Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC Day Care of Children Mid Gavin Lodge Beith Road Howwood Johnstone PA9 1DL Inspected by: Kirsty Ryan Mary Crocker Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 14 August 2013
Contents Page No Summary 3 1 About the service we inspected 5 2 How we inspected this service 7 3 The inspection 12 4 Other information 24 5 Summary of grades 25 6 Inspection and grading history 25 Service provided by: Mid Gavin Nursery Limited Service provider number: SP2009010310 Care service number: CS2009195007 Contact details for the inspector who inspected this service: Kirsty Ryan Telephone 0141 843 6840 Email enquiries@careinspectorate.com Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 2 of 27
Summary This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection. Grades for this care service may change after this inspection following other regulatory activity. For example, if we have to take enforcement action to make the service improve, or if we investigate and agree with a complaint someone makes about the service. We gave the service these grades Quality of Care and Support 5 Very Good Quality of Environment 5 Very Good Quality of Staffing 5 Very Good Quality of Management and Leadership 5 Very Good What the service does well We found that the service demonstrated a strong performance across all of the quality themes. A professional and consistent staff team provided a quality service to families. Extensive grounds provided opportunities for a wide range of outdoor activities. What the service could do better The service should continue to develop ways of showing families how their input helps to improve the service. What the service has done since the last inspection The service continued to be rigorous in identifying its strengths and areas for development. Conclusion The service should continue to build on its strengths and further develop its plans to show how feedback from families influences service provision and quality assurance. Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 3 of 27
Who did this inspection Kirsty Ryan Mary Crocker Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 4 of 27
1 About the service we inspected The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Prior to 1 April 2011, this function was carried out by the Care Commission. Information in relation to all care services is available on our website at www.careinspectorate.com This service was previously registered with the Care Commission and transferred its registration to the Care Inspectorate on 1 April 2011. Requirements and Recommendations If we are concerned about some aspect of a service, or think it could do more to improve its service, we may make a recommendation or requirement. - A recommendation is a statement that sets out actions the care service provider should take to improve or develop the quality of the service but where failure to do so will not directly result in enforcement. - A requirement is a statement which sets out what is required of a care service to comply with the Public Services Reforms (Scotland) Act 2010 and Regulations or Orders made under the Act, or a condition of registration. Where there are breaches of the Regulations, Orders or conditions, a requirement must be made. Requirements are legally enforceable at the discretion of the Inspectorate. Mid Gavin Nursery & Out of School Care is currently registered to provide a day care service to 134 children from six weeks to primary school age. The service operates from a purpose built building within the Howwood area. The accommodation offers one playroom divided into two for children under 18 months, one playroom for children aged 18 months to under 27 months and two playrooms for children from 27 months to 5 years. A self-contained unit is also available. The service is within a rural setting which offers children a wide range of outdoor experiences. The service states that it aims to provide play and education that is both fun and challenging. The nursery has partnership status with Renfrewshire Council to provide part-time commissioned places for children aged 3-5 years. Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 5 of 27
Based on the findings of this inspection this service has been awarded the following grades: Quality of Care and Support - Grade 5 - Very Good Quality of Environment - Grade 5 - Very Good Quality of Staffing - Grade 5 - Very Good Quality of Management and Leadership - Grade 5 - Very Good This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection. Grades for this care service may change following other regulatory activity. You can find the most up-to-date grades for this service by visiting our website www.careinspectorate.com or by calling us on 0845 600 9527 or visiting one of our offices. Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 6 of 27
2 How we inspected this service The level of inspection we carried out In this service we carried out a low intensity inspection. We carry out these inspections when we are satisfied that services are working hard to provide consistently high standards of care. What we did during the inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection. This was carried out by Inspectors Kirsty Ryan and Mary Crocker, for the Care Inspectorate. We visited the service on 14 August 2013. We gave feedback to the manager on the same day. As part of the inspection, we took account of the completed annual return and self assessment forms that we asked the service to complete and submit to us. We sent 50 care standards questionnaires to the manager to give to parents/carers of children using the service. Twenty four parents/carers sent us completed questionnaires. We also sent questionnaires to staff and five completed questionnaires were returned to us. During this inspection process, we gathered evidence from various sources including the following: We spoke with: - the manager - the depute manager - staff in the playrooms. We looked at: - feedback from parents/carers on a range of issues including returns from service questionnaires, feedback from parents' evenings, evaluation of care plans, evaluations of snack and outdoor play - talking thinking books and mind maps which had been completed by staff and children - minutes from Eco-Schools meetings - partnership with parents policy - children's consultation policy - children's care plans - planning records Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 7 of 27
