Community Action Project

Cap Centre Windmill Lane, SMETHWICK, West Midlands, B66 3LX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/01/2015 10/04/2014

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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 do not know what to do when they have concerns about a child's welfare. This means children are not safeguarded from potential abuse or neglect.  Qualification requirements for first aid and adult-to-child ratios are not consistently maintained. This undermines children's safety.  Staff do not know or meet children's needs. The key-person system is not effective because of the high staff turnover, cover staff arrangements and poor staff deployment.  The baby room is too cold and children are exposed to risk as staff have failed to assess the hazards of temporary heating measures.  Partnerships with parents are weak. They are not encouraged to be involved in their child's learning and development and are not provided with a summary of their child's progress as staff do not complete meaningful assessments.  Staff have a poor understanding of the learning and development requirements and children's progress is not tracked. Therefore, areas where children require more support

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This provision is inadequate

go unidentified and children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language, fall behind.

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It has the following strengths

 Accident records are maintained and shared appropriately to support continuity in care.

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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 looked at a selection of children's assessment files and discussed children's progress with the staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the staff working with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed play and learning activities indoors and outside, and spoke to staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and discussed a range of policies and procedures. The inspector carried out a joint observation of practice with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Cap Centre was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a community centre in the Smethwick area of Sandwell and is run by a committee. It operates from two rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two of these hold a qualification at level 5, seven at level 3 and one at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 43 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

A Welfare Requirement Notice will be issued that requires the provider to:

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

ensure the required adult:child ratios are met so that children are adequately supervised at all times and deploy staff so that children's needs are met

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

train all staff to understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, and ensure that all staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

ensure that the premises and equipment are suitable and safe for children particularly in relation to the maintenance of a suitable temperature in the setting and the use of electrical installations and heating equipment

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

assess the risks or hazards which may arise for the children, and take reasonable steps to remove, minimise and manage those risks and hazards, particularly in relation to the use of electrical installations and heating equipment

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

ensure that at least one person who has a current paediatric first-aid certificate is on the premises and available at all times

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

implement an effective key-person system that enables staff to meet each child's individual needs, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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must:

 raise the quality of teaching and overall practice by implementing effective supervision sessions for staff to provide support, coaching and monitoring in order to increase staff's knowledge and skills

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must:

 ensure all staff consistently use observations and ongoing assessments to determine children's level of achievement, and provide learning experiences which are based on each child's next stage of learning

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must:

 complete a progress check for children aged between two and three years and provide parents with a written summary of their children's progress, including their key strengths and any areas where their progress is less than expected

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must:

 ensure that partnerships with parents and other provisions that children attend are established, so that children benefit from continuity in their care, learning and development

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must:

 improve the arrangements in place to support children with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that all children are able to join in with activities and routines and are not unfairly disadvantaged.

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who attend

Children do not make good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff do not know what children can do and what they need to learn next. Children's starting points and achievements are not established so this means that children's progress is not tracked over time, in order to effectively identify any gaps in their learning. Therefore, children do not receive the support they need to ensure they are adequately prepared for school or their next stage of learning. Staff make some basic observations of children but these are not used to inform future planning and are not frequent enough, or accurate enough, to provide a picture of each child's abilities. As a result, activities are not tailored to meet children's individual learning and development needs and they do not make sufficient progress.

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who attend

There are some planned activities provided. However, these are not linked to children's interests or individual children's learning needs. As a result, activities lack purpose and do not engage children. For example, young children in the baby room are instructed to sit down for a group activity singing songs. Some children are not engaged in the activity and move a short distance away to sit alone. Staff do not support or engage with them to encourage their participation. The activity is disrupted further by children being removed from the group for routine nappy changes. This poor quality of teaching means children do not enjoy the activities provided as they are not encouraged to play, explore and be active learners, which limits their choices, enjoyment and achievement. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language are also not adequately supported. Staff do not support children's

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who attend

communication and language development as they are unsure whether children who are showing delay in communication have a speech and language difficulty. They do not assess children or seek additional support. With children who speak English as an additional language, staff do not know children's home languages and do not recognise when they are trying to communicate. This leads to children becoming isolated from their peers as their individual needs are not met, which manifests in children who play alone.

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who attend

Information is missing regarding some children's learning and where it does exist, the information does not provide a clear or accurate assessment of children's abilities. Staff do not complete the required progress check for children aged between two and three years of age, although they care for children who span this age range. This means that areas where children's development is less than expected are not identified or addressed in a timely manner. Furthermore, parents are not being informed of any issues or concerns with their child's development. Staff do not engage with parents to share their children's achievements and learning priorities. This does not support parents to continue children's learning at home.

