Little Dreams Day Nursery

Little Dreams Day Nursery 393 Ashford Road, STAINES, Middlesex, TW18 1QG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/09/2013 11/10/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The provider has a poor understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is failing to meet several requirements. This undermines children's safety, well-being and development. Furthermore, the provider has failed to inform Ofsted of a serious incident involving the safety of a child. This is an offence.  Trocedures to safeguard children are not effective. New staff are not secure in their knowledge of signs and symptoms of child protection concerns, or of the action to take in the case of a concern about a member of staff. The provider has failed to protect children following an allegation against a member of staff.  Staff are not adequately deployed to supervise children appropriately and the key person system is poorly managed. The provider cannot demonstrate that staff to child ratios have been met consistently in the nursery. This undermines children's safety,

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This provision is inadequate

well-being and development.  She provider has failed to evaluate her practice to identify or address serious weaknesses. Some records have been removed from the premises and staff are unable to guarantee confidentiality. The provider cannot produce some required records.  Staff do not plan for children's individual needs and interests and are unable to demonstrate how they assess children's progress.

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It has the following strengths

 There are some suitable arrangements to support children's health in the nursery.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to staff, children and parents during the inspection.  The inspector observed staff and children in all rooms of the nursery and outdoors.  The inspector spoke to the provider about the running of the nursery.  The inspector looked at documentation available, including policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Little Dreams Day Nursery registered in 2012. The nursery is one of three nurseries located in Surrey and Hounslow, operated by an individual provider. The nursery operates from a two storey house in Staines, Middlesex. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery cares for a maximum of 50 children within the early years age group. The nursery opens five days a week, all year round. Operating hours are from 7.30am to 6pm. There are currently 39 children aged between eight months and five years on roll. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The proprietor also currently manages the nursery; she has a National Vocational Qualification at level 6 in childcare and is in the final stages of completing the Early Years Professional

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Information about the setting

Status. In addition, a team of two staff currently work with the children. One member of staff has a National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in childcare and the other staff member is qualified at level 2.

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enforcement action:

We have issued Welfare Requirements Notices that require the provider to:

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enforcement action:

ensure that staffing arrangements meet the needs of all children to ensure their safety and ensure that children are adequately supervised by sufficiently qualified staff in all areas of the premises

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enforcement action:

demonstrate ratios are consistently met, as set out in the requirements for the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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enforcement action:

ensure that confidential information and records about staff and children are held securely and only accessible and available to those who have a right or professional need to see them

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enforcement action:

assign each child a key person so that every child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs, to offer a settled relationship for children and build a relationship with their parents; inform parents of the name of the key person and their role when a child starts attending a setting, and ensure that all staff are aware of who their key children are

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enforcement action:

implement a policy and procedures to safeguard children, including following the action to be taken in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff ensure that the provider follows their policy with regards to ensuring that practitioners are not under the influence of alcohol or any other substance which may affect their ability to care for children

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enforcement action:

ensure there is a named deputy who is capable and qualified to take charge in the manager's absence

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enforcement action:

maintain the daily record of the children being cared for on the premises, their hours of attendance and the names of each child's key person and ensure these records are easily accessible and available.

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must:

 ensure you maintain the required records and they are easily accessible and available, including information on all staff qualifications

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must:

 ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and ensure that all staff receive effective induction training, especially with regards to child protection

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must:

 ensure appropriate arrangements are in place for the supervision of staff who have contact with children and families

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must:

 provide support, coaching and training for staff to promote the interests of children, and foster a culture of mutual support, teamwork and continuous improvement which encourages the confidential discussion of sensitive issues

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must:

 ensure that staff observe children to understand their level of achievement, interests and learning styles, and then shape learning experiences for each child reflecting those observations

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must:

 ensure that each area of learning and development is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity and that staff respond to each child's emerging needs and interests, guiding their development through warm, positive interaction

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who attend

The nursery is failing to meet several learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Consequently, educational experiences for children are poor. The staff are unable to demonstrate how children make progress across the areas of learning during their time in the nursery. Assessments of children, and conversations with staff, do not show that staff understand children's needs, or their starting points when they join. This means that staff are unable to demonstrate how they support children to progress. Also, the provider has failed to promote their safety and well-being adequately, or to establish a staff team who are aware of their roles and responsibilities. This means that children do not feel secure enough in the nursery to meet their personal, social and emotional needs. As a result, some children become easily distressed and are not able to focus on activities.

