Greenfields Day Nursery

Greenfields Day Nursery Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Greenfields Day Nursery Ltd

Unique Reference Number 221635 Inspection date 19 July 2006 Inspector Caroline Wright

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Greenfields Day Nursery Ltd

Setting Address The Sports Field, Caxton Road, Great Gransden, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 3BH Telephone number 01767 679118

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E-mail

Registered person Greenfields Day Nursery Ltd Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Full day care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Greenfields Day Nursery Limited is a private company. It opened in 2000 and operates from the pavilion in the sports field in Great Gransden, near Sandy in Bedfordshire. A maximum of 20 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 all year round. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 26 children aged from birth to under five years on roll. Children come from the local area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The nursery employs six members of staff; four of the staff, including the manager, have appropriate early years qualifications; two of the staff are working towards further qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is inadequate. The nursery does not promote children’s good health and children are not protected from the risk of infections. Food is not prepared in accordance with food hygiene recommendations. The cooker and work surfaces in the kitchen area are dirty and littered with items such as art and craft materials, staff’s hand-bags, dirty dishes and papers; the dishwasher and refrigerator are dirty inside; buckets of dirty water and mops used for washing the floors are left standing around in the kitchen. The sterilising unit for babies feeding items is foul smelling and unsuitable for use. The lack of soap and towels in the nappy changing area and in the kitchen leads to staff failing to follow appropriate hand-washing routines between nappy changes and before food preparation. They are unable to carry out routine cleaning as set out on the nursery's written policies due to insufficient resources. For example, they are

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Helping children to be healthy

unable to clean the changing mat between uses because there is no antibacterial spray available for them to use in the changing room. This puts children at risk from cross infection and compromises their health and general wellbeing. However, children learn about leading a healthy lifestyle through practical experiences. They receive nourishing meals with regular drinks throughout the day. They run around and exert themselves each day in the outdoor play area to learn about the importance of regular exercise and develop new physical skills. Children learn personal hygiene routines and the importance of washing their hands before meals and after using the lavatory. They brush their teeth after lunch each day and tell adults ‘my granddad’s teeth all falled out’ when they join in a discussion about the importance of good dental hygiene. Staff are qualified in first aid and all essential records for recording accidents and medication are in place so that children receive

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Helping children to be healthy

appropriate care in the event of an emergency or illness.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a suitable and safe environment where risks are minimised and they move around safely under the constant supervision of the nursery staff. A risk assessment is carried out each day to make sure that the play rooms and garden are safe; a gazebo is erected in the garden on hot days to provide children with adequate shade. Children learn about keeping themselves safe; staff remind them to sit properly on chairs and to ‘be careful’ when they are riding their bikes outside in the garden; staff encourage them to wear hats and sun-cream to protect them from the 'hot sun'. In addition, adults use harnesses for babies in high-chairs and buggies and check sleeping babies regularly to maintain their safety. A Closed Circuit Television

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 screen in the kitchen monitors access to the provision to further promote children’s safety. Children are able to select activities and resources from a good range of suitable toys and equipment, which are checked by the nursery staff to ensure they are in good condition. Children's overall welfare is maintained by procedures and documents that promote their safety. For example, the staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures, which are in line with those set out by the Local Safeguarding Children Board. However, the daily register of attendance is not maintained accurately and this compromises children's safety, particularly in the event of a fire.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the nursery and form good relationships with each other and with adults. They take part in suitable activities that help them to make progress. For example, they count how many children are sitting at the table at snack time and pour their own drinks to learn about numbers and capacity. Children enjoy using role play resources and dressing-up equipment to create their own stories and develop their imagination. Staff encourage them to dig in the garden with spoons and bowls, to create make-believe 'tea parties' in the role-play house, whilst learning about natural materials. They use paint and pencils to explore their creativity and practice early writing skills. Children of all ages enjoy sharing stories and looking at books with the nursery staff, who encourage children to ask questions so that they can develop their language and communication skills further.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies learn about their own bodies and what they can do with them when they sit on the floor, stretching over to grab the toys placed close to them by the nursery staff. They are encouraged to explore suitable toys and interesting objects at their own pace to learn as much as they can about the world they live in. Additional toys are placed within babies’ reach to stimulate their interest and encourage them to investigate further. The staff respond to the toddlers’ chatter, talking on the telephone to ‘granny’ to encourage them to communicate and become confident. Staff are sensitive to children’s developing curiosity and encourage them to explore materials. For example, a baby purposefully squeezes and flexes his hands over and over again, discovering the sticky texture of his pureed lunch, under the watchful eye of his key-worker who records the observation and uses it to monitor his progress using

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children and babies are confident and develop positive self esteem; they form good relationships with others. Babies play alongside the older children and join in group activities such as snack time and story time. The staff help children to respect each other's needs and play together in harmony. For example, they gently explain when another child is playing with a toy they want and proceed to help find something else

