The Nest at St Paul's Venture

Playscheme

Inspection report for early years provision

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Playscheme

Unique Reference Number 591000 Inspection date 13 February 2006 Inspector Paula Hunt

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Playscheme

Setting Address Malvern Street, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, WEST MIDLANDS, B12 8NJ Telephone number 0121 464 1888 E-mail administration@stpaulscom.co.uk Registered person Val Hart Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Out of School care

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Playscheme

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?

St. Paul's Community Project and Venture Play scheme operates from a purpose built centre in the Balsall Heath area of Birmingham. Children have access to a large main hall/play room, an art room and a computer room. There are kitchen and toilet facilities within the main building. The children also have access to an outdoor play area and the community farm. The Venture project adjoins a local nursery and Sure Start building has access to additional rooms within these buildings if needed. The Venture offers a variety of services for the local community and working parents from within the 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 Nest is a play care scheme that offers after school care for children aged 4 to 12 years until 18:00. Children are collected from local schools and are escorted to St. Paul's Venture during term times. The play care facility runs from 08:00 to 18:00 daily during the holidays. The play scheme facility runs from 10:30 until 16:00, Monday to Friday during school holidays. The centre is registered to care for a maximum of 60 children aged 4 to 8 years old. Children up to the age of 11 years may also attend and children over the age of 11 are cared for at the St. Paul's Youth club. There are currently 54 children on role, this includes children attending the scheme who have identified specific needs and children who speak English as an additional language. There are 8 core workers at

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

the project throughout the year and additional sessional staff are employed to work during the school holidays. All full time staff are qualified in child care, play work, teaching or youth work. Most of the sessional workers have a recognised qualification or have completed courses in National Vocational Qualification levels 2 and 3 . The senior staff consist of the head of centre, a deputy head, a play care co-ordinator and an assistant co-ordinator.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's health is supported appropriately because staff place emphasis on good health and hygiene practices. Children are independent in self-care skills although they do not wash their hands before snack time. There are effective procedures in place for dealing with children who become sick. They are well cared for until they are collected by their parents. Staff are sensitive to children's individual medical needs. They are affectionate with them, reassuring them and helping them to feel better. However, the accident and medication records lack some detail. Children are beginning to understand the importance of a healthy diet. They are provided with a variety of snacks including different types of fruit and biscuits. Snack time is a social time when children can discuss their day with staff and each other, helping to develop their social skills. All children benefit from daily access to a spacious outdoor area and community

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Helping children to be healthy

farm. Children enjoy a good range of activities that help keep them healthy and develop their physical skills. For example, climbing on large fixed equipment or during creative activities when they use their hands and work as part of a group to create large alien shapes from a variety of natural materials including wool, twigs and leaves.

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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 welcoming environment where they feel settled and at home. The building is well set out with clearly identifiable areas created for different

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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 types of play; resources are varied and most are easily accessible, allowing children to make some independent choices. Children learn how to keep themselves safe because staff raise their awareness of how to avoid accidents. They learn about road safety and comply with club rules designed to teach them how to play safely and not endanger themselves or others. Staff take some appropriate practical measures, including careful attention to supervision to maintain children's safety. However, gates are not secured when the children play outside and the group is vulnerable to access by unwanted visitors. Children's welfare is safeguarded because there are effective child protection procedures in place. Staff are aware of the local child protection procedures and follow them to ensure children’s well-being. The local child protection information

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

booklet is displayed on the notice board, reassuring parents about their child's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children settle and clearly enjoy their time in the club. They are very at ease in familiar surroundings where staff are attentive and have time to talk and share personal experiences with them. For example, they share family news and what they did at the weekend. Children have developed strong friendships with each other and often seek each other out to share experiences. Children have positive relationships with the staff. They know the staff well and relate to them confidently. The staff ask questions to make the children think and respond well to their interests. For example, staff participated in a fashion show using the dressing up clothes and organised by the younger children. Children are provided with an interesting and stimulating balance of activities, allowing for both active play and relaxation. Some older children choose to use the computers to play games, whilst others prefer to be creative or play with the dolls and pushchairs. Activity

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

planning is in place and children have the opportunity to feed back their thoughts on how much they enjoyed an activity. Staff ensure children's wishes are valued and respected; they take children’s comments into account when planning, ensuring that children remain interested and stimulated.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children from different backgrounds, cultures and abilities are welcomed by the club. Children's individual needs are discussed with parents in detail and any issues with parents are dealt with confidentially. Any special requirements or information are discussed and a consistent two way communication takes place. Special needs of children are recognised and met sensitively. The club has resources that reflect different cultures and children have access to activities that help them learn about diversity. Relationships with parents are friendly. Staff keep parents informed through

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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 regular discussions Staff use frequent praise and encouragement and demonstrate a genuine interest in the children, all of which helps them to feel good about themselves. Children behave well and understand the difference between unacceptable and acceptable behaviour. They know what is expected of them and learn the boundaries because they contributed to the rules, such as being nice, being polite, laughing and sharing. Staff set good examples for children; they are polite to children, explaining things in a clear and calm manner.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The organisation of the provision promotes positive outcomes for children. The staff work effectively as a team to ensure the children's welfare and enjoyment. Effective use of time, space and resources ensures that children have access to different activities. They are able to free-flow between indoor and outdoor play, as the doors remain open allowing them to enjoy physical activities in the enclosed play area. There are suitable contingency arrangements in place for staff absences, ensuring that children are cared for by someone who is familiar to them, helping them to feel safe and secure. Staff show commitment toward their own personal development and improve their knowledge by attending relevant courses and workshops. The staff also show commitment to develop the club. For example, they are undertaking the 'Aiming High' Quality Assurance scheme. There are policies and procedures in place which are used appropriately to support

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Organisation

all areas of practice. However, these are not always up to date or shared with parents. Children's arrival and departure times are recorded although there are currently no systems in place to record staff attendance times. The registration and insurance certificates are displayed and all confidential documentation is stored securely. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the group was asked to develop staff's awareness and understanding of ways to manage children's behaviour, to develop their knowledge and understanding of child protection, to ensure staff are aware and record children's special dietary requirements/ allergies, to ensure children have an appropriate range of activities and resources that promote equality of opportunity and to ensure that a log is kept of all visitors to the centre. The group has written procedures for the induction of newly appointed staff to ensure they are familiar with procedures for child protection and behaviour management amongst others. The child protection policy has been updated to include procedures should an allegation be made against a member of staff or volunteer. As a result the

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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 staff now have a secure knowledge of child protection issues. Most of the staff have undertaken behaviour management training and have effective strategies in place such as distraction or time out for short periods dependent on a child's age and understanding. A visitors log is now kept in the main entrance and all visitors must sign in and out of the group which protects children from unvetted persons. Children's dietary requirements/ allergies are recorded on their child record form and transferred on to a list which is wall mounted in the kitchen and office areas to ensure all staff are fully aware of them and children's needs are met. The group has increased its resources, for example, books to promote discussion about people's similarities and differences and they also take part in some activities about different festivals and celebrations

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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): • ensure accident and medication records are completed in sufficient detail and parental signatures are obtained • improve hygiene procedures concerning hand washing before meals • ensure that the outside play area is secure so that children cannot leave the premises unsupervised and that there is an effective system for managing access to the premises • update policies for complaints and lost children in line with the National Standards and develop ways to share all policies with parents • ensure the record of attendance includes the times of arrival and departure for

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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 staff.

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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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