Pink Panther Playgroup Day Care of Children

Pink Panther PlaygroupDay Care of ChildrenHolm Primary SchoolStratherrick RoadInvernessIV2 4YLTelephone: 01463 232697

Inspected by: Christine Tweddle

Type of inspection: Unannounced

Inspection completed on: 19 March 2013

ContentsPage No

Summary 31 About the service we inspected 52 How we inspected this service 73 The inspection 114 Other information 215 Summary of grades 226 Inspection and grading history 22

Service provided by:Pink Panther Playgroup

Service provider number:SP2003001844

Care service number:CS2003008668

Contact details for the inspector who inspected this service:Christine TweddleTelephone 01463 227630Email [email protected]

Inspection report continued

Pink Panther Playgroup, page 2 of 23

SummaryThis report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas ofperformance which were examined during this inspection.

Grades for this care service may change after this inspection following otherregulatory activity. For example, if we have to take enforcement action to make theservice improve, or if we investigate and agree with a complaint someone makesabout the service.

We gave the service these grades

Quality of Care and Support 5 Very Good

Quality of Environment 5 Very Good

Quality of Staffing 5 Very Good

Quality of Management and Leadership 5 Very Good

What the service does well

• The staff in the playgroup had a very good understanding of each individualchild and did what they could to meet their needs

• The staff fostered positive working relationships with the parents and this wasborne out when the inspector spoke with the parents

• The playgroup placed a lot of importance on working with parents andinvolving them and one of the ways was by using questionnaires to gain theirviews

• There was a website that contained very good information aboutthe playgroup and this was another way in which they kept parents informed

• The playgroup provided a stimulating and welcoming environment for thechildren

What the service could do betterThe playgroup was to continue with the already very good practice which wasevidenced on the day of the inspection. They were to continue to develop themethods that they used to keep parents informed.



What the service has done since the last inspectionThe playgroup had continued to work toward developing and providing a servicewhich met national and local guidelines.

ConclusionOverall Pink Panther Playgroup had worked hard to develop the service in line withbest practice guidance. They provided a very good service to the local community andprovided positive experiences for the children and their parents. The service continuedto have a good and open working relationship with the Care Inspectorate. Staffcontinued to be very interested and committed to providing the best possible careand support for the children.

Who did this inspectionChristine Tweddle



1 About the service we inspectedThe Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Prior to 1 April 2011, thisfunction was carried out by the Care Commission. Information in relation to all careservices is available on our website at www.scswis.com.

This service was previously registered with the Care Commission and transferred itsregistration to the Care Inspectorate on 1 April 2011.

Requirements and recommendations

If we are concerned about some aspect of a service, or think it could do more toimprove its service, we may make a recommendation or requirement.

- A recommendation is a statement that sets out actions the care service providershould take to improve or develop the quality of the service but where failure to do sowill not directly result in enforcement. Recommendations are based on the NationalCare Standards, relevant codes of practice and recognised good practice.

- A requirement is a statement which sets out what is required of a care service tocomply with the Public Services Reforms (Scotland) Act 2010 and Regulations orOrders made under the Act or a condition of registration. Where there are breaches ofthe Regulations, Orders or conditions, a requirement must be made. Requirements arelegally enforceable at the discretion of the Care Inspectorate.

Pink Panther Playgroup operate from a dedicated room within the grounds of HolmPrimary School. The premises consist of a playroom and enclosed outside area whichextends the available play space. Admission to the playgroup is secure. The serviceshares toilets with the nursery children.

The Playgroup is a pre-school partner centre and is managed by a voluntarymanagement parents committee.

The Playgroup is registered to provide a care service to a maximum of 18 children ateach session aged from 3 years to 4 years. The Playgroup operates in term time onlyfrom 9.15am until 11.45am and from 12.30pm until 3.00pm.

Included in the aims and objectives of the Playgroup are statements such as:

• To provide a safe, secure, well resourced environment for pre-school childrenand fully comply with the Care Inspectorates standards.



• To provide a broad range of appropriate pre-school experiences for childrenthrough play activities.

• Offer parents, carers, regular opportunities to be involved in child pre-schoollearning and development.

• Arrange appropriate professional development and training for all staffemployed by the group.

• To regularly self-evaluate our group using guidelines contained in the 'Child AtThe Centre'.

