Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath Day Care of Children - Care Inspectorate
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Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath Day Care of Children Brunton Block Arbroath Academy Glenisla Drive Arbroath DD11 5JD Telephone: 01241 871335 Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 25 January 2018 Service provided by: Service provider number: Ladybird Playgroup SP2003000571 Care service number: CS2003002877
Inspection report
About the service
The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information about all care services is available on our
website at www.careinspectorate.com
This service was previously registered with the Care Commission and transferred its registration to the Care
Inspectorate on 1 April 2011.
The Care Inspectorate is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all children receiving a care service.
We want to ensure they have the best start in life, are ready to succeed and live longer, healthier lives.
We check services are meeting the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (also known as GIRFEC). Set up by
Scottish Government, GIRFEC is a national approach to working in a consistent way with all children and young
people. It is underpinned by the principles of prevention and early intervention. The approach helps services
focus on what makes a positive difference for children and young people - and what they can do to improve.
Getting it right for every child is being woven into all policy, practice, strategy and legislation that affect children,
young people and their families.
There are eight wellbeing indicators at the heart of Getting it Right for Every Child. They are: safe; healthy;
achieving; nurtured; active; respected; responsible; and included. They are often referred to as the SHANARRI
indicators. We use these indicators at inspection, to assess how services are making a positive difference for
children.
Ladybird Playgroup Playgroup is registered to provide early learning and childcare to a maximum of 24 children
per session, aged from two years to those not yet attending primary school. The service operates Monday to
Friday mornings and afternoons. The service is in partnership with Angus Council to deliver early learning and
childcare to some two year olds. Since the last inspection, the service had relocated to new premises within the
grounds of Arbroath Academy.
The service is provided by a voluntary management committee which consists of some past and present
parents/carers. The committee employs a manager and depute manager who organise and manage the
playgroup sessions. Three early years practitioners and two support workers are also employed in the service.
Ladybird Playgroup aims to provide a safe and stimulating environment in which the children can feel happy and
secure.
A full statement of service's values, aims and objectives are available to parents/carers and visitors.
The service has a copy of the registration certificated clearly displayed for parents/carers and visitors.
This report was written following an unannounced inspection carried out by one early learning and childcare
inspector. We visited on 23 January 2018 and provided the service manager with some feedback at the end of
the day and by telephone following our visit.
During our visit we spoke with many of the children, parents/carers, staff team and manager.
We asked the service to distribute 12 care standards questionnaires to parents/carers on our behalf. Ten were
completed and returned to us prior to the inspection taking place. We also asked the manager to distribute four
questionnaires to staff. All were completed and returned to us before the inspection.
Inspection report for Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath
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We looked at the quality of care and support and the environment at this inspection. We have also looked
at specific aspects of management and leadership which related to committee changes and required checks for
staff.
What people told us
Some of the children were too young to tell us about what they liked to do at their playgroup, however many
chatted confidently to the inspectors about their favourite activities. We observed children at play and saw how
staff cared for, and interacted with them.
Across the setting we found children to be happy, comfortable and content. We could see, and many children
told us, that they enjoyed spending time at playgroup with their friends. Staff knew the children very well and
interacted with them in a positive and respectful way. They listened to them and were responsive to their
suggestions ideas.
The children had fun and happily participated in the wide range of activities on offer. They were enthusiastic
about playing outdoors and enjoyed snack time, particularly making their own pizzas.
Younger children benefited from positive, nurturing interactions from staff. They enjoyed the company of other
children, with some forming special relationships. They were confident in their environment and were secure in
the care of staff.
Their comments included:
"I'm sticking this on my picture. I like gluing"
"I'm painting a picture of my family"
"I picked the things for my pizza. I'm going to eat it for snack"
"We wash our hands to get rid of the germs"
"We like reading stories. We've been learning about the Billy Goats Gruff"
We spoke with four parents/carers during our visit. They described a very positive play experience for their
children. They told us their children spoke enthusiastically about their time at playgroup and had formed special
friendships with others. They told us staff were "excellent" and confirmed that there were opportunities to
discuss their child with their key worker. They felt communication was good and felt fully involved in the
development of the service. They described the important role they played in setting up the playgroup in the new
service.
All parents/carers who completed the care standards questionnaires provided very positive feedback about the
service and agreed/strongly agreed with all of the statements. These related to the quality of care and support,
the environment, staffing and management and leadership.
