Blossoms Day Nursery

Inspection of Blossoms Day Nursery 131 Thornbridge Avenue, Birmingham B42 2AP

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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

Children's safety is not assured. Minimum staff-to-child ratios are exceeded, particularly at the start of the day, and there are not enough staff to supervise children and meet their needs. Children are frequently left unsupervised while eating. This means staff would not be alerted to choking incidents. Confidential records are not stored safely. Staff lack knowledge and understanding of some safeguarding issues. This means they might not recognise or respond to a child at risk of harm. Risk assessments are not effective. Staff do not identify risks to children's safety in order to keep them safe.

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The provision is inadequate

Children's emotional needs are not met. Staff do not respond to babies when they continue to cry. They are left to lie in a cot because there is nobody available to comfort them. At mealtimes, staff continue to try and feed babies who are upset and do not recognise when they need a cuddle to help them to settle and feel secure.

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The provision is inadequate

The quality of teaching and educational programme is poor. For example, two- year-old children are expected to sit for long periods of time. They get bored, and this begins to impact on their behaviours. Staff do not communicate clearly or regularly with children to help them gain new language skills. Older children enjoy some experiences that staff provide. For example, they try to chop vegetables to make soup. However, staff do not recognise that the tools provided are not appropriate. Children struggle to cut raw vegetables, such as whole potatoes, with butter knives. Other children who wait for their turn lack stimulation, and staff do not recognise this to offer alternative experiences to support their learning.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers, including the provider, do not have a good enough oversight of the quality of provision. Their monitoring of staff's teaching and practice is heavily reliant on paperwork. Supervision is not used effectively to identify and address significant weaknesses and to help all staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities. n Staff-to-child ratios are significantly exceeded, which compromises the safety of children. Managers do not respond appropriately and continue to admit children into the nursery despite there not being enough staff present. During snack and mealtimes, staff take the opportunity to complete housekeeping tasks. This results in children not being properly supervised, which further impacts on their safety. n Leaders and managers fail to ensure that confidential records about staff and children are held securely to protect their privacy. Staff fail to maintain accurate

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need to do better?

records of children's hours of attendance, which means children are not

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need to do better?

26 June 2023 safeguarded. n The provider has failed to ensure that there is somebody competent available to take charge in the absence of the manager. Persons in charge do not identify when the nursery is not meeting the requirements of the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage'. Action is not taken swiftly enough to address concerns to keep children safe. n Procedures for administering medication are unsafe. Children have drinks with medication in given to them. Staff do not supervise children while they have this, which means other children could access it. This compromises their safety. n Staff do not check for risks to children's safety. Cleaning chemicals are left in reach of children, and some furniture has become worn over time and is unsafe. During snack and mealtimes, tables that are set up for children are overcrowded. Children cannot sit or move comfortably, and they struggle to

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need to do better?

negotiate space when walking to scrape their plates. n Key-person systems do not meet children's needs. Staff do not allow children the opportunity to practise using a toilet when they indicate they would like to try. They do not respond to children who are upset to give them the emotional support they need to settle. This means that the care and education that children receive are not tailored to meet their individual needs. n Staff access some training opportunities. However, leaders and managers do not monitor the impact of these. Some staff do not know enough about the areas of learning that they teach children. Not all staff have a good enough understanding of safeguarding issues. They are unable to recognise when a child may be at risk of being exposed to radicalised or extreme views or when a girl is at risk of abuse that is specific to females. As a result, children are not properly safeguarded.

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need to do better?

n The quality of education that children receive is poor. Staff do not know enough about children's achievements and cannot always identify what they want children to learn next. Staff do not consider what they want children to learn when planning activities and experiences for children. Children do not receive enough opportunities to help them make good progress across all areas of learning. n Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not receive the help and support they need. Although there are written plans in place for these children, they are not implemented. Key persons do not know how to support children well enough. Children are left to sit alone with minimal interaction from staff. They are not supported to make the progress they are capable of. n Children are often bored due to the lack of activities available to them. This impacts on some children's behaviour. Children occupy themselves by climbing

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need to do better?

on furniture, which affects their safety. When activities are provided, children become overly excited. Some children cannot see or reach the activity. They begin to hurt their peers to try and make room for themselves. n The nursery provides snacks and meals for children, which are generally balanced and nutritious. However, staff do not provide children with continuous access to fresh drinking water, which impacts on their health and safety. n Parents speak positively about the nursery. They say that their children are

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need to do better?

26 June 2023 happy to attend and that they receive regular feedback through an online application.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Children's safety and welfare are put at risk. There are not always enough staff on site or available to meet the needs of children. Staff fail to adequately supervise children, including when they are eating or being given medication. Confidential information and records are not stored safely, and staff fail to maintain records of children's attendance. Staff and managers are not alert to risks to children's safety in the environment. Staff do not have a good enough knowledge of safeguarding issues. They do not recognise their responsibilities in regard to the 'Prevent' duty guidance, and they lack understanding of when a female child may be at risk of harm. However, managers follow appropriate procedures when recruiting staff. They carry out checks to help assess their suitability to work with children.

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Due date

ensure that the minimum staff-to-child ratios are maintained at all times to keep children safe 07/07/2023

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Due date

ensure that staff are deployed effectively to adequately supervise children at all times, including when they are eating 07/07/2023

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Due date

ensure that the person named as deputy manager is competent and able to take charge in the absence of the manager 07/07/2023

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provide all staff with training to ensure that they have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues 07/07/2023

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Due date

ensure that all confidential information and records are held securely to protect the privacy of staff and children 07/07/2023

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Due date

26 June 2023 maintain accurate records of children's hours of attendance 07/07/2023

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Due date

improve the key-person system to ensure that children are provided with the emotional support they need to feel secure and form relationships with staff 07/07/2023

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Due date

ensure that key persons provide care and education that are tailored to meet each child's individual needs 07/07/2023

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Due date

provide children with access to fresh drinking water at all times 07/07/2023

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implement safe and effective procedures for the administration of medication 07/07/2023

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put effective arrangements in place to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities 07/07/2023

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ensure that risk assessment is used effectively to identify and remove or minimise any risks to children's safety 07/07/2023

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ensure that the environment and equipment are organised in a way that is safe and meets children's needs 07/07/2023

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Due date

put effective arrangements in place for the supervision of all staff to ensure that they are able to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. 07/07/2023

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Due date

improve the use of planning to ensure that children are provided with activities and experiences that take account of their stages of development and individual needs 31/07/2023

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Due date

26 June 2023 ensure that all children are provided with educational programmes that support them to make good progress across all areas of learning and development 31/07/2023

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Due date

provide staff with continuous professional development opportunities to ensure that they understand the areas of learning they teach. 31/07/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY499596 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10299329 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 61 Number of children on roll 119 Name of registered person Blossoms Day Nurseries (Great Barr) Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 358 5548 Date of previous inspection 16 May 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Blossoms Day Nursery registered in 2017. It is located in Great Barr, Birmingham. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks per year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. There are 21 members of staff employed. Of these, one holds a qualification at level 4, 13 hold qualifications at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2. 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 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The provider, 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 The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching to assess the impact of this on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with the provider and manager about the leadership and management of 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

26 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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