Appendix 1 - Balhousie and North Muirton ELC
Perth and Kinross Council · 29 August 2022
Back to Executive Sub-Committee of the Learning and Families Committee — 29 August 2022 and its agenda
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Balhousie and NBalhousie and Nortorth Mh Muirtuirton ELon ELCC Day Care of Children Dunkeld Road Perth PH1 5DH Telephone: 01738 472 222 Type of inspection: Unannounced Completed on: 4 March 2022 Service provided by: Service provider number: Perth & Kinross Council SP2003003370 Service no: CS2003016071
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About the service Balhousie and North Muirton ELC is in Perth, Tayside. It provides a daycare of children service for a maximum of 82 children aged from two years to those not yet attending primary school. The service is central to Perth city centre and is close to local amenities and local bus routes. Perth and Kinross Council provide the service. This was an unannounced inspection which took place on 02 March 2022 between 09:15 and 16:30. Two early years inspectors carried out the inspection. Feedback to the management team took place 04 March 2022. To prepare for inspection we reviewed information about the service. This included registration information, information submitted by the service and intelligence gathered throughout the inspection year. To inform our evaluations we: • undertook observations in all playrooms to observe practice and children's experiences • spoke with children who experienced care at the service and four of their parents/carers • spoke with the staff and management team • reviewed relevant documentation What people told us Children told us about their experiences of attending the service. They told us they had fun playing with their friends, demonstrated their skills and showed us their favourite activities. One child told us "We have everything in our nursery". As part of the inspection, we received views from four parents and carers of children who attend the service. All parents said that they were very happy with the quality of care their children receive. One parent commented "Staff have been outstanding in their support throughout this time and the commitment from them to help my child to do their best has been incredible". Self assessment The service had not been asked to submit a self-assessment prior to the inspection. As part of the inspection, we reviewed the services quality assurance processes and improvement plan which demonstrated their priorities for improvement. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support 6 - Excellent Quality of environment 5 - Very Good Quality of staffing 5 - Very Good Quality of management and leadership 5 - Very Good Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Balhousie and North Muirton ELC page 2 of 9
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Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We evaluated this quality theme as excellent, where performance is sector leading and supported experiences and outcomes for people which are of an outstandingly high quality. Children consistently received outstanding care and support from kind, caring and nurturing staff who knew them extremely well. This helped children to create strong, trusting relationships with staff. Children were effectively supported through sensitive and thoughtful staff interactions to improve and support their emotional wellbeing. Staff were highly skilled in using the information in children's personal plans to meet their needs. The service had exceptional links with other agencies and worked closely with them to provide highly responsive care and support to children. Strong partnership working enabled staff to gain a clear understanding of strategies to support the holistic needs of each child and their family to improve their wellbeing. Children and their families were valued, included and genuinely cared for by staff. Parents/carers were key partners in supporting children to develop. Excellent engagement supported families to thrive and develop. For example, they were supported to understand more about nurture and how to support their child at home. This enabled families to meaningfully engage in their child's play and learning. A range of strategies and regular opportunities through structured activities and programmes supported children to flourish and achieve. Staff thoughtfully considered the best way to meet each child and their families' individual needs. This significantly contributed to the inclusive ethos of the service. Staff had high aspirations to enable children to be successful. Children's voice was highly valued, and they were empowered to lead their own play and learning. As a result, children were confident, happy and motivated to learn. Highly effective questioning provided an abundance of opportunities for children's thinking, widening their skills and consolidated their learning through play experiences. This supported children to achieve their potential. Children experienced fun, joy and laughter throughout their time at nursery. As a result, a warm, inclusive and nurturing ethos was evident throughout the inspection. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 6 - excellent Quality of environment Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Balhousie and North Muirton ELC page 3 of 9
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Findings from the inspection We found significant strengths in aspects of the care provided and how these supported positive outcomes for children, therefore we evaluated this quality theme as very good. Children were highly engaged in their play and learning on the day of inspection. Opportunities across all rooms supported children's curiosity, enquiry, and creativity. Children had very good opportunities to lead their learning through the effective use of floor book planning, talking tubs and staff who confidently scaffolded their learning experiences. This ensured children had stimulating, challenging and meaningful play experiences providing breadth and progression of learning. Children freely accessed toys and resources to extend their play which contributed to them developing a sense of ownership and respect for their environment. Children experienced outdoor play that supported them to problem solve and take exciting risks. The array of loose parts available enabled children to make choices and effectively and confidently lead their play. One child told us 'my nursery has everything'. This supported children to feel empowered and contributed to children who could confidently assess their risky play experiences. Children had free flow access to the outdoors in two of the rooms. Where children were unable to freely access the outdoor area, staff managed this well to ensure all children experienced daily outdoor play. This meant that all children attending the setting accessed high quality outdoor play experiences. Children were supported well by staff during mealtimes. Children were encouraged sensitively to try new food and to be independent. Staff sat with the children and supported conversations and gave the right support at the right time. This contributed to children's engagement during this time and created a positive social experience. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of staffing Findings from the inspection We found significant strengths in aspects of the care provided and how these supported positive outcomes for children, therefore we evaluated this quality theme as very good. Children were cared for by staff who were warm, compassionate and nurturing. Staff provided individualised support by effectively engaging with children throughout the inspection. Staff demonstrated an awareness of when and how to effectively intervene, picking up on cues to support children's wellbeing and extend their play experiences. This resulted in children who felt respected within the service. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Balhousie and North Muirton ELC page 4 of 9
