Art Camp @Shire Oak

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision does not meet requirements The provider has a weak knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the early years foundation stage. Safeguarding policies and procedures are not robust or suitably understood by staff.

The vetting of individual staff lacks rigour, as does the induction and supervision of staff, to ensure that they are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Staff are not always deployed effectively and the provider does not sufficiently assess and manage risks to promote children's good health, safety and welfare. This includes ensuring that there is always staff with relevant first-aid training on site.

The provider do...es not hold certain documentation, policies and procedures required to promote the efficient and safe management of the setting. The key-person system and partnership working with parents are weak.Despite this, children enjoy their time at the setting and, overall, play happily.

Staff interact positively with children, who are at ease in their care. Staff plan exciting Halloween-themed activities that ignite children's imaginations and creative skills. Children show excellent engagement while finding sticks for, and making, their bat mobiles.

They practise important hand-eye coordination skills while winding string around sticks and using scissors. Staff model positive and respectful behaviours. This is reflected in children demonstrating social skills, such as sharing and taking turns and using good manners.

Children respond positively to instructions, for instance, when staff need them to listen as they introduce and explain activities.

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

The provider does not sufficiently promote children's health, safety and welfare. On occasion, access to the building is not monitored rigorously enough.

Children sit on benches around the hall, and some climb on gymnastics agility tables to eat. Staff do not consider the choking risks associated with this disorganised routine and lack of supervision. Parents provide children's snacks and lunch.

Staff do not ensure that perishable foods remain safe to eat and that there are no items other children are allergic to.Staff are also not always effectively deployed to promote children's emotional well-being. For example, as all age groups play together outside, staff fail to notice older children raising their voices at younger children.

This is because staff are not within the immediate area.Although first-aid requirements were met on the day of the inspection, staff who hold the required level of paediatric first-aid training do not work everyday in the setting. This compromises children's welfare, in the event of a serious incident or accident.

New staff provide references and complete a written declaration of their suitability. All staff have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. However, the provider does not record who this was obtained by and he does not fully assure himself of the suitability of those staff he has not vetted.

He does not consistently check staff's identity against existing checks or check the status of staff subscribed to the DBS update service. Consequently, children are not fully safeguarded.The provider does not check staff's continued suitability, for example, when they return after a gap between each camp they work at.

Staff are not aware that they must inform the provider of any changes to their suitability. This means that the provider cannot guarantee that children are cared for by suitable adults.Staff are not trained to understand the club's safeguarding policy and procedures and child protection issues.

They have a weak understanding of extreme behaviours and views, and the signs associated with these. Staff are not consistently aware that the provider is the designated safeguarding lead to whom they would report concerns, or of external whistle-blowing procedures. This means that children are not sufficiently protected from harm.

The provider has completed safeguarding training. However, he has not taken sufficient account of any advice from the local safeguarding partnership or local authority on appropriate training courses, to ensure that his knowledge is secure. He does not keep himself up to date with local safeguarding children partnership guidance and procedures, to ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures are in line with the most current information and contact details.

The provider's safeguarding policy and procedures do not include the use of mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities. This is essential, given the provider, and others left in charge in his absence, use their own personal mobiles.The provider does not consistently carry out the induction of new staff and volunteers, to help them to understand every aspect of their roles and responsibilities.

He does not provide effective support, coaching and training for staff, to help them improve their personal effectiveness when working with the children.Children are not allocated a key person. Consequently, staff do not gather enough information about each child, to ensure that provision is more flexibly tailored to meet their individual needs and interests.

Staff do not know whether children are in nursery or Reception class. This is essential, given the difference in the ratio and qualification requirements for nursery-age children. Staffing ratios are met, however, the provider does not have evidence of staff's qualifications to confirm that the club is continually compliant with statutory requirements.

The provider does not record children's exact hours of attendance. He does not have written policies and procedures for managing any incident of a missing child, the non-collection of children and complaints. Consequently, the provider does not share this required information with parents.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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 take reasonable steps at all times to prevent unauthorised persons entering the premises 14/11/2024 ensure that staffing arrangements meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety and emotional well-being, including by supervising children while they are eating 14/11/2024 make sure that staff promote children's good health, in relation to the storage of foods that parents provide 14/11/2024 ensure that there is at least one person who has a relevant paediatric first-aid certificate on the premises and available at all times 12/12/2024 put in place rigorous recruitment and vetting procedures to fully ensure the suitability of individuals at the point of employment and thereafter 12/12/2024 ensure that staff are aware of their responsibility to disclose any convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands and warnings that may affect their suitability to work with children 12/12/2024 train all staff to understand the safeguarding policy and procedures and ensure that all staff have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues 12/12/2024 ensure that any training that has been undertaken by those designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children takes account of any advice from the local safeguarding partnership or local authority on appropriate training courses 12/12/2024 ensure that the safeguarding policies and procedures are fully in line with local safeguarding partnership guidance and procedures and includes the use of mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities 12/12/2024 make sure that all staff receive induction training to help them to understand their roles and responsibilities, and put appropriate arrangements in place for the supervision of staff 12/12/2024 record information about staff's qualifications and ensure that information about vetting processes that have been completed include the details of who obtained the criminal record check 12/12/2024 put in place a key-person system to ensure that the provision and care is tailored to meet the needs of children 12/12/2024 record the names of the children being cared for on the premises, including their hours of attendance 14/11/2024 provide parents with all required information about the club, including required policies and procedures 12/12/2024 put in place a written procedure for dealing with complaints and make the details about how to contact Ofsted available to parents.

12/12/2024

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