DCLM Community Project

DCLM Community Project

Inspection report for early years provision

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DCLM Community Project

Unique Reference Number EY245107 Inspection date 12 October 2005 Inspector Janice Linsdell

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DCLM Community Project

Setting Address Centre of Excellence, Solway Street East, Liverpool, Merseyside, L8 0TY Telephone number 0151 709 6245 E-mail dclmproject@yahoo.co.uk Registered person DCLM Community Project Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Out of School care

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DCLM Community Project

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?

DCLM Community Project opened in March 2005. It is an out of school club run by a church committee and operates from a church hall situated in the Toxteth area of Liverpool. Premises consist of a play room, kitchen and toilet facilities. There is no outdoor play area available. The club opens Monday to Friday, from 15.00 to 18.00 during school term time and 08.30 to 17.30 during school holidays. It serves children from the local community. A maximum of 24 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 17 children

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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 aged from 4 to under 8 years on roll, although children up to the age of 14 years may attend. The club employs three staff. The manager is qualified to NVQ level 2 in childcare and education.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is inadequate. Children are cared for in a reasonably healthy environment. The premises are generally kept clean and tidy, except for the kitchen area. Children develop some understanding of good hygiene practices, as staff encourage them to wash hands before snack and after using the toilet. However, some procedures to promote children's health and welfare are insufficient with regard to recording accidents, administering medication and the care of sick children. Children's safety is further compromised as none of the staff who work in the club are trained in emergency first aid. Children are provided with a snack, which usually consists of toast and a drink of juice. Fruit is occasionally provided, but snack provision is limited in choice and variation. Children have free access to drinks of juice, as they help themselves drinks set out for them on the table. This helps them to keep hydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have limited opportunities to develop their physical well-being through regular exercise. Younger children enjoy using the space hoppers to bounce and jump and use a limited selection of equipment to practice their climbing skills. However, older children do not engage in any active play. There is no outdoor area available and staff do not plan any indoor physical activity games to encourage children's balance, co-ordination and physical fitness.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. The play room provides sufficient space to enable children to feel relaxed in familiar surroundings. Children have access to a very limited range of resources, which are generally kept safe and in reasonable condition. Children begin to learn about some aspects of safety, as staff remind them to be careful and not to fight or hurt each other. Staff supervise the children to keep them safe on the premises, however children's safety is compromised because staff show limited awareness and understanding of safety issues and requirements. Procedures are insufficient in identifying and minimising risks to children's safety and there are no clear procedures in place for lost or uncollected children. Hazards in relation to the security of the main entrance, transporting children in vehicles and accessible cleaning materials means that children are exposed to potential risks.

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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 are generally kept safe from harm. The manager has completed some training regarding child protection and is clear about her role in protecting children from abuse. There is a detailed child protection policy in place which also helps to safeguard children's welfare, but the government booklet regarding child protection procedures is not available.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is inadequate. Children have a set routine which focuses around snack time, completing homework and free play. When homework is completed, children can choose to play a board game, play on the computers or watch a video. Younger children show some interest in what they do, as they enjoy making up their own games and playing imaginatively together for short periods. However, most children spend their time aimlessly during the session, particularly older children. The range of activities provided are inadequate for the children attending and ineffective in promoting their development. The lack of age-appropriate resources available to support children's play, learning and enjoyment means that children are not appropriately challenged or stimulated. Children show limited enthusiasm about the club and comment that it is boring and there is nothing much for them to do. Most of the children who attend are related and friendships in the group are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

established. However, there is limited interaction, support and guidance from staff, which means that some children are unsettled and disinterested.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is inadequate. Children attend from the local community which is diverse in terms of race, culture and religion. This contributes to children's understanding of diversity and equality issues. All children attending are well known to staff, which encourages their sense of belonging and helps to ensure that their basic care needs are met. Children begin to develop some confidence and respect for others because staff expect children to behave well. This means that most children are generally courteous to adults and mostly to each other. However, mainly due to the lack of stimulation during the session, some younger children present difficult and challenging behaviour, which is not always managed effectively by staff. This restricts their overall ability to make a positive contribution to the setting. Partnership with parents is generally satisfactory in helping to promote children's care and welfare. Staff are mostly related to or friends with parents of the children

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Helping children make a positive contribution

attending. Some information about the club is provided for parents and newsletters keep them up-to-date with issues and events in the club. This goes some way in promoting continuity of care for the children.

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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 inadequate. Children's health, safety and development is compromised due to the lack of staff training, appropriate qualifications and understanding of the requirements under the National Standards. Staff vetting procedures are not robust enough to ensure the suitability of staff working with children. The limited range of activities and lack of stimulation for children are insufficient in helping them to enjoy and achieve. As a result, outcomes for children are unsatisfactory. Policies and procedures are not effective enough to promote children's care and welfare. Some required policies have not been devised and not all records are kept on site and made available for inspection. Overall, the provision does not meet the needs of the children who attend.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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: • make sure enough staff are qualified in first aid to ensure that at least one member of staff with a current first aid certificate is on the premises or on outings at any one time

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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 • assess the risks to children in relation to security of the premises, transport arrangements and hazards on the premises and take action to minimise these • plan and provide a suitable range of activities for children, which are appropriate for their stage of development and based on their individual needs. Increase the range of resources available to support children's play, learning and enjoyment • ensure that there are effective procedures in place for checking that staff are suitable to work with children and make sure that unvetted staff do not have unsupervised access to children • develop and implement an action plan that sets out how the manager will achieve a level 3 qualification and how staff training and qualification requirements will be met • ensure that all required records, policies and procedures relating to day care

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The quality and standards of the care

activities are in place, well organised and available for inspection at all times. 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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