- minutes of staff meetings - medication policy and records - wall displays - recruitment records - risk assessment records - accidents and incident records - improvement plan - monitoring records - quality assurance records. We also considered the environment and observed staff at work. Grading the service against quality themes and statements We inspect and grade elements of care that we call 'quality themes'. For example, one of the quality themes we might look at is 'Quality of care and support'. Under each quality theme are 'quality statements' which describe what a service should be doing well for that theme. We grade how the service performs against the quality themes and statements. Details of what we found are in Section 3: The inspection Inspection Focus Areas (IFAs) In any year we may decide on specific aspects of care to focus on during our inspections. These are extra checks we make on top of all the normal ones we make during inspection. We do this to gather information about the quality of these aspects of care on a national basis. Where we have examined an inspection focus area we will clearly identify it under the relevant quality statement. Fire safety issues We do not regulate fire safety. Local fire and rescue services are responsible for checking services. However, where significant fire safety issues become apparent, we will alert the relevant fire and rescue services so they may consider what action to take. You can find out more about care services' responsibilities for fire safety at www.firelawscotland.org Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 8 of 27
What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at our last inspection We made one recommendation at the last inspection: Management should demonstrate how the views of children, parents/carers and staff contribute to the service's quality assurance systems. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up the age of 16. Standard 13: Improving the Service. We found that since the last inspection, the service had worked hard to incorporate the views of families and staff into its quality assurance systems. Management told us that they were continuing to develop their performance in this area. This recommendation is: Met. The annual return Every year all care services must complete an 'annual return' form to make sure the information we hold is up to date. We also use annual returns to decide how we will inspect the service. Annual Return Received: Yes - Electronic Comments on Self Assessment Every year all care services must complete a 'self assessment' form telling us how their service is performing. We check to make sure this assessment is accurate. We received a self assessment document which had been updated since the last inspection. This gave us information on what the service thought it did well and how it thought it could improve. We spoke with management about ensuring that future areas for development were recorded and were measurable. Taking the views of people using the care service into account We observed children enjoying their play both indoors and outdoors. They were fully engaged in a variety of free play and planned experiences. Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 9 of 27
Taking carers' views into account We sent out 50 questionnaires and 24 were completed and returned to us before our inspection. The questionnaires gave parents/carers the opportunity to comment on how the service is provided in relation to privacy, dignity, choice, safety, equality and diversity and realising potential. The questionnaire findings are summarised in this section, and under the quality themes, along with comments received. 100% of parents/carers confirmed that: - they received clear information about the service before they started using it - they were able to visit the service before they secured a placement - they were confident that staff would protect their child from harm, abuse, bullying and neglect - staff treated their child fairly and with respect - staff encouraged their child to form positive relationships with other children - their child appeared happy and confident with staff - there is enough space for their child to play and get involved in a range of activities - the service has a suitable range of equipment, toys and materials - their child can experience and choose from a balanced range of activities - their child regularly gets fresh air and energetic physical play. Twelve parents/carers confirmed that staff asked for their child's views and used this information in planning. Nine parents/carers were unsure. Comments from parents/carers included: 'My child enjoys her time at nursery and we know she is well supported by the staff.' 'My child has developed very well and I have never had any cause for concern. The staff are great, polite and helpful.' 'We believe the nursery to be an exceptional place for our kids to be. They are very accommodating to our every need and have been key figures in the accelerated development of our children.' 'Management and staff have been very accommodating with my child. He needed extra support and his needs have been met, which I'm happy about.' 'Our child is bilingual and staff support him as good as they can.' Inspection report continued Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 10 of 27