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who attend

As the group of children attending is small, the staff have grouped them together for circle times. However, the member of staff does not differentiate the activities at this time for older and younger children. This means that the younger children find it difficult to concentrate during circle time and are unable to focus on what is happening. They become bored, and distracted by things around them. Also, the children tend to be grouped in the room for babies and toddlers. This means that older children do not have many opportunities to play with age appropriate resources that challenge their development. Resources in the rooms have not been provided with regard to the children who are attending that day. For example, a large part of the room is taken up with 'baby gyms' that are designed for very young babies who are lying down or just sitting up. As all the children present are walkers, this does not interest them at all. Children sometimes

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who attend

pick up books and look at them, and some staff sit and read to children. However, because staff are caring for large groups of children, while other staff carry out tasks away from the children, activities are often disrupted by the needs of distressed children. As a result, children do not develop a positive approach to learning and they are not able to develop strategies to solve problems and to think critically. Staff do not promote children's communication well. While staff participate in some of children's play, they do not use open questions, or give children enough time to answer to develop their speaking and critical thinking skills. As a result, children are not developing strong communication and language skills to support them as they move to school.

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who attend

The provider, who is also the manager, uses some suitable teaching techniques. For example, she uses everyday routines to encourage children to recognise numbers and think about simple ideas, such as 'how many pieces of apple have we got' when she cuts an apple up for snack time. However, other staff do not follow her lead, and although they introduce numbers, words and songs at planned group times, these times fail to capture the interests of all children, as the age group is so mixed. As a result, several children are not involved during this time as it is too long, and the activity is not pitched at their ages and stages of development. Staff also have a poor understanding of children's individual needs and do not pay enough attention to children's likes and dislikes. For example, they make children go outside with the rest of the group, instead of recognising that children are focused on a particular activity. As a result some children become very distressed.

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who attend

Once outside, while staff make some efforts to comfort these children, they do not encourage them to become involved in something else for several minutes and some children are poorly occupied in this area. This undermines children's ability to feel safe and valued in the nursery. As a result, overall, children make little progress.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The key person system does not work effectively to ensure that all children's individual needs are met. Children who are new to the setting do not have continuity of care between their home and the setting. Some staff do not know who their key children are and therefore do not offer them enough stability to settle in properly. The key persons do not spend enough time with their key children to help them as they learn to leave their parents and settle into the nursery. Consequently, new children find it hard to settle and are distressed. On the day of inspection, most of the children are new to the setting and are struggling to become familiar with it. Some parents do not know who their child's key person is, and staff are not sure who they have specific responsibility for. As a result, staff do not know what new children need as they settle in. This is partly because the staff team has changed significantly in the two months before inspection. Also, there is no

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

evidence to show that ratios have been maintained to the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage during the time between inspections. This is because staff registers do not include the provider who is also the manager of the nursery. As the number of children settling in to the nursery is high, and these children have no familiar person to make them feel safe, some children are distressed in the nursery. While staff make some efforts to comfort these children, these efforts sometimes have little effect because staff are trying to comfort several children at once. As a result, staff are unable to give enough attention to any child who needs it.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff are poorly deployed to meet the needs of a challenging group of children. For example, one very new staff member is left in the garden with nine children while another member of staff is inside with a small group, and another member of staff makes lunch. One child becomes very distressed in the garden and their key person is inside, which makes it difficult for the key person to get to the child quickly to comfort them. This means that children do not learn to make close relationships in the nursery. Also, as activities are not well planned to occupy children as they settle, staff give children little direction beyond planned circle times. Resources are not planned with the needs of the children present in mind and as a result, children are poorly engaged or focused for much of their time in the nursery. This means that children do not learn the essential skills they need to be ready for school, such as engaging in activities or persevering to reach a

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Overall, children have appropriate opportunities to learn suitable messages about their health. For example, staff provide most children with home cooked food that meets their nutritional needs. Others bring packed lunches that are nutritionally sound. There are suitable hand washing procedures in place to promote their health and children have appropriate places to sleep and rest. Children also have daily access to outdoor play so that they can play in the healthy fresh air. There are some opportunities for children to develop their large and small muscles outdoors as they stack large blocks on top of each other, and play in the toy cars.

