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Nursery in Wolverhampton ‘failing to meet standards of quality care’, inspection reveals

A children’s nursery in Wolverhampton has failed to meet the quality and standards of early years provision in a recent Ofsted inspection, conducted after an initial complaint was made last year.

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Mucky Kidz nursery in Pendeford Avenue, Wolverhampton. Photo: Google Street View

Mucky Kidz in Pendeford Avenue, which was registered in 2020, provides day care services for 40 children aged 4-10. The assessment was the first time the nursery – which is in the Tettenhall Regis ward – had been inspected since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Ofsted bosses telephoned the nursery in July last year after being approached by service users. Following the call, they said that the provider was found to be “not meeting some of the requirements” and issued actions for the nursery to take.

In her report, inspector Katherine Wilson said: “There were no children in the early years age range present when this inspection took place. The findings in this report are based on evidence gathered from discussions with those who care for the children, and an inspection of the premises, equipment and relevant documentation.

“Where there are no early years children present, no judgement is made on the quality of the early years provision, as there is no reliable evidence on which to assess its impact on children. The report states whether the provider continues to meet the requirements of registration.”

The family-run nursery, opened by Carol And Martyn Davies in April 2019. employs six staff who work in the before and after school service. Three hold recognised early years qualifications at level 3.

The Ofsted report went on: “The manager demonstrates a commitment to providing an inclusive provision. He describes how they would support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is to ensure there is appropriate support in place.

“The manager also includes how he intends to liaise with parents and other professionals to cater for children’s individual needs during their time at the club. He also explains how they would support children to be independent.

“Staff have attended paediatric first-aid training to ensure there are a sufficient amount of workers available to attend to children requiring any first-aid treatment. Not all staff are fully aware of the action they should take if a concern is raised about a member of staff.

“That said, staff and managers can explain some signs and symptoms of when a child may be at risk of harm, and how to report their concerns about a child to their local safeguarding agency,” added the report.

“Information and records about recruitment of staff are not easily accessible or available for inspection. The nominated individual was not able to attend the inspection and provide evidence of the suitability checks carried out. Leaders demonstrate poor knowledge of what is notifiable to Ofsted. The nominated individual has failed to notify Ofsted of a change of manager.

“Staff explain the support they receive to carry out their role. They understand most of their roles and responsibilities, and feel confident to ask for help with their work. They explain there is good support for their own wellbeing.

“Staff describe well how they would support children with behaviour management and encourage them to be respectful towards each other. They explain appropriate procedures to manage unwanted behaviour, to help children to understand their emotions,” said the report.

The nursery was contacted for comment.