Smileys Creche

Smileys Creche Inspection report for early years provision

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EY239760 Unique Reference Number 05 November 2007 Inspection date Elenora Griffin Inspector

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The Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Charles Hastings Way, Newton Road, Worcester, WR5 1HN

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E-mail

Smileys Creche Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Smileys Crèche opened in 1996 and operates from a purpose-built building on the grounds of Worcester Royal Hospital, close to Worcester city centre. A maximum of 50 children may attend the crèche at any one time. The crèche is open each weekday from 07.00 to 18.00 all year round. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 71 children aged from three months to under eight years on roll. Of these, 24 children receive funding for early education. The crèche offers childcare solely for use by Worcester Royal Hospital Trust staff. The crèche currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The crèche employs 15 members of staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is 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 satisfactory. Children benefit from being cared for in a clean environment in which staff follow appropriate hygiene procedures. For example, staff ensure that they use different coloured clothes for cleaning different areas and there are detailed prompts reminding them how to effectively wash their hands. Generally, children are well taken care of if they are sick or have an accident. There are several staff who are first aid qualified and a sick child policy ensures that children are cared for appropriately. However, children's welfare is potentially compromised. This is because consent for emergency medical treatment is not in place for all children, and accident and medication records are not consistently signed by parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are beginning to learn about how to keep themselves healthy through the daily routine. For example, as they wash their hands before lunch and after using the toilet. In addition staff plan a variety of activities to support their understanding of healthy eating, such as making fruit smooties for a healthy eating event. Children enjoy regular snacks and meals, through which they receive a balanced, nutritious diet that meets their individual needs. Meal times are relaxed social occasions when children enjoy coming together to enjoy their food and one another's company. Children bring in their own drinks, which staff keep topped up for them so that they are sufficiently hydrated throughout the day.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have great fun in the outside area where their physical development is well supported. They like to explore their climbing frames, climbing high, going through tunnels and sliding down. They develop strength in their legs as they run up and down the mound, and enjoy being able to see the ambulances come and go from their view when they are high up. There is a satisfactory range of toys and equipment for them to use that includes bikes, cars, swing ball, football, tyres and provision for imaginary play. Activities are arranged for children so that they can experience digging in dirt and growing their own plants. Children also enjoy walks into the local wood, where they can climb on logs and follow paths in different directions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy being cared for in a friendly and secure environment. The main door is kept locked at all times and access to the premises is only through an intercom system or with the use of a fob that is issued by the manager. Children benefit from ample space in which to move about freely and to spread out with activities, and there are appropriate areas for rest and sleep. Children enjoy being able to independently access a satisfactory range of toys and resources that staff set out for them. Children are beginning to develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Staff reinforce the rules and boundaries that keep them safe and they occasionally practise the emergency escape plan.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Generally, children are well supervised by staff and there are appropriate procedures in place to promote safety. For example, risk assessments have been completed for the premises and these are reviewed annually. However, children's safety is compromised because they are exposed to potential hazards. The laundry facilities are situated within the same room as children's toilets and therefore they are able to gain unsupervised access to these facilities as they go to and from the toilets by themselves. Outside, the storage shed for unused and broken equipment is not locked and pools of open water have gathered in containers that have been

