Invergordon South Lodge nursery given pointers for improvement
STAFF at an Easter Ross nursery have been praised for their care of children and should now be helped to access additional suitable training opportunities.
That’s one of the key messages following a Care Inspectorate visit to South Lodge Nursery in Invergordon.
The nursery, registered to provide a day care service to up to 40 children, has received ratings across a number of areas following the inspection and been given two areas where it can target improvements.
It is run by Highland Council.
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The inspector spoke with children, staff and management and reviewed an online questionnaire from five families.
The report found that children “were happy, confident and having fun” and that staff “were very nurturing and caring towards children, who they knew well”. The service “ad a very good knowledge of each individual child's needs and a plan in place to support their health, safety and wellbeing”.
The report states: “To support continuous improvement the service should ensure that staff are monitored effectively. To effectively manage the service, the provider should ensure that the manager allocates time each week to effectively manage and lead the care service provided.”
In evaluating quality, the Care Inspectorate uses a six-point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent.
Quality of care, play and learning was put at 3 (adequate). The same rating was given for leadership. The staff team was rated 4 (good).
The report states: “Due to the competing demands of their inspection and other school priorities, there was limited capacity and time for the head teacher to fulfil their management roles and responsibilities. The provider needs to give more managerial time for the manager to fulfil his roles and responsibilities and lead the service. The provider should review the management arrangements in place to ensure high quality experiences for children.”
The report outlines two areas for improvement. It states: “To support children's wellbeing, development needs and progress, being effectively met, children’s personal plans should be further developed and streamlined.”
And secondly, “To effectively deliver high quality play and learning experiences, the manager should support staff to access training appropriate to their role and apply the training to their practice.”
