A Dundee nursery has been told to take immediate action after being branded unsafe during a recent inspection.
Inspectors have published a report into the service run out of the former Fintry Nursery building, rating service weak or unsatisfactory across all areas following a surprise visit in August.
Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS) took over the abandoned Fintry Road building in 2020 after a £1 community asset transfer.
The charity provides a flexible day care service for up to 68 children, including those under two years old.
A report by the Care Inspectorate, the national regulator, says inspectors were “very concerned” about aspects of the care provided by the service.
It includes the service’s response to children being involved in what the report calls a car accident, but the charity called a “malfunction”.
But responding to the report, FCSS says it has received positive feedback from parents and was “extremely surprised” by the findings.
What did inspectors say about the Dundee nursery?
Several areas of concern were highlighted, including over the nursery’s management and staffing.
The report says leadership at the nursery had not taken “all the necessary steps to uphold the rights of all children to be safe and protected from harm”.
It added: “We had significant concerns about the safety and security of the setting.
“This posed a significant risk of harm, as children could potentially leave the service unattended.
“Not all staff demonstrated the skills, experience, and knowledge to effectively support children’s health, wellbeing, and safety.”
Staff heard ‘shouting at children’
While FCSS staff supporting children under two were praised for their attitude, inspectors claimed older children did not receive the care they needed.
The report said: “Some of these children were distressed and anxious while waiting over an hour for lunch.
“Staff were heard shouting at children and failed to respond to their needs.”
Medication confusion
The report also identifies issued surrounding the administration of medication, with inspectors saying there was a risk of errors.
Concerns around the investigations of incidents and complaints were also raised, with inspectors saying management had failed to carry out a “robust” probe after children were involved in a car accident.
A serious concern letter was issued following the visit, which inspectors say has led to some improvements which the regulators has told managers to make permanent.
The Care Inspectorate has issued a number of improvement requirements, setting a deadline of November 25.
These include a demand for comprehensive medical records and for repair work to improve the safety of the building and outdoor areas.
Care provider hits back at inspection findings
Asked about the report, FCSS said it disagreed with parts of the evaluation inspectors had made.
They pointed the inspection took place just after the summer holidays, when children needed support to resettle.
Since the report was published a parent consultation has taken place.
From the 48 responses they have received so far, FCSS say 92% said they would rate their experience as good to excellent.
The survey also showed 88% of respondents were satisfied that their children were in a safe and caring environment.
The charity say they believe this is a more representative picture of how parents/carers feel about the service.
Childcare sector ‘facing challenging time’
A spokesman told The Courier: “We are extremely surprised with the content of this report, and very disappointed about some of the language being used and the severity of the Care Inspectorate’s grading.”
He said the way the report has been written “paints a very different picture” to the experience children have every day.
The spokesman added: “We know that there is room for improvement within the service, it was only opened in May this year and many of the new families and staff are still bedding in; many changes have already been implemented to address these concerns.
“However, to hear that there are child protection concerns, or that there are concerns about safety and security is deeply concerning.”
The service also criticised language used in the report describing a car accident, saying the reality was different.
Instead, they say there was a “malfunction with a staff member’s car” which led to it rolling backwards.
FCSS added: “The childcare sector is facing a very challenging time at the moment and bodies such as the Care Inspectorate should be supporting the sector rather than scaring families who rely on childcare.”
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