Children's Place Dewsbury

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/08/2004 Inspector Name Angela Margaret Ellis

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name The Children's Place Ltd Setting Address Dewsbury & District Hospital, Halifax Road Dewsbury West Yorkshire WF13 4HS

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name The Childrens Place Ltd Address The Poplars, Free School Lane Halifax West Yorkshire HX1 2YE

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

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 THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality and standard of day care. When making judgements, inspectors have regard to how well the provider meets the National Standards for under Eights Day Care and Childminding. A list of these is attached. The report identifies strengths and areas for improvement. This inspection report must be made available to all parents.

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Information about the setting

The Children's Place Nursery Ltd has been registered since 1991. It is one of a group of nurseries owned by Deborah Burke and Karen Walker who form part of the senior management team. The nursery is situated in the grounds of Dewsbury District Hospital. It is a purpose built building which has an adjacent fully enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open week days from 07:00 until 18:00. The nursery is registered to care for nine children under 2 years and 26 over 2 years. At present there are 65 children on roll of which nine four year olds and nine three year olds are in receipt of nursery education funding. There are systems in place to support children with special educational needs and children for whom English is an additional language. The day to day running of the nursery is the responsibility of the nursery manager. There are six staff who have the appropriate level of childcare qualifications, with

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Information about the setting

three staff working towards this. The Nursery have been accredited with the National Day Nursery Association " Quality Counts" kite mark and the " Investors in people" award. There are systems in place for the nursery to receive advisory support from the Local Authority.

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How good is the Day Care?

The Children's Place provides a good standard of care. The nursery is well organised and staff are led by an effective management team. A thorough induction system ensures that staff and trainees are conversant with all the policies and procedures, which are reviewed regularly. The monitoring of their implementation is insufficient at times, particularly the recording of children's arrival and departures. A very effective appraisal system ensures that staff are well supported and good opportunities are in place for training. There is good deployment of staff, who work well and undertake areas of responsibility which ensures the efficient running of the nursery. The space is creatively organised into defined areas of play which are well equipped with resources. The environment is stimulating, welcoming and safe in which good

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How good is the Day 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 hygienic routines are in place. Exciting topics are explored through planning taking into account children's individual needs. Good use of questioning techniques facilitates children's learning. An effective key worker system enables staff to identify children's individual needs and has regard to "birth to three matters" framework and the "foundation stage". Their progress is well recorded, this informs future planning for the next step of learning and continues to be developed. Meals are thoroughly planned with an emphasis in developing nutritionally balanced menus, using a good proportion of fresh ingredients. A strong emphasis on equal opportunities is evident and there are good opportunities to learn about other cultures and beliefs through activities and resources displayed. Partnership with

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How good is the Day Care?

parents is a strong feature. They are provided with very good opportunities to be involved in their child's learning and provided with a good level of information about the service.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Good progress has been made since the last inspection. The operational plan been successfully devised by the manager. It is available to staff and parents. This ensures that everyone is kept informed of any changes and they can work together for the effective management and organisation of the nursery which benefits the care and education of the children. One other major factor that is in place is the children's constant access to drinking water throughout the day. The introduction of this system is very successful. It encourages the children's independent decision making and the development of new skills, in particular hand eye co-ordination.

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What is being done well?

• The effective leadership and management. They are highly motivated to continuing to develop the quality of service they offer.There are effective systems in place to achieve this, for example, staff supervision, appraisals and an extensive training programme. They are committed to providing an environment in which children are safe, well cared for and supported in their learning and development. • The teams' good interaction with the children, they are effectively deployed and work directly at the children's level talking, listening and asking questions as well as giving praise and encouragement for their achievements. There are good systems in place for assessing children's progress which enables key workers to identify the needs of each individual child and plan their next step of development. • The stimulating, welcoming environment which staff endeavour to achieve, making good use of space. Through providing a good range of toys, activities

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What is being done well?

and equipment covering all areas of learning. These are well organised in defined areas of play that are stored, presented and labelled to a good standard.

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What is being done well?

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 high priority that is given by staff to conducting safety and hygiene risk assessments within the nursery to reduce risks of hazards and spread of infection. There is strong emphasis placed on developing nutritionally balanced menus, using fresh ingredients which are hygienically prepared on the premises. • The strong emphasis on equal opportunities throughout the nursery with the opportunities for children to learn about other cultures through a variety of resources and activities. • The high priority given to working in partnership with parents. This includes good opportunities for parents to be involved in their child's learning through regular liaison with staff daily, open evenings and the parents forum.

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What needs to be improved?

• the documentation by ensuring staff implement all the policies and procedures effectively in particularly the recording of the arrival and departure of children • continue to update staff knowledge and understanding of childcare practices to further enhance the good service already provided.

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 14 Ensure that all staff implement the policies and procedures effectively. This is pertinent to the documentation in particularly the recording of the arrival and departure of children.

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by the time of the next 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

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

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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