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Staff were welcoming, friendly and respectful in their interactions with each other and appeared to work well as a team. This promoted a happy and secure environment for the children Staff were reflective practitioners. They were keen to take forward current ideas, develop and implement best practice guidance resulting in children receiving high quality interactions and experiences. This created a professional, motivated workforce that were passionate about improving outcomes for all children. Effective staff deployment across the service meant that children's individual needs were being met by the right number of staff, consistently throughout the day. The staff to child ratio allowed staff to be responsive to individual needs which enhanced children's experiences and ensured children had the right support at the right time. Children who required additional support were well supported by staff to feel respected and included in daily experiences. This was enhanced through effective working relationships with families. A thorough and robust induction supported recently appointed staff to meet children's needs. The induction programme supported new staff to settle into their role and become part of the staff team. As a result, they were clear about their roles and responsibilities which supported children's experiences. Staff spoke positively of the support they received from management. This contributed to trusting and respectful working relationships within the team Staff made very good use of professional development opportunities that linked directly to enhanced outcomes for children. Regular team meetings allowed staff to participate in professional discussions and used these to inform practice. This resulted in a staff team who were involved in the improvement journey of the service and worked well together to ensure outcomes for children were of very good quality. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection We found significant strengths in aspects of the care provided and how these supported positive outcomes for children, therefore we evaluated this quality theme as very good. There was a strong ethos of improvement to support high quality outcomes for all children and families. Staff, families, and children had been involved in creating a shared vision for the setting. This supported effective partnership working where all stakeholders views and contributions were valued and listened to. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Balhousie and North Muirton ELC page 5 of 9
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Extensive and robust quality assurance processes allowed focussed and meaningful opportunities for the management team and staff to review and monitor various aspects of the service. This meant that areas for improvement were identified, shared with staff and actions taken to make positive changes to children's experiences. This resulted in very good outcomes for children and their families. High quality practice and improving outcomes for children is at the forefront of the centre improvement plan. Priorities were measurable, realistic, and resulted in the best outcomes for children attending. Identified areas of development were a standing item on the team meeting agenda. This supported all staff to work towards a common goal, participate in the progress to improve outcomes for all children. This contributed to the shared aspirations of the whole team. Regular support and supervision sessions provided an opportunity for staff to be clear on their responsibilities and accountable for their role. We saw evidence of how staff engaged with the process effectively to reflect on and improve their practice which enabled learning to be identified. This resulted in improved outcomes for children as staff were valued and empowered to participate in change. Staff told us they felt very well supported by the leadership team. This contributed to the ethos of everyone feeling confident to initiate well-informed change and take responsibility for the process. This resulted in high quality play experience and positive outcomes for children and their families. Strong leadership resulted in staff who had high aspirations and confidence in their capacity to support children and families to reach their full potential. There was a clear cycle of reflection and improvement within the service. The management team should continue to embed and sustain the high-quality practices to ensure children and families continue to experience outstanding care. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Previous requirements There are no outstanding requirements. What the service has done to meet any requirements we made at or since the last inspection Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Balhousie and North Muirton ELC page 6 of 9
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Previous recommendations There are no outstanding recommendations. Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. Enforcement No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 27 Aug 2019 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment 4 - Good Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership Not assessed 25 Apr 2017 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment Not assessed Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership 4 - Good 6 May 2015 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment 5 - Very good Staffing 6 - Excellent Management and leadership 5 - Very good What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at or since the last inspection Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Balhousie and North Muirton ELC page 7 of 9
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Date Type Gradings 9 May 2013 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment 5 - Very good Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership 5 - Very good 12 May 2010 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment 5 - Very good Staffing 4 - Good Management and leadership 4 - Good Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Balhousie and North Muirton ELC page 8 of 9
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To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action when things aren't good enough. Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service. You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com Contact us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 Find us on Facebook Twitter: @careinspect Other languages and formats This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Balhousie and North Muirton ELC page 9 of 9