Based on the findings of this inspection this service has been awarded the followinggrades:

Quality of Care and Support - Grade 5 - Very GoodQuality of Environment - Grade 5 - Very GoodQuality of Staffing - Grade 5 - Very GoodQuality of Management and Leadership - Grade 5 - Very Good

This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas ofperformance which were examined during this inspection.

Grades for this care service may change following other regulatory activity. You canfind the most up-to-date grades for this service by visiting our websitewww.careinspectorate.com or by calling us on 0845 600 9527 or visiting one of ouroffices.



2 How we inspected this service

The level of inspection we carried outIn this service we carried out a low intensity inspection. We carry out theseinspections when we are satisfied that services are working hard to provideconsistently high standards of care.

What we did during the inspectionBefore the inspection the Care Inspectorate sent out a letter to the service manager,asking them to complete and submit the service's self assessment. We also askedthem to issue some care standards questionnaires to parents and carers using theservice.

This report was written following an unannounced inspection and took place on 19March 2013.

The inspector gave feedback to all of the playgroup staff on 19 March 2013.

The inspector considered evidence from a range of sources, including:

• Review of the service's policies and procedures relevant to the QualityStatements being considered

• Information displayed for parents and carers• Weekly plans• Children's individual folders• Risk assessments• Playgroup development information including action plans• Children's and parents' questionnaires developed by the service and the

summary of findings• Care standards questionnaires returned to the Care Inspectorate by parents

and carers• Evidence of staff training• Discussions with the manager, staff, some children and some parents/carers• Observation of staff practice• Examination of the premises.



Grading the service against quality themes and statementsWe inspect and grade elements of care that we call 'quality themes'. For example,one of the quality themes we might look at is 'Quality of care and support'. Undereach quality theme are 'quality statements' which describe what a service should bedoing well for that theme. We grade how the service performs against the qualitythemes and statements.

Details of what we found are in Section 3: The inspection

Inspection Focus Areas (IFAs)In any year we may decide on specific aspects of care to focus on during ourinspections. These are extra checks we make on top of all the normal ones we makeduring inspection. We do this to gather information about the quality of these aspectsof care on a national basis. Where we have examined an inspection focus area we willclearly identify it under the relevant quality statement.

Fire safety issuesWe do not regulate fire safety. Local fire and rescue services are responsible forchecking services. However, where significant fire safety issues become apparent, wewill alert the relevant fire and rescue services so they may consider what action totake. You can find out more about care services' responsibilities for fire safety atwww.firelawscotland.org



The annual returnEvery year all care services must complete an 'annual return' form to make sure theinformation we hold is up to date. We also use annual returns to decide how we willinspect the service.Annual Return Received: Yes - Electronic

Comments on Self AssessmentEvery year all care services must complete a 'self assessment' form telling us howtheir service is performing. We check to make sure this assessment is accurate.The manager and staff had completed the self assessment, as requested by the CareInspectorate, over all the quality statements in each of the 4 quality themes. They hadidentified many strengths of the service as well as some areas they intended toimprove.

Taking the views of people using the care service into accountWe spent time with the children during the nursery session. They appeared to be veryhappy and played well together and on their own. They had a good relationship withthe nursery staff and were able to ask for help and assistance when they wanted it.They told the inspector that they liked coming to the nursery to meet their friendsand to play with all the toys.

Taking carers' views into accountWe spoke with some parents at the start and end of the nursery session. They saidthat the staff were very good at keeping them informed and that they could speakwith the staff at any time if they had concerns. They were able to tell us that theyhad taken part in a questionnaire and tell us how the outcome was fed back to them.They felt that the quality of the service was very good.

We also sent out some care standards questionnaires prior to the inspection andthree were returned. Overall all parents said that they were either very happy orhappy with the quality of care that their child received. Individual commentsincluded:"My child is enjoying going, although it is very difficult to give accurate responses asthey only started two weeks ago"



"'We have only attended the pre-school for only a few weeks but first impressions arevery positive. Feedback is excellent. Getting to spend time in the playgroup to see atypical day was really beneficial and reassuring. The ladies are welcoming, firm andfair and provide a broad range of activities for the children"

"Pink Panther is a fantastic environment for my child, they enjoy every aspect of theirtime there. It has a great set up of structure, facility and staff. Invaluable to ourfamily"

"Our child has only attended the service for approximately five weeks so there are anumber of questions within this survey that are not applicable as yet. We did notattend the service before our child started as they were due to move to new premisesbefore my child started. This was explained to us and we were satisfied with thereasons. The staff helped our child when they started and they settled in quicklythanks to their efforts - they even wanted to climb the fence to go on a Saturday!"



