Minee Monkeys

Inspection of Minee Monkeys The Old School House, Birchfield Lane, Oldbury B69 2AS

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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

Significant weaknesses in leadership and management put children's health and safety at risk. Dangers within the environment have not been recognised by managers or staff. Staff fail to ensure that fire exits are accessible. Fire exit routes have further hazards, such as discarded wooden pallets, a wooden door, and wood with protruding nails that could fall onto children. There are also steps to a cellar that children could fall down. Children are not protected from the spread of infection. Staff change children's nappies on changing mats and changing stations that are visibly dirty. This is unhygienic and increases the risk of cross-infection.

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The provision is inadequate

The overall quality of the curriculum is poor. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not supported well enough. The special educational needs coordinator liaises with other professionals. However, advice and guidance received from other professionals is not used effectively to help children to make the progress they may be capable of. That said, children are generally happy and settled at the nursery. They behave well and make friendships with each other. Staff respond to children's emotional needs well, offering them cuddles, comfort and reassurance when needed.

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need to do better?

n The procedure for completing risk assessments is not effective. Managers and staff fail to identify dangers within the nursery. Stair gates that are used to restrict children's access to some areas are easily opened by children. Children have access to cleaning chemicals. Trailing wires and several trip hazards within the nursery pose further risks to children. This significantly compromises children's health and safety. n Managers have a poor understanding of the procedures to complete vetting checks for all staff. They do not obtain accurate information about agency staff's criminal records checks. This means that they may not have all the necessary information to make an informed decision about their suitability to work with children. This does not safeguard children. n The quality of teaching is poor. Staff do not plan an ambitious curriculum that matches the interests and needs of children. For example, staff leading a story-

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need to do better?

time session for two-year-old children fail to engage them. They continue to read the story despite children rolling around the floor and wandering away. In addition, although staff have identified that they want children to learn to be independent at mealtimes, they do not give them a knife to learn to cut up their own food. These weaknesses have a negative impact on the progress that children make. n The key-person arrangements for children are not effective. Some staff who are acting as a key person to children with SEND are not aware that they hold this

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need to do better?

16 June 2023 role. Other staff who are acting as a key person are not aware of basic information about children, such as their age. Consequently, staff are not able to ensure that every child's care and learning needs are tailored to meet their individual needs. n The arrangements for the supervision of staff to ensure that they can build on the quality of their teaching and practice are not effective. Managers have failed to identify several weaknesses in practice, and therefore have failed to address these in order to raise the overall quality of the provision for children. n Children's good health is not supported because staff do not follow good hygiene routines. Poor nappy changing procedures put children at risk of cross-infection. In addition, children's meals are not always healthy or nutritionally balanced. Most children bring in their own drink, which is often squash in a bottle. This does not promote children's oral hygiene.

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need to do better?

n Information and records are not sufficiently maintained to ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting. Managers do not gather sufficient information about children so that they are able to keep them safe and meet their needs. Managers do not ensure that they know who has parental responsibility for children. Children's registers lack detail, and records of staff working at the setting are not maintained. This compromises children's safety. n Staff administer medication to children without the required written permission from the child's parent or carer. This puts children's health and safety at risk. n Parents spoken to express their satisfaction with the nursery. They say how happy their children are attending.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers fail to ensure that risks to children within the nursery are removed or minimised. This puts children at risk of harm. Recruitment procedures are not rigorous enough to fully assess the suitability of agency staff working with children. Poor record-keeping further compromises the welfare of children. Some records are not accurately maintained, and others are not easily accessible. Staff do not have a secure understanding of the setting's mobile phone policy. They do not ensure that parents follow the mobile phone policy. This poses a risk to children's safety. Nevertheless, staff have an appropriate understanding of the procedures to follow should they have concerns about children's welfare. They know what to do in the event of an allegation being made against staff.

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Due date

undertake effective risk assessments and swiftly remove or minimise any hazards that pose a risk to children's safety and welfare 10/07/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure that an enhanced criminal records check is obtained for every person who works with children 10/07/2023

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Due date

improve nappy changing procedures to ensure that children are protected from the spread of infection 10/07/2023

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Due date

consistently promote children's good health, including their oral health, with particular regard to providing healthy, balanced and nutritious food and drinks 10/07/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure that all the required information is maintained, with particular regard to who holds parental responsibility for children, children's names and hours of attendance, and staffing in the nursery 10/07/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure that records are maintained and easily accessible for inspection 10/07/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure that medications are only administered to a child where written permission for that particular medication has been obtained from the child's parent or carer 10/07/2023

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Due date

ensure that all staff understand and implement the nursery's safeguarding policy in relation to the use of mobile phones 10/07/2023

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Due date

implement an effective key-person system to ensure that children's individual needs are consistently met 10/07/2023

p.4

Due date

16 June 2023 ensure that staff benefit from effective supervision, support, guidance and mentoring to raise the quality of their teaching and to help them to fully understand all aspects of their role and responsibilities 10/07/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure that effective arrangements are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. 10/07/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY474844 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 10299050 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 72 Number of children on roll 67 Name of registered person Minee Monkeys Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 5441000 Date of previous inspection 16 July 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Minee Monkeys registered in 2014. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 6, eight hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 and one holds an appropriate qualification at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, except for one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early 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 setting and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The inspector completed a learning walk with the manager to understand how the setting operates and how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. She spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.

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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

16 June 2023 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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