Stornoway Playgroup

1. To promote positive outcomes for children the service should strengthen its approach to quality assurance and self-evaluation to ensure that clear and consistent improvements are made to outcomes for children. This should include but not be limited to implementing a structured and completed programme of monitoring, such as audits of accidents and incidents, care plans and learning journals. The information gathered from these processes should be analysed and used to inform changes in practice. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standard (HSCS) which state: "I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes. (HSCS 4.19)

2. To promote the safety and wellbeing of children, the service should improve its recruitment practices to ensure that all safer recruitment procedures are fully followed. This should include but not be limited to obtaining and recording two appropriate references for all newly appointed staff before they begin working with children. The service should also review and strengthen its induction procedures in line with current guidance to ensure consistency and compliance. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standard (HSCS) which state: "I am confident that people who support and care for me have been appropriately and safely recruited". (HSCS 4.24)

1. To promote children's health, safety and wellbeing the service should at a minimum ensure unsafe outdoor equipment and materials are removed, repaired, or replaced to ensure the outdoor area is safe for children to use. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standard ( HSCS) which state: "My environment is secure and safe". (HSCS 5.17)

1. To promote better outcomes for children the service should improve the pace and flow of the daily routine to better support children’s engagement and learning. Frequent interruptions limited children’s ability to sustain play and develop their ideas. A more flexible approach, with longer periods of uninterrupted play and a better balance of experiences, would support children’s wellbeing and lead to improved outcomes. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standard (HSCS) which state: "As a child, my social and physical skills, confidence, self-esteem and creativity are developed through a balance of organised and freely chosen extended play, including using open ended and natural materials". (HSCS 1.31)