Noss Early Learning and Childcare
Recorded Key Question grade range: 2–3 — Weak View on Care Inspectorate
Key Question scores
Requirements & recommendations
1. To ensure children are safe and receive high quality experiences at all times the provider and manager should as a minimum, review and make appropriate changes to staff deployment, to improve experiences for children. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'I have confidence in people because they are trained, competent and skilled, are able to reflect on their practice and follow their professional and organisational codes' (HSCS 3.14).
1. By 31 October 2025, the provider must ensure improved outcomes for children by implementing effective systems of quality assurance.
To do this the provider must at a minimum, ensure: a) the leadership team effectively monitors the work of each member of staff and the service as a whole b) clear and effective plans are in place for maintaining and improving the service c) effective audits of chronologies are in place. This is to comply with Regulation 3 Principles and Regulation 15 (a) and (b) Staffing of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210).
This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes' (HSCS 4.19).
2. By 19 August 2025, the provider must ensure that children are safe and protected and their wellbeing needs are met.
To do this, the provider must, as a minimum ensure: a) all staff and child protection officers are knowledgeable and competent in relation to child protection procedures and implement these appropriately b) chronologies are used effectively to identify and support children’s wellbeing and safeguarding. This is in order to comply with the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulation 2011 (SSI 2011/210) 4(1)(a) - Requirements to make proper provision for the health and welfare of service users. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that:
‘I am protected from harm, neglect, abuse, bullying and exploitation by people who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities’ (HSCS 3.20).
1. By 19 August 2025, the provider must ensure children are safe and receive high quality experiences at all times.
To do this, the provider must, at a minimum: ensure that at all times suitably qualified and competent staff are working in the nursery in such numbers as are appropriate for the health, welfare and safety of children. This is in order to comply with section 7(1)(a) of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: ‘My needs are met by the right number of people’ (HSCS 3.15).
1. To support children's wellbeing, the provider should ensure personal planning approaches improve so that they set out clearly how children's care and support needs will be met. This would include but not be limited to: a) ensuring personal plans reflect children's current needs b) ensuring strategies of support for individual children are developed and implemented by staff c) ensuring all staff are knowledgeable and understand the information within the personal plans and use this to effectively meet each child’s needs. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Care Inspectorate document 'Guide for providers on personal planning'. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that:
'My personal plan (sometimes referred to as a care plan) is right for me because it sets out how my needs will be met, as well as my wishes and choices' (HSCS 1.15). This should include but is not limited to developing skills in:
a) completing meaningful high-quality observations b) reporting and recording children's progress c) using best practice guidance to support high quality play experiences d) identifying stimulating resources to support play and learning opportunities. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state:
'I experience high quality care and support based on relevant evidence, guidance and best practice' (HSCS 4.11).
1. To enable all children to be cared for in an appropriate environment that meets their needs and supports them to reach their full potential, the manager and staff should review the environment. This should include but is not limited to, providing children with an environment that is welcoming, comfortable and homely and appropriately resourced so that they are provided with sufficient opportunities to engage meaningfully with their play and learning environments.
This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'If I experience care and support in a group, I experience a homely environment and can use a comfortable area with soft furnishings to relax' (HSCS 5.6); and '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