Childcare Inspection Report onTabernacle Playgroup

Tabernacle Baptist ChurchPlassey Street

PenarthCF64 1EN

Date of Publication Thursday, 9 March 2017

Welsh Government © Crown copyright 2017.You may use and re-use the information featured in this publication (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License. You can view the Open Government License, on the National Archives website or you can write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk You must reproduce our material accurately and not use it in a misleading context.

Page 1

Description of the serviceTabernacle Playgroup was registered in December 2010 with Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW). It operates from a hall within a large church in the centre of Penarth. The playgroup is registered for 24 children aged two to five years old from 9.15am-11.45am, Monday to Friday during term time. There is one registered person who also acts as the person in charge, overseeing the day to day running of the playgroup along with a deputy leader. This is an English speaking setting.

Summary of our findingsOverall assessmentOverall, there are inconsistencies in the standard of care provided by the service. Children are well settled, enjoy their time there and have good relationships with staff. Parents told us that they are very happy with the service and that their children have developed well as a result of attending. Staff have a good understanding of individual needs of children they care for and the environment is clean and spacious. However, we found that the quality of leadership and management and certain operational issues require significant improvement to ensure children’s safety and so the service operates in line with legal requirements.

ImprovementsThe service has made some progress with recommendations made at the previous inspection by offering painting during the session, although this was time limited rather than a free flowing activity. It was recommended that staff sit at tables with children during snack time; we saw one practitioner doing this during the inspection but this could be increased to ensure all children are adequately supported. This matter has been highlighted in the previous two CSSIW inspection reports.

Requirements and recommendations The service is not meeting their legal requirements in relation to leadership and management of the service. Recruitment procedures and documentation held about staff fitness, and staff supervision process must be improved to ensure children’s safety, employee suitability and provide on going support. A system to monitor, review and improve the quality of care given to children must also been implemented and reported upon.

Good practice recommendations have been made regarding health and hygiene practices and ensuring recommendations from other agencies are implemented quickly, promoting children’s independence skills, use of Welsh, record keeping, having a good inductionprocess to ensure knowledge and implementation of policies and procedures, updating thestatement of purpose, safeguarding and for better understanding of the Foundation Phaseprinciples.

Page 2

Well-being

SummaryThe playgroup provides children with suitable opportunities to develop an adequate range of skills and knowledge and experience a sense of achievement. Overall, children have access to a sufficient variety of resources and activities that support their all-round development. This includes physical, emotional, social, language and creative experiences.

Our findings

To what extent do children have a voice?Generally children make choices about how they spend their time during free play sessions and are aware of their options. They are able to move from one activity to another and ask for support when needed. Children who didn’t want to sit for circle activities were able to play with toys of their choice. Children are encouraged to try things for themselves and to have confidence to speak up. For example, we saw a child given time to choose the type of paper she wanted to colour on and draw a picture herself. A staff member praised her by saying “Mummy will be very impressed with that, that’s such good work” and laughter was heard between the two of them.

Children’s right to express themselves freely and to make independent choices is appropriately encouraged at the service.

To what extent do children feel safe, happy and valued?Children are forming stable relationships with their carers and are comfortable and at ease in the service. We noted that children were generally happy and relaxed. They were confident to pick out toys of their choice and played happily with other children, either in pairs or in groups. One child was on an initial visit with their parent and another two children were there for their first day. We observed that these children were given sufficient support and reassurance. The visiting child was reluctant to leave at the end of their session but was reassured by a practitioner who said “look forward to seeing you again on Wednesday”. Practitioners were aware of children who were unsettled and provided cuddles to relax and comfort them. Parents we spoke to during the inspection were very happy to send their child to the service. One carer told us that her child still attends twice a week even though she has now started state school part-time, as she loves it so much.

Children feel safe and are happy at this service which values and promotes them as individuals.

How well do children interact?Children play well together and are learning to share and co-operate. There were a number of instances observed when children waited their turn before using resources and equipment and we noted that children sat happily together at mealtimes and they were nicely reminded by practitioners to use their manners. Friendships are beginning to form as we saw children approach others and ask them if they would like to play. Where children were playing alone, they appeared content and were soon joined by other children in their games. Practitioners were on hand if children wanted their assistance. We saw that many of the children are beginning to understand their feelings and are learning how to cope with frustrations.

