'All praises for the staff' as Wick's PPP Childcare Service passes inspection report

A full-time daycare service for children in Wick has passed an unannounced inspection with flying colours and received great praise from parents as well.

PPP Childcare Service is a full-time child daycare service provided by Pulteneytown Peoples Project on Huddart Street and received the unannounced visit by the Dundee-based Care Inspectorate on June 16 this year.

Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate which says that its job is to "inspect, award grades and help services to improve". It also investigates complaints about care services and can take action "when things aren't good enough".

PPP Childcare Service has been registered since 2003 and provides a service to a maximum of 40 children, aged from birth to those not yet attending secondary school.

The focussed inspection was to evaluate how well children were being supported during the Covid-19 pandemic. The report states: "We evaluated the service based on key areas that are vital to the support and wellbeing of the children experiencing care during the pandemic. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors from the Care Inspectorate."

Inspectors also asked parents and carers for feedback on the service and received positive comments. "They particularly liked how their children were treated as individuals and how their needs were supported," said the inspectors.

Comments gathered from parents and carers included: "They have been fantastic"; "My child absolutely loves it"; "The staff go the extra mile"; and "All praises for the staff".

The service received four out of six for an evaluation that marked it as "good".

The report also stated: "Children were happy and having fun during their time in the service. They were able to lead their play experiences, with free flow access between indoors and outdoors. The outdoor play space was appropriately resourced to stimulate children's natural curiosity. This impacted positively on their learning and development."

The inspectors found that the staff had considered the impact of Covid-19 on children's emotional wellbeing and were "consistent and sensitive" in their approaches. "Children were effectively supported by staff who had had good knowledge of each child's needs and wishes," they added.

Staff were also deemed to be well-trained to ensure the children are protected from infection according to Covid-19 guidelines.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.