Mandeville Primary School

Y's Kids Out of School Care

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Y's Kids Out of School Care

Unique Reference Number 100261 Inspection date 06 February 2006 Inspector Christine Eglinton

p.1

Y's Kids Out of School Care

Setting Address Rush Green Road, Romford, Essex, RM7 0PH

p.1

E-mail

Registered person Alison Anne Louise Fordham Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Out of School care, Crèche

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Y's Kids out of school care is run by the YMCA and operates a creche, after School Club and holiday Play Scheme. It opened in 1994 and operates from the Romford YMCA building situated in Rush Green Road on the outskirts of Romford. The YMCA is a Christian charitable organisation serving the local community. The crèche and after school club are held in one of the rooms situated on the ground floor, with children over 8 years attending the after school club using 2 rooms on the first floor.

p.2

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 crèche operates Monday to Friday throughout the year from 9.15 a.m. - 15.00 p.m. The after school club caters for children aged 4-11 years and collects children from local schools. The after school club is open from 15.00 to 18.00 during term time. The holiday play scheme is registered for a maximum of 110 children aged 4-11 years and operates during school holidays. There are currently 54 children on roll under 8 years. The setting employs 22 staff. Of these staff, 12 hold appropriate qualifications. The other 10 staff are currently working towards a qualification.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a warm and clean environment. Children’s health is generally promoted through suitable procedures and staff’s appropriate hygiene practices. Staff follow good hygiene procedures when serving food and changing babies nappies, such as wearing protective gloves. This helps to prevent the spread of infection. Staff monitor hand washing after toileting and before snack time, which helps children learn good hygiene practices. Older children are able to confidently explain how to reduce the risk of passing on germs. However, staff do not always consistently encourage children to follow appropriate hand washing procedures, because they do not always provide them with suitable cleaning and hand drying resources. Consequently, children are not consistently being protected from the risk of cross infection. A high ratio of staff hold a current first aid certificate, which enables children to be

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

given appropriate care if there is an accident. Appropriate sick child procedures such as excluding children who are infectious, helps to prevent the spread of infectious ailments. Staff gather all relevant information regarding diet and medical history, to ensure children’s individual dietary and medical needs are met. Children receive a healthy range of snacks which encourages them to develop healthy eating practices. For example, older children in the after school club enjoy making fresh fruit kebabs. Children are given drinks with their snacks and can ask staff for more, but are not able to independently help themselves to drinks. This does not give children the initiative to think about their own personal needs. Opportunities for children to be active, learn to control their bodies and develop their physical skills are good. Children have great fun jumping up and down in the bouncy castle and ball crawl, and they are able to practice their climbing and balancing skills,

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

when they play on the large physical apparatus. Young babies benefit from cosy corners with soft furnishings in the crèche, where they are able to snuggle in with staff and other children, which support their emotional development. Children enjoy being physically active when they sing action songs, and babies are well supported and encouraged to become mobile, by staff using suitable resources and positive encouragement.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit from playing in a welcoming and well-organised environment which enables them to move around safely and freely. Children use a wide range of good quality toys and resources appropriate to their age and stage of development. This helps to offer children good challenges during their play, and helps to sustain their interest. Suitable routines and gentle reminders help children to learn about safety. For example, staff help children understand how to keep safe when walking back from school, by using clear procedures which are understood by the children. Regular fire drills help children become familiar with the procedure, so they learn how to leave the premises quickly and safely. There are good systems in place for the safe arrival and departure of children, and children benefit from staff regularly checking the equipment to ensure toys and resources remain in good condition.