3 The inspectionWe looked at how the service performs against the following quality themes andstatements. Here are the details of what we found.

Quality Theme 1: Quality of Care and SupportGrade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good

Statement 1We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving thequality of the care and support provided by the service.

Service strengthsThe strengths that were identified within the last inspection report remain in place.

In addition the service had continued to ensure that they involved the children andtheir parents in the development of the service.

Questionnaires had been used with parents/carers and the response in these was ofa positive nature. The questions asked had been updated and they had been usedtwice. This was because there were new parents and they had not received a goodamount back the last time they were sent out. The service had ensured that theyprovided an evaluation and summary from the questionnaires. We could see that thisinformation was shared with the parents within the newsletter and on the website.Information gained from the questionnaires both with the parents and their childrenfed into the weekly plan and the yearly development plan.

The inspector spoke with some parents and they said that they were kept informed ofwhat was happening in the nursery. They also said that the staff were veryapproachable and helpful and that they could speak with staff at any time. Theparents were able to tell us how the summary and evaluation from the questionnaireswas shared with them. We could see during the inspection that parents were free tocome into the room and speak with staff. Some parents told us that there were playand stay sessions arranged and that they had found these very informative andreassuring.

Children were actively involved in choosing what they wanted to do at the start of thesession. Each child was given the opportunity to take part in this. The children had



also been involved in the layout of the nursery and a change in toys and activities.

Each child had an individual folder. Appropriate information was taken about eachchild with regard to their likes and dislikes and what they enjoyed at home.Photographs of the children's activities were also included. Parents were alsoencouraged to contribute to these folders. One of the children showed the inspectortheir folder and they were very proud of its contents and could tell the inspector whatthey had achieved.

There were yearly parent meetings and reports were produced.

There were noticeboards which had relevant information for parents such as theweekly plan, what was for snack, what the children were learning about that weekand what they were doing that day. The most recent report was made available andparents were able to tell us that they knew where this was. The staff told us that theywere in the process of developing another noticeboard for the parents.

The service produced newsletters for parents on a regular basis. There was also awebsite where there was lots of information for the parents. Committee meetingminutes were posted so that parents could see how the playgroup was developing.

There were photographs and information about the activities that the children tookpart in. There was a big folder of "Stuff we do at nursery" and this was madeavailable for parents. It had a lot of information about all the activities that thechildren took part in.

Within the questionnaires that were returned to the Care Inspectorate prior to theinspection, all parents indicated that the nursery had involved them in thedevelopment of the service and had asked them for their ideas and suggestions.Parents said that the nursery had worked with them in regard to their child's learningand development. Parents also said that they were kept informed about what washappening in the nursery through the use of newsletters and information boards.

Areas for improvementThe service was to continue with the already very good practice in relation to thisstatement. They could consider further promotion of the website with all parents asthis was a very good way to keep them informed of what was happening in theplaygroup.

The staff told us that they were further developing the use of how they promotedinformation and that they were updating the website.

Within the self assessment the service highlighted the following as areas ofdevelopment:



Weekly planning documentsSelf evaluation folder- evaluation of parent and child questionnairesLearning journey folders with parental input and involvementInformation well displayed in entrance area of new building

Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good

Number of requirements: 0

Number of recommendations: 0

Statement 3We ensure that service users' health and wellbeing needs are met.

Service strengthsThe statement of aims and objectives reflected that the playgroup took into accountthe health and wellbeing needs of the children. The programme that was on offertook into account the emotional, social and personal needs of the children.

There were appropriate policies and procedures in place which supported the healthand safety aspects of the children whilst in the playgroup. These were made availablefor parents at the reception area.

The inspector spoke with the staff and it was apparent that they were very well awareof the need to ensure that all aspects of the children's health care needs were takeninto account when planning activities. All staff had a very good understanding of eachindividual child. This was in terms of their likes, dislikes, preferences and theirindividual personalities.

In the questionnaires that were returned to the Care Inspectorate, parents indicatedthat they were very happy with the level of care and support that was on offer. Thesesaid that the playgroup had worked with them and their children to develop anindividual education and support programme if this was needed. We also spoke withparents and they were able to tell us that they were very happy with the level of careand support from the staff.

