Fun HouseOfsted inspection, 28 Oct 2005

Fun House

Inspection report for early years provision

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Fun House

Unique Reference Number EY242713 Inspection date 28 October 2005 Inspector Sheila Collins / Carol Readman

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Fun House

Setting Address Whitney Road, Daneshill Industrial Estate, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 8NS Telephone number 01256 471066

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E-mail

Registered person Fun House Ltd Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Full day 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 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?

Fun House Kidz Crew after school and holiday care club opened in 2003. An additional nursery facility opened in 2005. The Fun House is situated on an industrial estate between Old Basing and Basingstoke where the Fun house operates a soft play activity centre. The club have their own playrooms and toilets on the first floor and share some of the facilities of the Fun House. The nursery uses the playrooms when the older children are not attending. The group is registered for 50 children aged 5 to 8 years in after school club and 74

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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 children aged 5 to 8 years in the holiday care scheme. The group opens Monday - Friday 15:00-18:00 term time and 08:00-18:00 in school holidays. There are currently approximately 100 children on roll. The children attending the after school club are collected by transport from several schools. The club supports children with special educational needs. In addition, during term time, the Fun House have Tearaways nursery, which is registered for 26 children aged 2-5 years and is open between 8:00 and 18:00. There is currently 1 child on roll. There group employ seven members of staff. Of these, the provider and two full time members of staff hold appropriate qualifications. The group is supported by early years workers from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is inadequate. Children learn about the need for personal hygiene through the everyday routines such as hand washing before meals and after toileting. However, younger children find it hard to operate the taps in the upstairs toilet area so do not always wash their hands. Some areas used by the children during the day lack a satisfactory level of cleanliness, which compromises their health. Staff support children’s health within the setting, as they are aware of the procedures to follow if a child becomes unwell or has an accident that requires treatment. However not all the necessary information is available to staff as not all parents have completed the permission slips accurately. When recording details of accidents, staff and parents have on occasions failed to countersign these. Accidents that require further reporting are not referred to Ofsted. Children have regular drinks to maintain their health. The children have snacks in the

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Helping children to be healthy

morning, for example, toast and in the afternoon apples or biscuits. They choose what they would like to eat from the menu available at lunch time but there are very limited healthy choices, which few children select. Some children have to wait while their lunch is being cooked, whilst others are eating. Lack of space around the tables, waiting for lunch and children waiting for late starters to finish results in children becoming disruptive. Children enjoy physical exercise as they join in organised activities, playing on the soft play apparatus and dancing. However, there are limited opportunities for regular outside play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Children are unable to leave the building unattended. The staff greet the children and ensure that they are signed in and out appropriately.

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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 Some areas used by the children during the day lack a satisfactory level of cleanliness, which compromises their health. The toys and equipment in the base rooms are generally safe and suitable for the children, although limited. However, there is a lack of free choice. Some chairs in the computer room are the worse for wear and have foam exposed; children put their bags, coats and shoes on the floor in the corridor, which is a hazard. Base rooms are not always clean, set out and welcoming for the children. Staff carry out daily general safety checks on the soft play equipment, which ensures that it is safe for the children to use. However daily safety checks for other rooms used by the children are not always undertaken prior to the children arriving. Items such as fire doors remain locked or propped open, which

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

compromises the children's safety. Regular fire drills are carried out so that staff and children know what to do. However, the children's and staff's emergency contact details are not taken out with the registers. In an emergency, children are not adequately protected. Not all staff are secure in their understanding of child protection and working alone with children. Therefore, children's welfare is not adequately safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children arrive happily and settle quickly. They develop satisfactory relationships with staff and each other. They confidently approach staff. They generally play well together despite the limited resources in the playroom. Some of the older children support the younger ones in their play, for example, helping each other with the computers and face painting. However, some other older children are disruptive which spoils the enjoyment for others. The children are confident and enjoy the active time on the soft play. When not using the soft play equipment, most children are occupied adequately. All children enjoy their turns on the computer equipment and cooperate, take turns and work well together. Younger children enjoy the activities that are available, such as making collages, Halloween bats and face painting and playing with the racetrack. However, the lack of planning for and choice of activities, especially for the older children often

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The children benefit from the staff’s knowledge of their individual needs and likes and dislikes. Staff have a good awareness of the individual children and value them as individuals. They have access to the information about the children, provided by parents on the registration forms but not all of these were available at the inspection. There are procedures in place to support children with special needs and staff are aware of the importance of working with parents to ensure children benefit from their time in the club.