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 for the child to play with instead. All children behave well and understand what is expected of them. They take part in regular routines and staff maintain consistent expectations. The staff act as good role models and take time to carefully explain what they expect children to do in a way that they can understand; they listen to children's views and take their comments seriously so that children feel respected. However, children have limited opportunities to flow freely around the nursery, making decisions about when they want to take part in adult-led activities, such as art and craft, and pursuing their own interests. This impacts upon their independence. Children benefit from good relationships between the nursery staff and parents and carers. Children’s individual feeding and sleeping routines are followed by their

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Helping children make a positive contribution

key-workers who take particular care to settle them down for ‘naps’ according parents’ instructions; children are encouraged to bring their special ‘lovies’ into the nursery as additional comfort to encourage them to settle well and feel secure. Clear information regarding the daily activities children take part in, together with a menu and other useful information, is displayed on the notice board in the entrance area. Children’s individual progress is discussed daily with their parents; a daily or weekly record of what children do is given to parents so that they are well informed and can support their children’s learning at home. A system to maintain a written record of any complaints or concerns that parents might raise in the future is in place.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The registered provider does not have effective procedures for ensuring that recommendations from previous inspections are fully addressed or for ensuring that children’s health is adequately promoted. Although there are written procedures for maintaining a suitably clean environment and appropriate hygiene practices, these are not implemented consistently due to staff shortages and lack of adequate resources. In addition, there is not always a manager or deputy on duty early in the mornings; staff working with children under two years old are not always appropriately qualified or experienced. However, the provider has set up rigorous procedures to ensure that staff are properly vetted to work with children. The manager and deputy are suitably qualified and have a sound understanding of how young children learn, which enables them to plan suitable activities using the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework as a guide.

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Organisation

Regular training updates for all staff help to develop their practice and improve the way they care for children. All of the essential documents and records to maintain children’s welfare are in place, however, the register is not always accurately maintained. This compromises children’s safety.

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to improve the system for registration for adults and children, to show the hours of attendance with arrival and departure times; make suitable arrangements to ensure that adult to child ratios are maintained at all times including during staff absences and break times; develop observation records and use these to plan activities; update missing child policy to include uncollected children; ensure that all accidents and incidents recorded are recorded consistently, kept confidential and signed by the parents. The system for registration has been improved to record the hours of arrival and departure of children and staff. However, they are not always accurate: staff do not consistently record when they leave the premises and children are not always recorded as present immediately they arrive. This compromises children's safety and will be carried forward from this inspection. Arrangements have been made to cover

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Improvements since the last inspection

for staff absences and maintain ratios at all times. However, ongoing recruitment difficulties have resulted in cleaning routines not being implemented. This impacts on children's health and will be carried forward from this inspection. Observations of children are carried out regularly and added to their progress records. However, progress records are not yet used to inform planning of future activities and build on what children already know and can do. The nursery plan to undertake further training to help them to develop the system for planning activities. The nursery have devised a procedure to be followed in the event of a child being uncollected; they have improved the way they record accidents and incidents so that they are confidential and always signed by parents in order to promote children's safety and welfare.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been two complaints made to Ofsted since 1st April 2004. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by the parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted. On 01 April 2004 concerns were raised about the standard of hygiene in the nursery, the records of attendance and adult to child ratios. These concerns relate to National Standards 2: Organisation and 4: Physical Environment. Childcare inspectors carried out an unannounced visit to the premises on 13 April 2004 and found evidence of a breach of National Standard 2: Organisation and 4: Physical Environment. Three actions were set. A satisfactory response to the actions was received on 07 May 2004 and the provider remained qualified for registration. On 11 April 2006, Ofsted received a complaint that raised concerns regarding behaviour management, handling of complaints, staff: child ratios and communication

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Complaints since the last inspection

with parents. A childcare inspector conducted an unannounced visit to the provision on 19 April 2006 to inspect against National Standards 2: Organisation; 6: Safety; 7: Health; 11: Behaviour and 12: Working in partnership with parents and carers. Evidence was found to substantiate breach of the standards and four actions were

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 set. A satisfactory response to the actions was received on the 09 May 2006 and the provider remains qualified for registration.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care, the registered person must take the following actions: • make sure staff have adequate resources, such as antibacterial cleaner, soap and hand towels, in the nappy changing area and kitchen and that they use them to practise good hygiene procedures and protect children from cross infection • make sure that the kitchen is clean and hygienic, particularly with respect to food storage and preparation, cleanliness of work surfaces and washing of dishes, so that children’s ongoing good health is safeguarded • make sure that the sterilizing equipment used for babies’ bottles and dummies is maintained in a clean and hygienic condition at all times • make sure that the daily registers of attendance, showing the hours of attendance of children and staff, are always accurately maintained • make sure that the deputy manager is on duty to take responsibility of the nursery in the absence of the manager and that people who care for children

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The quality and standards of the care

under two-years-old have appropriate training and experience as set out in Annex A of the National Standards • make sure that staffing levels enable cleaning and other essential tasks to be carried out according to the nursery’s written procedures so that children’s good health is adequately promoted. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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