Shawhead Family Learning Centre Day Care of Children Berwick Place Shawhead Coatbridge ML5 4NQ Telephone: 01236 632076 Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 13 November 2014
Contents Page No Summary 3 1 About the service we inspected 5 2 How we inspected this service 7 3 The inspection 11 4 Other information 25 5 Summary of grades 26 6 Inspection and grading history 26 Service provided by: North Lanarkshire Council Service provider number: SP2003000237 Care service number: CS2003015410 If you wish to contact the Care Inspectorate about this inspection report, please call us on 0845 600 9527 or email us at enquiries@careinspectorate.com Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 2 of 28
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 The high quality of staff skills and experience meant that outcomes for all children attending were very good. Staff worked very well as a team and communication in the service was very good. What the service could do better Personal plans for children should continue to be developed to ensure there are clear links between all aspects of their care and support. Management should continue with their plans to further involve children and parents/carers in all aspects of service evaluation. What the service has done since the last inspection Staff continued to attend training relevant to their role. An acting manager was in place and she had continued to foster the very good relationships in place between management and staff, parents/carers and children. The service had been successful in gaining funding to buy new outdoor equipment that had improved how staff could plan children's learning outdoors. Conclusion Parents/carers we spoke with were very happy with the service. They particularly liked that a friendly, caring and open ethos had been created by staff. Children Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 3 of 28
enjoyed being at the service, and those we spoke with said it was "good fun". Overall, all aspects of the service we looked at during this inspection were very good. Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 4 of 28
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. 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. Shawhead Family Learning Centre is registered to provide care for a maximum of 61 children. The service is provided for children not attending school, with a maximum of 6 children aged from babies up to 2 years, 15 children aged between 2 and 3 years, and 40 children aged 3 years and over. The service is available Monday to Friday between 8.00am and 6.00pm throughout the year. It is provided from a purposebuilt building, which has three playrooms, sufficient toilet and kitchen facilities, outdoor play areas, and parent/carer and staff areas. The service is provided by North Lanarkshire Council, with a manager, depute manager, and care staff employed to plan, provide and manage the care for children. Since the last inspection, the manager was working within the local authority on secondment, and an acting manager was in place. The service is located in the Shawhead area of Coatbridge, close to primary schools, a community centre, and shops. The service aims to "Create an ethos that values and respects individuals." 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 Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 5 of 28
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. Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 6 of 28
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 after an unannounced inspection. This took place on Monday 10 November 2014 from 10.15am until 5.20pm. It continued the following day, Tuesday 11 November from 8.10am until 2.15pm, and was completed on Thursday 13 November from 8.50am until 2.15pm. We gave feedback to the acting manager, the depute manager and a senior worker on Thursday 13 November 2014. As part of the inspection, we took account of the annual return and the self assessment forms that we asked the manager to complete and submit to us. We sent 25 care standards questionnaires to the manager to give to parents/carers using the service. We received 15 completed questionnaires before the inspection. During this inspection process, we gathered evidence from various sources, including the following: We spoke with: the manager, depute manager, one senior member of staff, one additional needs support assistant, and another four members of staff four parents/carers most children one visiting professional We looked at: the environment children's personal plans medication records accident records newsletters Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 7 of 28
how the service involved parents/carers and children in the development of the service how management and staff consulted with parents/carers and children risk assessments attendance records child protection training and procedures staff training records minutes of staff meetings staff appraisals how staff planned children's learning experiences infection control quality assurance 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 Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 8 of 28
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. The self assessment had been carefully completed. Staff and management had assessed the service and taken account of parent/carer and children's views when doing this. We found that the self assessment reflected our findings. Taking the views of people using the care service into account We spoke to most children attending the service during our visits. Children were happy at the service and we saw that they had very good relationships with staff. Children were learning about a wide range of topics, and staff included them when planning activities. Children told us, "It's good fun", "I like making pictures with sparkles", and "It's great fun". The views of children are included in this report. Taking carers' views into account We received 15 care standards questionnaires before the inspection. We contacted seven parents/carers by email for further information and two parents/carers responded. We spoke to one of these parents by telephone and a further two parents/carers in the service during the inspection. Parents liked the environment and felt their child was safe there. They were particularly happy with the quality of staffing and indicated that their child was confident with them. Comments included, "This is a fantastic nursery. I would always recommend this nursery", "It's a great nursery. It lays a solid foundation and the kids love it", "I couldn't be happier with the service", "Shawhead Family Learning Centre is a fabulous nursery with amazing staff" and "I think Shawhead nursery provided excellent care for my child and made my family feel welcome". One parent/carer indicated that they would like more space, and one indicated that the service did not make good use of resources in the community such as the library and parks. One parent/carer wrote in their Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 9 of 28