'This is the first time we have used a nursery. We have been extremely impressed with the care of our child. Their approach is flexible and friendly and feel 100% happy to leave our child in the care of staff. The staff seem to genuinely care about the children and know them as individuals and treat them as such. We have no hesitation in recommending Mid Gavin's services.' 'My child is very happy here and has an excellent relationship with staff in his room. The way he talks about them lets me know that he is very comfortable around them but also knows rules and boundaries.' 'The service provided at this nursery is excellent. I would have no reservations in recommending it to friends and family.' 'There is no need to go to nearby facilities as the nursery has so many facilities and open space.' 'I am more than happy with the service and care provided. The staff are friendly, helpful and very caring toward the children. I wouldn't put my child anywhere else.' 'It is evident that they consistently provide a high quality service. We would recommend them to families.' 'We are very happy with the care in the younger playrooms and felt that staff were very caring and engaged. Since moving upstairs we have felt less engaged. Parents' nights are useful but we have to ask for information more. We don't always get greeted on arrival and it's not always a key worker who gives us feedback. In the main, our child is happy here and facilities are very good.' 'My child has settled quickly and enjoys nursery. The staff are welcoming and approachable. I have seen my child become more confident and learn new skills each week. His numbers and language are improving all of the time. He has benefited from this caring environment and enjoys the range of stimulating activities.' 'Extremely happy with the care my child receives. She loves attending nursery. I am comforted to know that my next child will go to this nursery.' 'Environment always clean. Staff knowledgeable and approachable. Management are also available at any time to answer queries/questions. Varied activities ongoing daily for all ages and age appropriate activities. Feel confident, happy with nursery and staff to keep my child safe.' Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 11 of 27
3 The inspection We looked at how the service performs against the following quality themes and statements. Here are the details of what we found. Quality Theme 1: Quality of Care and Support Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the care and support provided by the service. Service strengths Since the last inspection, the service had continued to demonstrate a very good performance in involving families in assessing and improving the quality of the service across all of the four quality themes. We concluded this after we spoke with staff, observed staff interactions with children, considered the information within our returned questionnaires from families and reviewed various consultation records. The service highlighted its approach to involving families in service evaluation within its partnership with parents policy and consultation with children policy. Various targeted questionnaires were provided to both parents/carers and children throughout the year. Feedback was then collated and shared with families through wall displays, newsletters and discussions. Parents/carers were encouraged to grade the service using the quality themes, which is methodology the Care Inspectorate uses to assess a care service's performance. Management told us that families' feedback helped to inform its self assessment and quality assurance systems. The service also used a voting system on its website to encourage families to assess the quality of information, communication methods and the food provided. Families were encouraged to nominate a staff member for employee of the month. Management told us that this, along with regular discussions with families, helped her to assess the quality of staffing. Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 12 of 27
Care plans were sent home before parents' evenings. The service made good use of 'two stars and a wish' to encourage families to evaluate children's care plans and help plan next steps. These evaluations helped to inform parents' meetings and staff told us that they used families' feedback to help direct their planning for children's individual care needs. We looked at minutes of meetings which showed that children were involved in the Eco-Schools Committee. This committee forms part of the Eco-Schools Project. The project aims to engage children in key issues including the environment, sustainability, global citizenship and the value of a low carbon future. The service had achieved a Green Flag Award. We saw that children were encouraged to share their ideas and help evaluate their progress through circle time, mind maps and talking thinking books. All parents/carers, who returned questionnaires to us, confirmed that they and their child had been involved in developing the service by sharing ideas and suggestions. They also confirmed that they are kept informed about what is happening in the service through newsletters and information boards The approaches we have described above can help parents/carers and children feel that their views are important and encourage their involvement in helping to develop the service. Areas for improvement The service should continue to develop ways of showing families how their input helps to improve the service. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 13 of 27
Statement 3 We ensure that service users' health and wellbeing needs are met. Service strengths We considered care plans and medication under this statement. We looked at children's care plans and saw that these included All About Me sections which encouraged parents/carers to share information about children's home life, their likes and dislikes, health and dietary needs, their care routines and what made children happy/sad. We could see that plans were reviewed at least every six months and any changes during these periods were recorded by staff. Care plans were sent home to families twice a year and they were encouraged to evaluate these and help plan children's next steps by using two stars and a wish: this encouraged them to share two positive things about the care plans and one thing that could be progressed with children. Management told us that a local school had found these plans meaningful and had carried them forward with the primary 1 children. We saw that staff worked well with other professionals to support children with an identified support need. We spoke to staff and looked at their planning records. We could see that staff knew children well, evaluated their progress and planned for their next steps. Some staff were key workers for a group of children. This meant that they had responsibility for planning for these children's care and development. All parent/carers, who returned questionnaires to us, confirmed that: - staff regularly assessed their child's learning and development and used this information to plan next steps - staff shared information about their child's learning and development We received the following comment from a parent/carer: Inspection report continued 'We get daily reports on her [daughter's] activities and interactions with other children and feel that the staff really know her and treat her like an individual. She had some health needs and everything was catered for. She had some confidence issues but staff worked really hard to support her to overcome this and helped her to enjoy nursery.' Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 14 of 27
