Sticky Fingers Early Years Ltd

Inspection of Sticky Fingers Early Years Ltd Houchin Memorial Hall, The Scouts' Hut, St John Church, Church Lane, LOUGHTON, Essex IG10 1PD

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

The provider does not deliver suitable and effective leadership, and this means children's safety and welfare is compromised. Staff do not support children's learning and development appropriately, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are not appropriately supported to learn right from wrong. This is because, on the occasions when staff do intervene, they do not provide explanations or help children to understand and learn how to manage their emotions. The environment is often chaotic, with children running around and flitting between activities. Older children are left to organise their own play and learning with little or no meaningful interaction from staff, which leads to poor behaviour and disagreements. For example, children snatch toys and push each other, and this has a negative impact on their ability to learn.

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The provision is inadequate

While teaching is poor, staff are caring and nurture children well. For example, they are quick to act when children become unwell. Children are sometimes encouraged to think about their safety, for example, when they discuss the story about a fire. However, this is not consistent practice among the staff. Older children demonstrate that they are ready to make connections in their thinking as they talk about the setting's fire evacuation procedure. However, staff do not recognise or extend this learning.

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need to do better?

n The provider has a poor understanding of the early years foundation stage requirements. The setting does not have an effective safeguarding policy that staff can follow in the event of any concerns about a child, including the actions to take in relation to the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting. This means children's welfare is not assured. n The provider does not ensure that staff have a good understanding of appropriate behaviour management strategies. Staff do not give clear and consistent rules and boundaries to help children understand what is expected from them. There are frequent incidents relating to children pinching and biting each other or throwing toys, and staff do not intervene to prevent this from happening. This has a detrimental effect on children's emotional and physical well-being. n The provider has failed to ensure that the requirement for staff qualifications is met. Not enough staff hold appropriate qualifications at level 2 or above. Most

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need to do better?

staff do not have a secure, in-depth knowledge about child development and how children learn. Those staff who are more experienced are overwhelmed. As

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need to do better?

15 November 2022 a result, children do not receive a good-quality learning experience and they do not have opportunities to develop the skills they need for later learning and school. n The provider does not have robust systems in place to monitor the quality of teaching to make certain it is effective for all children. The systems to support and coach staff are inadequate. Despite this, staff express their enthusiasm for working at the setting. The manager and deputy work hard to support staff's well-being through team discussions. This helps to promote positive team morale. n Staff do not support children with SEND and children who speak English as an additional language to make good progress in their learning. For example, staff do not obtain key words from home to help children communicate so they can make their needs known. Children with SEND wait too long for staff to take action, or to work with parents and other professionals, so they can receive the

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need to do better?

support they need in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. n The provider has not put a key-person system in place. This means that children's care and learning is not tailored to their individual needs. In addition, parents do not have a key person who can help them understand the progress their children are making, or how to support their learning at home. n The provider does not ensure that parents receive information about the setting's policies and procedures, including safeguarding. This is a breach of requirements. However, parents do speak highly of the manager and her deputy. Parents identify that, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been a lot of staff changes that have made it difficult for the manager. n The provider does not make sure that staff involved in preparing and handling food receive training in food hygiene. Staff provide a range of healthy snacks and parents are encouraged to support this by providing healthy packed lunches

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need to do better?

for their children. Staff take some opportunities to help children learn about personal hygiene. They talk about the importance of handwashing after using the toilet. n Staff do not have a good knowledge of the curriculum or what children should be learning. This means they do not fully understand the purpose of some of the activities in order to support children. Planning is not tailored to each child to ensure that it captures their individual learning needs and provides sufficiently challenging activities. Children do not make good progress in their learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider has failed to establish an appropriate culture in the setting for safeguarding children. There are no available policies or procedures, including for child protection. This does not support staff to work as a team and follow the most up-to-date referral guidance to protect children in their care. In addition, parents are unaware of what action the provider will take should there be a concern raised about their children. All staff complete safeguarding and child protection training. They can recognise the indicators of child abuse. Systems for staff recruitment help

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Safeguarding

15 November 2022 to ensure that unvetted staff are not left unsupervised with the children. This remains the case until their Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) and all other checks are cleared. The manager and provider use the DBS update service to help them make ongoing checks about the continued suitability of their staff.

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Due date

make sure that there are written policies and procedures that explain how all staff will safeguard children, which are in line with the guidance and procedures of the relevant local safeguarding partners 06/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that the safeguarding policy and procedures include an explanation of the action to be taken when there are safeguarding concerns about a child and in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff, and cover the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting 06/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that all staff understand how to manage children's behaviour in an appropriate way 06/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that at least half of all staff hold an approved qualification at level 2 or above 06/12/2022

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Due date

support staff to undertake appropriate ongoing training and professional development opportunities to ensure that they improve their knowledge of teaching so they can offer good quality learning experiences for children 06/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that coaching and mentoring for staff are effective so that they fully understand how to implement the curriculum and support children in building on what they already know and can do 06/12/2022

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Due date

15 November 2022 put in place procedures to support children with SEND and children who speak English as an additional language, to help them make good progress in their learning 06/12/2022

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Due date

make sure that each child is assigned a key person, to help ensure that every child's learning is tailored to meet their individual needs and to build a relationship with parents so they have a full understanding of the learning their children receive 06/12/2022

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Due date

make sure that all necessary records, policies and procedures are maintained appropriately to ensure the safe and efficient running of the setting 06/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that all staff involved in preparing and handling food receive training in food hygiene 06/12/2022

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Due date

develop the curriculum to ensure that it clearly identifies what it is that all children need to learn and how this reflects their individual needs, and that it offers appropriate challenge, to help them make at least good progress. 06/12/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2680782 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10262038 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 24 Name of registered person Sticky Fingers Early Years Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07580207822 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Sticky Fingers Ltd registered in 2022 and is based in Loughton, Essex. The setting operates term time only, from 9am until 2pm, Monday to Friday. Six members of staff work with the children. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The setting is registered to provide funded education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting 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 their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk of the setting and discussed the provision. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager of activities taking place and they evaluated these together. n Children spoke to the inspector about what they enjoy doing in the setting. n The inspector reviewed relevant documentation, including the suitability checks of all adults working in the setting. n Parents and staff spoke with the inspector at appropriate times during the inspection.

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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

15 November 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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