Page 3

Children are learning appropriate social skills in preparation for more formal education.

To what extent do children enjoy their play and learning?In general, children are curious and engaged learners and enjoy the range of play opportunities available to them. The emphasis was predominately on free play but there were some structured, adult led activities which children participated in and enjoyed. We saw children showing adults what they had achieved, which was praised appropriately. The play opportunities ranged from sand, role play, home corner, farms and animals to structured activities such as circle time and physical play. Children enjoyed these activities and were seen smiling and laughing. They were keen to be involved in stories and songs and clapped and joined in actions at various times. Children would further benefit from the play areas being organised in line with the Foundation Phase framework so they have more first hand experiences. The service does not have an outdoor play area; whilst this is not ideal, a climbing frame/slide inside the play room was used to encourage physical activity. Bikes and trikes were also available towards the end of the session or children could look at books or play with toys that had not been put away. Physical activity should be encouraged as much as possible for each child attending.

Children are able to follow their own interests and they gain a sense of achievement from what they do.

How well do children develop, learn and become independent?Children are largely motivated, self reliant and developing their all-round skills in line with their age and stage of development. They are confident to go and find toys and materials without adult assistance. We noted that during snack time, children were not given opportunity to serve themselves or pour their own drinks and they did not wash and wipe their hands independently. This practice should be reviewed. We saw that practitioners encouraged children to take their plates and cups to the kitchen ‘hatch’, but if a practitioner was busy with another child, children could not reach the ‘hatch’. We discussed placing a table or bowl at low level to allow children to participate more in clearing away. Practitioners used phrases such as ‘would anyone like more’ and waited for children to respond. Older children were encouraged to use the toilet independently and were encouraged to wash and wipe their hands. Children’s language skills were encouraged during the session and particularly at circle time and singing and we heard practitioners extend their children’s language development by asking them appropriate questions, which also developed their thinking during play. Their fine motor skills and social skills were also promoted through the creative opportunities available.

Children’s all-round learning and self help skills are encouraged by practitioners but there is room for improvement.

Page 4

Care and Development

SummaryWe found inconsistencies around knowledge and implementation of policies, procedures and record keeping within the service and there are areas of improvement required to ensure all children’s needs are met and their safety is promoted. Areas of good practice are also evident, but improvements must be made so that the impact of this is not overshadowed by the discrepancies.

Our findings

How well do practitioners keep children safe and healthy?Children are generally kept safe and healthy, although improvements are needed. There are suitable policies relating to safeguarding, infection control, fire safety and the administering of medication to ensure children’s health and safety, although these are not always followed. There is also a child protection policy in place but we found from discussion with two practitioners that they have a very basic awareness of their safeguarding responsibility or the procedure to follow should a safeguarding issue arise. This needs to be improved as a matter of urgency. Having a staff group who understand the policies and procedures for the setting is essential to ensure that children are protected. The service has achieved a Gold Healthy Snack Award and other initiatives that promote children’s health and well-being and certificates for this are displayed for parents. They have been awarded 5 stars by the Environmental Health Department for food safety. However, we saw little evidence of best practice implemented during snack time. We saw practitioners encouraging children to drink but water was not available for children to access freely during the session. We were told that they had previously been doing this, but had let it slip recently. We were pleased to note that by the time we returned to complete the inspection, this had been implemented. We recommended that this is continued and also that the service promotes good oral hygiene, which they had previously done. Further consideration also needs to be given as to how practitioners can better promote children’s self-help skills and particularly hand washing procedures before snack and ensure good hygiene procedures such as wiping tables appropriately before and after snacks are given. As children do not have access to an outside space, physical activity indoors should also be maximised. During the inspection we heard practitioners reminding children to be careful, and a child was asked not to play with a toy whilst on the slide in case they got hurt. Practitioners are trained in first aid and are deployed effectively to maintain staffing ratios within the nursery.