We spoke with staff who were confident about their role in administering medication safely. They told us that they ensured parents/carers gave full instructions within permission forms, which they checked against medication labels. When giving medication, staff told us that they used an alarm clock to help ensure that children were given medication at the right time. Staff said that two of them were always present and that only staff with first aid training and who were qualified in childcare gave children medication. Staff completed records to show how much, and when, medication had been administered. We looked at medication records and considered the service's medication policy. We saw that what staff told us was reflected in the service's records. Areas for improvement We spoke with staff about how they could review the role of the key worker to enhance children's personalised care routines. We saw that staff could reflect more clearly how they progress parental requests about children's next steps. We spoke with management about how the service's medication system could be further strengthened and suggested the introduction of audits. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 15 of 27
Quality Theme 2: Quality of Environment Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the environment within the service. Service strengths For participation information, please refer to Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. Areas for improvement The service should continue to develop families' involvement in evaluating the quality of the service. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 16 of 27
Statement 2 We make sure that the environment is safe and service users are protected. Service strengths We considered risk assessments, accidents and incidents under this statement. We saw that the playrooms were well laid out and clean. We spoke with staff about their responsibilities in keeping the play areas safe. They told us that they carried out and recorded risk assessments at the beginning and end of each day. Risk assessments for outdoor play and trips were also carried out. Staff told us that they used walkie talkies to keep in touch with management when they were outside with children. Management carried out comprehensive risk assessments of key areas. Lots of information on the importance of effective risk assessment was made available for staff. A handy person was employed to carry out any minor repairs to the buildings. Staff told us that any issues were quickly addressed. We spoke with staff about what action they would take in the event of an accident. They told us that their priority would be to make sure the child was safe, provide comfort and first aid, if needed. Most of the staff team were trained in first aid. Training in first aid can help staff deal with accidents competently We looked at accident and incident records which were signed and dated by both staff and parents/carers. We saw that staff now recorded their monitoring of any bumps to the head on head injury forms. Management also carried out monthly audits of accidents and incidents. All parent/carers, who returned questionnaires to us, confirmed that the service was safe, secure, hygienic, smoke-free, pleasant and stimulating. Areas for improvement We spoke with management about further developing its auditing tool for accidents and incidents. Management planned to familiarise itself with guidance for reporting events to the Care Inspectorate. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Inspection report continued Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 17 of 27
Quality Theme 3: Quality of Staffing Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of staffing in the service. Service strengths For participation information, please refer to Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. Areas for improvement The service should continue to develop families' involvement in evaluating the quality of the service. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 18 of 27
Statement 2 We are confident that our staff have been recruited, and inducted, in a safe and robust manner to protect service users and staff. Service strengths We considered the safe recruitment of staff and staffing levels under this statement. We reviewed the files of four new staff members and found that all fitness checks had been carried out before each staff member started working in the service. Two references were returned for each member of staff along with Protection of Vulnerable People (PVG) checks. The PVG scheme is a new membership scheme, introduced by the Scottish Government, to improve upon the disclosure arrangements for people who work with vulnerable groups. An induction programme was also carried out with new staff to help them become familiar with policies, procedures and practice. Good recruitment practices, such as those outlined above, can help employers ensure that people are suited to working with vulnerable people. The Scottish Government's publication: Safer Recruitment Through Better Recruitment (2007) confirms that good recruitment practices help employers assess the competency, experience, qualification and attitudes of potential staff. This can help to produce benefits in relation to safety and also in terms of the quality of staff. We considered staffing levels and found that there was enough staff for the number and age of children attending the nursery. The service used two floating members of staff to cover breaks and management could be called upon in an emergency. Staff signed in and out of the building and registers reflected what staff and children were present in each playroom throughout the day. Each staff member we spoke with told us that they were confident that staffing levels were always met or exceeded. Good staffing levels can help staff to give children individualised care. Plans were in place for two senior members of staff to be in each playroom with a maximum of one trainee. Having qualified and competent staff in place can help to enhance the quality of care provision. All parents/carers, who returned questionnaires to us, confirmed that they were confident that staff had the skills and experience to care for their child and support their learning and development. Areas for improvement Inspection report continued Management planned to update the service's recruitment policy to incorporate the Equalities Act and changes to medical checks. Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 19 of 27
