Elms Private Day Nursery

Inspection of Elms Private Day Nursery The Elms, Lowerfold Road, Great Harwood, Blackburn, Lancashire BB6 7NS

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

Weak management of the setting results in breaches of the statutory requirements. The provider has recently not had the previous oversight of the nursery. Furthermore, the manager does not have a secure understanding of all the requirements. Leaders have failed to ensure that the premises are in good repair and remain suitable. In addition, procedures for risk assessment and staff vetting are not sufficiently robust. For example, the roof above one of the rooms where children play is leaking onto furniture and there are hazards in children's play areas. Additionally, not every member of staff who works with the children has been subject to a criminal records check. This recent decline in the safe management of the provision, compromises children's safety.

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The provision is inadequate

Over the longer term, leaders have ensured that children's learning is promoted through a well-planned curriculum. All staff understand the curriculum and what they want children to learn. Staff plan and provide a broad variety of learning opportunities to help all children achieve the next steps in their learning. For example, when staff identify that children need support to develop their hand muscles in preparation for writing, they prepare a range of activities for children to practise handling tools. Babies make marks with large crayons. Young children manipulate foam and use fine motor skills to pierce it with straws. By the time they are ready for moving on to school, older children use paintbrushes, pens and scissors. Children demonstrate good attitudes to their learning.

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need to do better?

n Since the previous inspection, the setting has faced some significant challenges. There has been a change in leadership and management arrangements. The current manager lacks some of the key knowledge needed to help her implement robust procedures to ensure children's safety. n Leaders have not ensured that the playrooms where toddlers and babies play are suitably maintained. For example, some rooms are cold and draughty because of holes at the bottom of external doors. Furthermore, in parts of the setting, the roof is leaking onto the equipment children play with. During the inspection, the provider took some steps to address these issues. Additionally, the provider rearranged the groups and rooms used by children until repairs have been made. This means that their learning is not unduly disrupted. n Leaders do not consistently carry out vetting processes to ensure that all staff are suitable. Some staff, whose suitability has not been checked, have

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need to do better?

unsupervised contact with children being cared for. Leaders demonstrated a poor knowledge and understanding of the requirement to ensure that people looking after children are suitable. However, once this had been raised with them, they took immediate steps to reduce any immediate risk.

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need to do better?

3 October 2023 n Leaders have not ensured that risk assessments are effective. Leaders and staff do not always identify hazards in the playrooms and in the outdoor area. For example, large piles of toys, broken plastic and rotten wood are accessible in children's outside play area. These hazards are not removed or minimised by leaders or the staff. Therefore, they create a risk of injury to children. n Children develop good levels of speech and language. Staff in the baby room use their skills to model language effectively. Babies develop good early language. However, the communication and language curriculum for older children is not as effective. Older children are not consistently given the opportunity to build and extend their thinking and responses during activities and routines. This means that children's speaking skills do not progress as much as possible. n Staff build strong bonds with children. They are enthusiastic and interact well

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need to do better?

with children. For example, staff encourage babies to explore the large play equipment. Babies laugh and celebrate with each other when they travel 'up' and 'down'. They repeat the words that staff say with clarity. They have enormous fun building their core muscles and balance as they navigate the different surfaces. n The curriculum supports aspects of children's understanding of the world. Staff take children on a variety of outings. Children enjoy visits to a yoga studio, play centres, forests and a rest home for the elderly. Children enthusiastically chat to the inspector about what they see on a 'welly walk'. The curriculum helps them to learn about the community they live in. n Children behave well. They learn to share, take turns and show a keen interest in what their friends say during group times. Staff set clear expectations and reinforce these in a meaningful way. For instance, they sing songs that help

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need to do better?

children to wait for their turn. Staff help older children learn to identify their names when hanging their coats up after outdoor play. They develop skills which help to build their independence in readiness for school. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Staff effectively liaise with parents and other professionals, such as Portage workers. This supports children who have gaps in their learning and development to make the best possible progress. n Leaders and staff have developed secure relationships with parents and share key information about children's time in this setting. Parents are happy with the progress their children make in their learning because of attending this setting.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Weak management arrangements compromise children's safety. The manager's poor understanding of statutory requirements means that procedures for the safe operation of the setting are not robust. Leaders have ensured that staff have a suitable understanding of child protection issues, including the signs and symptoms of abuse. They are aware of the correct action to take if an allegation is made about a colleague. All staff have a current paediatric first-aid certificate, which

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Safeguarding

3 October 2023 helps them to respond in the event of an accident or emergency.

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Due date

implement a robust vetting process for all staff, including obtaining Disclosure and Barring Service checks, to ensure those employed to work with children are suitable to do so 10/10/2023

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Due date

ensure risk assessments are robust and effective, so that all risks to children are identified and removed or minimised to keep children safe 10/10/2023

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Due date

ensure that the premises, including the outdoor spaces, are fit for purpose and suitable for the age of children cared for. 10/10/2023

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should:

n develop strategies used by staff working with older children to enhance their communication and language skills and support their growing vocabulary.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 309297 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10301479 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 29 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person Haworth, Glenis

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reference number

Telephone number 01254 887 353 Date of previous inspection 25 January 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Elms Private Day Nursery registered in 1992. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, one member of staff holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 6, one holds qualifications at level 5, three at level 3 and one at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, except for one week in July and one week at Christmas.

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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 manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager of the setting completed a learning walk to gather information about how the provision and curriculum are organised. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors to assess the impact of this on children's learning. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and the deputy manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting. n Children talked to the inspector throughout the inspection. n Parents spoke to the inspector and gave their views of the nursery.

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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

3 October 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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