Wick Family Centre gets mixed report from the Care Inspectorate
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The Wick Family Centre has received a mixed report from the Care Inspectorate. It carried out an unannounced inspection in March and found the care, play and learning as well as the leadership and staff team to be weak.
The setting was described as adequate. The care service in Bank Row – provided by No Limits Caithness for youngsters aged from four up to 16 years with additional support needs – operates during school holidays and on Saturdays during school term.
The report said the children at the centre benefited from "regular trips to the play park, harbour and community places of interest."
It also stated there were "positive working relationships with families" but added: "Children did not always receive the nurturing care and support necessary to meet their needs and support their overall wellbeing.
"Most staff did not always have the relevant knowledge and understanding to be responsive to individual care, play and development needs."
The report added: "There were limited opportunities for children to lead their play experiences. Quality assurance systems were ineffective and required improvement."
On nurturing care and support, it stated: "Children experienced inconsistent interactions throughout the day. We saw some interactions that were nurturing and responsive to the needs of children. During these times, staff engaged with children down at their level ... in a respectful way. This supported children to feel safe and secure. However, we also saw some interactions that did not positively support children's wellbeing. At regular times during the day, staff were not attuned to children's needs and did not recognise times when children required support and attention.
"Staff were caring and committed to their role in childcare, but some lacked the in-depth knowledge and experience necessary to provide high quality outcomes for children. As a result, the quality of children's experiences varied, due to the mix of staff skills and knowledge."
The report said leadership was weak and added: "While some strengths could be identified, these were compromised by significant weaknesses." The staff team was also described as weak.
On the positive side, it found quality assurance and improvement are "led well."
"The management team engaged well during the inspection process, taking on advice and support. This demonstrated a commitment for improvement to ensure positive outcomes for children." But it added: "We identified significant gaps within the quality assurance processes in place."
"Parents benefited from good communication and sharing of information. This contributed to families feeling included in their child's care, play and learning. This was highlighted as a key strength by a parent who told us 'I have the opportunity to speak directly to staff at the start and end of each session.' Children enjoyed a calm, relaxed and unhurried lunchtime experience."
In evaluating quality, the Care Inspectorate uses a six-point scale where one is unsatisfactory and six is excellent. The Wick Family Centre scored two on care, play and learning, leadership and staff team and three for its setting.
The centre has been approached for comment.
