Inspectors have ordered a Highland nursery make improvements after finding staff were “dismissive” towards youngsters.
Culbokie Nursery, near Dingwall, has been ranked as “unsatisfactory” following an unannounced visit by the Care Inspectorate earlier this year.
The nursery, overseen by the Highland Council, cares for up to 24 children throughout the week.
During the visit, inspectors noted some concern about the way staff acted towards the children.
They found that staff were dismissive and behaved negatively towards them, and that they did not ensure they were in a controlled, safe environment.
Children ‘ignored’
The report ranked the nursery as:
- Quality of care and support: Unsatisfactory
- Quality of environment: Weak
- Quality of staffing: Unsatisfactory
- Quality of management and leadership: Unsatisfactory
The report found that staff did not provide consistent kind and nurturing interactions towards children and could be deemed dismissive.
The report stated: “Child-initiated interactions were ignored by staff on several occasions”.
Inspectors felt there was also ineffective storage of children’s medication and medical records were “poorly organised” – making it difficult to find the information about medical needs.
There were also ineffective infection control measures in place at Culbokie, with many children not sufficiently encouraged to wash their hands.
Improvements to be made
The report also revealed that mealtimes at the nursery were disorganised, with children becoming distressed.
There were also limited opportunities to promote independence and social and communication skills during meal times.
The report states: “Staff did not demonstrate an understanding of their role in promoting a safe environment.
“Children were able to freely enter an unlocked resource cupboard unsupervised, which had staff belongings within easy reach.”
Due to the weak performance of the Culbokie Nursery, several requirements have been issued by the Care Inspectorate.
By May 16, Highland Council must ensure that children’s health and wellbeing needs are being met consistently.
Up-to-date personal plans should be created for each child, outlining how best to support their journey.
Children’s medical needs must be addressed, with all medical records are updated, and medication stored safely.
By June 13, all staff employed by the service provider must have the right skills, knowledge, and experience to keep children safe and meet their needs.
Staff should also participate in training courses to help them identify issues with children in their care and help nurture individual interests.
‘Enhanced training’ to be organised
In response to the report, a Highland Council spokesman said: “A recent inspection from the Care Inspectorate has found areas which were highlighted for improvement at Culbokie Primary School Nursery.
“Therefore, we have put in place enhanced management to support the school as we look to implement changes.
“A detailed improvement plan has been created to meet all of the recommendations and requirements set out within the report from the Care Inspectorate.
“The area service team is closely monitoring the delivery of this improvement plan, and they will help to provide additional support to the school.
“Furthermore, enhanced training will be organised with staff members at
all levels. We were pleased to receive positive parent feedback during the inspection on our support towards children and our communication with parents.”