questionnaire that communication could be improved. Overall, all parents/carers were happy with the service. Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 10 of 28
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 We found that parents/carers and children were offered very good opportunities to assess the quality of care and support, the environment, staffing, and leadership and management. Staff and management continually sought the views of parents/carers to help them make improvements in the service. They did this through the use of questionnaires, informal discussions, newsletters, and establishing a parent group where more detailed discussion could take place and decisions made. We sampled minutes from parent's meetings, and found that discussions had taken place around the content of children's personal plans, the development of the garden, applications for funding, and the recent change to nursery hours available for children. Parents/carers and children had been involved in planning improvements to the garden, including choosing new equipment and carrying out risk assessments for its suitability. Specific evaluations had also taken place. The most recent evaluation considered the effectiveness of transition from home to nursery, through the nursery, and moving to school. Parents/carers had been made aware of this opportunity through wall displays as well as daily discussions and newsletters. This meant that parents/carers who wished to comment had been given the opportunity. Staff and management were currently gathering any comments made to assess if improvements could be made. Staff shared information about the curriculum with parents/carers to give them opportunities to ask questions and be more involved in the planning process. This was done through daily chats, as well as more formally through induction sessions, Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 11 of 28
"talk and tour", and "Look at my learning". These open sessions gave parents/carers the opportunity to spend time in the service and to see how staff planned for their child. The "have your say" wall in the service was placed in the corridor and easily accessible for parents/carers. A supply of post it notes and pens were available, and we saw that some comments had been added. Parents/carers were encouraged to add their suggestions for planning, linking them to their child's preferences and achievements at home. There were several home link initiatives, including family bags to support individual needs, the settling-in process, and regular meetings with parents. Feedback about any consultation was clearly displayed. This meant that parents/carers could see that their views were valued. Parents/carers and children were included when planning celebrations in the service, for example Christmas. They helped plan fundraising events and choose gifts. Management displayed information about the service improvement plan and the selfevaluation process, and encouraged parents/carers to become involved at whatever level suited them. In the last year, members of the parent committee had agreed that the number of newsletters could be reduced as part of the ECO drive in the service, as well as ensuring that information provided was concise. This meant that newsletters were now being produced each term, with a monthly "save the date" note to alert and remind parents/carers of any forthcoming events. Some staff had completed training to deliver a parenting course with parents/carers using the nursery. Staff felt that this was helping parents feel more comfortable in the service, and provided more informal opportunities for parents to seek advice or reassurance. Parents/carers who spoke to us described the service as "a family". Staff were fully involving parents/carers in the development of their child's personal plans. One parent we spoke with said, "I've been involved at every step", and another said, "I've always felt listened to here and been allowed to choose for my child." We saw that staff interacted very well with children. They listened to their views and took these into account when planning learning experiences. We saw that staff were very responsive to children, and that this was helping build children's confidence. Overall, we found that management and staff had created an open and friendly ethos where children confidently voiced their opinions and parents/carers were able to have a say about how the service was provided. Areas for improvement Inspection report continued We discussed the importance of regularly reviewing the views of parents/carers to ensure these were taken into account in all aspects of the service. For example, although parents/carers had agreed in the last year that a reduction in the number of newsletters was of benefit, this may not be the view of parents/carers using the service now. One parent/carer said, "Lately communication could be better." We Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 12 of 28
discussed how feedback could be further improved, for example by providing a brief summary of evaluations and action taken within the newsletters as well as displaying information on the "have your say" wall. Management told us that there were plans to involve parents/carers more fully in reviewing policies and procedures in the service. