Karebears Childcare

Karebears Childcare Ryesland Way, Creech St. Michael, TAUNTON, Somerset, TA3 5TA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/11/2014 14/11/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Staff who have not had their suitability checked have unsupervised access to children. This puts children at significant risk.  Staff do not prevent children from entering the kitchen which compromises their safety.  The owner/manager does not ensure there are sufficient staff on the premises at all times to keep children safe or that staff maintain accurate records of who is present each day.  Staff do not have an accurate understanding of individual children's achievements. This means they are unable to build on what children know and plan their progression adequately. Children make limited progress in their learning and development.  Staff miss some opportunities to help children's personal, social and emotional development by providing few opportunities for them to learn to share, play cooperatively and form friendships.  Staff do not always organise group times well to engage and fully involve all children.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff develop positive relationships with parents.  Staff provide children with a wide range of resources to explore.

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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 voluntary and compulsory parts 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 observed interactions and teaching inside and in the garden.  The inspector spoke with the owner/manager and all members of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation including children's learning records, staff suitability checks, qualification certificates and registers.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the owner/manager and the deputy manager.  The inspector spoke to some parents to obtain their views on the setting.

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Information about the setting

Karebears Childcare registered in 2013. It is a privately owned nursery situated centrally in the village of Creech St. Michael, near Taunton in Somerset. The premises include an entrance hall, a large central room, two side rooms, a sleeping room, kitchen and toilets on the ground floor. There is also a staff room, toilet and office on the first floor. There is an enclosed area for outdoor learning. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 5.30pm. There are currently 30 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery is registered to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language. There are six members of staff, including the owner who is also the nursery manager, working with

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Information about the setting

children. There are three members of staff who hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and one who holds a relevant qualification at level 2.

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must:

 ensure that staff who have not had their suitability checked, including through a Disclosure and Barring Service check, do not have unsupervised access to children

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must:

 ensure risk assessment is effective in identifying and reducing hazards to children's safety, with particular regard to preventing children from accessing the kitchen

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must:

 ensure the required adult-to-child ratios are maintained at all times

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must:

 maintain a daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises, their hours of attendance and the names of each child's key person, with particular regard to recording who is on the premises at all times

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must:

 use regular observations and assessments of children's achievements, interests and learning styles to plan and provide stimulating activities that meet the individual needs of all children and promote their ongoing progression across the seven areas of learning.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 strengthen the opportunities for children to learn to share and play cooperatively with one another

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 develop the organisation of whole-group activities so that all children are included and able to participate fully.

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who attend

The manager and staff have failed to make sufficient improvement to the arrangements for monitoring children's learning since the last inspection. Consequently, children's learning is hindered because staff do not have an accurate understanding of what individual children know and can do. Staff sometimes observe children in their play and use these assessments to plan activities to promote their learning and development. However, assessments are not frequent and vary between groups of children. This means that staff are not supporting all children's learning and development because they plan activities based on old and infrequent assessments. This directly affects children's ability to make adequate progress in preparation for school. Staff complete some records of children's learning, which includes the required progress check for two-year-old children. However, some children have made no progress in their learning despite being at the

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who attend

nursery for over a year. The manager does not monitor children's progress or staff practice to ensure consistency between staff. Consequently, staff do not identify gaps in children's learning and do not provide additional support to meet their individual needs.

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who attend

The quality of teaching has improved slightly in some areas since the last inspection. The manager and staff have a basic understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Generally, staff make learning fun which engages and focuses children's attention on the activities. Children enjoy playing together for much of the time with staff occasionally teaching them in smaller groups. For example, children enjoyed learning about colours and textures as they painted leaves. Staff enthusiastically encouraged children to go outside with them to collect leaves for their paintings. Children talked about what the leaves felt like and proudly showed their pictures to staff when they had finished them.

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who attend

Younger children enjoyed messy and sensory play. As they explored the texture of shaving foam staff encouraged them to make marks in it, praising them for taking part and talking to them about what they were doing. As a result, all children learn that the marks they make are valued and have meaning. Staff provide lots of painting opportunities for children which promotes their creativity. Staff support children by observing what interests them and providing appropriate resources. For example, younger children explored the paint as they created pictures using cars to make tracks in the paint.

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who attend

The nursery has a wide range of resources available for children's use. Staff use books with photographs of toys to help children decide what they want to use. This encourages them to be independent and think for themselves. However, children sometimes struggle to share toys without staff support. Play is interrupted as children squabble and need the staff to intervene to share the toys out again before children can continue with their play. Generally, staff help children to resolve these situations well. However, staff do not always find alternative ways of teaching children about taking turns and sharing.

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who attend

Generally, staff support children's early literacy skills appropriately, for example by reading stories to them. Children listened and joined in with the narrative, demonstrating their familiarity with the book. Children looked at books independently with their friends and shared them with staff. Older children enjoyed group activities where they passed a soft toy around to indicate when it was their turn to speak. The activity helped children to develop their communication skills as they talked to their friends about their feelings. However, staff do not always organise these sessions well because some activities are not always appropriate for all children. For example, children of all ages sat together although the activity was beyond the capabilities of the younger children. Consequently, the younger children made lots of noise and tried to grab the soft toy because they did not fully understand its significance to the activity. This meant that on this occasion older

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who attend

children and staff needed to shout to make themselves heard. As a result, not all children benefited from participating in these whole group activities.

