Reach Out Child Care Services Limited

House

Inspection report for early years provision

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House

Unique Reference Number EY317883 Inspection date 23 August 2006 Inspector Yvonne Victoria Facey

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House

Setting Address 104 Parkside Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S6 2AA

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E-mail

Registered person Reach Out Child Care Services Ltd Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Out of School 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 satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Reach Out Child Care has been registered since 2005. It operates from Hillsborough House which is situated in Sheffield. Most of the children who attend are from the Hillsborough area. The group has sole use of the premises and children have access to two playrooms on the ground floor and an enclosed outside play area. The club is open each weekday in term time from 15.00 until 18.00 to offer after school care and they hold a session on Saturdays from 10.00 until 15.30 for children with additional needs. The club also provides holiday play care from 08.30 until 18.00 during most school holidays. There is a mobile crèche offering services to the wider

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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 community. A maximum of 24 children may attend the club at any one time. There are currently 45 children on roll, aged between five years and 10 years. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities. Reach Out Child Care is run by a board of directors and employs six members of staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. The club receives support from the Sheffield Out of School Network and the Special Needs Inclusion Play care service (SNIP).

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The children are cared for in a clean and well maintained environment. There are clear policies and procedures, which promote the health and well-being of the children. All necessary accident and medication records and detailed procedures for sick children are in place and shared with parents. Children learn good health and hygiene procedures through well established routines. They understand why they need to wash their hands before eating and this is successfully encouraged by staff as part of the daily routine. Children are learning about being healthy and keeping their environment clean in a positive manner as staff explain and include them in everyday routines. For example, children use antibacterial spray alongside staff when cleaning tables and surfaces and they enjoy washing utensils after snack time. Children enjoy nutritious and well balanced meals. They bring their own packed lunch

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Helping children to be healthy

and the group provides nourishing snacks. Children are involved in the planning of snack times, setting tables, serving and preparing food. As a result they are developing good meal time routines and promoting independence. The good food hygiene standards and practices ensure that the food prepared for the children is safe, healthy and planned to meet their individual dietary needs. The children's meal times are sociable, they enjoy talking to staff and their peers as they eat together. Children are learning about healthy eating through good discussions with staff and participating in relevant activities. For example, making posters and helping the staff make fruit salad. Regular outdoor play and outings enables children to have plenty of fresh air and exercise. Children have access to a wide range of outdoor equipment to promote their physical skills. They choose from the resources which include footballs, bean

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Helping children to be healthy

bags, roller blades, badminton and hoops.

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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 safe and secure environment. Staff identify and minimise potential risk to children by completing regular risk assessments for all areas used by

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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 children, including when on trips and outings. A clear record is kept of visitors to the setting and as a result the children's safety is maintained. Access to the premises is secured and the outdoor area is fully enclosed. Children are well supervised at all times and staff take appropriate measures to ensure that all potential risks are reduced around the building both inside and outside. However, the risk of children being able to leave the building unattended through the fire doors have not been fully addressed. Children do have a suitable awareness of how to keep themselves safe as they move around the setting. They are involved in practising fire drills and understand where the exits are and where to wait for staff when they hear the fire bell. Staff regularly include safety as part of

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

children's day to day play through discussion and planned activities. For example, they use activity sheets to spot the danger points on the road and posters and drawings are displayed around the room showing different aspects to keeping themselves safe. Equipment and toys are of good condition and are suitable for the age range of children attending. They are easily accessed allowing children to make choices in a safe manner. Children's welfare is safeguarded as the staff have a good understanding of the signs to look for and the child protection procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very confident and comfortable with the staff, they seek support and guidance easily as they play together. There are very warm and respectful relationships between the staff and all children, this results in children being confident and successfully raises their self-esteem. They enthusiastically enjoy a range of activities, such as creative, imaginative play and outdoor play activities. Children gain a sense of belonging as the staff routinely involve and encourage the children to be jointly responsible for their group which children thoroughly enjoy. For example, they are involved in making rotas for preparing snack and evaluating trips and outings. Children are engaged in their play and have positive experiences where they can explore and initiate their own play. They are able to choose the activities they are interested in and able to make suggestions for themselves and the whole group.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is a relaxed atmosphere where children are able to express their feelings and staff respond in a sensitive and caring manner. Children share conversations about school and home with staff confidently. Children enjoy their time at the club and staff work hard to ensure their needs and interests are met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children's contributions are valued. Staff listen to, acknowledge and respect their conversations. This promotes self-esteem and confidence. Appropriate activities and

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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 some resources are helping children to become aware of similarities and differences. Although there is limited access to resources which promote positive images of race, culture and disability during play. Parents and staff are developing secure working relationships to meet the needs of all children attending. They initially receive information about the setting, including policies and procedures in the form of a parent pack. There is a complaints policy in place. However, it does not include a system for the recording of complaints following the recent changes in regulation. Parents are given appropriate information about their child's day. Children's interests and care needs are well recorded and parents provide suitable information to ensure the staff have appropriate knowledge of their

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Helping children make a positive contribution

children's individual needs. The behaviour management policy, which is shared with parents, is effective in practice. Discussion about any incidents help children learn right from wrong and to consider others. The children play harmoniously together, they enjoy one another's company, and play cooperatively. For example, as they build a den and during role play. Children with special needs are included in the group and suitable systems are in place to ensure their needs are fully met. Play plans are produced and individual assessments are conducted to ensure good levels of support are in place. For example, staffing ratios are planned in accordance to the child's needs, which includes one to one support.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The staff create a good environment in which to care for children. The organisation of time, space and resources meets children's needs. Children are cared for in a well managed and successfully organised setting and staff child ratios are maintained at all times. There are effective systems in place to recruit and check staff, this ensures that children are cared for by adults who are suitable to do so. There are some detailed policies and procedures that are generally implemented by the staff and children's well-being is promoted. However, there is not a statement of the procedure to be followed in the event of a child being lost. This is a breach of regulation. Documentation is generally well organised, required children's records are well maintained and easily to hand for inspection. The public liability insurance and the certificate of registration is displayed on the notice board for parents to see.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements 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

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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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 satisfactory. The registered person meets 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 further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • provide a statement of the procedure to be followed in the event of a parent failing to collect a child or of a child being lost • increase the access to resources which reflect diversity • review the complaints policy and procedures to ensure they are in line with requirements implemented in October 2005 • ensure premises are secure and children are not able to leave unsupervised.

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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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