The Natural Childcare Company - Shirley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Staff, including leaders and managers, fail to safeguard children. They have not followed the correct procedures when a safeguarding concern has arisen. Information about child protection concerns have not been shared with those who have a need to know and have not been properly recorded.

This leaves children at risk of harm. Staff do not have effective strategies in place to help children learn about their behaviours and how this can impact the safety of others. This puts children's safety and welfare at risk.

Staff welcome children warmly into the nursery. They build bonds with their key children, which enables... them to settle quickly into their room. Staff carefully plan the environment to support children in their learning and development.

They take into account gaps in children's learning and provide opportunities to help close these. Younger children are curious as they explore the sensory activity. They use tools to make different marks in the dough.

Staff provide clear commentary to help bring meaning to the marks children make.Staff support children to develop an awareness of the community in which they live. Children enjoy visits around their local community, such as to the shops.

They learn about traditions and different cultures. During Diwali, children explore activities that build on their cultural awareness, such as making Rangoli patterns.

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

Staff, including the lead practitioner for safeguarding, do not fulfil their role and responsibilities to safeguard children.

They do not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. Staff do not follow the correct procedures to refer child protection concerns to other agencies in a timely way. Staff do not follow or implement the correct procedures to refer child protection concerns to other agencies in a timely way.

These weaknesses result in the safety and welfare of children being compromised.Information and record keeping is weak. When child protection concerns arise, staff, including managers, fail to maintain clear, accurate, and sufficiently detailed records.

The lead practitioner does not share information about child protection concerns with the relevant local safeguarding partners in a timely way. As a result, action is not taken to safeguard all children who attend the nursery.The training and supervision meetings that staff receive are not fully effective as not all staff have a good enough understanding of how to safeguard children.

That said, staff explain that they feel supported in their role by the new senior manager because she is very approachable.Children do not learn about acceptable behaviour. Staff do not teach them about the impact that their behaviour may have on others.

In addition, some staff struggle with how to manage inappropriate behaviours displayed by children in an effective way. As a result, there are times when children's behaviour puts the safety of others at risk and they have little opportunity to learn the reason for this.Parents receive information about their child's learning and development.

This supports them to build on their child's learning at home. Parents explain that staff are very friendly and caring towards their children.The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and staff work together to implement individual plans to support children when they are falling behind in their development.

They closely monitor the progress children make and share updates with parents. This ensures all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make expected progress in their learning.Children enjoy their time in the garden exploring the different activities.

They develop their imaginative skills as they confidently fill buckets with water to empty into various sized containers. Children mix mud and water together to create their concoctions in the mud kitchen. They are physically active as they balance along the beams to develop their coordination skills.

Staff sit with children during meals to support them with their independence. Children use the utensils well as they scoop rice with a spoon onto their plates. They carefully pour their own drinking water from the jugs.

Staff promote a sociable occasion during these times and talk to children about what they have enjoyed during the day. Children explain who their friends are and what they like playing with. Staff praise them for contributing to discussions.

This helps children to share their views and feel valued.Staff promote children's communication and language well. They sit and read familiar stories to children.

Children listen well and contribute their ideas, engaging in two-way conversations. This helps to build on their vocabulary and speaking skills.

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?

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to: Due date ensure that all staff, including leaders and managers, have a secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures and know what action to take in the event of a child protection concern about a child in their care 09/08/2024 ensure that the lead practitioner for safeguarding has an appropriate knowledge and understanding of their role and responsibilities, in order to identify, understand and respond appropriately to signs of possible abuse or neglect 09/08/2024 make sure that there is effective communication between managers and staff to share appropriate information, particularly of a safeguarding nature, to ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting 09/08/2024 ensure that all information and records, including those with regard to child protection matters, are clear, accurate and sufficiently detailed to promote children's safety 09/08/2024 implement effective arrangements for the supervision of all staff, including providing training and support that helps them to fully understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children 09/08/2024 provide staff with training and support that enables them to implement effective strategies for managing children's behaviours that may impact on the safety of others.

09/08/2024