A Gaelic day care in Inverness was said to have a “clinical feel” during a recent unannounced inspection.
The inspection was carried out on March 10 at Bun-sgoil Ghaidhlig Inbhir Nis day care, which is run by Highland Council.
Though the service was commended for its “staff who were caring and nurturing”, it received an “adequate” grading in all areas, with the inspection report noting “key areas” needed to be improved.
These included children becoming “bored and disengaged” when their play was interrupted by adult-led activities and “missed opportunities” for developing skills during snack times.
The Care Inspectorate did not impose any requirements that needed to be met by the day care, instead leaving them with recommendations on how to improve the service.
Creating a more homely environment
The report noted that “children were offered comfort by staff who recognised the importance of making them feel safe and secure.”
However, it said that personal planning could be better utilised to help children in their development.
To rectify this, the Care Inspectorate gave the following recommendation: “To enable children to receive high quality play, learning and development opportunities, the manager should ensure staff are responsive to children’s individual interests and needs.
“This should include, but is not limited to, children’s choice to direct their own play.”
The day care was also advised to incorporate more “real resources” rather than relying on plastic ones for play.
Natural light and neutral colours were said to give a “calm” environment, but it was recommended that efforts were made to make the day care more homely.
‘The staff are lovely’
When it came to staff and management, the Care Inspectorate was satisfied “most staff responded to children with warmth and compassion.”
This was reflected in comments made by parents, with one saying: “The staff are lovely, they have really helped my child settle in.”
Another noted “Everyone is so friendly.”
To help Bun-sgoil Ghaidhlig Inbhir Nis to improve its staffing and management further, it was recommended that staff were encouraged to reflect upon their own practice.
In terms of management, they were said to have identified the problem areas highlighted in the report, but these were not reflected in their improvement plan.
The report said: “To support meaningful involvement in improving the service, the management team should create a shared vision for improvement planning.
“This should include, but is not limited to, developing creative and innovative approaches to consult with staff, children, and their families.”
Highland Council was contacted to comment on the report.
You can read the full report here.
