Abeona Warkton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

The manager has not ensured that staff, including apprentices, have a secure understanding of the safeguarding procedures.

This results in some less confident staff having gaps in their knowledge. Safety risks to children are not consistently identified. Therefore, staff are unable to fully ensure children's safety.

Some staff do not demonstrate an understanding of the risks associated with babies' formula milk being stored inappropriately.Despite the identified weaknesses, children develop positive relationships with the staff. Pre-school children are independent in their play.

They work well together, ...negotiating their play and show they have confidence to choose what they want to do. For example, they decide which trucks they want and which will be best to dig big holes in the sandpit. Three-year-old children are eager to show how they can balance on low-level beams and logs in the outdoor classroom.

Babies look to staff for reassurance and approach them for cuddles and comfort as they need it. They explore a range of different textures, such as pine cones, closely supervised by the staff. Children behave well and they are interested and motivated to take part in the activities.

Overall, children benefit from the staff's positive interaction as they play.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and managers do not make effective risk assessments because the process for identifying and managing risks is poor. For example, the manager does not recognise the risk of adults having hot drinks while children are present.

There is a lack of oversight across the group rooms for under-twos, which results in some hazards not being identified by staff. For example, babies are mistakenly given salt to play with. Trailing cables and items being placed on the edge of a windowsill are not recognised by staff.

Babies' formula milk containers are left open, which puts the milk powder at risk of contamination. This lack of oversight and poor management of risks means that some hazards in the nursery are not identified and resolved.Induction procedures are in place for when staff start work, and they receive some ongoing supervision and support from managers.

However, the lack of effective monitoring by managers of staff knowledge has resulted in some staff having gaps in their safeguarding knowledge that have not been identified. Some staff do not know about the whistle-blowing procedures or how to escalate safeguarding concerns beyond the management team. Therefore, staff are unable to fully ensure children's welfare.

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the nursery curriculum. They know the children well and, overall, they provide activities which build on what children know already. Children are keen to take part in activities, although at times, activities, such as for stories, are not adapted well-enough to meet each child's needs.

Toddlers who are interested in throwing toys are excited to build towers of paper cups decorated as snowmen and throw soft fabric 'snowballs' to knock the tower over. Staff notice when children show an interest in the different colours on the snowmen's scarves and talk to children about what they have seen.Staff provide positive support for children's developing communication and language.

They speak clearly to children as they play and ask questions that help children think about what they are doing. Staff give children time to share their news and ideas during circle time. Babies smile at staff; they babble and watch staff's faces intently when they speak to them.

Children are busy and interested in the activities provided. They spend long periods engaged in their play. Staff provide a consistent approach when giving children reminders about being kind to others.

Children show they feel secure. This contributes to children's behaviour being good. They listen to staff who are kind and treat children with respect.

Overall, staff suitably support children from when they start attending the nursery. There are consistent staff in the group rooms and staff spend time with children, playing alongside them. This helps children develop positive relationships with the staff.

However, at times, the deployment of staff working with the youngest children is not effective. Some children become upset as staff attend to other tasks and are not able to give them the reassurance they need. At these times, children's emotional needs are not supported well.

Staff help children learn to be independent and they gain skills that help prepare them for the next stage in their learning. Pre-school children put on their own coats and wellington boots ready to play outside and children know where to find their water bottles. Children show they are familiar with the daily routine, and they eagerly help when it is time to tidy toys away for lunch.

However, the weaknesses identified in risk assessment, poor practice in relation to the storage of formula milk and staff's knowledge of safeguarding do not promote the health and welfare of children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.The manager does not ensure that all staff have a secure understanding of the whistle-blowing policy and how to escalate safeguarding concerns if required.

The weaknesses identified in the risk assessments in the nursery do not promote children's safety. Despite this, staff do demonstrate a suitable awareness of how to recognise signs and symptoms of possible abuse and they know who the designated safeguarding leads are in the nursery. Staff make regular checks on children who are asleep.

Managers make appropriate checks on new and existing staff to ensure that they are, and remain, suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure that all staff understand the safeguarding procedures, particularly in relation to whistle-blowing and how to escalate concerns about children beyond the management team 08/01/2024 ensure that risks are swiftly identified and managed through effective risk assessment 08/01/2024 ensure that the effective deployment of staff supports children's emotional well-being, particularly at transition times.08/01/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove the organisation of activities to ensure that they are meaningful for each child taking part and maintain their interest.