Happy Hill Hub

Happy Hill Hub

Unique reference number (URN): 2821074 Address: Happy Hill Hub (former Parcs Building), Great Notley Country Park, Braintree, Essex, CM77 7FS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 27/12/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Happy Hill Essex CIO

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders provide children with a purposeful environment. They consistently promote clear expectations for children's behaviour. Children benefit from cosy spaces in a well-equipped sensory room. They sit in the calming atmosphere, relax and have time and space to regulate how they feel. In addition, there is a soft-play room where children use their physical skills to express their emotions and how they are feeling. Staff use individualised approaches that reflect children's needs and stages of development. Staff are extremely kind and attentive, and model what is expected. As a result, children begin to learn and understand what is expected of them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff build warm and trusting relationships with children. They use precise and consistent strategies to support children's behaviour, including visual cues, calm instructions and immediate reinforcement. There are flexible routines in place to ensure some structure, helping children to feel secure and understand what is happening next. Leaders promote regular attendance to ensure children's welfare and participation. Staff work closely with families. For example, they fully understand the difficulties that some parents and carers face. Therefore, staff are very flexible in terms of arrival times to ensure that children attend regularly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children and young people who attend this setting face significant barriers to their learning and have profound learning and physical disabilities. Children feel safe and secure and develop emotional security. This is because staff form secure attachments with them, and offer reassurance and adjust support as needed. For example, staff recognise signs of discomfort or distress in children. They provide calm and individualised support to help children regulate their emotions, understand how they are feeling and return to activities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders are committed to ensuring that children's welfare and wellbeing are at the centre of all decisions made. They endeavour to give children a voice, and to encourage children to make choices for themselves and develop independence and confidence. Staff support children to develop an awareness of their physical health and safety through gentle instructions. For example, children receive encouragement to use 'chewy' toys rather than chewing on resources they find. Staff gently explain to children why this is better for them. Staff respect children's privacy and dignity. They guide children through personal care routines, and encourage independence where possible. Children choose when they want to eat. They independently access their lunch boxes. Staff support children to ensure their safety while eating, in a calm and structured way. Staff implement highly responsive care and detailed care plans. They adapt routines to ensure that children remain comfortable,

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders provide children and their families with a unique holiday club. They offer a fun and safe space, while providing respite care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and children known (or previously known) to children's social care. Leaders have a precise understanding of each child's individual needs. They are committed to ensuring an inclusive environment, where all children can fully participate and are welcomed. There is a deep culture of respect. Leaders establish extremely positive and trusting partnerships with parents and carers. They also work closely with external professionals, including speech and language therapists, to ensure a consistent and collaborative approach.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders promote communication with parents in a variety of ways. They provide an informative website for parents to register their child's attendance. Daily conversations take place as children arrive and on collection. Leaders display meaningful information for parents, including about the staff present, the club's activities and their expectations. Further discussions take place, if appropriate, to ensure that staff are fully aware of any individual specific needs, abilities or cultural backgrounds in relation to children's care. Leaders gather robust information, which includes detailed information about children's medical needs, from the outset. This helps staff to design a programme of support and plan activities to meet all children's needs. Leaders ensure that information is highly focused and consistently relevant to children's changing needs. They review children's progress regularly with parents and

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Inclusion Strong standard

other professionals who may be involved in the children's care. This ensures that support is responsive to children's changing needs. All children receive individualised and personal support. As a result, they are very settled and gain the skills they need to be independent.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are extremely dedicated and passionate about their role. They strive to ensure that the children attending have the very best experience and start in life. Leaders maintain a clear oversight of the provision and meet statutory requirements consistently. They have a secure understanding of the club's strengths, and use ongoing reflection to strengthen practice. They positively welcome feedback that will enrich children's experiences further. For example, leaders have recently introduced further ways to communicate with children by using visual prompts to explain routines in more detail.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders place an emphasis on partnerships with parents and carers, and communication with them is excellent. Staff keep parents fully informed about their child's day. Parents are keen to express their complete gratitude for all the work, care and opportunities that staff provide for their children. Parents describe the club as a 'lifeline', reflecting the high level of trust and confidence in leaders' work. They fully appreciate the additional Saturday club, and speak of how valuable the Sunday 'stay-and-play' sessions are for all of their family. Leaders actively support staff's wellbeing and workload. Leaders make thoughtful adjustments that enable staff to carry out their work effectively. Leaders prioritise professional development through ongoing training, coaching and modelling of practice, which strengthens staff expertise.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are happy as they arrive with their parents and carers. They are warmly greeted by leaders and their key persons. Children are enthusiastic to join the club, and show great excitement. Children benefit from staff taking time to discuss their morning with parents and exchange relevant information. Parents are reassured when leaving their children and are not rushed if discussing any concerns. Each child and their whole family receive time and support from leaders and staff. They benefit from a familiar, carefully structured and

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Inspector:

Lynn Hartigan supportive day. Children respond positively and enjoy the freedom to make choices for themselves, such as about where they play.

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Inspector:

Children benefit from staff knowing them and their unique needs extremely well. Staff build solid and trusting bonds with children. This helps children to feel secure, settle and engage. Activities are planned that reflect children's needs and abilities. Staff are well informed as to what may capture children's interest to support their engagement, such as using shredded paper in their play. Children show their enjoyment through smiles and laughter. Over time, children become more confident, engaged and independent. They are superbly supported to make choices for themselves. Children's experiences are enriched further through participation in well-planned outings. They have immense fun on visits to local farms, trips to go swimming and trips to the seaside.

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Inspector:

There is a variety of robust systems in place to ensure staff have a secure knowledge and appropriate information regarding children's unique needs and abilities. This includes comprehensive information gathered for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and/or barriers to their wellbeing. Children receive one-to-one support from their key persons. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the club. They relish time spent outdoors. Children play in the sand, enjoy jumping using the trampoline and can run at speed. Children benefit from the support they receive from their first day onwards, as staff are suitably trained and informed. Children's attendance is good as leaders are aware of its importance for those children booked to attend the club. They follow the systems in place and work in partnership with parents to ensure children's attendance and wellbeing.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help, to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and carers, and children during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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Address:

Happy Hill Hub (former Parcs Building) Great Notley Country Park Braintree Essex CM77 7FS

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 10:00 - 15:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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