An Environmental Health Officer visited the playgroup in June 2016 to review infection control procedures. We noted that ten recommendations made during that visit to ensure children’s health and safety have not yet been actioned, and although an Infection Control Audit Tool has been completed, much of the best practice has not been implemented. We observed poor hygiene procedures during nappy changing. Practitioners did not wear gloves or an apron and did not always wash hands between changes. Not all children were encouraged to wash their hands after using a potty although most children who used the toilet independently washed and dried their hands appropriately. Children were not afforded privacy whilst nappy changing and using the potty, as this was done in small groups. The toileting policy and practices need to be reviewed and updated so that all staff are aware of safe practice procedures and children’s rights are protected. We found that although there was a system available for the recording of accident and incidents, records had not been

Page 5

kept for some time. We stressed the importance of maintaining clear, consistent records and that these are reviewed regularly to monitor any trends that might occur. Recording of existing injuries also needs to be developed and maintained consistently as part of the safeguarding procedures. As the registered person had not ensured that all unnecessary risks to children’s health and safety had been identified and eliminated we found that they had not been compliant with their legal responsibilities to keep children safe and we have issued a non compliance notice in respect of these matters.

Rigorous attention is needed to maintain good, consistent recordings and better understanding and implementation of health and safety policies and procedures to ensure children’s health and safety.

How well do practitioners manage interactions?Practitioners manage interactions appropriately. As part of our discussions about managing interactions, we considered a concern brought to our attention prior to the inspection. Our observations during the inspection did not substantiate this concern. Staff were seen to be consistent and work in line with their behaviour management policy. We recommended that their policy is updated to include all of Standard 9 of National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare (NMS). We heard practitioners explaining the routine of the day to new children before circle time and their efforts to encourage their co-operation were reasonable. We would encourage practitioners to allow as much flexibility as possible within the confines of the service, as discussed during feedback to the registered person. Practitioners are positive role models and they demonstrate respect and consideration in their language and actions towards the children and each other, although there is no key worker system in place as required by the NMS. Realistic boundaries are set, distraction techniques are used appropriately and children are praised for their good behaviour and for making good attempts. For example, we heard a child being told “You’re doing so well listening today”. Practitioners work closely with parents and share information about strategies used to manage interactions. For example, one parent told us that their child does not like to be touched even when they are upset and that staff have taken this on board and allow the child to engage at their own pace.

Practitioners use positive reinforcement to encourage children’s social skills and this benefits children’s well-being, although a key worker system should be introduced.

How well do practitioners promote children’s play, learning and development and meet their individual needs?There is a nurturing and relaxed atmosphere in the playgroup. The care provided is responsive and children are treated with respect. We saw practitioners sit and participate in activities with children, for example, drawing and reading and children enjoyed their involvement. We heard practitioners enthusiastically support and encourage children when they were colouring in, building towers, painting and dancing and practitioners took every opportunity to bring the theme of the week, which was shapes, into whatever activity they were doing. It was a pleasure to see boys and girls encouraged to play with toys of their choosing, with no gender stereotyping. There are enough play and learning opportunities, but knowledge and use of the Foundation Phase principles should be developed in order to prepare children for transition into nursery school. We found little written evidence of consistent planning or development tracking for children. Observations should be recorded and formalised in order to plan next steps for children’s play and learning.

Page 6

We were told that children are supported to learn about the differences and similarities of individuals from different cultures. Resources included multi-cultural dolls and books, but some of these were stored out of reach of children. We were also told that they also celebrate festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year to promote children’s knowledge of diversity. Although we were told that incidental Welsh is used during the sessions, we felt that there were missed opportunities to use and promote the Welsh language. Practitioners are nurturing and responsive to children’s needs, but action is needed to ensure that children’s development is further promoted in line with the NMS.

Page 7

Environment

SummaryOverall, we found that the service has sufficient resources and furniture to offer children an appropriate variety of play and learning opportunities. The internal play area is spacious which allows opportunity for physical development each day, although this could be further developed in line with the Foundation Phase, particularly as there is no outside space. The service would also benefit from written risk assessments.