Other professionals were involved in the care and support of the children if needed.

The playgroup took account of best practice guidance in relation to infection control,medication and healthy eating. Information about these were kept so that staff wereable to access these when needed.

Healthy eating was encouraged and provided. Children were involved in deciding whatsnack was to consist of and were also involved in preparing and helping others duringsnack time. Drinks were on offer throughout the session. Staff sat with the children sothat they could promote their social skills. We could also see through looking at



photographs that the children had been involved in helping to cook soup and otherhealthy items for their snack. We could also see that a recent topic had been "allabout our bodies" and how healthy food promoted healthy bodies. All staff weretrained with regard to food hygiene. Within the questionnaires parents said that theplaygroup provided a healthy and well balanced diet.

At the time of the inspection the staff told us that tooth brushing did not form part ofthe session but that this was being taken to the committee for further discussion.

Areas for improvementThe service was to continue with the already very good practice in relation to thisstatement.


Children to become more involved in the preparation of snack foodPolicies to reviewed by parents attending parent committeeComplete risk asssessment of new premises and update all other policies as requiredafter move to new premises.






Quality Theme 2: Quality of Environment

Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good

Statement 2We make sure that the environment is safe and service users are protected.

Service strengthsSince the last inspection the playgroup had moved premises. They were still in thegrounds of the primary school and shared a dedicated building with the schoolnursery. There was a large main playroom with a kitchen area. The playgroup also hadthe use of their own safe and secure garden area. On the day of the inspection thepremises were seen to be fit for purpose and were maintained to a good level ofcleanliness. There was also suitable ventilation, heating and lighting.

Maintenance was provided by the Highland Council. The staff told the inspector thatthere were no problems with the playgroup provision at the time of the inspection.They felt well supported in maintaining the building to a good standard. They saidthat the school janitor attended to any repairs and would visit them if they had anyconcerns.

There were various policies and procedures in place which supported the health andsafety needs of the children, their parents and the staff. These included such areas asinfection control. Risk assessments had been reviewed following moving into the newpremises and were being reviewed on a regular basis. They covered a range ofactivities both in the nursery and for outdoor activities.

There was an attractive reception area that had lots of information for parents andchildren. There was a suitable entry system to the nursery and children's safety wastaken into account.

The playroom was well organised and the children had a say in how the activitieswere laid out. There was sufficient space in the playroom, with adequate storage. Thefurnishings were appropriate to the age ranges of the children. There were displays ofchildren's work all around the playroom and some of these were linked to topics thatthey had covered. Overall the playroom was a stimulating and interesting place for thechildren to play.

We spoke with some parents and they were able to tell us that they felt the children's



safety was taken into account. They said that the playgroup was safe and secure.Within the questionnaires parents agreed that the service was a safe, secure,hygienic, smoke free, pleasant and stimulating environment. They also agreed thatthere was enough space for the children to play and get involved in a range ofactivities.



The appropriate health and safety checks will be made in the new premises and a riskassessment will be completed. Any snagging problems in new premises to be dealtwith by local authority architect and builders.New playroom to be organised to make best use of space and to ensure children canmove freely around the room.

Children to have more access to outdoor area and use of outdoor space to be furtherdeveloped with the help of the principal teacher.






Quality Theme 3: Quality of Staffing


Statement 3We have a professional, trained and motivated workforce which operates to NationalCare Standards, legislation and best practice.

Service strengthsThere were appropriate policies and procedures in place which followed best practiceguidance in relation to selection and recruitment of staff. Also included were policiesin relation to whistle blowing and the protection of children.

There was a staff development strategy and a training plan. Staff took part in yearlyappraisals and those staff that we spoke with said that that their training needs werediscussed. The manager used local and national guidelines to assist them in thedevelopment of staff. Supervision of staff was on an informal basis. All staff metweekly at the start of the week and staff set the agenda. The outcomes were diarisedand then discussed at the next weekly meeting.

A principal teacher also visited the playgroup on a regular basis and this was anotherway that the playgroup ensured the development of staff's knowledge andunderstanding. They found the teacher very approachable and that they were verysupportive of any ideas and further training opportunities.