Inspection report for Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath
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They commented:
"The help and support I have received for me and my child is outstanding. For this reason, and many more, I
have decided to keep my child here where she is happy"
"Since my son has started the Ladybird Playgroup he has come on really well. He really enjoys it and I think they
are really good"
"My child loves Ladybird Playgroup. She is always asking to come on weekends and during holidays. She has
come on a lot since being here and she would be lost if she didn't have this"
"My child has settled really well. I'm happy with the way he is and he is getting ready for primary school. So
friendly and helpful"
"The playgroup is like family, always there in case of emergency. My child speaks constantly about the staff at
home. They have become like family to her too and she has an amazing relationship with them"
"Ladybird Playgroup is a fantastic educational establishment. My child has a great relationship with all the staff
and loves nothing more that coming home and sharing her day with me. It is telling me and showing me what
she has done"
"The service my child and I have received has been excellent"
Self assessment
We did not request a self-assessment from the service prior to this inspection. We looked at the service's
improvement plan and talked to the manager about progress from the last inspection and future plans for
improvement.
From this inspection we graded this service as:
Quality of care and support 4 - Good
Quality of environment 4 - Good
Quality of staffing not assessed
Quality of management and leadership 3 - Adequate
What the service does well
Ladybird Playgroup had created a positive, nurturing ethos where children, parents/carers and visitors were
warmly welcomed and valued. The manager and staff had the children's best interests at heart and worked hard
to ensure positive outcomes for them and their families.
Inspection report for Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath
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Children were happy, content and settled. They told us they enjoyed spending time in playgroup with their
friends. We observed confident children who independently accessed, or were well supported to access, all play
areas. Routines were flexible to meet the needs of individual children. Staff took account of children's interests
and development needs when planning activities. As a result children were engaged, motivated and benefited
from the activities on offer.
Staff had established positive relationships with children and their families. Each child had a key worker who had
special responsibility for their care. The key workers we spoke with knew children well and spoke confidently
about how they planned for them. We observed staff and parents/carers exchanging information at the end of
the day. This ensured staff had information about children's changing needs, which supports good continuity of
care between home and the nursery setting. This supports children to feel settled, secure and safe.
Each child had a personal plan in place. While these contained important information about their needs, we
noted there was scope for these to more clearly demonstrate how children's individual needs were being
supported, their progress and achievements. The manager has agreed to take this forward.
Where children required additional support, staff accessed a wide range of relevant training and worked
effectively with other professional agencies to ensure children received the support they needed to achieve their
potential.
Children had settled well in their new environment. Children and their families had been involved in planning and
preparing the new premises and were very proud of their playgroup. Staff had created a relaxed, homely setting
where children felt secure, were confident in routines and felt a sense of belonging. Playrooms were bright, airy
and well planned, providing children with ample space to enjoy their activities and cosier spaces when they
wished to relax.
Resources were wide and varied, reflecting the children's interests and needs. These were thoughtfully stored to
promote children's independence. The outdoor area was stimulating and easily accessible to the children.
Children had good opportunities to learn and develop their skills in a natural environment. Children were
supported well to engage in their local community. In addition to visits to local libraries and parks, they regularly
visited residents in the local sheltered housing. This supported shared social benefits and helped them feel
included in their local community.
We found the toilet area could have been improved to ensure children's privacy and dignity was
being maintained. The service took swift and positive action to address this after our visit, resulting in an
improved toilet area. The manager planned to continue to monitor changes to ensure they are effective.
Staff told us they understood the service's child protection procedures. They had been briefed on child protection
matters and had participated in training provided by the local authority. The manager and depute manager had
attended training specifically designed for managers and child protection co-ordinators. Details of child
protection procedures were clearly displayed for parents/carers and visitors. We noted that there was scope for
records relating to child protection concerns to be improved. The manager has since informed us that she has
sought support from the local authority child protection co-ordinator to enable her to address this effectively.
Inspection report for Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath
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What the service could do better
The service is provided by a voluntary committee of parents/carers. There had been changes to members since
the last inspection. We found that the required documentation had not been completed for all members and the
required checks had not yet been undertaken for the appropriate individuals. The provider and manager have
responded to this, which has enabled the process for checking the relevant individuals to take place. The
manager and provider are now clear about the change of relevant individual process and continue keep the Care
Inspectorate updated with progress.