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

Children's health and safety is compromised. The heating system in the nursery does not work and staff do not monitor the temperature of the rooms, leading to rooms being too cold for children to be comfortable. Attempts to maintain a suitable temperature are unsafe and inadequate. For example, a portable oil radiator heater that is too hot to touch is present in the baby room. This does not have a suitable guard and has not been made inaccessible to babies, placing them at risk of burns. While staff do complete some risk assessments, they have failed to recognise the risk posed by the heater or considered the additional risk of using a scorched plug socket to power the appliance. This lack of attention significantly compromises children's safety. Staff also have a poor knowledge of child protection procedures. They do not know what to do if they are concerned about the welfare of a child in their care. As a result, children develop a false sense of safety and

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

security because inadequate steps are taken by the provider and staff to protect their welfare.

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

Staff are caring and approachable and some staff know their key children well. These staff have appropriate partnerships with parents and are aware of their key children's care needs to promote children's emotional well-being. This means that some children move confidently around the nursery and make good relationships with their peers. However, the key-person system is not effective for all children. Some children do not have a key person and others, who need additional support, do not have their individual requirements recognised. In particular, staff fail to respond appropriately to children who speak English as an additional language. Staff do not find out what language they speak or support them to engage. As a result, this group of children are unfairly disadvantaged as they are unable to join in. Instead, they are often disengaged from activities and are not emotionally prepared for the move on to the next stage of their learning, including school.

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

Older children learn to manage their own personal needs, such as being responsible for their own coats and bags on arrival. Babies are encouraged to feed themselves to promote their independence skills. Children are provided with fresh fruit and vegetables at snack and mealtimes and staff praise them for eating their meals. Older children have daily access to fresh air and opportunities to promote their physical skills outside. This promotes a positive attitude to healthy lifestyles. However, children's health needs are compromised as there is not always a member of staff who is qualified in paediatric first aid on the premises. Accident records are appropriately completed and shared with parents.

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provision

Several requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage have been breached and a number of the Childcare Register requirements are also not met. Management have failed to ensure that there is always a member of staff with a current paediatric first-aid certificate on the premises when children are present. Management do not ensure that statutory adult-to-child ratios are maintained at all times or that the staffing arrangements are organised in a way that meets the needs of all children. Risk assessments are not robustly carried out and both management and staff have a poor knowledge of how to safeguard children. For example, neither the manager or the staff know how to refer a concern regarding the welfare of a child in their care. Consequently, children's safety and well-being are severely compromised.

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provision

Children do not make enough progress and their learning and development needs are not adequately met. Management do not track children's progress or effectively supervise staff to ensure that they are delivering appropriate educational experiences. Staff do not receive appropriate coaching and mentoring to ensure they fully understand how to support each child's needs, and how to successfully deliver the learning and development requirements. Staff demonstrate a lack of understanding of how to provide sufficient, meaningful play and activities to engage the children or to promote their learning and development. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language is inadequate. Staff hold relevant qualifications but this does not have a positive impact on the quality of teaching in the nursery. Overall, management has been ineffective in tackling weaknesses within the

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provision

nursery. They are not sufficiently ambitious about improving practice so they can meet the legal requirements and be a safe and stimulating early years environment for children.

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provision

The nursery has not established partnerships with local schools, and other providers that the children in the nursery attend, to help promote continuity in children's learning. Parents are not encouraged to be involved in children's learning and development in the nursery, or to continue this at home. Staff do not demonstrate the skills to identify when children with special educational needs and/or disabilities require additional support and, therefore, they do not work effectively in partnership with other professionals, such as speech therapists, when necessary. Therefore, children do not benefit from a shared approach to help them meet their full potential.

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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:

 train all staff on the written statement of procedures to be followed to safeguard children from abuse or neglect (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that at least one person who is caring for children has an appropriate first- aid qualification (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the childcare provided is accessible and inclusive and does not to treat any child less favourably than another child by reason of the child's home language, disability and/or learning difficulty (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  train all staff on the written statement of procedures to be followed to safeguard

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

children from abuse or neglect (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that at least one person who is caring for children has an appropriate first- aid qualification (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the childcare provided is accessible and inclusive and does not to treat any child less favourably than another child by reason of the child's home language, disability and/or learning difficulty (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 EY296516 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 972375

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider Community Action Project Date of previous inspection 10/04/2014 Telephone number 0121 565 3273

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Type of provision

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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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