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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 Children are becoming aware of the wider society through the range of toys and resources available within the provision. However, these are limited. Most children generally behave appropriately and respond positively to staff. They know the rules in place for their safety and enjoyment. For example, they know that they should let staff know when they are leaving the activity to go to the toilet and to listen to what staff are saying as it could be important. Staff praise and encourage children for their efforts and achievements which builds on their self-esteem and self-confidence. For example, a younger child climbed to top level of the soft play equipment and a staff member congratulated her for her achievement. Children playing on the computer together received praise for helping each other to achieve a

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Helping children make a positive contribution

different level within the game, which they had not reached before. Children learn to manage their own behaviour as they sort out minor differences, with positive language and sensitive support from staff. However, some older children are disruptive, are not good role models for the younger children, and spoil the children’s enjoyment of activities. Relationships with parents are informal and friendly. Parents receive limited written information about the club and the activities. Information for parents, for example the certificate of registration and insurance, is displayed on the parent’s notice board in corridor outside the upstairs base rooms. However, not all parents go upstairs as they leave their children with the staff in the reception area, so they do not have access to this information. Copies of the policies for the clubs are kept at the reception desk for parents to read, but these are not comprehensive.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The provider uses adequate general recruitment procedures to appoint new staff. However, due to lack of organisation, personnel who have not yet had confirmation of suitability, in particular criminal records bureau checks, work unsupervised with the children. This potentially puts children at risk from non-vetted adults. The organisation of the sessions and planning of activities does not cater for the wide age range of children attending. The setting does not meet the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Most mandatory records are in place, but not all maintained satisfactorily. Not all children's registration forms have been fully completed and these are not stored securely. Some accident records are not countersigned by parents and some entries not signed by staff. Registration system clearly shows when children are present, showing times of children's arrival and departure. However, as this is the only record

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Organisation

taken out when fire drills are practised, there is insufficient detail for contacting parents in such an emergency. Information for parents, such as the certificate of registration and public liability insurance is displayed on the parents’ notice board in the upstairs corridor. As not all parents go upstairs this is not accessible to all. The policies and procedures that are in place are not comprehensive for parents, for example, there is no lost child policy.

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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, two recommendations were made. The first was to increase good hygiene practice by encouraging children to wash hands prior to snack time, which has been achieved as staff remind children to wash their hands before eating. The second was to increase the children's independence by allowing children to freely access toys and resources. This is ongoing and has again been raised at this inspection.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since April 2004, Ofsted has received two complaints about the provision. The first related to standard 2, the ratio of staff to children. Ofsted investigated by an unannounced visit. As a result of the investigation that took place, the provider remains qualified for registration. The second complaint related to standard 6 and concerned inadequate supervision when transporting children. Ofsted asked the provider to carry out an internal investigation and report their findings back in a written response, which they did. Ofsted was satisfied with the outcome of this investigation and the provider remains qualified for registration. 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 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: • review the organisation of the sessions and planning of activities to cater for the wide age range of children attending and to ensure that staff who have not been fully checked are not left alone with the children • ensure that all areas to be used by the children are clean prior to their arrival

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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 • conduct a risk assessment of the premises daily, prior to the arrival of children to ensure that there are no hazards for the children and that their safety is not compromised • review the organisation at lunchtimes • review the records that are held to ensure that they are completed correctly and stored confidentially and make all policies available and accessible to parents 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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