Helping Hands Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children are generally happy and content. They have good relationships with staff and enter into lively discussions with them. Staff respond and ask some pertinent questions to encourage children to think for themselves.

Children are provided with opportunities to develop a sense of belonging within the nursery. They each have individual boxes in which to place their belongings when they arrive each day. Staff encourage children to retrieve their shoes and outdoor clothing from their boxes, which they do proficiently.

Children participate in both activities, which are prepared and presented to them by staff, as well as th...ose they choose for themselves. For example, they enjoy making their own dough and kneading and manipulating it into their chosen shapes.Younger children explore paint and make marks on their paper.

Staff praise them and provide more paint, when required, to sustain the children's interest in this activity. They work together, making use of the 'medical' equipment to check if staff are well. The children give adults pretend injections and medication when they find that they need 'medical help'.

Children in both the baby room and pre-school room are generally confident and guide some of their own play and learning. They select resources to enhance their play. Staff recognise the importance of following children's interests and learning styles.

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

The management team has worked effectively since the last inspection to address the areas of weakness. There are now more effective checks in place to ensure the suitability of new staff. Managers and staff have reviewed how they plan for each child's learning, and they have further developed the key-person system.

Staff and managers have participated in some training, some of which is very recent. Managers now use video footage of activities as a training tool, which they share with staff to help them to review ways in which they can enhance their practice.While staff and managers have embraced training since the last inspection, some of this has only been attended very recently.

As a consequence, the team has not had time to fully embed new-found learning. Therefore, the quality of teaching is variable. Managers are working on ways to monitor practice and develop a consistently strong team.

The provider works within the nursery, overseeing staff practice, liaising with other professionals and working with parents. Staff are given some opportunities to put forward ideas and suggestions for planning activities and are encouraged to consider what resources they will need and how they intend to deliver the activity. However, occasional over-direction from the provider means that some staff lack confidence in their own abilities and do not always use their initiative to manage situations.

For example, staff working with the younger children do not use their initiative to organise the furniture at lunchtime. As a result, they are not able to sit with the children and use this time for calm and purposeful discussions while supporting the children to enjoy their lunch.The provider does not have effective systems for recording the checks undertaken to assess the suitability of staff.

Some are printed and on staff's files, and others are inaccessible for inspection on an old computer system.Children learn about how various items of technology work, such as a calculator and a digital thermometer. Staff use some appropriate wording to help children understand how to operate them and how they work.

Children confidently tell staff that they know what number their temperature should be and that, if it is over this, they may be unwell.Children enjoy problem-solving as they use sand, wooden sticks and foam bricks to construct a tower. They are provided with a selection of junk modelling materials to create and develop their own models.

Staff are on hand to help them make decisions about how to secure their materials, holding them together while they do.Parents speak very highly of the manager and staff. They compliment the way in which staff help to settle new children into the nursery.

Others talk about how the provider and manager help them to secure support for children who require additional help. Most parents comment positively on the newly introduced online app, which enables them to play a more active role in their children's nursery life.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Managers and staff demonstrate secure knowledge and understanding of their safeguarding roles. They recognise the signs and symptoms that a child may be being harmed or abused, including safeguarding issues, such as those relating to 'Prevent' duty. Staff and managers engage in regular safeguarding training, as well as in-house meetings and discussions.

This helps them to keep their knowledge current and strong. Staff know how to locate the relevant contact details for the local safeguarding partners.

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 support staff to develop the skills and confidence they need to carry out their responsibilities effectively 30/06/2023 develop staff knowledge and embed new-found learning to create a consistently strong workforce 30/06/2023 ensure records are readily available for inspection, including evidence of the suitability checks carried out for new staff.

16/06/2023