Overton Children's HouseOfsted inspection, 26 Feb 2015

Overton Children's House St. Lukes Hall, Winchester Street, Overton, BASINGSTOKE, Hampshire, RG25 3HT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 February 2015 10 May 2011

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff use inappropriate methods to manage children's behaviour and do not implement behaviour strategies recommended by professionals involved in the children's care. The use of restraint compromises children's physical and emotional well-being. Staff fail to keep a record of when restraint is used.  Recruitment procedures are not robust to help keep children safe. Staff deployment does not meet children's needs or ensure their safety. The provider has failed to inform Ofsted that a child left the setting unsupervised. Staff do not maintain an accurate record of children's attendance to promote their welfare.  Safeguarding procedures are ineffective because staff do not have sufficient understanding of how to recognise or act on signs of abuse without delay. They fail to maintain records that relate to safeguarding concerns or share information with other professionals efficiently in a timely way. These failings compromise children's welfare.

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff do not minimise the risk of cross-infection, compromising children's health.  The quality of teaching is not monitored well enough. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make as much progress as others.  Staff do not work in effective partnership with other professionals to provide the swift and targeted support children need. This does not promote equality of opportunity.  The provider also fails to meet the associated requirements of the Childcare Register.

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It has the following strengths

 The quality of teaching during focused one-to-one activities for some children is good, although not all groups of children are able to benefit from this.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following enforcement action:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

We will issue a welfare requirements notice requiring the provider to:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

use appropriate methods for managing children's behaviour, which do not include threat, physical restraint or intervention as a strategy for managing any unwanted behaviour, which could adversely affect a child's well-being

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure there are effective arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities that have regard for the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure all staff have regard for the Government's statutory guidance 'Working Together to Safeguard Children', in order that any concerns about children's safety or welfare are notified to agencies with statutory responsibilities without delay.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 implement an effective recruitment process to ensure staff suitability, with specific regard to gathering full and relevant information about previous employment history, and maintain records of vetting processes, including checking references  ensure that children are adequately supervised to keep them safe and deploy staff effectively to ensure children's needs are met  ensure the daily record of attendance contains the names of the children being cared for on the premises and their actual hours of attendance  use effective supervision to target inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, Make sure staff receive support, coaching and training to make good use of assessments and identify where children are in their learning, identifying any gaps and planning activities and experiences to promote further learning, giving staff opportunities to share concerns about children's development or well-being

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 maintain records and obtain and share information with parents and carers, other professionals working with the child, including the police, social services and Ofsted to ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting  take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection by implementing robust hand- washing procedures  implement robust systems for monitoring the educational programmes to ensure that any variations in progress made by children are swiftly identified and acted upon so that all groups of children make good or better progress given their starting points. To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 keep and implement a written record of policies and procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard the children being cared for from abuse or neglect (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children's behaviour is managed in a suitable manner (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  implement an effective system to ensure that the registered person, the manager and any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children (including on a voluntary basis) is suitable to work with children (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the childcare is accessible and inclusive by not treating any child less favourably than another child by reason of the child's family background or disability and/or learning difficulty (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

hours of attendance (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  keep and implement a written record of policies and procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard the children being cared for from abuse or neglect (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children's behaviour is managed in a suitable manner (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  implement an effective system to ensure that the registered person, the manager and any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children (including on a voluntary basis) is suitable to work with children (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the childcare is accessible and inclusive by not treating any child less favourably than another child by reason of the child's family background or disability

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

and/or learning difficulty (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main indoor areas, including the main hall.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection, and held a meeting with the owner of the setting.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the provision, and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures to safeguard children's welfare.

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who attend. This is inadequate

Overall, the quality of teaching is weak. Not all children make expected progress in their learning given their individual starting points. Children generally lead their own play using the specialist equipment. Activities that foster practical life skills, such as squeezing fresh orange juice, provide children with opportunities to develop their independent learning. Children enjoy some time to explore their ideas uninterrupted, but staff do not instinctively know when to join in and extend children's learning during their activities. Staff interact too infrequently with the groups of children that need the most support in their learning. These children are often left to occupy themselves without any guidance to help them acquire the skills and attitudes necessary to prepare them for their next stage in learning.

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inadequate

Staff do not provide stability and emotional security for all children., They are not vigilant in their supervision to keep children safe. Children often wander into the bathroom area or hallway to play, out of sight of staff. Staff lack the skills to suitably manage children's behaviour. They use unnecessary force to restrain children when they become agitated, rather than considering the reasons why this might have occurred and employ more suitable strategies. For example, staff do not make use of visual timetables recommended by professionals to help children prepare for a change in the routine, to help them feel safe and secure. Staff provide children with some opportunities to develop their physical skills outside and when they take part in weekly sports coaching sessions. Children learn to put on their slippers, help to prepare healthy snacks and tidy away resources, developing some independence skills. However, children wash their hands in shared water

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inadequate

which increases the risk of cross-infection and compromises children's health.

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provision is inadequate

The provider does not recognise the significant weaknesses in practice and the detrimental impact of these on outcomes for children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff do not follow the setting's behaviour management policy and fail to act swiftly to report any concerns about a child's welfare. As a result, Ofsted intends to take enforcement action. The provider also failed to notify Ofsted that a child left the premises for a short period of time. Ofsted intends to issue a warning letter. The provider fails to make sure that staff fulfil their roles and responsibilities. When recruiting staff, she does not question gaps in employment history and does not always obtain references. Staff do not maintain an accurate record of children's attendance, as required. They also fail to work in partnership with other professionals involved in children's care. They do not

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provision is inadequate

implement suggested strategies to provide support for children with complex additional needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY421268 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 832704 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 27 Name of provider Marianne Preece Date of previous inspection 10 May 2011 Telephone number 01256770720

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Setting details

Overton Children's House registered in 2011. It is one of two privately owned Montessori settings and operates from a community hall, in the village of Overton, near Basingstoke, Hampshire. The children attending come from the village and the surrounding areas. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It is open on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9am until 3 pm and on Wednesday and Friday from 9am until 12: 30pm during term time only. The Children's House employs five members of staff; of these, three hold qualifications at level 3 and above.

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Setting details

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

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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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

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