Our findings

How well do leaders ensure the safety of the environment?The premises and maintenance of the service are generally safe, although some improvements are needed. The registered person told us that gas appliances and testing of electrical equipment is well maintained by the church, but we have not been provided with relevant documentation to confirm this, although we have been told they will be provided. The registered person informed us that she risk assesses on an ongoing basis and that daily checklists are completed, but the checklists were not available during the inspection. A robust system needs to be implemented and disseminated to all staff to allow them to identify and eliminate potential risks to children. Children are kept safe with a secure entrance to the playgroup which is locked and monitored by staff. However, we were not asked for identification upon arrival and a visitors’ book is not kept. A register of attendance is kept for each session which is signed by parents, but this needs to record actual times of arrival and departure. We saw that fire evacuation drills have been undertaken in line with the NMS but these need to be recorded in more detail.

More robust systems are need to be consistently implemented to keep children safe.

How well do leaders ensure the suitability of the environment?Leaders ensure children are provided with indoor play space which is child centred and welcoming. Children have access to a large hall and suitable toilet facilities. There is a lack of wall displays and children’s art work on show however, which the registered person told us is because they are a pack away service most of the week. However, she was open to ideas of ways to be creative without making this an onerous task and understood that displaying creative work will promote children’s self esteem. Children can safely explore all areas available to develop curiosity and creative skills. Practitioners ensure that all areas of the service are well prepared before children arrive. The activities are organised and equipment and resources are accessible and attractive to children. The toilet facilities are appropriate although children do not currently have independent access to them. On our first visit there was no hot water available for hand washing in the toilet area, but this matter was addressed by our second visit and we were told it was because somebody had turned off the boiler. This needs to be monitored so that there is always hot water available for hand washing. There is space within the building for confidential conversations between staff or with parents to take place outside the main playroom and there are sufficient storage facilities. However, the ability to store confidential information on the premises would be beneficial so that all necessary documentation is to hand when required.

Leaders provide a suitable environment for children but some improvements could be made.

Page 8

How well do leaders ensure the quality of resources and equipment?Children have access to a wide range of good quality, developmentally appropriate play and learning resources. Children sit in low chairs around one large table at snack times which encourages social interaction. Most resources are kept at a low level so that children can see what is available to them and they can choose items for themselves and children are familiar with these resources. Children’s creativity and curiosity is stimulated by a good range of natural, tactile recyclable resources. We were told that they use recyclable materials for their crafts when possible, such as egg boxes for Easter baskets and empty kitchen roll holders for painting. We saw a sufficient range of toys, games and dressing up materials which were well used by the children. There were also lots of activities including puzzles, sensory toys, a home corner, construction toys and creative resources which the children were seen to enjoy using, although this would be better organised in line with Foundation Phase principles. There is a notice board for parents at the entrance to the playgroup, which provides appropriate notices such as their registration certificate, insurance details and child care initiatives that have been completed. Children’s learning experiences are enhanced by the range of resources and equipment available to them but this could be further improved by planning activities in line with the Foundation Phase areas of learning.

Page 9

Leadership and Management

SummaryOverall we found that the quality of leadership and management needs significant improvement as these impact on other areas of the service that would otherwise be more positive. We found that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the National Minimum Standards for Regulated Child Care and the regulations. We found that the service had not met its legal requirements in respect of the recruitment procedures; ensuring that supervision sessions are undertaken to promote staff development and for not undertaking an annual quality of care review. There are also issues with some administration systems and the implementation of policies and procedures that require attention. The registered person told us that they aim for positive outcomes for children and will therefore address the issues raised.

Our findings

How effective is leadership?Leadership of this setting needs improvement. Although the registered person wants best outcomes for children, understanding and implementation of current best practice relevant to the children cared for is sporadic and there is a lack of understanding of legal responsibilities. We looked at a sample of children’s records which were maintained appropriately. However, policies and procedures for the service are in need of reviewing, updating and sharing with all practitioners so that they are all fully aware of them. As part of our discussions about safeguarding, there was limited insight by practitioners into safeguarding implications. Not all staff were familiar with the content of their policy or referral procedures, although the registered person had some knowledge. The registered person must ensure that the child protection policy is disseminated to all staff and that the message that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility is clear. We saw that parents were provided with information prior to their children starting at the service including policies and procedures, although some policies and procedures, including the fire drill procedure and the statement of purpose, were not always accurate. The registered person agreed to review and update them and will provide a copy of the updated statement of purpose to CSSIW once it is available. Systems in place within the playgroup are not generally monitored to ensure they are appropriately implemented by practitioners and knowledge gained from child care initiatives such as the Gold Health Eating Snack Award is not always followed. The leaders of the service are not meeting all their legal responsibilities in respect to delivering a consistent good standard of care to children and the quality of leadership needs to improve significantly.

