Little Munchkins

Inspection of Little Munchkins Springfield Hotel, 67 The Avenue, FAREHAM, Hampshire PO14 1PE

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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

There are breaches to the safeguarding and welfare requirements that have a significant impact on all aspects of children's safety, care and learning. Risk assessment is not effective in identifying and minimising potential risk. For instance, babies use heavy role-play furniture to pull themselves up as they learn to walk. However, staff fail to ensure furniture is securely fixed. Free-standing electrical fans are easily accessible to children. Weakness in risk assessment leads to near miss incidents that could cause children significant injury. Furthermore, the manager does not ensure that there are sufficient staff present who have an appropriate first-aid qualification. This includes during children's mealtimes. In addition, the manager does not adhere to safeguarding policies, including those that relate to mobile phone and camera use. As a result, children's safety cannot be assured.

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The provision is inadequate

Children do not receive the support they need to be effective communicators. Staff working with the babies overwhelm them with language during play. They do not allow children time to process new words before introducing another. Older children, particularly those with gaps in their speech, do not receive regular quality interactions that model appropriate pronunciation. This does not support children to be effective communicators.

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The provision is inadequate

Key-person arrangements do not provide children with secure attachments or continuity of care. This is due to frequent changes in staff and poorly thought-out transitions. For example, staff move children to new rooms without any prior planning or preparation. They fail to take children's existing attachments and need for emotional security into account. Children take longer to settle and gain their confidence as a result.

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need to do better?

n Leadership and management are not effective. The lack of monitoring of practice and supervision means that staff do not have regular opportunities to discuss sensitive issues. This includes concerns about other staff. This has led to a negative culture and a breakdown in team relationships. Staff do not feel that they are able to raise their concerns with managers. This has an impact on every aspect of the provision, including the quality of teaching and children's safety. n Staff do not promote children's health and well-being through effective hygiene practices. For example, babies drink from beakers that do not belong to them, which have been left on the floor. During nappy changing, toddlers spread their hands on the toilet floor and touch their intimate areas. They are then able to pick up their toy from the floor and re-enter the playroom without washing their hands. Poor hygiene practices compromise children's health and place them at

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need to do better?

11 September 2023 risk from cross-contamination. n Staff working with babies do not consider risk when setting up activities. For example, staff place a tray on the floor and add balls, glitter and toy vehicles for babies to explore. However, babies scoop up handfuls of glitter and place this in their mouths and close to their eyes. Glitter sticks to babies' bodies after staff remove their clothes at the beginning of the activity. This causes irritation to those who have sensitive skin. n Children's opportunities to embed new concepts are variable. For example, staff do not provide babies with the time they need to process new information. Staff introduce babies to pine cones. They talk rapidly and provide lots of language without pausing, before replacing the pine cone with a different item. This limits babies' opportunities to investigate and make sense of the world around them. However, some children have better experiences. For example, older children

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need to do better?

show an interest in simple addition. Staff support this well by modelling counting and asking questions. n The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is poor. This is because staff who have a specific role in supporting children with SEND do not share information with other members of the team. This means staff are unable to provide children with continuity or activities that support their next steps in learning. This has an impact on the progress children are able to make from their starting points. n The weaknesses in the quality of teaching and interaction have a direct impact on children's attitudes towards their learning. For example, children do not have access to play that ignites their curiosity or develops their concentration over time. Staff teach children about rules and regularly check their understanding. However, staff do not enforce the rules with consistency. For example, children

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need to do better?

are not challenged by staff when they continue to run down a slope after being told to use their 'walking feet'. n Children have opportunities to strengthen their physical development, both inside and outdoors. For instance, children strengthen their core muscles as they transport sand in various containers in the garden. Babies navigate the different outside terrain as they challenge their coordination. Older children enhance their hand strength as they squeeze and roll dough. This helps children develop some skills that will support their future learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Those who have a lead responsibility for safeguarding do not fulfil their role and responsibilities. This includes ensuring staff have sufficient understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. Staff lack an understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse. Furthermore, they do not know who to report to should they have a child welfare concern. This includes internal and external professionals. In addition, not all staff know the process to follow should they have concerns about staff conduct. Staff are not deployed effectively to meet the supervision and safety needs of children. They do not communicate appropriately with each other as

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Safeguarding

11 September 2023 children move between rooms. This means that children's whereabouts are not always known, often resulting in children being out of sight and hearing. The manager fails to notify Ofsted of changes in management and significant events that may impact on their suitability. The breaches relating to safeguarding mean that children's safety cannot be assured.

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Due date

ensure all staff, including the manager, understand and adhere to the safeguarding policy and procedures, including those relating to mobile phones and camera use 29/09/2023

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Due date

ensure staff have secure knowledge and understanding of the signs of abuse and know who to contact should they have concerns about staff conduct or children's welfare 29/09/2023

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Due date

introduce practice monitoring arrangements and regular staff supervision that promotes teamwork, sensitive discussions, professional development and the continuous improvement of the setting 29/09/2023

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Due date

ensure there are sufficient staff with an appropriate first-aid qualification present at all times in order to ensure their health and safety 29/09/2023

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Due date

improve key-person arrangements to ensure children's care and well-being are prioritised, particularly as they transition through the setting 29/09/2023

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Due date

improve the deployment of staff to ensure children's supervision needs are met and they are within sight and/or hearing at all times to ensure their safety 29/09/2023

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Due date

11 September 2023 improve hygiene protocols to ensure these promote children's good health and keep them safe from cross- contamination 29/09/2023

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Due date

ensure risk assessments are robust and effective in identifying and minimising potential risk to children 29/09/2023

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Due date

ensure the arrangements to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are appropriately shared with staff and are effective in providing children with the targeted support they need to catch up with their peers. 29/09/2023

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Due date

strengthen staff's understanding of the curriculum and how young children learn, ensuring children have access to high-quality care, interactions and learning opportunities. 11/11/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY392543 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10302316 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 60 Number of children on roll 43 Name of registered person Little Munchkins Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 01329230681 Date of previous inspection 11 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Little Munchkins registered in 2009. It is situated in a detached house in a residential area of Fareham, Hampshire. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm all year round. The nursery provides early education funding for children aged two, three and four years. There are currently 15 members of staff working with the children, 13 of whom are qualified to 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 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 assistant manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the provision and discussed the early years curriculum. n The assistant manager and the inspector discussed how they organise their early years provision, including the aims and rationale for their early years foundation stage curriculum. n The inspector talked to the staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning

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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

11 September 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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