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Statement 3 We ensure that service users' health and wellbeing needs are met. Service strengths Inspection report continued The relationships established and care and support provided were major strengths in the service. Overall, outcomes for children attending were very good. Staff focused on outcomes for children when planning learning experiences, and worked in partnership with parents/carers, and other agencies such as psychological services, pre-five learning support, health visitors, and speech and language therapists. This meant that care and support was individually tailored to meet the needs of children. Staff were fully committed to working with families to ensure the best care was provided and information was shared. This meant that there was consistency between the home and the service. Staff had developed personal plans for all children. These contained information that helped staff plan care and support. Where children needed additional support, staff were confident and skilled in making referrals to the appropriate agency. More detailed plans had been put in place for any child where other agencies were involved. Clear records of meetings and action agreed were in place and parents/ carers we spoke with said that information sharing around additional support was particularly good. Very good relationships were in place between staff and visiting professionals. We spoke with one visiting professional after the inspection. They said that staff implemented any training provided and that parents felt "very well supported by staff". They had observed staff working with children and said, "Staff interaction with parents and children is really positive." The visiting professional had provided training for staff in relation to target setting, which had impacted positively on the way staff and parents agreed any targets set. One parent/carer we spoke with said, "We meet frequently and look at small chunks of development that are achievable. I know this is absolutely the right place for my child." Another parent talked to us about the various services involved in their child's care. They said, "This nursery brought all services to me instead of me having to meet different appointments. It's made such a difference." Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 13 of 28
Staff planned a wide curriculum for all children. They planned for individual children to ensure all children gained in confidence and could take pride in their achievements. We saw very young babies being comforted appropriately in a loving and caring way by staff, and staff had established caring and supportive relationships with all children. One parent we spoke with said, "Staff provided me with support and allowed my child to grow and develop", and another said, "Staff have got my boy to a "T" and his needs are met here. Staff totally get how to give feedback and it's never negative." Staff working with younger children used North Lanarkshire Council's publication, "Effective Early Development and Learning" to plan experiences and measure outcomes, and staff working with older children used the Curriculum for Excellence. Children were learning about themselves and others, gaining respect and recognising their feelings and how to express and manage these. All staff had completed training on the Solihull approach (an approach that promotes emotional health and wellbeing in children), and the visiting professional we spoke with said that staff implemented this approach throughout the service. Children were gaining an understanding about their wider community. They were involved in ECO programmes and understood the concepts of recycling and saving energy. They also visited local groups, for example services for older people, and took part in events to celebrate caring for others in their community. Children were learning about differences, and had learned some Polish words to help their peers feel more settled at the service. We saw that children enjoyed being at the service. They said, "It's good fun". Children knew about healthy eating and said, "We get apples for snack", and "I like snack best." Children independently chose their snack and poured their drinks. They knew the snack routine and explained this to us. They said, "The ladies tell me when snack is open. Then I wash my hands and take a plate for food. I wash my plate after I've finished". Staff were helping children learn about healthy lifestyles, and included a varied outdoor play programme where children could take part in energetic physical play. Staff had used the "seeds of empathy" programme with groups of children. Although funding for this programme had now ceased, staff were creating a nurture group to ensure any children who would benefit from smaller groups and more staff interaction could still access this. Staff were currently assessing children's engagement and listening to help them make accurate and effective assessments. Transition throughout the service was particularly good. Staff visited families at home where a child under three years had been offered a place. This helped staff gather information to help them plan for children as well as helping to build a relationship with the family. As children moved through the service, staff worked closely with parents/carers and children to ensure the move was carefully planned. One parent we spoke with said, "Transition from home to nursery was very good. Staff took it at my pace. I was always welcome to stay if my child was upset or unsettled", and another said, "My heart was in my mouth when my child was moving to another room but staff took it slowly and supported me and my child. Staff have since talked Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 14 of 28
to me about school and helped me decide where my child should go." Staff communicated with any other service children attended or planned to attend to ensure a smooth transition took place. As part of this inspection, we focused on how the service promoted children's health and wellbeing through infection prevention measures. We observed that children washed their hands before snack and they knew to wash their hands after using the toilet and playing outdoors. Staff followed best practice when supporting children to brush their teeth. A ready supply of disposable gloves and aprons were available, and staff used these appropriately when managing personal care and preparing food. Nappy changing procedures were updated during our visit to reflect current guidance, and staff helped even very young children to wash their hands after nappy changing took place. Medication records and procedures in the service were good. These were being reviewed and monitored closely by senior staff and any ongoing consents were reviewed with parents each month. These measures ensured that consents for medication met with best practice guidance. Overall, care and support in the service was very good. Areas for improvement Staff and management were continuing to develop children's personal plans to ensure there were clearer links between all information recorded about children. Records of transition were not currently included within the personal plans and this would support how staff made decisions about how care and support would continue. Management agreed that they would continue to build on the information included in the personal plans. Although most medication records with an "as required" consent included additional information to support staff, for example symptoms and triggers, one record did not. Staff agreed to ensure that all consents contained this additional information. Staff also agreed to add that the pharmacy label had been checked against the consent provided by parents/carers. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Inspection report continued Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 15 of 28