We suggested it could be beneficial for the committee to become more aware of their roles and responsibilities
in relation to legislation and standards to ensure effective governance procedures. We suggested ways in which
this could be taken forward for example, developing an information pack for the committee and sourcing
relevant training and support.
All Early Years Practitioners working with children are required to be registered with the Scottish Social Services
Council (SSSC). The SSSC regulates the social service workforce in Scotland to ensure children are cared for by
trusted, skilled and confident staff. During our inspection we found that the registration for a staff member had
lapsed, meaning they were no longer registered with the SSSC. The manager took prompt action to address this
and continues to keep the Care Inspectorate informed of progress. We recommended that the manager develops
a robust system to enable her monitor staff registrations and any required checks (see recommendation 1)
We recommended that the service's procedures for volunteers be reviewed, updated and implemented in the
service (recommendation 2)
We found there was scope for medication procedures to be improved. We provided the manager with
information and advice during our visit and signposted her to current best practice guidance (see
recommendation 3)
Although the service carried out risk assessments of the environment and outings we found that these did not
fully reflect the areas used by children, the potential hazards and the measures in place to ensure children were
safe (see recommendation 4)
We acknowledged the prompt, positive action taken by the manager to address some of the improvements
identified at this inspection.The service should continue to take appropriate action to address the
outstanding recommendations and areas for development. This will ensure the service is working in line with
current legislation and standards as well as ensuring continuous improvement is ongoing.
References:
SSSC Codes of Practice for social service workers and employers - http://www.sssc.uk.com/about-the-sssc/
multimedia-library/publications/37-about-the-sssc/information-material/61-codes-of-practice/1020-sssc-
codes-of-practice-for-social-service-workers-and-employers
Safer Recruitment Through Better Recruitment - http://hub.careinspectorate.com/knowledge/safer-
recruitment/
Inspection report for Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath
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Management of medication in daycare of children and childminding services - http://hub.careinspectorate.com/
media/189567/childrens-service-medication-guidance.pdf
Requirements
Number of requirements: 0
Recommendations
Number of recommendations: 4
1. To ensure children are safe, the manager should develop a robust system which enables her monitor the
registration status of staff.
National Care Standards. Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 14 - A Well Managed
Service.
2. The manager should ensure robust procedures are in place for the management of volunteers. This should
include:
- ensuring the appropriate checks have been carried out for those working with
children.
- clear roles and responsibilities
- risk assessments, where appropriate.
National Care Standards. Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 14 - A Well Managed
Service.
3. To support children's health and wellbeing, the manager and staff should improve how children's medication
is managed in the service. This should include:
- recording clear information about children's conditions including relevant signs,
symptoms and actions to be taken by staff, as agreed with parents/carers.
- ensuring records are completed appropriately.
- where children require medication on an "as and when required basis", staff
should record the reason why medication was administered.
- demonstrating how parents/carers have been informed about any medication
administered to their child.
National Care Standards. Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 3 - Health and Wellbeing
4. To promote children's safety and wellbeing, the manager and staff should develop robust risk assessments
which reflect the areas used by children and demonstrate the measures taken to respond to potential risks.
National Care Standards. Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 2 - A Safe Environment.
Inspection report for Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath
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Complaints
There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are
published at www.careinspectorate.com.
Inspection and grading history
Date Type Gradings
27 Oct 2015 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good
Environment 5 - Very good
Staffing 5 - Very good
Management and leadership 5 - Very good
4 Dec 2013 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good
Environment 5 - Very good
Staffing 5 - Very good
Management and leadership 5 - Very good
27 Jan 2012 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good
Environment 5 - Very good
Staffing Not assessed
Management and leadership Not assessed
20 Dec 2010 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good
Environment Not assessed
Staffing Not assessed
Management and leadership Not assessed
17 Jun 2009 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good
Environment 4 - Good
Staffing 5 - Very good
Management and leadership 5 - Very good
Inspection report for Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath
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To find out more
This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our
website.
Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award
grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action
when things aren't good enough.
Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service.
You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com
Contact us
Care Inspectorate
Compass House
11 Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY
enquiries@careinspectorate.com
0345 600 9527
Find us on Facebook
Twitter: @careinspect
Other languages and formats
This report is available in other languages and formats on request.
Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas.
Inspection report for Ladybird Playgroup - Arbroath
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