Nursery visit highlights safety concern

Ofsted’s report on the Westborough branch of Eversleigh Private Day Nursery said it does not ensure that confidential information about children is only shared with those who have a right to see it.

And “weaknesses in leadership and management mean that children’s safety cannot be assured,” said to inspector Nicola Dickinson after she visited the West Park Street site on December 19.

The watchdog found that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment as well as outcomes for children were good.

But two other inspection criteria – the effectiveness of the leadership and management and personal development, behaviour and welfare – were deemed inadequate.

A separate report into its Earlsheaton branch after an inspection on December 14 rated that site’s service as good in all areas and overall.

But the Westborough site report reads: “The provider does not ensure that staff only make confidential records about children available to people who have a right or professional need to see them.

“Recruitment procedures are not robust enough.

The provider does not find out whether all new staff live with anyone who is disqualified from working with children, or whether they live on a premises where a disqualified person works.”

It adds: “Weaknesses in leadership and management mean that children’s safety cannot be assured.”

But the inspector said the children are “happy and settled”, forming strong bonds.

The report reads: “Children enjoy lively story sessions.

“Staff use different voices to bring characters to life.

“They encourage children to join in and to make suggestions about how the story might end.”

It also states that the nursery uses additional funding well to enhance children’s understanding of technology.

Staff help children and parents to understand how their cultures and beliefs are similar, it reads.