Auchtertyre Primary Day Care of Children Auchtertyre Primary School Auchtertyre By Kyle of Lochalsh IV40 8EG Telephone: 01599 566209
Inspected by: Karen Rose Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 16 January 2012 Inspection report continued
Contents
Page No Summary 3 1 About the service we inspected 5 2 How we inspected this service 6 3 The inspection 9 4 Other information 16 5 Summary of grades 17 6 Inspection and grading history 17
Service provided by: Highland Council
Service provider number: SP2003001693
Care service number: CS2003017168
Contact details for the inspector who inspected this service: Karen Rose Telephone 01463 227630 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 N/A Quality of Staffing N/A Quality of Management and Leadership 5 Very Good
What the service does well The nursery continues to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment. Staff worked positively with each other, the parents and children using the service. Communication was positive and children were supported to make choices and use signing to promote inclusion for all children using the service.
What the service could do better The service should ensure that the complaints policy is updated to include reference to the Care Inspectorate. The service should continue to work towards maintaining and developing the very good standards of practice within the nursery.
What the service has done since the last inspection Since the last inspection the nursery has continued to consult parents and altered the times of the morning nursery session.
Conclusion The nursery continues to provide a high standard of care and support to the children using the service. The nursery continues to strive to include all parents and children in the life of the nursery. Staff are proactive in teaching children signing to allow all the children to be included in the day to day life of nursery.
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1 About the service we inspected
Before 1 April 2011 this service was registered with the Care Commission. On this date the new scrutiny body, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Care Inspectorate), took over the work of the Care Commission, including the registration of care services. This means from 1 April 2011 this service continued its registration under the new body, Care Inspectorate.
Auchtertyre primary school nursery is registered to provide childcare to 16 children aged from three years to those not yet attending primary school. The service is provided in the old school building in the centre of the village and is located near to the primary school. The accommodation comprised a playroom, entrance foyer, child- friendly toilets and an outdoor play area. The accommodation was in a good state of repair and the atmosphere felt welcoming and relaxed.
The aim of the service was to provide the nursery children with every opportunity to fulfil their potential whilst encouraging parental contribution to the overall child development.
All references in this report will be to The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 ("the Regulations") (SSI 2011/210)
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 - N/A Quality of Staffing - N/A 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.scswis.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 This report was written following an unannounced inspection that took place on the 16 January 2012 commencing at 9.00am and lasting three and three quarter hours. Feedback took place at the end of the inspection. The inspection was carried out by Inspector, Karen Rose.
As requested by us, the service sent us an annual return. The service also sent us a self-assessment form.
We issued ten Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland Care Standards Questionnaires to the service for distribution to people who use the service, five completed questionnaires had been returned before the inspection.
In this inspection we gathered evidence from various sources, including the relevant sections of policies, procedures, records and other documents including:
Supporting evidence from the up to date self assessment Children's profiles Notice board Weekly plans Nursery brochure Newsletters Complaints policy Admission policy Observation of practice and discussion with the head teacher, staff and children using the service Examination of the environment and equipment (for example, is the service clean; is it well set out and are equipment and resources clean and in good repair).
All the above information was taken into account during the inspection process and reported on.
Auchtertyre Primary, page 6 of 18 Inspection report continued 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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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 Care Inspectorate received a fully completed self assessment document from the service provider. We were satisfied with the way the service provider had completed this and with the relevant information they had given us for each of the headings that we grade them under.
The service provider identified what they thought they did well, some areas of development and any changes they had planned. The service provider told us how they involve parents and children who used the care service in assessing the service.
Taking the views of people using the care service into account The children present during the inspection were aged between three and five years old approximately. They related positively with each other and with staff. Children were happily engaged in play and chatted freely with each other and staff.
Taking carers' views into account Carers include parents, guardians, relatives, friends and advocates. They do not include care staff. We sent out ten questionnaires and five were completed and returned to us before our inspection. When asked about the overall quality the parents all strongly agreed they were happy with the quality of the service provided.
One parent commented: "My experience of day-care has been hugely positive. The nursery staff show a dedication beyond a job and I am fully encouraged to participate in everyday nursery life. Over all, I am very happy with the provision of day-care - it is fantastic."
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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 We found this service was performing well in the areas covered by this statement. We concluded this after we spoke with the head teacher, staff and children using the service. We reviewed children's records, service policies and procedures and examined the completed questionnaires which were returned to us.
The service continued to provide information to parents in a variety of formats. The notice boards in the entrance hall included information about the nursery, the local community, aims and objectives and the Care Inspectorate. Information was relevant to the nursery and included information and contact numbers in relation to 'Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC)'. Photographs illustrated children's completed activities and achievements.
The service had an informative brochure for both prospective and existing parents that made reference to the policies and procedures. There was a range of policies and procedures in place that all emphasised the importance of partnership working with parents and good communication. Staff were observed to welcome parents and exchange information both at 'drop off and collection'.
The services complaints procedure was clearly displayed for parents along with information about the Care Inspectorate.
There was evidence that parents had been asked for their views using a number of formats including questionnaires and visits to the service. Discussion with the staff and observation indicated that parents were involved with the nursery and that this was encouraged. Evidence seen would indicate that the service followed its own policy on parental involvement and this was vital to ensuring children gain positive learning experiences. A suggestion box was provided and parents were encouraged to be involved in the development of the service.
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Observation throughout the visit illustrated how children were supported and able to make choices. Children made use of planning books and staff responded to children's ideas positively, supporting them to plan and access appropriate resources.
