A north nursery has been ordered to improve by the Care Inspectorate following a visit in September.
Kinlochbervie Nursery, which is operated by Highland Council, was rated as weak for its quality of care and management.
The nursery is run from a building next to the village primary school and looks after a maximum of 16 young children.
The watchdog graded its environment and staffing as “adequate” following an unannounced inspection.
It was one of dozens of visits carried out by Care Inspectorate officials in recent weeks.
It failed to properly register those coming into or leaving the building as part of the Covid-19 test and trace measures.
Personal plans for children “were very limited in their content” and had not been reviewed or shared with parents.
Children were not supported with hand washing and there was no Covid-19 risk assessment measures in place.
Nursery handed deadlines for making improvements
The nursery was given until October 25 to improve the register and Covid-19 safety measures and it has until November 26 to update the personal plans.
The Care Inspectorate have confirmed its officials are yet to return to the nursery to check on the recommendations made.
It was also critical of the way lunchtime operated during their unannounced visit on September 3.
The inspection report said: “During the inspection, we observed lunchtime. This was a poor and disorganised experience for children and delivered in a task-driven manner.
“This meant staff were sometimes distracted and not alert to what was going on.
“This resulted in missed opportunities to support children who required additional support during this time.
“There was also limited experiences to promote children’s independence, language, and communication skills.”
Praise for nursery from parents
Despite the concerns raised and recommendations made by the watchdog, the nursery was given top marks by parents.
The Care Inspectorate collected feedback from the guardians of the youngsters attending.
It included comments like: “My child really enjoys being there and for us him being happy and in nursery is the main thing.”
“We are kept up to date with our child’s learning and progress which I really like.”
“I have always found all the staff very welcoming and my children are happy attending the centre.’
“I have no concerns about the level of care they receive there.”
Authorities respond to Kinlochbervie Nursery’s report
A spokesman for Highland council said they “will continue to work” on the recommendations made in the report.
The local authority also pointed out the positive feedback from parents.
The spokesman said: “The council’s school management team will continue to work with colleagues in taking actions on issues raised and note the positive feedback received from parents.”
A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said they would return to Kinlochbervie in “due course” to check on the progress being made.
He said: “At our last inspection we made some requirements for improvement.
“We will inspect this service again in due course and report on our findings.”
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