We saw in plans and photographs that children had good opportunities to play and learn outdoors. On the morning of our inspection children did not, however, go outdoors to play. They took part in a rhyme time instead towards the end of the session.
We found that staff gathered useful and relevant information about children's needs and interests before they started the service. This enabled them to get to know children and families and to work with them to meet individual needs. Where specific health needs were identified, appropriate plans and protocols were put in place to manage these needs. Staff accessed relevant training to meet health needs where required, for example, administration of EpiPen. This contributed positively to children's health and wellbeing needs being met in the service.
Staff arranged parents' appointments twice yearly to share information about children's progress and to consider next steps. Although discussions, at this stage, were not formally recorded as a review as such, this process contributed positively to parents being involved in and informed about their children's care and progress. Parents commented positively about the impact that the nursery service was having on their children. For example; they told us that children had increased their independence and made very good progress with speech, toilet training and behaviour. They told us; "the teachers are excellent and they have a lot of outdoor play in all seasons which my child loves. The small number of children means that they all get lots of individual learning time with a teacher if needed."
The service used local authority policies and procedures as the basis for managing and recording medication in the service. We saw that signed consent for administration of medication was obtained from parents. An appropriate recording system was in place and used when required.
Overall we found that the very good practice in this quality statement contributed to positive health and wellbeing outcomes for children. Areas for improvement We recommended at our last inspection that the service should develop and implement a system to review and update children's files in partnership with parents at least once every six months. We were told that individual meetings with parents would be used to discuss relevant progress and plans however this was not fully recorded yet. Six monthly reviews (potentially linked with parents' evenings) should be recorded to show discussion and agreed next steps where appropriate. It would be
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 15 of 26 Inspection report continued helpful to have a planned schedule of reviews to ensure compliance within timescales. A system was therefore still being developed for reviewing and updating children's plans. (Recommendation 1)
The service should continue to develop outdoor learning experiences to benefit children and look at ways children can choose to play indoors and out during the session.
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 1
Recommendations 1. The service should fully implement a system to ensure that children's personal plans are reviewed and updated in consultation with parents and where appropriate, children at least once in every six month period. This would include specific health plans and medication arrangements.
National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16: Standard 7.6 - A Caring Environment and Standard 14 - Well-managed Service.
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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 Please refer to information contained in Quality Theme 1, Statement 1 for information on the range of ways that children and families can be involved in influencing the quality of the service. This includes aspects of the quality of the environment. The grade of 5 - Very Good is applied across all participation statements in this report.
The service was continuing to engage parents and children in improving the quality of the environment. For example, they were continuing to develop the outdoor learning area. Areas for improvement Please refer to Quality Theme 1, Statement 1 Areas for Improvement.
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very 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 Based on the evidence we sampled at this inspection, we graded the service as good in this Quality Statement. We concluded this after we talked to parents and staff, looked around the environment and observed how staff worked with children. We also looked at a range of records and reviewed relevant evidence given in the self assessment.
Parents told us that they were happy with the quality of the environment. They thought that safety and security was well-managed. They confirmed that congestion in the entrance area had been alleviated to an extent by changes made to collection procedures.
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We saw that a register was kept and that children and visitors were signed in and out of the building. This helped to ensure that children were safe and secure.
We found the nursery to be a safe, clean and welcoming environment. There was suitable heating, lighting and ventilation. Appropriate systems were in place to ensure that maintenance and repairs were carried out where required through the Local Authority. We saw that toys and other resources were clean, well maintained and suitable for the ages and stages of children attending the nursery. There was an enclosed outdoor area and a trim trail area where physical play and other interesting learning experiences took place.
We found that staff were appropriately trained in Food Hygiene and implemented the food safety toolkit for storing and preparing food and managing the cleanliness of resources.
Following issues raised in our last inspection report, the service had made some improvements to managing a safe environment. For example, the service had introduced a new recording system for accidents and incidents. We checked a sample of these and found that these were appropriately maintained and countersigned by parents. This meant that relevant information was shared with parents about any incidents that may have involved their children.
We found that risk assessments were in place and that staff were now recording action taken to reduce potential risks on the daily sheets where required. For example, they had recorded that they had salted icy pathways and adjusted radiators to provide appropriate room temperatures. The service had also introduced new risk assessments in a pictorial format. They used these to encourage children to learn about assessing risks in the outdoor environment.
We found that staff checked toilet areas regularly for cleanliness. Children told staff when they needed to go to the toilet and put their picture on the board when they left and returned so that staff could monitor procedures. Children were generally independent and followed these procedures well. Staff encouraged children to wash their hands again on their return to reinforce good hygiene practice. We saw that a new sink had been installed in the nursery to improve infection control procedures.
Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities in child protection matters. They had regular training to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. They knew the procedures to follow if they had concerns about children in their care. This contributed well to children being safe and protected in the service. Areas for improvement We found that whilst clearer toileting procedures were in place, the service had not yet detailed their risk assessment for children accessing the toilet area unsupervised
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 18 of 26 Inspection report continued and the measures in place to reduce potential risks. This should be completed and regularly reviewed to promote safety and wellbeing. (Recommendation 1)
Although the toys and equipment looked visually clean, the service did not keep a cleaning schedule and records in line with good practice set out in the document; Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings, Health Protection Network (March 2011, appendix October 2011). The service should therefore develop and implement cleaning schedules to improve infection control procedures in the nursery.(Requirement 1)
Grade awarded for this statement: 4 - Good Number of requirements: 1 Number of recommendations: 1
Requirements 1. The provider should improve infection control procedures in the service by:
* Developing and implementing cleaning schedules and record keeping for toys and equipment used in the provision of the service.
