Smart Start Day Nursery

Inspection of Smart Start Day Nursery Reay Nadin Drive, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B73 6UR

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety and well-being is compromised because the provider has failed to ensure that they meet the requirements set out within the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage'. Children are exposed to risks in the environment. Staff do not identify these risks in order to take action in a timely way to keep children safe. The provider has failed to carry out appropriate vetting checks for staff to ensure they are suitable to work with children. This puts children's safety at risk.

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The provision is inadequate

Younger children's needs are not met because they are cared for by staff who do not know them very well. Although most staff are kind and caring towards children, at times they are preoccupied with housekeeping tasks and do not respond to children's requests. Children become upset and cry while pointing to a cot. Staff tell them it is not sleep time and carry on tidying up around them. Consequently, at these times, children are not offered the comfort or emotional support to help them settle and feel secure.

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The provision is inadequate

Some children lack motivation towards their learning and struggle to involve themselves in play. They spend a lot of their day wandering around aimlessly. At times, staff provide some resources for them to play with. Babies use different tools to explore play dough. Two- and three-year-old children mix fruit slices into jugs with water. Older children use paint and shaving foam to make marks with brushes. However, staff do not understand what they intend for children to learn during activities. Therefore, children are not supported to make the progress that they are capable of.

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need to do better?

n The provider has failed to address many of the concerns identified at the last inspection. There continue to be significant weaknesses in the quality of provision. This means that the quality of care and education that children receive continues to be inadequate. n Although the manager can explain the expected recruitment processes for new staff, this is not followed. The provider has failed to ensure that they have completed required vetting checks for new staff, meaning they cannot ensure the suitability of persons having regular contact with children. Furthermore, some staff whose suitability has not been checked have unsupervised contact with children. This puts children's safety at risk. n Staff and managers do not receive sufficient induction training or ongoing training opportunities to help them to understand their role and responsibilities to improve their skills. Staff are given copies of policies to read. However,

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need to do better?

policies and procedures relating to safeguarding children are unclear and do not

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need to do better?

23 August 2022 take account of local safeguarding procedures. The manager does not understand what action to take if an allegation is made against a member of staff. Therefore, children may not be properly safeguarded. n Managers provide staff with some opportunities for supervision. However, their monitoring of practice does not consider the quality of education that children receive. They have not identified weaknesses in teaching and interactions with children. Consequently, staff do not receive the required support and professional development opportunities to improve this so that children receive high-quality learning experiences. n The setting's curriculum lacks ambition for children's learning. Managers and staff's expectations for children's learning are too low. Some staff do not understand children's stages of development in order to help them make progress. As a result, some children become bored during their time at the

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need to do better?

nursery and show challenging behaviours because they lack stimulation. n The deployment of staff means that staff working with younger children do not know them well enough. Key persons identify some targets for what children need to learn next. However, planning does not take account of this information and children do not receive care and learning that is tailored to meet their individual needs. Staff put toys out for children; however, many children struggle to engage. They wander around the environment and are not supported to make good enough progress in their learning and development. n Risk assessment procedures are weak, and staff do not ensure environments are safe for children. The environment for younger children is cluttered. Babies trip over blocks as they practise walking. Staff do not ensure that chemicals are flushed from toilets before children access these. Guards that have been installed on partitioning gates to protect children's fingers have become

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need to do better?

damaged or removed. This compromises children's safety. n Children's health is not supported. Babies do not always have access to fresh drinking water. Hygiene routines mean that babies do not wash their hands before feeding themselves. Bathrooms for older children are dirty. Staff do not ensure that toilets are flushed, and potties are left with urine sitting in them, which does not minimise the risks of cross infection. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not receive the support or help they need. Although some contact has been made with the local authority, the named special educational needs coordinator does not have a secure understanding about how or when to make a referral for children after they have identified delays in their development. Some children access support from other professionals that has been organised privately by their parents. However, staff do not consistently implement the advice and guidance from

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need to do better?

these professionals to promote children's learning. Therefore, gaps in children's learning are not closing. n Children enjoy healthy and nutritious foods at snack and meal times. Staff talk to children to increase their awareness of foods that are healthy.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

23 August 2022 Weakness in recruitment procedures mean that some staff's suitability has not been checked to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Managers and staff do not use risk assessment effectively to provide children with safe learning environments. Safeguarding policies and procedures are unclear and managers lack understanding about what to do if an allegation is made against a member of staff. That said, staff are alert to signs that could indicate a child is at risk of harm. They know the procedures to follow to report any child protection concerns to managers or other professionals.

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Due date

ensure there is a clear policy and procedure in place that explains the action to be taken in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff, in order to safeguard children 16/09/2022

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Due date

ensure that the lead practitioner for safeguarding attends an appropriate child protection training course to enable them to understand the procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff 16/09/2022

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Due date

implement effective systems to ensure that practitioners, and any other person who may have regular contact with children, are suitable 16/09/2022

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Due date

ensure that people whose suitability has not been checked do not have unsupervised contact with children 16/09/2022

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Due date

implement effective risk assessments so that all risks to children's health and safety are identified and action is taken to remove or minimise any risks or hazards in a timely manner 16/09/2022

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Due date

23 August 2022 ensure that the deployment of staff meets the individual needs of all children 16/09/2022

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Due date

improve the key-person system so that every child is offered a settled relationship and receives care and learning that is tailored to meet their individual needs 16/09/2022

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Due date

improve hygiene procedures to promote the good health of all children attending the setting 16/09/2022

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Due date

ensure that fresh drinking water is made available and is accessible to all children at all times 16/09/2022

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ensure that the special educational needs coordinator has an appropriate knowledge and understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including how and when to make a referral about a child to other professionals 16/09/2022

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Due date

ensure that there are effective arrangements in place to support all children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, to promote equality and inclusion and help every child to reach their potential 16/09/2022

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Due date

improve the arrangements for the supervision and monitoring of all staff to improve their personal effectiveness and raise the quality of teaching to promote the interests of all children 16/09/2022

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Due date

provide all staff with appropriate induction training and ongoing training opportunities to help them understand their role and responsibilities and offer children quality learning and development experiences that continually improve. 16/09/2022

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Due date

implement an ambitious curriculum for all children, including those who are older or more able, so that every child is supported to make good progress in their learning and development 30/09/2022

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Due date

improve the use of planning so that children consistently receive enjoyable and challenging activities and experiences that take account of their interests and stages of development 30/09/2022

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Due date

provide staff with support so that they understand children's development and provide children with age and developmentally appropriate experiences that support their learning. 30/09/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2569087 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10238661 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 62 Number of children on roll 115 Name of registered person Dhad, Shazia Parvez

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 353 1166 Date of previous inspection 28 March 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Smart Start Day Nursery registered in 2020. It is in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. There are 16 members of staff employed. Of these, 10 hold qualifications between level 2 and level 6. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk to gather information about how the provision and curriculum are organised. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching. n Parents and children spoke to the inspector and gave their views of the nursery. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching, indoors and outdoors, to assess the impact of this on children's learning. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and looked at relevant documentation and evidence of staff suitability.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

23 August 2022 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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