Girdle Toll Out-of-School Care inspection report revealed

Girdle Toll Out-of-School Care, based at Annick Primary, received an unannounced visit from the Care Inspectorate in February.

In their report, the inspectors said:

• Staff were kind, warm, and had built positive relationships with children.
• Children's views were listened to and valued.
• Children were happy, settled, and relaxed in the setting.

But they also added:

• Self-evaluation, improvement planning, and quality assurance processes should be developed and embedded to improve children's outcomes and support continuous service improvement.
• The service should be able to confidently demonstrate that staff are recruited in a way that promotes children's safety.
• Children needed access to a wider range of toys and materials to support their choice and stage of development.
• Children's personal plans should be further developed to ensure they support staff to meet children's needs.

The inspectors said: "Staff told us they felt well supported by an approachable management team. They felt their wellbeing was taken seriously and that they were encouraged to take forward new ideas for the service.

"Staff were enthusiastic about improving the service and committed to being part of the ongoing development journey. As a result staff felt happy, valued and motivated, which created a positive environment for children."

However, they added: "We asked to view staff recruitment files to gain assurances that children were protected through safe recruitment practices. The manager was unable to locate them and we were advised that they were obtained centrally by the provider.

"We extended the timescale for viewing recruitment files, but they were not provided to us before the inspection concluded. We have therefore made an area for improvement to address this."

The service was graded as satisfactory/adequate for leadership, children's play and learning and children being supported to achieve.

Manager Gillian Slaven told the Times: "We were pleased that the Care Inspectorate recognised the positive relationships staff have built with children and families, and the caring environment we provide at Girdle Toll Out-of-School Care.

"Like many services, we have faced challenges over the years, particularly adapting to changing demands and new legislation within the sector.

"However, we remain fully committed to continuous improvement and providing the best possible experience for the children and families who use our service.

"We welcome the feedback and recommendations highlighted within the report and, due to recent legislative changes and our own ongoing self-evaluation, we have already begun working on the identified areas for improvement.

"We see the inspection process as an important opportunity to reflect, develop and strengthen the quality of our service moving forward.

"We are proud of the dedication and hard work shown by our staff team each day and appreciate the continued support from families, the school community and our local partners."