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who attend

Staff liaise with parents during settling-in visits to gather starting points for children's learning. They inform parents about their children's day and activities through daily discussions and newsletters. In addition, parents can view their children's progress files at regular open days or by asking the managers or staff at any time. Consequently, parents have some opportunities to be involved in children's learning. There are appropriate links in place with other early years settings that children attend.

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

The manager and staff fail to implement adequate procedures to keep children safe, which compromises their well-being. During the inspection some staff who did not have completed suitability checks were unsupervised as they took children to the bathroom to wash their hands. This action was unnoticed by other staff. Staff do not record accurate times of arrival and departure for all children and staff. There are no records of staff working hours to show how they meet the adult-to-child ratios. This means that it is not clear who is on the premises and how long they are present. At the start of the inspection there were insufficient staff present to meet the adult-to-child ratio. Consequently, these inadequate care practices put children's well-being at risk.

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

Children have easy access to a broad range of resources, which cover all areas of learning indoors. This range helps children make choices about their learning and boosts their self- esteem and sense of well-being. Staff help children to prepare for changes in their daily routine by indicating it is time to stop what they are doing and help to tidy up. This helps children learn to take responsibility for maintaining a safe environment. It also signals to children that something different is about to happen, such as snack time.

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

Children enjoy exercise and use the outdoor area daily to play with large equipment. Children's physical development is promoted as they practise the skills required to use a seesaw or run around. Children learn about managing small risks as they hold the handrail and negotiate stairs to the outside area. They also learn how to handle equipment safely. However, staff do not ensure they keep children safe at all times. For example, they left the gate open to the kitchen when food was boiling on the hob. Children entered the kitchen, fetched a broom and left again without staff noticing. When staff noticed the gate was open, they closed it. However, there was no discussion between the staff to ensure it did not happen again. Likewise, staff did not talk to the children about the dangers of entering the kitchen. Consequently, they do not learn when it is not safe to enter the nursery kitchen.

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

Children are confident in the nursery because staff support them through a gradual settling-in process that meets their individual needs. The manager assigns children a key person who takes responsibility for their intimate care and builds a strong bond with them and their family. Staff discuss children's individual home routines with parents and adhere to them in the nursery. Staff are keen to promote children's good health. All children are encouraged to eat fruit and serve themselves at meal times.

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

Since the last inspection, staff have made some changes to the mealtime routines by encouraging children to manage tasks for themselves. Children independently pour their own drinks at meal times and help themselves to drinks throughout the day. Staff sit with children at meal times to help them, while encouraging good manners. Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles and they soon know they need to wash their hands before having something to eat. Consequently, children learn to take responsibility for some aspects of their personal care and develop self-help skills.

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provision

The owner/manager has not ensured that staff have an adequate understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage or their roles and responsibilities. This has a significant impact on children's welfare, safety and their learning and development. The owner/manager does not ensure that she monitors staff practice to keep children safe. The owner/manager allows unchecked staff to have unsupervised access to children. The owner/manager does not ensure that staff consistently meet the adult-to-child ratios or maintain accurate records of children's attendance and who is present on the premises. Staff complete daily checks of the premises before children arrive. However, they do not keep children safe during the day. They leave the kitchen gate open giving children access to potential hazards. These poor practices result in breaches in the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Childcare Register.

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provision

The manager and staff have a satisfactory understanding of child protection issues. They understand the signs and symptoms that give rise for concern about a child's welfare and know who to contact if they have any concerns about a child's well-being. The designated officer understands her role to report concerns and all staff have completed safeguarding training.

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provision

The owner/manager does not ensure that the staff have sufficient understanding of their responsibilities to meet the learning and development requirements. The last inspection identified weaknesses in the monitoring and assessment of children's progress. The manager has devised some new systems to support the staff. However, she has not monitored their implementation. She has not identified the lack of assessment for some children or the impact this has on providing activities appropriate to their individual needs. The owner/manager has made some small changes to address the recommendations raised at the last inspection, such as promoting independence at snack time. However, improvement since the last inspection is inadequate.

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provision

The manager and staff have created positive relationships with parents. There is a suitable range of information available for parents and carers at the entrance to the nursery. This helps parents to become familiar with the nursery, such as staffing personnel and activities. Staff have regular discussions with parents to obtain their views of the nursery. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection commented positively about the nursery. They state that they are pleased with the care their children receive and that staff keep them informed of their children's experiences.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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

 ensure that any person caring for children is suitable to do so, this includes obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure children are kept safe from harm (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  keep records of the following and retain them for a period of two years: a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that any person caring for children is suitable to do so, this includes obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure children are kept safe from harm (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  keep records of the following and retain them for a period of two years: a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of

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

attendance (voluntary 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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY455304 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 962550 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider Karen Davey Date of previous inspection 14/11/2013 Telephone number 01823 444422

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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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