Children4us Childcare

Summary of outcome

All early years providers must meet the legal requirements in the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage', which you can find at www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. If we find that a provider is not meeting the requirements, we can take action to ensure they put matters right. On 27 August 2019 we received concerns that this provider was not meeting some of these requirements.

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Summary of outcome

We carried out on unannounced visit on 29 August 2019. We have served a Welfare Requirements Notice. This is a legal notice that requires the provider to take the actions below within the timescales set out. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. The provider is still registered with Ofsted.

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Summary of outcome

ensure that advice and guidance is sought, and requirements of health and safety legislation is complied with at all times, with specific regard to fire safety and environmental health by 6 September 2019

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Summary of outcome

implement effective risk assessment so that all risks to children are managed effectively and hazards are removed or minimised to ensure children's safety - by 6 September 2019

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Summary of outcome

review hygiene routines to ensure necessary steps are taken to prevent the spread of infection, with particular regard to hand washing and drying by 6 September 2019.

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Summary of outcome

On the 11 September 2019 we conducted an unannounced monitoring visit to check compliance with the Welfare Requirement Notice and we found that the provider has taken action to ensure that hazardous material had been removed, the television was securely attached to the wall and appropriate arrangements were in place to enable children to wash and dry their hands. However, the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet the whole of the welfare requirement notice, and we also identified further requirements that were not being met and we served a further Welfare Requirements Notice.

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Summary of outcome

undertake and implement a fire safety risk assessment, which includes specific detail as outlined within your recent fire safety audit and, ensure that this is available on the premises by 20 September 2019

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Summary of outcome

ensure that you take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children in the case of fire, and that emergency evacuation procedures are known to all staff and all persons are able to evacuate as quickly and safely as possible by 20 September 2019

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Summary of outcome

ensure that a daily record of the children's names and the hours that they attend the setting is accurately maintained by 20 September 2019

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Summary of outcome

ensure that you take all reasonable steps to ensure that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities and are supported to develop the skills needed to enable them to identify and minimise potential risks to children by 20 September 2019.

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Summary of outcome

We carried out an unannounced visit on 24 September 2019 to monitor compliance with the welfare requirements notice. Most of the issues had been addressed, for example, the fire risk assessment was in place and staff were beginning to address any risks in the environment to make sure that the areas children use are safe. However, some remedies within the fire audit had not been addressed, for example, a glazed panel in the door remained broken and the fire alarm had not been serviced, although we were told that companies were being sourced to complete this work. We spoke to the fire department and were told that the setting has three months to remedy these issues. We found that the records of attendance are still not accurate, for example, not all of the children present had been signed in on the day of our visit. This is a concern as it is becoming a consistent issue. We have served a Welfare Requirements Notice. This is a legal notice that requires the

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Summary of outcome

provider to take the actions below within the timescales set out. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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Summary of outcome

ensure that a daily record of the children's names and the hours that they attend the setting is accurately maintained by 8 October 2019.

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Summary of outcome

We carried out an unannounced visit on 9 October 2019 to monitor compliance with the welfare requirements notice. We found that recording times of children's attendance was still not consistently maintained even though senior members of staff were checking this on a regular basis during the day. Although it was not part of the original concerns, we found that all risks in the environment were not sufficiently minimised by staff which meant that leaders of the setting were not adequately monitoring the safety of the environment.

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Summary of outcome

We have served a Welfare Requirements Notice. This is a legal notice that requires the provider to take the actions below within the timescales set out. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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Summary of outcome

ensure that a daily record of the children's names and the hours that they attend the setting is accurately maintained by 31 October 2019

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Summary of outcome

ensure that you take all reasonable steps to ensure that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities and are supported to develop the skills needed to enable them to identify and minimise potential risks to children by 31 October 2019.

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Summary of outcome

We received a further complaint on 11 October 2019 that the provider was not meeting some requirements. We carried out an unannounced visit to the setting. Although the previous welfare requirements notice did not need to be met at the time of this visit the records of attendance were still not accurately recorded for children, despite the checks during the day being done by seniors working in the setting. We found that staffing arrangements did not meet the needs of all children during meal times. For example, although the ratios overall were met, a lack of staff supervising children at breakfast time meant that the staff member was unable to ensure that a child who wandered into the play room was safe. We found that the premises were not organised in a way that meets the needs of the children. Although we were told that thermometers were usually located in the rooms to ensure that the temperature was suitable, they were not in place on the day of our

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Summary of outcome

visit, so we were unable to verify whether the rooms were not too cold.

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Summary of outcome

staffing arrangements must meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety. Providers must ensure that children are adequately supervised and decide how to deploy staff to ensure children's needs are met by 31 October 2019

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Summary of outcome

ensure that the premises are organised in a way that meets the needs of the children by 31 October 2019.

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Summary of outcome

We carried out an unannounced visit on 1 November 2019. We looked at the records of attendance which were accurately maintained. The provider told us that the temperature of the rooms is now being logged during the day and the staff are recording when they have to take further action, for example, if they need to open the windows to ensure that the room is not too hot. We observed that there is a thermometer in the main play room. The provider told us that this is moved around the other rooms to check the suitability of the temperature, however, she said that a log of this for the other rooms is not maintained. We carried out an unannounced visit on 12 November 2019 to check that the provider had complied with the welfare requirement notice that there was a delay in issuing. The provider told us that all of the children were now cared for together in the same room to ensure that they are adequately supervised, and they would only be allowed to move into the other

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Summary of outcome

rooms if there are sufficient members of staff to go with them. The provider told us that either herself or another senior member of staff would be at the setting at all times to ensure that this was monitored. We observed that the temperature of the rooms continued to be monitored to ensure that this was suitable. Although it was not part of the complaint we asked why we had not been provided with the details of a director who had been in post since 8 May 2019 to complete checks to assess their suitability. The provider told us that her laptop was broken and said that she would submit this information as soon as she gets this back. We also discussed how the provider checks the continued suitability of staff. The provider told us for staff on the update service then these would be checked, however, she went on to say that it is another agency that does these checks.

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Summary of outcome

ensure that Ofsted is promptly informed of any changes to individuals where the childcare is provided by a partnership, body corporate or unincorporated association whose sole or main purpose is the provision of childcare, any change to the individuals who are partners in, or a director, secretary or other officer or members of its governing body by 2 December 2019

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Summary of outcome

ensure that effective systems are in place to so that practitioners, and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children (including those living or working on the premises), are suitable, for example, by regularly checking the relevant information about a member of staff who is on the DBS update service by 2 December 2019.

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Summary of outcome

We received a further complaint on 28 November 2019 that the provider was not meeting some requirements. We carried out an unannounced visit on 2 December 2019. We found that the provider was meeting requirements.

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Summary of outcome

However, due to the concerns raised since December 2018 and the enforcement action we took steps to cancel the provider's registration. The provider has a right to object to our intention to take the step, however, they did not object or appeal against our decision.

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Publication of complaints

We publish details of complaints made against childminders, home childcarers and childcare providers where we or the provider have taken action in order to meet legal requirements.

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Publication of complaints

We publish details of complaints for five years commencing on the date we complete our investigation.

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Publication of complaints

For further information about the complaints process please view the Concerns and complaints about childminders and childcare providers leaflet .

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