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provision

The inspection took place as the result of information shared with Ofsted regarding the suitability of a member of staff. The inspection found that the provider has failed to act appropriately to protect children while carrying out an investigation. While the provider acted promptly in informing Ofsted, she has not shared information with the Local Authority Designated Officer, as set out in her policy. The provider has failed to follow her own policy regarding allegations made against a member of staff. This has undermined her ability to protect children in the nursery. The provider has not carried out a robust investigation into this allegation and has failed to promote children's safety during this time. As a result, Ofsted have issued Welfare Requirements Notices to require the provider to take appropriate action to safeguard children. New staff are not secure in their understanding of signs and symptoms of concern with regards to child protection. They

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provision

are also not secure in how to report any safeguarding concerns they may have about senior staff in the nursery, for example by using the whistleblowing procedure. This demonstrates that their inductions were not secure and they have received insufficient training to understand how to follow procedures to safeguard children. This means that they are not able to protect children appropriately.

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provision

The leadership and the management of the nursery is weak. The provider is unaware of her responsibilities with regards to the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the requirements of the Childcare Register. This has led to weaknesses that undermine the safety, well-being and progress of children who attend the nursery. For example, staffing arrangements are not suitable to promote children's well-being and progress. The staff team are all relatively new to the setting and are all still in their probationary periods. The provider is the manager, but also manages other settings, so when she is not present, she leaves children in the care of staff who have not completed their probationary periods. In addition, the provider/manager is unable to show when she is working at this setting, which means she is unable to demonstrate if ratios are being met consistently to meet children's individual needs. Furthermore, the provider

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provision

has not made sure that staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities. For example, staff are unsure of who their key children are, and at times, the most senior member of staff carries out duties away from children, such as cooking. Children are therefore, left in the sole care of new and inexperienced staff. This means that children's needs are not met appropriately. There are some systems in place to check staff qualifications, and the provider has carried out appropriate vetting checks on staff, including references. However, the provider is unable to show evidence of some staff qualifications and some child registers of attendance, as she has removed these from the nursery. Also, some staff take written information about children home, and cannot demonstrate that this is stored confidentially. This undermines children's safety. Staff are unable to produce evidence of suitable assessments of any children present on

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provision

the day of inspection, either in writing, or through discussion. The provider has allowed staff to take records of children's progress home, and these have not been brought back into the nursery. Staff are unable to demonstrate that these records are stored confidentially away from the nursery. This means that they have insufficient regard for the confidentiality of information relating to children in their care.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are not well-embedded to promote children's secure settling in. For example, parents do not know who their children's key persons are and, while they are able to share information about children's general routine, staff are not always sure who is saying goodbye to parents. As a different member of staff hands children over each time, parents do not always get accurate information about how their children have been. Also, at these times, staff ask questions about whether children still need a morning sleep, demonstrating that information gathered when children first joined was not secure.

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provision

Self-evaluation systems are ineffective to bring about improvements. The provider has failed to identify several significant weaknesses that impact on children's safety and learning. She has failed to assess the serious negative impact that recent changes of staff have had on outcomes for children. Furthermore, the provider is not aware of her responsibility to report significant events to Ofsted. She has not informed Ofsted of a serious incident involving the safety of a child. These failings clearly demonstrate that the provider's awareness of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, and her awareness of her own policies are not sufficient to promote children's safety, well- being and all-round development. As a result, the provider is required to take action to bring about improvements to the nursery.

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provision

There is a member of staff who takes charge for the setting in the provider/manager's absence. However, as this person takes responsibility for much day-to-day running of the nursery, including cooking, they are unable to give enough time to their key children, particularly those who are settling in. This also means that this member of staff is unable to supervise and support newer staff appropriately during the day. As a result, new staff are poorly supported to meet children's needs. The provider is unable to demonstrate that she has effectively inducted and supported new staff. They all receive a copy of the policies and procedures of the nursery, and state that they have read these. However, through discussion, some staff are unable to demonstrate a secure understanding of these procedures and it is not clear if they follow the policies; for example, with regard to smoking. As a result, staff are unable to promote children's safety, well-being and

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no person smokes, or consumes or is under the influence of drugs or alcohol on the premises at any time while childcare is provided, or in the presence of a child receiving childcare. (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY446151 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 936997 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 55 Number of children on roll 39 Name of provider Little Dreams Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 11/10/2012 Telephone number 01784 390107

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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