How effective is self-evaluation and planning for improvement?Self-evaluation and planning for improvement is not given priority within the service. We saw no evidence of a quality of care review and report having been carried out for some time and this was confirmed by the registered person. Some staff questionnaires had been completed but they were from 2014. Children, parents and staff must be consulted as part of an annual evaluation process and that a quality of care report is compiled, ensuring that it is line with National Minimum Standards and regulations. By the time we returned to complete the inspection, questionnaires had been distributed to parents and staff to begin

Page 10

this process. We have not therefore issued a non-compliance notice on this occasion but expect the registered person to provide the completed quality of care review report shortly.

The registered provider needs to take responsibly for evaluating and planning for improvement to ensure that children and parents experience an improving service.

How effective is the management of practitioners, staff and other resources?The staff recruitment procedure does not protect children. We looked at a sample of practitioners’ files and found that an appropriate staff recruitment procedure had not been followed and staff files did not contain all the necessary information required to ensure children’s safety. Two references had not been obtained for all staff, a history of past employment was not available and no interviews have been held and recruitment application forms are not used for consistency. No formal supervision sessions have been held with staff so that their training needs or any practice concerns can be discussed. These are serious issues and we have therefore issued non-compliance notices in respect of these matters. We also noted that staff have not been issued with contracts of employment and there is no induction procedure for new staff so they are aware of the policies and procedures and their roles and responsibilities. We recommended that the provider refers to the Care Council for Wales’ guidelines on recruitment, supervision and induction procedures for staff to ensure best practice. Despite the gaps in procedures, staff we spoke to said they felt valued and supported within their role. There is a stable staff team with an adequate number of suitably qualified practitioners who are well deployed to offer continuity of care to children. We were told that staff meetings are held termly and saw that annual appraisals are about to be carried out with the use of appropriate documentation for this procedure. The leaders of the service are not currently meeting their legal responsibilities with regard to maintaining records that demonstrate the suitability of practitioners to care for children, and formal supervision sessions. Improvements are also needed to ensure that new staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities.

How effective are partnerships?The staff team communicate well with parents and keep them informed of their child’s progress at the service. Parents we spoke to were extremely complimentary and they are confident that their children are happy and well settled. One parent told us that they have used many playgroups for their large family, and that this one is by far the best. Another carer told us “If you want your child to be happy, then come here” and that they cannot thank the staff enough for the support they have given them as a family. The leader told us they have a good relationship with a local feeder school, that they hold a parents evening once a year, concerts are held twice a year and they have an open door policy which allows them to work with parents.

The provider values partnerships with parents and other agencies and parents are happy with the service provided, but some documentation and procedures require strengthening.

Page 11

Improvements required and recommended following this inspection

Areas of non compliance from previous inspectionsNone.

Areas of non compliance identified at this inspectionDuring our inspection we identified that the service is not compliant with their legal responsibilities in respect of:

Regulation 25(c) Hazards and Safety: this is because unnecessary risks to the health or safety of relevant children have not been identified and so far as possible eliminated. The provider has not actioned recommendations from the Environmental Health Officer made in June 2016, there were poor nappy changing arrangements during the inspection and no hot water available for hand washing during our first visit.

Regulation 28(2)(b)(ii) Suitability of Workers: this is because not all necessary checks required by the regulations to establish the fitness of staff have been obtained, namely two written references (Schedule 2 Part 2 Regulation 34(l)(i) and a full employment history together with an explanation of any gaps in the person’s employment (Schedule 2 Part 2 Regulation 34(l)(ii) and

Regulation 29(3)(a) Employment of Staff: this is because staff have not been provided with formal supervision sessions so that their training needs can be assessed and discussions held about their development, child care practice or safeguarding matters.