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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 left outside, and these are accessible to children. Although the procedures to be followed in the event of child being lost have just been added to the crèche's procedures, staff are not fully aware of them and this has the potential to impact on children's safety. Staff have a sound understanding of child protection issues and appropriate procedures are in place should their be concerns about a child's welfare, or an allegation made against a member of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy and settled in a caring atmosphere. They are confident as they explore their environment, accessing the satisfactory range of toys and resources that staff set out for them. Children enjoy the attentiveness of staff who play joyfully with them and talk to them about what they are doing. Babies and young children like snuggling in with staff to look at books and to share cuddles. Children are able to explore using their senses appropriately because staff plan sensory experiences for them. Babies are able to explore treasure baskets and have great fun using spoons and cups imaginatively. They play with a selection of clear bottles filled with a variety of different resources and coloured water. In addition, staff plan opportunities for children to explore various tactile materials such as sand, water, cooked spaghetti, jelly, foam and gloop.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies and young children enjoy playing with various age-appropriate resources such as cars, train tracks, toy farms and construction blocks. They regularly participate in adult-led and supported art and craft activities, and create using paints, make monster masks and firework pictures. Staff plan a satisfactory variety of activities for children in line with the 'Birth to three matters' framework, and there is appropriate documentation in place for assessing observations of children's achievements. However, outcomes for children are not maximised. This is because observations are not up-to-date and are not being used in order to effectively plan for children's next steps in play and development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Children make satisfactory progress because staff creatively plan interesting and stimulating activities for children. There is appropriate documentation in place for the assessment of children's starting points and progression through the Foundation Stage. However, outcomes for children are not maximised. Assessments of children's starting points are not up-to-date and are not used to plan for children's next steps in learning. Planning does not cover all areas and aspects of learning, or provide any detail of how the needs of children of different ages and abilities will be met. As a result, older and more able children are not always appropriately challenged to reach their full potential.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are enthusiastic and have very clear ideas about how they want to develop the use of observations, assessment and planning. They use an appropriate range of methods to support children in their learning. They sensitively become involved in children's play, sit and read books with them, ask them questions and engage them in conversation. They make learning fun for children as they make purposeful mistakes for children to laugh at and correct. For example, by naming the wrong colours for the bricks they are stacking that children then give them the correct names for. Children are confident and enjoy talking to adults. They talk about the things they are doing, what they do at home and who the people are that make up their families. Children are developing their self esteem as staff help them to feel valued. Staff make displays

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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 of children's families when they first start in the 'Red room' and choose children to be special helpers each day, ensuring that everyone gets an opportunity.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are interested in books and enjoy sitting down to look at these, making attempts to retell stories from the pictures. They are developing a clear understanding that print carries meaning and is read from top to bottom. For example, as they point out to staff when the page in the book is upside down. Children enjoy listening to stories and eagerly answer questions about ones they are familiar with. They like to sing songs and join in as they sing songs such as, 'Incy Wincy Spider'. Children are beginning to make their own marks and really enjoy using the mark making corner to draw pictures and to make early attempts at writing. Many children can count to ten and beyond and staff use opportunities throughout the daily routine to encourage children to count. For example, they count the number of children at circle time and the number of legs on the spider in the story. Children participate in regular cooking activities

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and enjoy decorating cakes for Halloween.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a sense of time and are aware of the changing season and the leaves falling from the trees. Each day they talk about the date, day of the week and the month. Staff plan and provide sensory experiences for children and they have lots of fun exploring their nature corner. In this corner they stand on logs, feel the crunch of Autumn leaves and twigs under their feet, and explore the collection of pine cones, conkers and acorns. Children enjoy opportunities to construct as they build with wooden blocks and have daily opportunities to be creative. For example, as they make collages using sticks and leaves, and blow through straws to make pictures of fireworks. Children are imaginative and enjoy role playing as they look after babies and tend the market stall in their room.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are included and have their individual care needs appropriately met. Staff acknowledge and value the importance of children's comforters in helping them to feel settled, and they are able to keep these with them throughout the day. Generally, children feel valued and acknowledged. Each child has a peg for their own belongings and staff are developing family albums for young children to have and look at whilst in the crèche. However, staff who care for children who speak English as an additional language are not always fully aware of children's first languages. Consequently, staff's ability to fully acknowledge and affirm each child's identity, and to effectively support their communication skills is limited.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are beginning to learn about their wider community and diversity. They enjoy regular walks to the local area, going to the woods, the countryside centre and around areas of the hospital. Children are often involved in fund raising events for local charities and staff plan activities to explore a selection of different cultural festivals. There are appropriate policies and procedures in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and there is a named special educational needs coordinator within the setting. Children are well behaved and they receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff. Consequently, children are keen to share, and break their bread sticks in half so that they can share them with their friends.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Generally, children enjoy continuity of care because parents are well informed about the crèche, the daily care routines and the activities that their children are involved in each day. Detailed information is provided through the crèche prospectus, regular newsletters, parent notice boards and the policies and procedures are clearly displayed. Babies and young children benefit

