Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Foxlea Family Centre Paisley

11 May 2005

Foxlea Family Centre
c/o St Paul’s Primary School
Orchy Crescent
Foxbar, Paisley
PA2 0NN

The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act, 2001, requires that the Care Commission inspect all care services covered by the Act every year to monitor the quality of care provided. In accordance with the Act, the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education carry out integrated inspections of the quality of care and education. In doing this, inspection teams take account of National Care Standards, Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16, and The Child at the Centre. The following standards and related quality indicators were used in the recent inspection.

Evaluations made using HMIE quality indicators use the following scale, and these words are used in the report to describe the team’s judgements:

Reports contain Recommendations which are intended to support improvements in the quality of service.

Any Requirements refer to actions which must be taken by service providers to ensure that regulations are met and there is compliance with relevant legislation. In these cases the regulation(s) to which requirements refer will be noted clearly and timescales given.

HOW TO CONTACT US

Copies of this report have been sent to the head of service, staff and the education authority. Copies are also available on the Care Commission website: www.carecommission.com and HMIE website: www.hmie.gov.uk .

Should you wish to comment on or make a complaint about any aspect of the inspection or about this report you should write either to the Care Commission or to HM Inspectorate of Education at the address below. If you are still dissatisfied with our services, you can contact your member of the Scottish Parliament (or, if you prefer, any other MSP). You can also contact the Scottish Parliamentary Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and Agencies.

Crown Copyright 2005

Care Commission
HM Inspectorate of Education

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated.

Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Foxlea Family Centre Paisley

Introduction

Foxlea Family Centre was inspected in January 2005 as part of the integrated inspection programme by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. The nursery catered for pre-school children aged six weeks to five years. At the time of the inspection the roll was 129.

The environment

Standard 2

The centre provided a safe, secure, spacious and welcoming environment. All playrooms were bright, stimulating and in a good state of repair. Children’s work was attractively displayed throughout. The layout of all areas allowed children to play independently, and also to meet in both small and large groups. The baby and toddler rooms were well laid out, enabling young children to rest and play in a warm, caring and stimulating environment.

There were two separate large, enclosed, outdoor play areas available for children under three years and one for children aged three to five years. There are future plans to further develop both areas to offer children a wider range of outdoor experiences.

The centre was well resourced to support children’s development and learning. Equipment was clean and well maintained, and appropriate measures had been implemented to control the spread of Infection.

Quality of children’s experience

Standard 4 & 5

In the baby room, children were happy and content with daily routines. Staff had forged close relationships with them and had a good understanding of their individual needs and development. Children in the toddlers’ room were able to choose between organised activities and free play. Staff were supportive and caring.

In the three to five year playrooms staff had created a caring environment in which children were happy and secure. They knew children well and responded appropriately to their individual needs. They were friendly and caring and interacted positively with children and used praise and encouragement to foster children’s self esteem. Staff had good relationships with children but did not always support them well in developing skills and extend learning. The use of questioning to support and extend children’s learning should be further developed. Staff valued children’s contributions and encouraged positive behaviour.

Staff organised a good range of play experiences. However, they needed to ensure that there was an appropriate balance between activities children could chose for themselves and those which adults directed. Planning was good and set out clearly what children were expected to learn. However, staff needed to offer greater challenge to a few children. Staff observed children at play and recorded their progress. They had made a good start on observations and should now further develop the process, making better use of assessment information gathered to plan appropriate next steps in learning. Staff kept parents well informed about their child’s progress through informal discussions, formal meetings, access to children’s profiles and helpful written reports.

Features of the programmes for children aged three to five included the following.