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 Please see Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. Areas for improvement Please see Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Statement 2 We make sure that the environment is safe and service users are protected. Service strengths The environment was very good. It was safe, clean and hazards had been identified and addressed. Good systems were in place to report any faults, and the building was in a good state of repair. Since the last inspection, new outdoor equipment had been purchased, and this had improved outdoor opportunities for all children. Security measures were in place from the car park to the entrance, and a visitors book was in place and all visitors supervised by staff. This meant that only those who should be in the building could gain access. The building was heated appropriately, and individual thermometers recorded the temperature in each room. Windows were fitted in each room providing natural daylight, and doors led directly to outdoor play areas from each playroom. The playrooms were very well resourced and staff had carefully considered the layout to ensure all children could enjoy activities. Where specialist equipment was needed for individual children, staff had received training on how to use this from visiting professionals. Equipment was in a good state of repair. Staff had created quiet, homely areas where children could play quietly and read or rest, as well as areas where they could play with groups. We saw that children enjoyed using the Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 16 of 28
equipment available and that they made choices about how they spent their time. They said, "I like nursery", "It's good fun playing" "We use the mouse with the computer", and "I like making pictures with sparkles." Children playing outdoors said, "It's great fun", and "We were playing outside with a magnifying glass and binoculars. We were looking for mini beasts." Children were excited and enthusiastic and fully involved in their learning, talking about previous learning and eager to try new experiences. Staff had made good use of the space available. Corridor displays welcomed parents/ carers and children into the service and included examples of children's work. Staff used the wall displays to provide information for parents about what was available in their community. The "Active Families" course had been provided in the Family Learning Centre and very positive feedback about this had been received from parents/carers. Management had also made space available for other agencies to provide support groups and training for parents/carers. The new acting manager was making some changes to the environment to provide a designated space for visiting services to ensure privacy was available. Parents/carers were making good use of the parent's room and told us they felt welcomed into the service. The service aimed to provide as many services as possible within the building to make it easier for parents/carers to access support if and when needed. The service had put various systems in place to maintain the safety of the environment. These included risk assessments which were being reviewed each year. The senior member of staff was responsible for health and safety monitoring, and kept clear records of checks carried out. These included daily fridge temperature records, any faults, accident records, and medication. Children's allergies were displayed in a way that only staff could see them, and staff regularly reviewed information recorded about children to ensure care and support was provided safely. As part of this inspection, we focused on how the service promoted children's health and wellbeing through infection prevention measures. Handwashing facilities were good throughout the building. The environment was clean and tidy, and appropriate arrangements were in place to dispose of waste. Pedal bins were in place through the building and we saw that children managed these very well. A kitchen off the older children's playroom provided storage of food, and cleaning materials were safely stored out of reach of children. Staff were aware of best practice, and some staff had completed training on food hygiene and infection control. Staff were provided with detailed child protection procedures from North Lanarkshire Council. All staff attended in-service training on child protection each year, as well as immediately being informed of any changes in procedures. The depute manager was the service child protection co-ordinator and was also the early years representative on the locality child protection forum. This gave her access to further training and regular discussion with other agencies. All staff we spoke with were confident about their responsibilities in relation to child protection. Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 17 of 28
Parents/carers we spoke with were happy with the environment. Comments included, "I have been offered resources to work with my child at home. I find that really helpful", "The space is used well", and "The layout cleanliness and appearance of the nursery is fantastic, it's always easy to find my kids things by group colour." Overall, we assessed this statement as very good. Areas for improvement Although detailed risk assessments were in place, these had not been reviewed with changes to the environment or new equipment purchases. The senior member of staff responsible for health and safety agreed that these would be reviewed over the next year to ensure they reflected how the service currently operated. During consultations with children, staff had involved them in carrying out risk assessments for new outdoor equipment. We discussed the benefit of continuing with their practice to give children responsibility and help their understanding about risk and how to reduce this. Management and staff agreed that children would be further involved in carrying out risk assessments for the service. The service was currently using a small room for children aged under three years for nappy changing. This room was fitted with a sink for safe handwashing. However, the room was also being used at the end of the session with children as a play area, to sing songs. Staff told us that using the smaller area worked very well with the younger children. We discussed infection control aspects of using a nappy changing area as a play area, and advised the manager to consider the expert guidance available, for example, "Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings", section 5.6. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 18 of 28
