Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery

Inspection of Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery 54-56 Hoghton Street, SOUTHPORT, Merseyside PR9 0PQ

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

Standards have declined since the previous inspection. Weak practice, particularly in relation to safety and hygiene, places children at risk of harm. The provider has not ensured the manager has the time and resources she needs to implement improvement plans and raise the quality of practice at the setting. Staff do not get the support, training or coaching they need to improve their practice. While plans for improvement are in place, these are still in their infancy and are not yet having the desired impact. As a result, the quality of education and care is inconsistent across the setting.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff are not always deployed well. As a result, there are times when children's needs are not met. Some interactions, particularly with older children, are weak and do not challenge children's current learning. As a result, most children do not make the progress of which they are capable. Nevertheless, practice in the baby room is much stronger. Babies benefit from meaningful interactions with knowledgeable staff. As a result, they thrive in their development.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite some weaknesses in staff practice, children do enjoy their time at the setting. They form secure bonds with staff and separate from their parents with ease as they arrive. Partnerships with parents are improved. This, in turn, supports children to make some continued progress in their learning. Children are kind, caring and respectful.

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need to do better?

n Oversight of all staff practice is not good enough. Current issues with staff absences mean that the manager is required to cover in the rooms. Staff sickness has also led to some disruption to the deployment of staff. In addition, this has led to the cancellation of some planned training for staff. As a result, education and care practices are weak. n Risk assessments are ineffective. Staff fail to notice and act to remove trailing wires from electrical appliances, such as a television and music system. These wires are within easy reach of the children and place them at risk of harm. n Staff fail to implement the setting's health and hygiene procedures. For example, some staff wipe children's noses but do not wash their hands afterwards. When staff do wash their hands, they dry them on their plastic aprons rather than with the disposable towels. Although serving tongs are available, staff serve snacks

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need to do better?

with their hands. Furthermore, while staff are aware to test the temperature of food, this is not carried out in a hygienic way. For example, staff rub a spoonful of soup onto their wrist to test how hot it is. They then place the unwashed spoon back into the bowl of soup. This poor practice places children at risk of cross-infection and contamination and does not support their good health.

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need to do better?

15 November 2022 n Leaders do not ensure that staff are always deployed well enough. For example, on the day of the inspection, a very new child in the toddler room was upset throughout the day. This is because the key person was sent to cover staff shortages in another room. Furthermore, staff often leave the room to complete tasks, such as preparing snack and setting up for lunch. This means that there is not always enough staff available to meet the individual needs of the children. As a result, some rooms become chaotic and disorganised. This affects children's behaviour. For example, children stand on their chairs while they sit at the table for lunch. n Some routine times of the day, such as mealtimes and nappy changing times, are not carried out well. As a result, these do not provide consistent opportunities to build on children's learning and skills. For example, when staff change toddlers' nappies, they do not talk to them or engage with them. As a

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need to do better?

result, toddlers are subdued, as staff focus on getting the task completed quickly. n Staff do not provide opportunities for children to have a go and try and carry out activities, such as dressing themselves, independently. This hinders children's progress. Children who are toilet training do benefit from staff support. Staff provide time and encouragement for these children, helping them to manage their own personal needs by themselves. n Staff know the children reasonably well. The intended curriculum is understood by the staff and is designed to help children build on their existing skills. However, staff do not always implement this well enough. Staff, at times, are too concerned with completing paperwork rather than interacting with the children. This means children become bored and wander off. However, assessment is used well. All children, including those who receive funding and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make expected

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need to do better?

progress. Babies make better than expected progress. n Practice in the baby room is better. Babies benefit greatly from warm, nurturing and challenging interactions from staff. For example, staff introduce babies to new words, such as 'soft' and 'yellow', as they describe the texture of a banana. n Food provided for children is healthy and nutritionally balanced. There are effective systems in place to meet the needs of children who have special dietary requirements. Children also benefit from access to fresh air and exercise. For example, older children enjoy riding tricycles and demonstrate good large- physical skills as they manoeuvre the tricycles around obstacles. Babies are given lots of encouragement to sit up, crawl and pull themselves to stand. n Partnerships with parents and other professionals involved in children's learning and care are well established. As a result, there is continuity in most children's

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need to do better?

learning. Parents are helped by the staff to support children's learning at home. Parents value staff and speak highly about them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff do not take all necessary steps to ensure children's health and safety. Staff

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Safeguarding

15 November 2022 fail to implement the setting's risk assessment and health and hygiene procedures. As a result, children are placed at risk of harm. Staff do, however, have a secure understanding of how to act should they have a concern about a child's welfare or the conduct of a colleague they work with. The premises are secure. There are robust procedures in place for the safe recruitment of staff. Despite weakness in staff deployment, the required adult-to-child ratios are maintained.

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Due date

ensure leaders have better oversight of the provision, to improve staff's access to more robust coaching, supervision, and training, helping them to fulfil the responsibilities of their roles, improve their practice and strengthen their teaching skills 30/11/2022

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Due date

ensure that risks to children are identified and swift action is taken to minimise and remove these to keep children safe 22/11/2022

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Due date

ensure that staff are deployed effectively to provide adequate care and to meet the emotional needs of all children, particularly those who are new to the setting 22/11/2022

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Due date

ensure good hygiene standards are maintained across the setting, particularly in relation to handwashing and serving food. 22/11/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY475058 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 10261784 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 76 Number of children on roll 101 Name of registered person James Barrington Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07825 007184 Date of previous inspection 26 October 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery registered in 2014. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 6.30pm. The nursery employs 22 members of childcare staff. Of these, 19 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 to 6. The nursery provides funded early years education for two-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n We carried out this inspection as part of the risk assessment process, following information we received about the provider. 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 this into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager joined the inspectors on a learning walk and talked to the inspectors about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspectors viewed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The manager completed a joint observation with one of the inspectors. n The inspectors spoke to staff and the children throughout the inspection. n The provider and manager joined the inspectors in a leadership and management meeting. n The inspectors spoke to parents and took account of their views.

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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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