These are serious matters and we have issued a non compliance notice in respect of these issues.

Regulation 16(1) Review of quality of care: this is because there was no system in place to monitor, review and improve the quality of care given to children and no annual reviews have been undertaken for some time. We fully discussed the need for the registered provider to be more proactive in considering the views of parents, staff and children about the quality of care provided and the need for any improvements for the service. By our second visit questionnaires had been distributed to start a quality of care review and it was confirmed that a copy of the quality of care review report would be provided to CSSIW. We have not therefore issued a non-compliance notice for this matter on this occasion. Recommendations for improvementThe following practice recommendations were discussed:

Evidence of gas and safety checks should be forwarded to CSSIW without delay; amend the statement of purpose to accurately reflect the service provided as

outlined in National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare (Standard 1.2) and provide a copy to CSSIW;

ensure there is a robust induction process for all new staff; review and update all policies and procedures to ensure they are appropriate for the

setting, and ensure that they are reviewed regularly and understood by all staff (including child protection policy);

establish a robust system for accident reporting, including recording of existing injuries and maintain up-to-date records;

evidence of risk assessing within the service is needed;

Page 12

ensure that fire drills are recorded fully, containing relevant information and the fire drill procedure reflects current practice;

ensure children are afforded privacy when nappy changing, using potties etc.; implement the Gold Healthy Snack Award principles from award already achieved,

including oral hygiene and organise the play areas in line with the seven areas of learning of the Foundation

Phase and increase use of incidental Welsh;

Page 13

How we undertook this inspection This was a full baseline inspection undertaken as part of our normal schedule of inspections. As part of the inspection we considered a concern received prior to the inspection in relation to behaviour management and conduct, which was not substantiated:

Two inspectors completed two visits to the service over two days, the first of which was unannounced. In total we spent 5hours and 55 minutes within the playgroup to observe children and the care they receive. Observations were carried out indoors to capture evidence of children’s engagement and the care provided by staff;

we reviewed information held by CSSIW; we undertook a visual inspection of the premises; we spoke to a few of children throughout the day, three parents/carers and spoke to

some of the practitioners who were present and we looked at a range of records including a sample of practitioners’ files, children’s

records and a sample of other records maintained at the setting. These included the statement of purpose, some policies and procedures and attendance registers.

Further information about what we do can be found on our website www.cssiw.org.uk

About the service

Type of care provided Children’s Day CareSessional Day Care

Registered Person Sarah Pedwell

Person in charge Sarah PedwellLinda James – Deputy

Registered maximum number of places

24

Age range of children Two to five years

Opening hours 9.15 – 11.45am Monday – Friday during term time only

Operating Language of the service English

Date of previous CSSIW inspection 22 January 2015

Dates of this inspection visit(s) 23 and 24 January 2017

Is this a Flying Start service? No

Does this service provide the Welsh Language active offer?

This is a service that does not provide an 'Active Offer' of the Welsh language. It does not anticipate, identify or meet the Welsh language needs of people /children who use, or intend to use their service. We recommend that the service provider considers Welsh Government’s More ‘Than Just Words follow on strategic guidance for Welsh language in social care’.

Additional Information:

Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales

Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010

Non Compliance Notice

Childrens Day Care

This notice sets out where your service is not compliant with the regulations. You, as the registered person, are required to take action to ensure compliance is achieved in the

timescales specified.

The issuing of this notice is a serious matter. Failure to achieve compliance will result in CSSIW taking action in line with its enforcement policy.

Further advice and information is available on CSSIW’s website www.cssiw.org.uk

Tabernacle Playgroup

Penarth

Welsh Government © Crown copyright 2017.You may use and re-use the information featured in this publication (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License. You can view the Open Government License, on the National Archives website or you can write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk You must reproduce our material accurately and not use it in a misleading context.

