Excel Child Care Services Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Leaders have failed to ensure that safeguarding and welfare requirements are met, and this has an impact on the safety of children. The provider has not ensured that risk assessment arrangements are fully understood by staff.

When an accident or incident occurs, leaders are unclear about the procedures to follow. Staff consider the needs and development of the different children in their care. Leaders have developed a curriculum that supports children to make progress across all areas of learning.

Staff support children to explain their play to others to boost their confidence and strengthen their developing frie...ndships with their peers. Children play together well and seek out their friends when they want to play with others.Staff demonstrate the respectful behaviour they expect of children.

This helps children to learn polite language, such as saying please and thank you. When staff ask children for help, they are happy to contribute. Children tidy-up toys, lay the table for lunch and complete other tasks that help the day run smoothly.

Children take pride in their contributions and staff praise them for their efforts.

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

Leaders do not ensure new staff receive the support and coaching they need during the induction process. Senior practitioners tasked with supporting new colleagues are given little support in this role.

This has led to incidents where staff lack understanding of safeguarding, child protection, and health and safety issues. Their failure to follow instructions and report concerns has put children at risk.Staff deployment is ineffective.

At times, leaders and staff in senior positions do not communicate instructions clearly to ensure children are supervised effectively. This means that less qualified staff are left to supervise and support children without suitable support.Although staff undertake daily risk assessments, they are not alert to changes in the environment throughout the day.

Staff do not consider the best way to organise the environment to ensure all children can access resources effectively. For example, children overcrowd popular activities as the table is too small and they become frustrated.Supervision arrangements are weak.

Leaders have not ensured that staff receive the coaching they need to improve their personal effectiveness. Senior practitioners lack the confidence required to meet children's needs and take the necessary steps to protect them from harm. Staff do not challenge the poor practice and behaviour of other adults in the setting or raise concerns in a timely way.

Leaders do not demonstrate that they are fully aware of their responsibilities in regards to making referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) when required. Furthermore, the procedures in place for checking the ongoing suitability of staff are weak.During the day, staff organise activities like play dough making or story time to support children to learn together as a group.

When interacting with children, staff model the skills they want children to learn and talk to them as they play. This introduces children to new ideas and vocabulary.Leaders have taken the decision to eliminate most allergens from the menu to create an inclusive atmosphere at mealtimes.

Children eat freshly prepared meals from a varied and nutritionally balanced menu. At mealtimes, children are well behaved. Staff have time to sit with children and support them to have social conversations with their friends.

Children's key persons and the setting's special educational needs coordinator develop individual education plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents and external agencies contribute to plans for children's learning to ensure they make good progress from their starting points. This supports children as they transition between rooms and on to school.

Children's behaviour is positive and they participate in activities throughout the day. Staff support children to follow good hygiene routines so that children learn to care for their own bodies. However, staff do not always ensure that the learning environment is safe.

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 ensure that any changes to staff circumstances are considered to ensure that all staff caring for children remain suitable and able to undertake their duties 30/08/2024 provide robust induction and oversight for all new staff that helps them to understand their roles and responsibilities 30/08/2024 ensure that staffing arrangements are suitable to meet the needs of children and ensure their safety 30/08/2024 ensure that when hazards are identified, the action taken to mitigate the risk is clearly communicated to all staff 30/08/2024 put effective supervision arrangements in place for staff that provide support, coaching, and training for the practitioner and promote the interests of children 30/08/2024 ensure that leaders fully understand their responsibilities regarding when to make referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

30/08/2024