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 Please see Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. Areas for improvement Please see Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Statement 3 We have a professional, trained and motivated workforce which operates to National Care Standards, legislation and best practice. Service strengths We found that the quality of staffing was a particular strength for the service. Staff interacted positively with families and each other, and were respectful and professional in all discussions. They were happy to talk to us about how they evaluated their work, and we saw that they were responsive practitioners. Feedback about staff from parents/carers was very good. Comments included, "Every member of staff has gone above and beyond to support me and my child. All staff here have raised my self-esteem and made me feel like a better parent", and "Staff are all really friendly." We found that staff were motivated in their work. They cared about what they did, and carefully planned individual experiences for each child to ensure they met their needs effectively. Staff understood the importance of working in partnership with families, and had considered several ways to do this. They took time to have informal discussions each day with parents/carers, involved them in developing their child's personal plans, provided information about other support services in the local area, and made space in the nursery building to host training, workshops, and drop-in Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 19 of 28
sessions where parents/carers could access expert advice. Staff told us they felt valued in their work by children, parents/carers, other staff, and management. They told us that management were approachable, and that their training and development needs were discussed regularly and supported where possible. For example, regular training sessions were taking place with visiting professionals, and staff were being given the time to become familiar with the new "Building the Ambition" national practice guidance. Staff were able to use protected time during their working week to carry out research, and plan observations, and were making very good use of the time available to them. The visiting professional we spoke with said, "This is a rewarding place to do training as staff definitely take it on board. Staff are really keen for training and are very open to feedback, they actively seek it out." Staff were registered with the SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council who are responsible for registering people who work in social services and regulating their education and training). All staff were qualified and some were working towards further qualifications. All staff had completed training on the Solihull approach, three staff had completed training on baby massage, and some had completed training on Seeds of Empathy. Most had completed training on Autistic Spectrum Disorders, and where specific medical conditions needed specialist care, staff had received training on this before the child started the service. This meant that all staff working in this service were skilled and knowledgeable and all children were being cared for safely. Staff knew about other services available to them, for example psychological services, pre-five support, and speech and language, and made referrals appropriately when needed. Staff deployment rotated around the service to ensure all staff could work confidently using current guidance with any age group of children. Staff we spoke with told us that this helped them stay skilled as well as helping team building as all training was available to all staff. Staff worked very well as a team. They informally peer assessed, and they told us that they were able to provide constructive comments to each other. Staff were good at complimenting each other and recognising the skills of the team. Some formal peer assessments had taken place and it was planned that these would be further developed over time. We observed a planning evaluation meeting taking place with staff, and saw that staff had taken account of each child's experiences before planning next steps. Staff met to plan formally for children in the long-term, and reflected on this weekly. Planning was audited by management to ensure all areas of the curriculum were being covered. Staff were familiar with the policies and procedures in the service. They met regularly to discuss the business of the service, and were taking a solution focused approach to make changes. We saw records of discussions around the development of children's personal plans that reflected staff openness to suggestions for change. Staff told us that their views were actively sought in the service and that they felt their views and suggestions were valued. Procedures in place included Whistleblowing, Staff Development, and Confidentiality. The service used the SSSC codes of conduct and Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 20 of 28
had also discussed the use of social media. Staff were clear about confidentiality and had shared their policy on the use of social media with parents/carers. Overall, we found that staff were caring individuals, who worked well together with the aim of providing excellent outcomes for children. We assessed this statement as very good. Areas for improvement Staff were not always completing training records, or recording where they had attended non certificated training from visiting professionals. We discussed this with the acting manager who agreed to remind staff of this routinely. Appraisals had not been carried out with staff since the acting manager came into post, and no mid review had taken place since the last appraisal. The acting manager told us that this would be a priority. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Inspection report continued Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 21 of 28