The playgroup was able to link in with the primary school's continuous professionaldevelopment process and took part in training opportunities. Recent training hadincluded outdoor play and first aid. All of the staff were appropriately trained and allbut one of the staff had achieved their SVQ level 3 award. The remaining staffmember was 99% complete. All staff had up to date training with regard to foodhygiene and child protection. All staff said that they were very well supported withtheir training needs. They were very enthusiastic and committed to developing theirknowledge and practice.

In the questionnaires that were returned parents indicated that they were very happywith the staff in the nursery. They were confident that the staff had the skills andexperience to care for their children and that there were always enough staff on dutyto provide good quality care. We also spoke with parents and they also said that theyfelt the quality of the staff was very good.





Evidence of policy reviews by staff and parents to be kept in policy folder. Volunteersand staff to be asked to read and sign appropriate policies.






Quality Theme 4: Quality of Management and Leadership


Statement 4We use quality assurance systems and processes which involve service users, carers,staff and stakeholders to assess the quality of service we provide

Service strengthsThere was a statement of aims and objectives in place and this was shared withparents when their child started.

There were policies in place which were in reference to ensuring a quality of service.Parents were kept informed of these and they were shared on the playgroup website.We could also see that some of the policies and procedures had been reviewed sincethe last inspection. One of the policies that had been developed was about workingwith parents. We could see that the playgroup was very proactive in looking at howthey worked with parents and the methods that they used to keep them informed.

A principle teacher was allocated to work with the playgroup and was involved on aregular basis. There was a focus area for each visit with agreed action and these werefollowed up at the next visit. Best practice guidance was shared during these visitsand the staff found them very beneficial.

The manager had developed a monitoring calendar and this was so that they couldlook at all areas of the playgroup in terms of development. There was animprovement plan and this used local and national best practice guidance to informtheir development.

Training opportunities were very good and the staff were able to attend training thatsuited their roles and responsibilities. There were regular staff meetings and therewas a good ethos of team working.

The content and use of the questionnaires had been further developed. Please referto statement 1.1 for further information.

There were yearly meetings for parents and children's reports were produced. Therewere stay and play sessions so that parents were kept informed of what happened inthe playgroup. The parents were given opportunities to speak to staff about any



issues or to take part in decision making. There was a parent committee which fedback their opinions and suggestions.

The manager had involved all staff in the completion of the self assessment for theCare Inspectorate.

All staff were registered with the Scottish Social Services Council.

There was an appropriate complaints policy and this was shared with parents.

Within the questionnaires that were returned to the Care Inspectorate prior to theinspection, all parents indicated that the service had involved them and their child indeveloping the service by asking for ideas and feedback. We spoke with some parentsand they all felt that the quality of the playgroup was very good. They all felt involvedand that they could speak with staff at any time.



Self evaluation calendar to be followed and all evidence of self evaluation to berecorded.






4 Other information

ComplaintsNo complaints have been upheld, or partially upheld, since the last inspection.

EnforcementsWe have taken no enforcement action against this care service since the lastinspection.

Additional Information

Action PlanFailure to submit an appropriate action plan within the required timescale, includingany agreed extension, where requirements and recommendations have been made,will result in SCSWIS re-grading the Quality Statement within the Management andLeadership Theme as unsatisfactory (1). This will result in the Quality Theme forManagement and Leadership being re-graded as Unsatisfactory (1).



5 Summary of grades

Quality of Care and Support - 5 - Very Good

Statement 1 5 - Very Good


Quality of Environment - 5 - Very Good


Quality of Staffing - 5 - Very Good


Quality of Management and Leadership - 5 - Very Good


6 Inspection and grading history

Date Type Gradings

15 Dec 2009 Announced (ShortNotice)

Care and support 5 - Very GoodEnvironment Not AssessedStaffing 5 - Very GoodManagement and Leadership Not Assessed

All inspections and grades before 1 April 2011 are those reported by the formerregulator of care services, the Care Commission.



To find out more about our inspections and inspection reportsRead our leaflet 'How we inspect'. You can download it from our website or ask us tosend you a copy by telephoning us on 0845 600 9527.

This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can get more copiesof this report and others by downloading it from our website:www.careinspectorate.com or by telephoning 0845 600 9527.

Translations and alternative formatsThis inspection report is available in other languages and formats on request.

Telephone: 0845 600 9527Email: [email protected]: www.careinspectorate.com



Pink Panther Playgroup Day Care of Children

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