• The programme for emotional, personal and social development was very good. Children were happy, relaxed, confident and familiar with simple routines. They related well to one another and were learning to cooperate and develop positive relationships with other children. Children were learning simple rules of hygiene such as washing their hands before eating snack and brushing their teeth afterwards. Staff encouraged children to take responsibility and be independent for example, by helping to tidy up around the nursery and making choices at snack time.
• The programme for communication and language was good. Most children were beginning to talk to one another confidently during play and especially at snack and welcome time. Some children listened well during stories and took part in discussions. Children chose books independently from the well stocked book area. Staff promoted children’s interests in reading very effectively, through the use of story sacks and library bags which encouraged children to read books at home. All children could recognise their name in print and some could write it.
• The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world was good. Children were making good progress in their understanding of colours, shape, patterns and numbers. Children had many opportunities to experience activities such as sorting, grouping and matching. Staff monitored effectively the children’s use of the computer. Children were developing science skills through sand and water play. Staff did not provide children with enough opportunities to observe, investigate and solve simple problems.
• The programme for expressive and aesthetic was good. Staff provided a variety of stimulating contexts for role play such as the very well resourced Tartan Tearoom. Children had good daily opportunities for self expression through drawing, painting, collage, gluing and modelling using play dough and wood. Children were highly motivated and concentrated well when preparing playdough and adding lemon to enhance the smell. Some children thoroughly enjoyed Scottish country dancing. They took part in some singing activities and had opportunities to make music.
• The programme for physical development and movement was very good. Children were developing good hand and finger control using brushes, scissors, construction toys, pencils, jigsaws and computer mouse. They were learning to use hammers and screwdrivers safely. Children had many opportunities for regular energetic play indoors and out. They were learning to run, jump, balance, throw and catch. Staff made effective use of visiting specialists introducing children to the ‘Have a Heart’ programme which encourages children to take part in regular energetic, challenging and fun activities.

Support for children and families

Standard 6

Key workers knew children well and were flexible and sensitive to their personal, emotional and physical needs. They supported children and their families very well and had positive relationships with them. A community learning centre was based in the centre which encouraged parents to learn alongside their children. Staff shared information with parents through daily contact, formal meetings, newsletters, photographs and a very informative notice board. Most parents and carers who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very satisfied with all aspects of the service. They were encouraged to take an active part in the life of the nursery. A well established rota was in place to encourage parental involvement in the nursery.

Staff had established effective links with staff from support agencies including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, the learning support teacher and social workers. Appropriate individualised educational programmes were in place for children with additional learning needs. These helped to ensure that children’s needs were met appropriately. Staff communicated regularly with other professionals and parents. There were well developed arrangements to support children transferring to primary school.

Management

Standard 14

The acting manager provided good leadership. She was strongly committed to the centre and shared her vision for its future development with the management team and staff. She was well organised, supportive, approachable and respected by parents. The acting depute manager provided support to the manager.

A high standard of appropriate, up-to-date policies and procedures were in place for all aspects of the running of the centre.

The acting manager and acting depute manager had made a start to monitoring and evaluating the work of the nursery, including working alongside staff in playrooms. They held regular meetings with staff to discuss the quality of the service.

Staff were committed and enthusiastic. They were suitably qualified and were developing their knowledge, skills and experiences through a good range of training and development courses. The centre was staffed with the appropriate number of adults to children. The authority had effective recruitment procedures in place to ensure the safety of children.

The service was aware of the Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice and demonstrated knowledge of future implications. All staff were appropriately trained in Child Protection and Race Equality procedures.

Key strengths

• The attractive, stimulating playrooms.
• The very good programmes in emotional, personal and social development and physical development and movement.
• Support for families and children with additional learning needs.
• The very good quality of equipment and resources throughout the centre.

Recommendations for improvement

• Staff should develop their use of questioning to extend children’s learning.
• Staff should improve the programmes to ensure challenge for all children.

Care Commission Officers and HM Inspectors have asked the pre-school centre and education authority to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report. Where requirements are made, the action plan should include timescales to deal with these. The plan will be available to parents and carers. In liaison with the pre-school centre and education authority, Care Commission Officers and HM Inspectors will monitor progress to ensure improvements are in line with the main findings of the report.