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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 from having their routines and activities effectively shared with parents through daily diaries. Parents are encouraged to play an active part in the setting. They are invited to become parent representatives and to attend crèche user group meetings, through which they can have their ideas for improvement discussed and implemented where possible.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are well informed about the activities that children participate in. Planning is clearly displayed for parents to see and a wipe board tells them what children have been doing that day. Newsletters also inform parents about the activities children will be involved in over the following term. Children benefit from seeing staff and parents forming positive relationships with one another and sharing information through daily chats. Parents are encouraged to become actively involved in their child's learning through participating in stay and play sessions. The 'red' room are also planning to further develop links with home through encouraging children to take turns to take home a visiting cuddly alien. They will keep a diary of the time the alien spends with them and share their adventures with their friends when they return to the crèche.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Generally, children are well cared for because the key worker system ensures that each child has a member of staff who takes a special interest in them and ensures that information is shared with their parents. Staff deployment positively contributes towards children's care and ability to take part in the crèche. Staff qualification requirements are met and many staff have completed first aid and child protection training. There are appropriate procedures in place for ensuring that staff are suitable to care for children. However, children's welfare is compromised because these procedures are not always followed. As a result, not all staff have completed a Criminal Records Bureau disclosure. There are appropriate documents in place to support children's care. However, not all documentation is used consistently. For example, systems for registering children and staff attendance are not consistently completed on a daily basis to

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Organisation

show the hours of attendance, and this has the potential to compromise children's safety.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is satisfactory. Staff are enthusiastic and have a clear vision for the improvements that they would like to make. For example, for the development of planning. However, children are not reaping the benefits of planned developments. This is because the monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum does not effectively plan for how strengths will be built upon and plans for improvement fully implemented. Children continue to make satisfactory progress because staff are committed. They are creative and plan a range of activities to interest and stimulate children. They participate in continuous professional development training and seek advice from the local mentor teacher.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to develop the use of documentation in regard to special educational needs, registration of staff and child attendance and parental consent for emergency medical treatment or advice. The provider has developed an appropriate special educational needs policy, and there is a named special educational needs coordinator within the setting who ensures that it is implemented. There are duplicate systems for monitoring and recording child and staff attendance on a daily basis. However, these are not always used consistently to show the exact times of attendance. As part of the registration process there

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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 are appropriate forms in place through which parents are asked to give permission for seeking emergency medical treatment. However, these have not been completed by all parents.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection of nursery education the provider was asked to review staff deployment in order to ensure that children are appropriately supported at all times, to improve short term planning and to follow through on plans for involving parents in their child's progress records. Since the last inspection a new team has been established to provide nursery education. They deploy themselves well throughout free play sessions in order to become involved in and support children's play. They sit and read stories with children one-to-one, help them to build with blocks and join them in their role play shop. Tidy up and change over times are appropriately managed so that children continue to receive sufficient adult support and have enough to do. Short term planning is currently under review and staff are aware of the need to incorporate all areas and aspects of learning as they develop it. Parents are well informed about children's

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Improvements since the last inspection

activities and achievements on a daily basis through chats with staff. There are plans to make time in the new year to invite parents to complete family contribution pages for children's Nursery Transfer Records, and these will be the basis for recording children's progress.

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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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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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 that all staff caring for children and likely to have unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so and have therefore undertaken background checks, including a Criminal Records Bureau disclosure • ensure that the system for registering children and staff attendance is consistently completed on a daily basis to show the hours of attendance • ensure that written consent for seeking emergency medical treatment is in place for all children • ensure that all accident and medication records are signed by parents

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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 • ensure that laundry facilities are inaccessible to children • ensure that staff are fully aware of the procedures to be followed in the event of a child becoming lost • ensure that children are protected from hazards in the outside area, particularly in reference to making pools of water and storage inaccessible to children.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that planning provides for all areas and aspects of learning and includes differentiation for children of different ages and abilities, particularly to challenge older and more able children • continue to develop the use of observations, assessment and planning in order to effectively plan for children's individual next steps in play, learning and development (also applies to care) • continue to develop systems for the monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum in order to effectively build upon strengths and to implement plans for areas for improvement.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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 nursery education

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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