Leadership and Management

Non-compliance identified at this inspection and action to be taken

Description of Non Compliance / Action to be taken

Timescale for completion

Regulation number

1. The registered person has not ensured that unnecessary risks to the health and safety of children have been identified or eliminated

2. Necessary checks to establish fitness of staff have not all been carried out and a more robust recruitment procedure is needed

3. Staff have not received formal supervision to ensure they are fully supported

17-Mar-2017 25 (c)

28 (2) (b) [ii]

29 (3) (a)

The service is not compliant with Regulation 25 (c) of the Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010.

This is because potential hazards and unnecessary risks to the health or safety of relevant children have not been identified and so far as possible eliminated.

The evidence for this is that the registered provider confirmed that she has not actioned ten recommendations to improve infection control procedures made by an Environmental Health Officer following a visit in June 2016. Although an Infection Control Audit Tool has been completed, our observations showed that much of the best practice from this has not been implemented to ensure children’s health, safety and well-being. In addition to this, we observed poor hygiene procedures during nappy changing. Practitioners did not wear gloves or aprons in the toilet area and did not always wash hands between changes. Not all children were encouraged to wash their hands after using a potty although most children who used the toilet independently washed and dried their hands appropriately. During our first visit we found that there was no hot water available for hand washing in the toilet area. Staff were aware of this issue as they helped children wash their hands and the matter was addressed by our second visit. A lack of hot water for hand washing was also pointed out by the EHO. We found that although there was a system available for the recording of accident and incidents, records had not been kept for some time and any minor issues could not therefore be reviewed or monitored so any trends could be considered. The registered person confirmed that recording of existing injuries that occur outside the play group have not been recorded for safeguarding purposes. The system for checking safety within the service is not robust. The registered person told us that the daily check list system used to ensure safety is not always completed and only she generally does it and there are no written risk assessments in place.

The evidence indicates that the registered person does not understand the importance of acting on recommendations that protect children in a timely manner or of the need to ensure that appropriate systems are in place and are maintained to ensure children’s safety. Children’s rights were also not protected as the toileting system did not afford privacy whilst nappy changing and using the potty, as this was done in small groups.

The impact on children using the service is that they are exposed to unnecessary risks to their health and safety and their dignity during toileting is compromised. Parents cannot be assured that their children’s safety is prioritised and all hazards are identified and eliminated.

The service is not compliant with Regulation 28 (2) (b) [ii] of the Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010.

This is because interviews have not been used for staff recruitment, applicants do not complete an application form so that there is sufficient standardised information obtained about them and not all necessary checks required by the regulations to establish the fitness of staff have been obtained, namely two written references (Schedule 2 Part 2 Regulation 34(l)(i) and a full employment history together with an explanation of any gaps in the person’s employment (Schedule 2 Part 2 Regulation 34(l)(ii).

The evidence for this is that from discussion with the registered person it was confirmed that appropriate staff recruitment procedures had not been followed; she stated that some staff had not had formal interviews and she employed people she knew; the service does not have application forms for staff recruitment and the staff files we viewed during the inspection held different amounts of information for individuals and some did not contain all the necessary information required to ensure children’s safety. We also noted that staff have not been issued with contracts of employment.

The evidence indicates that recruitment procedures are inadequate as the integrity of staff members has not been fully checked by the registered person.

The impact on children using the service is that they are exposed to potential risk of harm. Parents cannot be assured that their children’s safety is prioritised. The impact on staff working in the service is that they do not have the necessary information to make informed decisions about potential risks to themselves or the children in their care within areas of the service.

The service is not compliant with Regulation 29(3)(a) of the Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010.

This is because staff have not been received formal supervision sessions so that their training needs can be assessed and individual discussions held about their development, child care practice or safeguarding matters.

The evidence for this is that we found through discussions with individuals that staff do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities particularly for safeguarding or the content

of many of their policies and procedures. Discussion with the registered person confirmed that there have been limited opportunities to discuss practice matters with individuals or assess individual training needs, which could improve outcomes for children and ensure best practice is continually implemented and policies are followed.

The evidence indicates that staff do not have adequate time to reflect or improve their own practice, or have regular opportunities to discuss significant matters independently.

The impact on children using the service is that there could be missed opportunities to support their development or to recognise and act upon potential safeguarding matters. Parents cannot be assured that their children’s safety or development is therefore prioritised.