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 28 June 2006 Inspector Margaret Patricia Mellor

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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 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?

DCLM Community Project was registered in March 2005. It is run by a church committee and operates from a church hall situated in the Toxteth area of Liverpool. Children access the play room for their care and activities. There is no outdoor play area. The setting serves children living in the local community. A maximum of 24 children aged from three to under eight years may attend at any one time. The out of schools club opens Monday to Friday term time from 15.00 to 18.00 hours and in the holidays from 08.30 to 17.30 hours. There are currently 16 children on roll aged from four to 15 years.

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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 setting employs two staff and one has a relevant qualification in childcare. A volunteer prepares the children's snacks. They receive support from Sure Start Services of Liverpool Children's Services and subscribe to the Ofsted website.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a generally healthy and clean environment. The staff follow effective health and hygiene procedures, which helps to prevent the spread of cross infection so children remain well. They act in children's best interests when they are ill and store medication in an accessible place out of children's reach. Children's accidents are dealt with appropriately as one staff holds a relevant first aid certificate and there are appropriate procedures for checking the contents of the first aid box. Children's understanding of the importance of personal hygiene is fostered and encouraged as staff explain why being hygienic is important. Children talk confidently about how washing their hands helps get rid of germs so they stay well. Children's dietary needs are met because staff provide a healthy afternoon snack and children enjoy plenty of fresh fruit every day. This increases children's

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Helping children to be healthy

awareness of a range of tastes and textures. Children bring a packed lunch during the holidays, which contributes to their dietary needs and parent's wishes. Drinking water is readily available and children gain independence as they help themselves when thirsty that benefits their health. Children are provided with satisfactory opportunities to be physically active through regular exercise although there is no outdoor play area. They have plenty of fun as they bounce on the space hoppers, skip, move to music, climb and crawl through the play tunnel. This contributes to children's coordination and spatial awareness skills. Children relish tactile and manipulative activities, such as drawing, cutting and painting, which builds on their fine motor skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children play in a generally safe, secure and familiar environment. There are satisfactory procedures in place to maintain children's safety from unknown persons. This is supported by the door bell to alert staff of parents' arrival and procedures for the collection of children in an emergency. Children gain independence as they move freely and safely in the setting because staff carry out regular written premises check. All safety equipment is in place, such as cupboard locks housing cleaning materials. This helps to minimise the risk of children accidentally injuring themselves. There are effective procedures for keeping children safe, whilst transporting them in a vehicle and on outings. Children's understanding of personal safety is promoted because they regularly

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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 practice what to do in the event of a fire, and through the staffs gently reminders to pick up the toys so they do not trip. Staff have a satisfactory understanding of indicators of abuse and the procedures to follow should they wish to report a concern. There is a well written child protection policy, which further safeguards children's well-being. Children enjoy freedom of movement in the setting because there is sufficient space, which staff organise well. Although children have access to a satisfactory range of toys that are suitable for their age while providing them with some challenges there is scope for further improvement. The toys, games and resources are adequately maintained because the staff follow appropriate health and safety procedures, so children remain safe. Staff set out a few resources as children arrive and children

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

confidently ask for other toys that appeal to them. All children relax in comfort with their friends because the furniture and comfy floor cushions are suitable for the ages of children who attend.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are confident and settle well because the staff provide a friendly environment. All children eagerly enter the club and friendships in the group are established as most of the children are related. They are polite and considerate to one another as they willingly share the toys and readily take turns on the pool table. Children talk fondly about their family, friends and what they did at the weekend. They have a sense of belonging and are proud of their achievements, which they eagerly share with others. Children have a positive relationship with staff who spend time talking and listening to them. This means that children are confident to make their needs known to the adults. Overall, children have a sound understanding of how to behave and keep themselves healthy and safe. Children are involved in a satisfactory range of play opportunities that engage their interests. This is supported by the planning systems implemented by staff, who

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

effectively use information from the children and their parents to plan activities. Children have a set routine, which focuses around snack time, completing homework and free play when they choose activities that appeal to them. They eagerly join in a creative activities, such as writing or reading and extend their imagination as they role play. Children enjoy a range of media as they listen to music, finger paint and experience different food textures at snack time. Younger children show plenty of patience as they skilfully manoeuvre the mouse on the computer to draw their self image. Older children particularly relish a game of chess with their friends, promoting healthy competition. All children regularly visit the library to choose books that appeal to them. This contributes to their out of school experiences.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children play well together and are well known to staff, which helps to ensure that

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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 their care needs are met. They are very familiar with the building and comfortable with their easy and relaxed relationships with staff. This helps promote children's sense of belonging. Children attend from the local community, which is diverse in terms of race, culture and religion. This contributes to children's understanding of equality issues. Children are occupied and as a result behave well. They develop confidence and respect for others because staff have high expectations of children as they offer praise so children know what they have done well. Children are developing their social skills and respect for others. They have a clear understanding of the club rules and acceptable behaviours. This means that children show consideration to others through their interactions with their peers and adults.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is satisfactory in helping to promote children's care and welfare. Staff are mostly related to or friends with parents of the children attending. Parents are provided with general information about the club and newsletters keep them up-to-date with forthcoming activities. There is sharing of information at going home time as parents engage in easy conversation with staff about their children. Parents comment positively about their children's care, safety, staff and out of school activities. This contributes to children's continuity and the quality of care offered.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a generally safe and satisfactorily equipped environment because the staff show willingness to the development of the service. There are well written policies, such as sick children and lost or uncollected children. There are effective procedures for maintaining records of children's attendances, accidents or medication. This helps to promote children's care and welfare. All the relevant documentation is in place, which is kept on site and made available for inspection. Although there are some inconsistencies in the visitors records, and there are no complaints records should parents wish to report a concern. Children benefit from the appropriate adult-child ratios and are well supported in the setting. They are generally well protected because staff ensure that they are only collected by authorised people, and non-vetted persons are not allowed access to

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Organisation

them. There is a satisfactory system for the recruitment and vetting of adults who work with the children. Staff show a willingness to go on training courses to broaden their knowledge of child development, which contributes to the quality of care offered. Children are cared for in a family group setting and informal key-working supports small group activities, so that children's experiences are happy and positive. They are assisted to develop their independence and build on their friendships because the staff have organised resources adequately to meet the children's needs. Staff plan the activities appropriately so that children benefit from structured activities and self initiated play. Information is shared with parents regularly promoting children's continuity of care. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it

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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 provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection six actions were raised to meet the standards and improve the quality of care for children. These related to health; safety; care, learning and play; suitability and organisation. They have introduced risk assessment of the premises; improved security of the premises and the arrangements for transporting children in a vehicle; ensured one member of staff has a relevant first aid certificate; implemented an action plan that sets out how the manager will achieve a Level 3 qualification; made available all required records for inspection; introduced effective procedures for checking that staff are suitable to work with the children and unvetted staff do not have unsupervised access to them; taken steps to plan a suitable range of activities for children; and increased the range of resources to support children's care, learning and play. This has safeguarded children and improved the quality of

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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 complaint 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): • continue to increase the range of children's play materials • review the visitors records • devise and implement complaints records in line with new guidelines.

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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:

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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 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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