B.A.S.I.C.

B.A.S.I.C. Inspection report for early years provision

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205134 Unique Reference Number 02 July 2007 Inspection date Linda Christie Ravenall Inspector

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Beoley Village Hall, Holt End,Beoley, Bromsgrove, Worcs, B98 9AN Setting Address

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E-mail

B.A.S.I.C. Ltd Registered person Childcare Type of inspection Out of School care Type of 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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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 good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

B.A.S.I.C Out of School club is one of two clubs run by B.A.S.I.C Ltd. It is managed by a voluntary management committee, made up of parents of children at the club. The club opened in 1999 and operates from the main room of Beoley Village hall, on the outskirts of Redditch, Worcestershire. A maximum of 24 children may attend at any one time. This registered provision shares the same committee, staff and children at the other B.A.S.I.C. Ltd registered site across the road at Beoley First school.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group serves children attending Beoley First School and local middle schools. The club operates from this site each week day during school term times only. The breakfast club operates from 07:30 until 09:00 Monday through to Friday. The after school cub operates from 15:00 until 17:30 on Tuesday through to Friday. The Monday afternoon session and the summer holiday playscheme operate from the Beoley School site on URN 205135 as the village hall is not available.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The club employs five members of staff who work with the children on a rota basis. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications, and one staff member is currently working towards a qualification.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's good health is positively promoted as the staff recognise and reduce, all possible risks of cross infection by keeping the premises clean and complying with the basic hygiene requirements for the safe handling of food. The children’s understanding and awareness of good hygiene is developed through consistent routines and careful monitoring. Children understand the importance of washing hands properly before handing food and after visiting the toilet. They explain that although germs cannot be seen on their hands, they can still make them ill if they get into their tummies.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are helped to understand the link between eating breakfast and keeping their energy levels high during the school day. This is because staff provide a nutritional breakfast of cereals, fresh milk and toast on arrival each morning and talk to children about the benefits gained. Children have a good understanding of the importance of regular physical exercise to help them to stay healthy as the staff provide daily opportunities for physical play through well-planned indoor and outdoor activities. This helps children to enjoy using their bodies in various ways, for example dancing to music, meeting the challenge of an obstacle course or playing football.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are well protected by suitable staff that remain vigilant to the children's safety. They ensure that the room is well laid out and that security procedures are implemented effectively. The children are fully supervised according to their age and understanding, in a well-maintained environment. Children have access to a varied range of safe and suitable toys and equipment that both stimulates and offers challenge. Children enjoy the additional variety of toys that are provided from the local toy library which allow them to develop new skills and learn the important rules of new games, such as French Bowling.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s awareness of personal safety is strongly promoted as the staff take positive steps to alert children to potential dangers within the setting and ensure proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents. Children develop a clear understanding of road safety rules as they walk with staff in a sensible manner when crossing the road each day and demonstrate an excellent understanding of how to evacuate the premises quickly in an emergency, as they take part in regular fire drills at the setting.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good knowledge of the internal child protection procedures and the possible signs and symptoms of abuse, as most of the staff have recently attended child protection training. Despite this, they lack the necessary understanding of their individual responsibilities to ensure that the children's welfare is fully safeguarded at all times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the setting and benefit from being able to choose to be active or to play quietly after school, according to their needs. Play areas are comfortable, allowing them to either sit and talk with their friends or enjoy art, crafts and table top games. Regular physical play and outdoor sports provide time to let off steam and be active. This is