This is in order to comply with: SSI 2011/210 Regulation 4(1)(d) and SSI 2002/114 Regulation 19 (3)(e)
Timescale for implementation - within 4 weeks of receipt of this report.
Recommendations 1. The service should develop a specific risk assessment for children accessing the toilet area unsupervised. This should detail the measures they have put in place to reduce any identified risks.
National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16: Standard 2 - A Safe Environment.
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Quality Theme 3: Quality of Staffing
Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good
Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of staffing in the service. Service strengths Please refer to information contained in Quality Theme 1, Statement 1 for information on the range of ways that children and families can be involved in influencing the quality of the service. This includes aspects of staffing, management and leadership in the service. The grade of 5 - Very Good is applied across all participation statements in this report. Areas for improvement Please refer to Quality Theme 1, Statement 1 Areas for Improvement. The service should consider ways that they can use feedback from parents and children in staff review and development procedures.
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very 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 Based on the evidence we sampled at this inspection, we graded the service as very good in this Quality Statement. We concluded this after we talked to parents and staff, observed how staff worked with the children and looked at evidence of staff training and development.
Since our last inspection the service had reviewed the location of keyworker information to make it more accessible and visible to parents and visitors. Photographs along with job roles were clearly displayed on the door at the entrance of the nursery class.
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 20 of 26 Inspection report continued Parents were very positive about the quality of staffing arrangements in the service. They told us that staff were approachable, welcoming and friendly. They said that staff kept them well-informed about their children's progress and wellbeing. Comments included; "the service is very parent friendly making you feel that you can approach them with any problem. The children are all very happy and get a very good learning experience."
Staff were appropriately registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and General Teaching Council (Scotland) (GTCS) as required. As required through registration, we found that staff took part in a variety of learning activities to keep their skills and knowledge up to date and to learn new things. These included relevant training opportunities through the local authority and professional discussion both as a team and as part of a network cluster to share practice. They had suitable training to meet the individual needs of children where required, for example, managing health needs.
We saw that staff were motivated and enthusiastic in their work with the children and this contributed to the calm, purposeful learning environment. They had developed positive, nurturing relationships with children based on mutual respect. Areas for improvement We discussed with the service that staff should aim to keep post registration training logs up to date. Staff should continue to reflect on practice and use learning from professional development activities to benefit parents and children.
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: 5 - Very Good
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 Please refer to information contained in Quality Theme 1, Statement 1 for information on the range of ways that children and families can be involved in influencing the quality of the service. This includes aspects of staffing, management and leadership in the service. The grade of 5 - Very Good is applied across all participation statements in this report. Areas for improvement Please refer to Quality Theme 1, Statement 1 Areas for Improvement. The service should continue to involve parents and children in all aspects of evaluation and development.
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very 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 Based on the evidence we sampled, we graded the service as very good in this Quality Statement. We concluded this after we talked to parents, staff and the headteacher and looked at evidence of the systems and processes in place to support quality assurance.
We have included information in Quality Theme 1, Statement 1 about how the service engages with children and parents to ask for their views about what they do well and how they could improve. We have included some information about what the service has done as a result of the feedback they had received.
Balbeggie Primary School Nursery, page 22 of 26 Inspection report continued The service continued to have well-established quality assurance systems in place. There was a quality assurance calendar in place that identified tasks and responsibilities. Systems included; staff meetings, observation of nursery staff practice and monitoring the quality of children's experiences. This enabled staff and management to monitor and evaluate their work and to plan improvements that would benefit children and families.
There was a clear action plan in place linked to the Care Inspectorate Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) to drive forward improvement with progress being made noted regularly. For example, we saw that the service had piloted a process of parents taking home children's folders to look at and share in their children's learning. This had resulted in positive feedback from parents and the service now planned to make this standard practice.
There was also a clear school improvement plan (SIP) in place. The nursery was an integral part of this and staff were working on shared goals such as recognising wider achievements and developing thinking and problem solving skills. We saw how this was being implemented, for example, parents were bringing in information about achievements at home and these were displayed in the nursery. The service shared information with parents about successes and improvement plans through a well written Standards and Quality Report and through the Parent Council structure.
The service continued to receive regular Learning and Achievement visits from Local Authority representatives to help them evaluate strengths and plan improvements. The service told us that a recent extended visit had been positive and that they were awaiting written feedback. Areas for improvement The service should include areas for improvement in this report in action plans and monitor that these have been fully implemented.
The service should continue to look at ways of involving other stakeholders in their quality assurance systems by asking for ideas and feedback.
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
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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
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 - 5 - Very Good
Statement 1 5 - Very Good
Statement 3 5 - Very Good
Quality of Environment - 4 - Good
Statement 1 5 - Very Good
Statement 2 4 - Good
Quality of Staffing - 5 - eryV Good
Statement 1 5 - Very Good
Statement 3 5 - Very Good
Quality of Management and Leadership - 5 - Very Good
Statement 1 5 - Very Good
Statement 4 5 - Very Good
6 Inspection and grading history
Date Type Gradings
10 Jan 2013 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment 4 - Good Staffing 5 - Very Good Management and Leadership 5 - Very Good
22 Jun 2009 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment 5 - Very Good Staffing 4 - Good Management and Leadership 4 - 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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