Responses to the care standard questionnaires indicated that parents received clear information about the service and were able to visit with their child prior to starting to attend. All the parents indicated they and their children had been involved in developing the service by being asked for their ideas and feedback. Parents responses indicated that they strongly agreed staff treated their children fairly and with respect, and were happy and confident with staff.
Parents felt the staff asked for their children's views and used their responses to plan future activities. They felt the service had enough space for play and get involved in activities. The service was safe, secure, and hygienic, smoke free, pleasant and provided a stimulating environment. Observation illustrated that staff supported children to articulate their views and make choices. Areas for improvement The service should update the complaints policy in the nursery brochure to make reference to the Care Inspectorate.
One parent made the following comment: "I am not happy that a varied snack is not provided as standard - it is only provided through Liz MacRae's well thought out healthy eating project. This should be provided as standard as was previously the case."
Discussion with the head teacher and nursery staff indicated that Highland Council was providing fruit money, but wished their nurseries to stop the practice of charging for nursery snack. The parents had been consulted and had agreed to make voluntary contributions to the school fund. The school fund would finance an on-going "Healthy Eating Project" to ensure that a variety of foods continued to be provided. The service should ensure that parents were aware of the changes to Highland Council policy and continue to be consulted on the provision of snack.
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
Statement 4 We use a range of communication methods to ensure we meet the needs of service users.
Auchtertyre Primary, page 10 of 18 Inspection report continued Service strengths We found this service was performing very well in the areas covered by this statement. We concluded this after we spoke with the head teacher, staff and children using the service. We reviewed children's records, service policies and procedures and examined the completed questionnaires which were returned to us.
There was evidence to demonstrate the service promoted positive communication with the children and their parents. Areas within the playgroup were defined using pictorial and written labelling to aid children's communication. Measures were in place for referral to the appropriate agencies to assist children with language development and communication. Staff demonstrated knowledge of children's needs in relation to communication and development. Staff and children made positive use of signing to aid communication. Both staff and children were very competent in signing and relaxed, signing was part of normal everyday practice.
Children freely communicated during the session using verbal means and signing. Inclusion in communication was central to meeting children's needs and continued into primary school.
Policies and procedures underpinned the need for open communication with parents and the nursery staff. A range of opportunities were available for parents to take part in nursery and communicate with staff. Information provided was clearly written and easily accessed by parents. The policies and procedures evidenced promoted inclusion, the nursery staff were supported by the head teacher and there were weekly meetings to look at children's needs, practice, and development.
The complaints policy and procedure was clearly displayed in the entrance hall and referred to in the nursery brochure. Parents were encouraged to communicate with staff and staff were welcoming and encouraged feedback.
The aims and objectives underpinned the need to promote communication with parents about their children's learning. Staff interacted positively with children using the service and children were actively encouraged to communicate through the use of questioning and praise to enhance learning and children's experiences. Areas for improvement The service should continue to work with children and parents to continue to improve the service provided, maintaining and developing current excellent standards.
Grade awarded for this statement: 6 - Excellent Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
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Quality Theme 2: Quality of Environment - NOT ASSESSED
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Quality Theme 3: Quality of Staffing - NOT ASSESSED
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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 We found this service was performing very well in the areas covered by this statement. We concluded this after we spoke with the head teacher, staff and children using the service. We reviewed children's records, service policies and procedures and examined the completed questionnaires which were returned to us.
Evidence in this quality statement relates to evidence found in quality statement 1.1.
Responses to the care standards questionnaires indicated that the service had involved parents and their children in developing the service by asking for feedback and ideas. Parents' responses indicated that staff shared information about their child's learning and development with them and their child as appropriate.
Parents strongly agreed they were kept informed about what was happening in the service through the use of newsletters and notice boards. Areas for improvement Areas of improvement relate to those identified in quality statement 1.1.
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0
Statement 2 We involve our workforce in determining the direction and future objectives of the service. Service strengths We found this service was performing very well in the areas covered by this statement. We concluded this after we spoke with the head teacher, staff and children using the service. We reviewed children's records, service policies and procedures and examined the completed questionnaires which were returned to us.
There was evidence since the last inspection that staff meetings had been held regularly and minutes taken. Staff met weekly to plan and for staff development.
Auchtertyre Primary, page 14 of 18 Inspection report continued Discussion with staff indicated these allowed for positive discussion and individual development. There was evidence staff had been involved in the completion of the service's self assessment prior to the inspection.
Discussion with staff indicated they were supported to voice their views and supported to develop the service provided. There was evidence of regular supervision and monitoring visits. Staff were able to attend training relevant to the nursery and developing children's learning. Discussion with staff indicated they were supported by the head teacher. Training attended was seen as positive. Staff spoke confidently about what they were doing and were responsive in how they were planning and meeting the children's learning and development. Areas for improvement The service should continue to work with staff, children and parents to continue to improve the service provided, maintaining and developing current standards.
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 SCSWIS re-grading the Quality Statement within the Management and Leadership Theme as unsatisfactory (1). This will result in the Quality Theme for Management and Leadership 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 4 6 - Excellent
Quality of Environment - Not Assessed
Quality of Staffing - Not sA sessed
Quality of Management and Leadership - 5 - Very Good
Statement 1 5 - Very Good
Statement 2 5 - Very Good
6 Inspection and grading history
Date Type Gradings
16 Jun 2009 Announced (Short Care and support 5 - Very Good Notice) Environment 4 - 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 SCSWIS. You can get more copies of this report and others by downloading it from our website: www.scswis.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.scswis.com
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