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 highly beneficial to the children who have been busy working at school all day. One child says how much fun they have with the parachute, whilst another enjoys the physical challenge of the obstacle course created by staff, as part of the outside play activities on offer.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are happy and confident as adults nurture warm and caring relationships which ensure children feel valued and good about themselves. The staff frequently provide positive support, praise and encouragement, while managing behaviour very well and this helps to build children’s self-esteem. Children are polite and have lovely table manners; they enjoy talking to staff and visitors, sharing jokes and talk enthusiastically about the activities they enjoy participating in.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enthusiastically take part in creative, physical and imaginative play. They talk happily about their play, make decisions about what they want to do, and are confident to ask for what they need. Children talk freely about their interests, likes and dislikes, who they are, and to whom they are related, as they look through a photograph album sharing happy memories about the playscheme held during the last summer holidays.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children’s individual needs are identified and met well as the setting works collaboratively with parents and the school, and where necessary, other agencies to support individual children. Staff are proactive in accessing specific training to meet the particular needs of children, such as those who require asthma treatments or have life threatening allergies, to further promote their individual welfare and development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children of both genders play together side by side particularly during role play, when they use their imaginations to take on family roles, such as mothers and fathers, taking the baby for a walk in the pushchair. This is because the club has a positive attitude to gender equality and there is no bias. Children have some opportunities to access resources and activities which reflect diversity enabling the children to acknowledge cultural differences.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are very well behaved and respectful of each other as they have been involved in the development of the club’s behaviour policy. This includes being kind and helpful and keeping themselves safe whilst still having fun. Adults have high expectations of children’s behaviour; managing it in a way that is appropriate to each child’s age and stage of development. As a result, the children are busy and contented, they respond with enthusiasm at tidy up time and volunteer eagerly to undertake extra responsibilities at snack time by serving out food to their friends.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parent partnerships are being consistently promoted to meet individual needs and those of the group. Clear information about the setting is provided through the club prospectus, daily exchanges of information, and some displays. Parents complete periodic questionnaires as part of the internal quality assurance process to monitor their needs and expectations for the children. Policies and procedures are clear, offering flexible support to parents who have varying work patterns, ensuring that children are safe and secure. A well presented information handbook clearly describes the history and ethos of the club and also provides parents with the details of the regulator and how to make a complaint. Most documentation is suitably maintained although confidentiality of the children's information is not fully promoted with regards to the current accident recording system.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The organisation of the setting ensures that children are well cared for in a setting where there are trained, suitable staff, to meet the needs of all the children for whom the setting cares for. Staff access regular training and appropriate records of their employment are maintained. The registered person has a suitable understanding of the need to inform the regulator of significant events including periodic changes to the committee. Although these procedures are followed they are not monitored to ensure all associated documentation is completed and forwarded to the regulator efficiently. This may impact on the safety and welfare of the children at the setting.

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Organisation

The setting is pro-active in ensuring that the practice of all staff contributes positively to children’s good health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to take an active part in the club. Children benefit immensely from the consistent and dedicated staff team who are well organised and provide good levels of support and supervision according to needs of child and wishes of parent. Equality of opportunity is appropriately supported and there is no gender bias. Children can access resources and use different activities to extend their play, as staff use the available play space effectively.

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Organisation

Children are challenged and occupied by a varied range of safe activities which leads to enthusiastic children who behave consistently well. Children make their own choices about how they wish to spend their time. They learn about keeping themselves safe and healthy through regular routines which contribute to their well-being. Despite recent child protection training, some staff still lack confidence with their individual reporting responsibilities to fully protect children.

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Organisation

Policies and procedures protect children and are suitably implemented to promote all the outcomes for children. All records are clear, easily accessible and stored securely, however there is a lack of suitable arrangements to enable the registered person to share recently updated policies with parents as the changes are made. Parents share and contribute to most records about their children and this helps to ensure children are cared for safely and progress well. Regular discussions with parents take place to raise any concerns and highlight children’s progress. Overall the children's needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting agreed to improve escort procedures to and from school and update the child protection statement to promote the safety and welfare of children at all times.

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Improvements since the last inspection

New polices and procedures have been introduced to improve the safety of children walking across the road to and from the club as staff have been issued with highly reflective jackets which are worn for all escort duties. As a result the children's welfare and safety has been enhanced as staff are clearly visible to vehicle users as they halt traffic on the zebra crossing, alerting them to the children in their care more effectively. Most staff have updated their child protection training and the relevant documentation has been updated to meet the requirements

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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 of the Safeguarding Children guidance. This includes action to be taken should allegations of abuse be made against staff members in order to keep children safe.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints 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 good. 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): • ensure the welfare and safety of all children is fully promoted by ensuring that all staff develop a firm understanding of their individual roles and responsibilities with regard to the reporting of child protection concerns to the designated agencies • maintain the confidentiality of children's accident records when obtaining countersignatures from parents • implement and monitor rigorous procedures for ensuring changes to the committee are notified promptly to the regulator and improve arrangements for recently updated policies and procedures, such as the complaints procedure, to be made available to parents to keep them informed about how their children are cared for.

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The quality and standards of the care

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) 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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