First Steps Day Nursery

Inspection of First Steps Day Nursery Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, MANCHESTER M13 9WL

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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 Good

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The provision is inadequate

Standards across the nursery have significantly declined since the last Ofsted inspection. Leaders have failed to comply with legal requirements, which puts children at risk. Leaders do not deploy staff to meet the needs of all children. Sleeping arrangements for some babies are extremely poor. Staff place blankets under the heads and near the faces of some babies. This poses a suffocation risk.

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders decide to place some babies in rooms where older children are. This is because there is not enough space in the room where babies should be. Leaders acknowledge that this does not support the learning and care needs of some babies. This has a negative impact for these children. For example, staff hold babies in their arms for prolonged periods of time as they cannot be assured of their safety while older children play. This means that the quality of learning experiences that some babies receive are inadequate.

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The provision is inadequate

Children adapt well to changes in routines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, they are polite, wave their parents off at the front door and eagerly greet staff. However, staff do not provide children with clear messages about their behaviour. Too often, children are unkind towards one another and do not show positive attitudes towards their learning. This does not prepare children for their next steps in learning, including school.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have been too lax in their monitoring of the nursery. This results in a catalogue of failings, which have a negative impact on children and staff. Self- evaluation is overgenerous. Leaders fail to provide an adequate level of care and education to children. n Children do not receive a curriculum that builds on what they already know and can do. The manager does not have a good enough understanding of the curriculum intent. This means that staff are unclear of the knowledge and skills that they need to teach to children, when to do so and in what order. Activities for children are pitched too low or too high. For example, staff teach babies the names of shapes and colours. They teach toddlers to count beyond 20 and have too low expectations of pre-school children while they make play dough. n Hygiene practices are poor. Too frequently, children blow and wipe their noses without staff teaching them the importance of washing their hands afterwards.

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need to do better?

Additionally, some staff wipe children's noses without washing their own hands. They go to tend to other children and pass them beakers to drink from. This poses a risk of cross-infection and compromises children's good health. n Leaders fail to deploy staff effectively across the nursery. This means that the needs of children are not always met. Sleeping arrangements for babies are

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need to do better?

24 June 2022 poor. Babies are put at unnecessary risk when staff place blankets under their heads and near their faces as they sleep. The lack of understanding of safe sleeping from staff and leaders is concerning. n The key-person system for younger children is extremely poor. Too frequently, younger children cry for long periods of time and do not settle. This does not support their emotional well-being. They remain distressed for too long and staff do not know how to best support them. n Staff attend mandatory training and have annual appraisals. However, they do not receive supervision sessions from leaders. Many staff report that morale is low and that their workload is unmanageable. This has a negative impact on the quality of interactions that staff have with children. They spend too much time completing other tasks, such as observations of children's learning. n Leaders fail to ensure that the needs of babies are met. They place some babies

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need to do better?

in rooms that are not suitable for their age and stage of development. This means that staff hold younger in their arms for most of the day, as their safety cannot be assured in the room with older children. Interactions are poor and some younger children are at a significant disadvantage to other children. n Some staff lack the knowledge and skills to deal with children's behaviour. They do not provide clear messages about behaviour expectations. This means that children are not learning right from wrong. Some children are unkind to their friends and do not always follow instructions given by staff. n Children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive satisfactory support. Partnership working is effective. For example, leaders have made links with external professionals and the local authority. Parental partnerships are secure. Staff

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need to do better?

provide parents with information about their children's time at the nursery.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The premises are safe and secure. Recruitment procedures are robust and staff undergo stringent checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Staff attend safeguarding training and are aware of some signs of abuse and neglect. However, too many staff do not understand the steps to take if there is an allegation made against a staff member or a member of the leadership team. They do not know where to find external support if they have a concern with how leaders deal with a child protection issue. This lack of understanding compromises children's safety. Staff are first-aid trained and understand how to respond to accidents.

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Due date

ensure that staff are deployed effectively to meet the needs of all children 05/08/2022

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Due date

ensure that staff follow safe sleep guidelines for babies 05/08/2022

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Due date

ensure that babies are provided with a learning environment that is age- appropriate 05/08/2022

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Due date

provide children with an ambitious curriculum that is built on what they know and can do 05/08/2022

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Due date

ensure that the key-person system successfully meets the emotional well- being of all children 05/08/2022

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Due date

ensure that staff receive support, guidance and coaching during supervision sessions 05/08/2022

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Due date

ensure that staff have a secure understanding of how to contact the local authority children's services and designated officer. 05/08/2022

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should:

n provide children with clear and consistent messages about their behaviour n develop the self-evaluation process, to identify and address aspects of the nursery that need improvement n strengthen hygiene practices across the nursery, with particular reference to handwashing after children's noses have been wiped n better support staff to effectively manage their workload.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY302828 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 10217729 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 89 Number of children on roll 103

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Name of registered person

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT)

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reference number

Telephone number 0161 276 4491 Date of previous inspection 29 September 2016

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Information about this early years setting

First Steps Day Nursery registered in 2005. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.15am until 6pm, all year round, except for bank holidays. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are 28 members of staff working with the children, all of whom hold a qualification at level 2 and above.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in his evaluation. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children throughout the day and evaluated the impact these had on children's learning. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the manager. n The inspector held discussions with the management team, staff, parents and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n Relevant documentation was reviewed by the inspector, including evidence of the suitability and training of staff.

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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

24 June 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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