A nursery in Manchester has described an Ofsted inspection as 'unfair' and 'inconsistent' after the watchdog said the childcare it provides is 'inadequate'. Tiny Turtles Daycare in Longsight appealed the outcome of the inspection which took place on October 7 and raised concerns about safety and welfare.
The nursery in Kingfisher Close was previously rated 'Good', but was told to make improvements after a visit in April 2021 which followed a complaint. A report published last week criticised the leadership and management of the nursery and claimed staff do not have a strong knowledge of safeguarding issues such as female genital mutilation, saying that this must be addressed.
However, nursery director Amy Marshall said that these concerns were not raised by the inspector who gave some 'excellent feedback' during the visit. Asked for her reaction to the report, she said: "I was shocked, but I was more upset because this isn't just a job for me. This is my life. I've put everything I have into it."
The nursery claims there was a 'conflict of interest' because the inspector is a friend of a former parent at the nursery and shares mutual friends with staff. It has appealed the outcome of the inspection for this reason, accusing the inspector of refusing to review some of the evidence provided on the day.
The complaint also claims that the inspector gave 'very minimal' feedback during the visit, but described some aspects of the nursery as 'outstanding'. The Ofsted report claims that some staff are not clear on the full procedure to follow when an allegation of harm is made against other members of staff and on what the whistle-blowing procedures are, with no training on these issues for new staff.
However, it said that children are 'happy' and seek out 'cuddles' and 'reassurance' from staff who know them well and can meet their needs. The quality of education was described as 'good' with behaviour 'managed well', although arrangements for safeguarding were deemed 'not effective'. The report said: "Some staff have a weak understanding of child protection issues and the procedures to follow to safeguard children.
"They do not have the necessary understanding of specific safeguarding issues. Furthermore, they are not clear about the correct procedure to follow when an allegation is made against a member of staff. This has a significant impact on children's safety."
When asked about Ms Marshall's complaints, Ofsted said it does not comment on complaints relating to individual reports. Ofsted also declined to comment on whether there was an appeal process taking place in relation to Tiny Turtles Daycare. Council officers visited the nursery the day before the inspection for a safeguarding audit and gave advice to improve safeguarding practice.
But the nursery's director said that she asked for some of this advice herself. She said: "Tiny Turtles are very unhappy with the inspection process and strongly disagree with the outcome.
"We also disagree that the given rating is reflective of our setting and therefore we have appealed the judgement. As the investigation due to our appeal is still ongoing, we are unable to further comment until it has concluded."
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