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 Please see Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. Areas for improvement Please see Quality Theme 1, Statement 1. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 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 Quality assurance systems in the service were very good. All staff and management were involved in evaluating the service, and all worked well to develop and improve the service. There was an ongoing committment to provide a quality service for families. The management team had a very good overview of what was happening in the service. They quickly recognised where support would benefit staff, and had developed an "open door" policy where staff could raise concerns. The availability of the management team was a strength highlighted by parents/carers. Management ability to respond to change was clear. Any suggestions for improvement that were discussed at this inspection were quickly taken on board. For example, a change was made to the nappy changing procedures during our visit, and the content of inservice days was reconsidered to allow time to look at how any areas for developement identified could be taken forward. The solution focused approach by staff and management was positive and had been recognised by some parents/ Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 22 of 28
carers. One parent told us, "Nothing's a problem and the manager always looks for a solution." Staff and management used the child at the centre two, the national care standards, and were becoming familiar with the national guidance, Building the Ambition. These documents were being used effectively to measure how well the service was meeting the needs of children. All staff had been involved in completing the self assessment for this inspection, and all discussion we had with staff confirmed that they could contribute their ideas for change in the service. This meant that there was a friendly, warm, and positive ethos in the service. Comments from parents/carers included, "The manager is very approachable. There's a really happy atmosphere." An annual improvement plan identifying priorities for improvement was submitted to North Lanarkshire Council, followed by an improvement report which set out the success of the plan. In the last year, there had been some changes to staffing, and an acting manager was in post. There had also been the increase to the number of hours allocated for each child. Staff and management ensured that these changes had had little impact on how priorities had been implemented. Where areas for development had not been fully met, these were continued onto the following years improvement plan. Management and staff were fully committed to using the improvement plan when considering staff training and development, as well as policy reviews. The improvement plan was a working document that was continually reviewed throughout the year. This meant that management and staff were focused on planned developments, as well as being responsive to changes that impacted on their priorities. Various systems were in place to evaluate the success of the service. These included senior staff carrying out health and safety audits, management overseeing planning, and the development of an annual monitoring calendar. This included audits of personal plans, transition, the curriculum, and planning for the nurture group. Inservice days were planned taking into account the improvement plan priorities, as well as current issues. The next planned in-service day was planned to look at how staff could provide training for parents/carers on the Solihull approach, and early next year, management planned to look at the validity of observation records to ensure these effectively led to improvement in care and support for children. The nursery had started a new initiative to involve parents/carers in their child's learning at home, and were currently considering the impact of this before making further changes. Specific areas of the service were evaluated with parents/carers as stated in quality theme 1, statement 1. These included the "active families" sessions and "growing together learning together" workshops. Feedback about all aspects of the service had been positive. The service planned to further develop tracking systems of children's learning to ensure these were manageable and showed progress. We found that the way staff and management monitored the service and identified improvements was Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 23 of 28
effective. The management team had set out clear roles and responsibilities, which was helping the service run smoothly. Overall, we assessed this statement as very good. Areas for improvement Although evaluation of all areas of the service was taking place and being considered in the annual improvement plan, it would benefit the service to further develop impact assessments where change had led to improvements. Although more informal room evaluations were taking place with the regular visits from management, we agreed with management that more formal evaluations about specific areas of staff work could be used effectively in their annual staff appraisals. Although staff training was recorded in different ways, it was more difficult to see an overview of staff qualifications, training and skills. The acting manager agreed they would consider this for the future. Management planned to involve other agencies when evaluating their service. For example, the regular visiting professionals could evaluate the environment, care and support, staff skills, and management and leadership in the service. Some policies needed updated to ensure they reflected current guidance and how the service was provided. Management told us that this process would start soon and that they planned to involve parents/carers in these reviews where applicable. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Inspection report continued Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 24 of 28
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 None. 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). Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 25 of 28
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 3 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 25 Jan 2013 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment 5 - Very Good Staffing 5 - Very Good Management and Leadership 5 - Very Good 13 Dec 2010 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment Not Assessed Staffing Not Assessed Management and Leadership Not Assessed 7 Jan 2009 Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment 5 - Very Good Staffing 5 - Very Good Management and Leadership 5 - Very Good Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 26 of 28
All inspections and grades before 1 April 2011 are those reported by the former regulator of care services, the Care Commission. Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 27 of 28
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 Shawhead Family Learning Centre, page 28 of 28