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Inspection report continued Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 20 of 27
Quality Theme 4: Quality of Management and Leadership Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the management and leadership of the service. Service strengths For participation information, please refer to Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. Areas for improvement The service should continue to develop families' involvement in evaluating the quality of the service. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 21 of 27
Statement 4 We use quality assurance systems and processes which involve service users, carers, staff and stakeholders to assess the quality of service we provide Service strengths We have highlighted the different ways that the service gathered families' views under Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. We found that since the last inspection, the service had worked hard to incorporate the views of families and staff into its quality assurance systems. This had been a recommendation in our last inspection and has now been met. The service evaluated its performance using Child at the Centre 2. This is a selfevaluation tool which includes quality indicators to help services assess their progress. An improvement plan was in place which detailed the service's priorities for the next year. Some of the staff team had been involved in developing the self assessment document. This document tells us what the service thinks it does well and how it plans to improve. A monitoring calendar and regular audits were carried out. Staff were involved in discussing these and developing action plans. Staff told us that they enjoyed working at the service and were comfortable sharing their views and suggestions. Staff meetings provided an opportunity for the team to review their work and plan their next steps. All five completed questionnaires, returned to us from staff, confirmed that: - they were given the opportunity to meet up with other staff and talk about their work - the service asked for their opinion on ways to improve - the service provided good care and support to families. All parents/carers, who returned questionnaires to us, were happy with the quality of care their child received from the service. Areas for improvement Inspection report continued Management was planning to give a questionnaire to staff to encourage them to help to evaluate the quality of the service which included getting their views on the quality of management and leadership. Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 22 of 27
Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 23 of 27
4 Other information Complaints No complaints have been upheld, or partially upheld, since the last inspection. Enforcements We have taken no enforcement action against this care service since the last inspection. Additional Information The service no longer provides an out of school care service. The provider has submitted a variation application to the Care Inspectorate to remove this service from its registration certificate and to make some changes to the ages of children accommodated in the playrooms. Action Plan Failure to submit an appropriate action plan within the required timescale, including any agreed extension, where requirements and recommendations have been made, will result in the Care Inspectorate re-grading a Quality Statement within the Quality of Management and Leadership Theme (or for childminders, Quality of Staffing Theme) as unsatisfactory (1). This will result in the Quality Theme being re-graded as unsatisfactory (1). Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 24 of 27
5 Summary of grades Quality of Care and Support - 5 - Very Good Statement 1 Statement 3 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good Quality of Environment - 5 - Very Good Statement 1 Statement 2 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good Quality of Staffing - 5 - Very Good Statement 1 Statement 2 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good Quality of Management and Leadership - 5 - Very Good Statement 1 Statement 4 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good 6 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 24 Aug 2011 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment Not Assessed Staffing Not Assessed Management and Leadership 4 - Good 15 Sep 2010 Unannounced Care and support 4 - Good Environment Not Assessed Staffing 4 - Good Management and Leadership 4 - Good 28 Oct 2009 Unannounced Care and support 3 - Adequate Environment 4 - Good Staffing 3 - Adequate Management and Leadership 3 - Adequate Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 25 of 27
All inspections and grades before 1 April 2011 are those reported by the former regulator of care services, the Care Commission. Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 26 of 27
To find out more about our inspections and inspection reports Read our leaflet 'How we inspect'. You can download it from our website or ask us to send you a copy by telephoning us on 0845 600 9527. This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can get more copies of this report and others by downloading it from our website: www.careinspectorate.com or by telephoning 0845 600 9527. Translations and alternative formats This inspection report is available in other languages and formats on request. Telephone: 0845 600 9527 Email: enquiries@careinspectorate.com Web: www.careinspectorate.com Mid Gavin Nursery & OSC, page 27 of 27