Lasswade Nursery Last inspection by Care Inspectorate December 2017

Please find below the highlights from our latest Care Inspectorate inspection:

Findings from the inspection- They observed staff interactions with children and saw that they were kind and nurturing. Children appeared happy and relaxed and were confident to approach staff to make their needs known. This helped to create a positive atmosphere where children could feel safe and nurtured.

Children's health and wellbeing was promoted in a variety of ways. All children played outside and the older children had free flow access to the garden. The children were enjoying being active in a variety of ways - this included playing group games, using the bikes and scooters and taking part in imaginative play. Lunch was home cooked and snack were healthy and varied. This enhanced children's health through developing healthy habits for life.

Younger children benefitted from a calm and nurturing atmosphere in the baby room. Staff told us they reviewed the room constantly to ensure they were meeting the needs of the babies. The resources on offer supported schematic play. We saw babies who were happy and content in their environment. Babies personal needs and preferences were documented and staff understood the importance of following their own routines.

Resources had been reviewed to provide further open ended play opportunities for children. This included a variety of "loose parts" which allowed children to use their creativity and imagination. Staff should continue to develop these opportunities both indoors and out. Most children were busy and involved in their play and learning.

Staff were warm and nurturing in their inactions with the children. They knew the children and their needs well. The manager had worked hard in establishing effective staff teams within each playroom. She was evaluating this on a regular basis to ensure that improvements were on-going. 

All commented positively about the manager and the changes she had implemented. We saw that staff were more confident in carrying out their roles and responsibilities. Staff told us that they were reading best practice documents and discussing these at team meetings.

Management supported staff to attend training and to share their learning with colleagues. They described direct impact of their learning on outcomes for the children. For example, one staff member who had attended 'schematic play' training told us how they had changed resources and the room layout to support children in this type of play. Staff should continue to source training that interests them and evaluate the impact the training has on their practice.

The manager was organised and had worked hard to improve the service. A parent commented "Excellent manager who is always available on site". The quality assurance systems in place had contributed to the improvements made in the service throughout the last year. Staff were involved in self assessment of their own rooms and the service as a whole. This had improved outcomes for children as staff were responding to the needs of the children on a regular basis. The service received external support and guidance from a visiting teacher supplied by the local authority. It was apparent that this had helped the service to move forward in the provision of the service.

Pinocchio's Children’s Nurseries are a group of 5 award winning children's nurseries across Edinburgh & Midlothian.

We currently have purpose built day nurseries in Eskbank, Lasswade, Penicuik, Heriot Watt and Gilmerton.

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