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from a suitable range of safety measures within the setting such as radiator covers, and low level safety glass. However, staff do not always carry out a risk assessment when they plan activities for the older children, to enable them to identify and quickly address potential hazards. Consequently, this results in children safety being compromised when they take part in some of the planned activities. There are good systems in place to ensure that children only leave the group with known approved adults. Staff have basic understanding of child protection which means they are alert to the signs and symptoms that may cause concern however, they are not always following the procedure for recording existing injuries. Consequently, this does not promote and safeguard children’s welfare in the setting.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are confident and self-assured in the club’s and crèche welcoming environment. They enjoy their time in the crèche and at the end of the school day when they can relax or be active in accordance with their needs and interests. Activities are laid out for the children and children can choose other toys and resources which are not readily accessible. Children are interested in the activities available and spend time concentrating on self-chosen activities. Younger children enjoy role play and have great fun dressing up in ballerina’s costumes, and take great delight in twirling their bodies around. Staff are very enthusiastic and engage children’s well during planned activities, which are linked to different themes and topics. For instance, children discuss different types of planets and moons with the staff while making space rockets, and enjoy decorating their planets with coloured pens and pencils. Staff display children’s creative work

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

attractively, which shows that their achievements and efforts are valued. Younger children enjoy singing songs, and are very confident in reciting their own

p.4

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 favourite songs or rhymes, in front of the children and staff who praise their efforts. This helps children develop good self-esteem and helps to develop their confidence. Staff regularly evaluate the activities they provide, to ensure the children take part in activities that offer suitable challenge, and promote their well-being and development.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff treat children with respect and use lots of praise and encouragement to promote their self-esteem. Staff encourage all children to participate in the activities provided. This ensures children have equal opportunities to maximise their enjoyment and potential. Children gain an understanding of the wider world through celebrating different cultural festivals, and some of the resources reflect positive images of diversity. This helps children to learn to acknowledge and accept differences. Staff use appropriate strategies according to the age and stage of development, to help children understand right from wrong. Older children in the after school club have been involved in the setting of ground rules, which helps them take responsibility for their own behaviour. Consequently children behave well, and show good awareness of social rules such as sharing and taking turns during group play.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Relationships with parents are friendly and supportive and they are encouraged to settle their children into the crèche. Parents provide appropriate and relevant information about their children to the staff to help ensure children receive individual care and attention.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from a well-organised environment where they receive good adult support to help them feel secure and confident. There are effective recruitment procedures in place to ensure that staff are appropriately vetted and qualified. The induction, training programme, and regular staff meetings, ensures staff work well as a team to promote children’s health, enjoyment and achievement. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Information kept about children is relevant and helps to promote their welfare. Although most of the required documentation is in place, some of it lacks detail. The daily record of children’s attendance has been maintained but sometimes lacks details of times of departure times, and accident records for the holiday play scheme sometimes lacks parent’s signature. This does not guarantee that policies and

p.5

Organisation

procedures are being used to promote children’s welfare.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to increase the selection of equipment

p.5

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 for babies reflecting equality, and was asked to provide more opportunities for creative and sensory development in the baby room. They were also asked to ensure that parents were kept informed of any outcomes following a complaint. Babies now benefit from a range of sensory play experiences, which helps to support their creative development, and helps children to enjoy and achieve. The setting is working towards implementing a wider range of play materials for the younger children, to help them value diversity and enable them to make a positive contribution to the wider community. The setting has now developed a clear complaints procedure which ensures parents are kept informed of outcomes within required time limits. This enables the setting to promote positive outcomes in

p.5

Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection Ofsted has received one complaint relating to Standard 12: Working in partnership with parents. The complaint related to the complaints procedure and not keeping parents informed of the outcome. Ofsted carried out an investigation on 24 August 2004 and found no evidence that the provider was not complying with the national standards. However weaknesses were noted in how parents were being informed of the outcome following a complaint. A recommendation was set which required the provider to make sure that parents were kept informed of any outcomes following a complaint. The provider remains qualified for registration. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by the parents, which they must see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

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.

p.6

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 there are suitable hand washing and drying facilities available for children to promote their good health • make sure staff carry out appropriate risk assessments when planning activities to identify what action needs to be taken to eliminate or minimise the

p.6

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 risk or hazard • make sure staff are following and putting into practice the child protection procedure • make sure the times of departure for children is consistently recorded on a daily basis, and improve accident recording systems for the holiday play scheme to ensure parents sign the accident record

p.6

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

p.7

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

p.7