An under-fire north-east nursery which was threatened with closure has been granted an 11th hour reprieve by inspectors.
Officials from the Care Inspectorate made an unannounced visit to Peek-a-Boo Nursery in Fraserburgh last month.
They raised serious concerns about the protocols in place to safeguard youngsters against risks and handed bosses a formal improvement notice.
Staff were initially given until May 31 to meet the requirements but the deadline was pushed back after inspectors saw some improvements.
This came following reports that a toddler was injured at the Buchan Road nursery in the last 12 months.
Now the Care Inspectorate has announced that it has dropped plans to cancel Peek-a-Boo Nursery’s registration. The move would have meant staff would no longer have been allowed to take care of tots on a regular basis including nursery classes, crèches and play groups.
In a letter to the nursery, inspection team manager Kim Connolly said: “As there has been a significant improvement in the service, the Care Inspectorate has decided not to proceed to make a proposal to cancel the registration of the service.”
The letter acknowledges that the staff at Peek-a-Boo have improved their understanding of safeguarding children and undertaken extra training.
“They demonstrated a good knowledge of the signs and symptoms of possible abuse, factors that could make children more vulnerable to abuse, possible signs of abuse within the nursery setting and the procedures to follow in the event of any concerns.”
There was also evidence the team were working with other childcare organisations to ensure the health, wellbeing and safety of the children in their care.
The Care Inspectorate’s improvement notice is now no longer in force.
Last night, a spokesman for the nursery said: “We are naturally delighted that after a follow-up inspection the Care Inspectorate has acknowledged we have made significant improvements in the service we provide and that our registration will continue.
“It is very welcome news just days before the term ends and we will continue to work with the Care Inspectorate, Aberdeenshire Council and other agencies, over the summer holidays to ensure that Peek-a-Boo Nursery is able to provide the highest standards of protection and early learning experience for Fraserburgh parents who entrust their children to our care.”
He added that it has been “a very stressful time” for staff and that the team are “grateful” for the support and loyalty of parents and the wider community.
