Upgrades at Duns nursery after Care Inspectorate report

Duns Community Nursery was founded in April 2023 by staff and parents who feared their children would be left without pre-school care in the town following the closure of a privately-run nursery.

With support from across the local community, the nursery was set up and continues to operate on a not-for-profit basis.

It currently provides a mix of both full and part-time day care for a total of 54 children up to the age of five years old.

On May 22 a representative of the Care Inspectorate paid an unannounced visit to the nursery in Newtown Street.

Key findings were that interactions with children were “positive and caring” and that staff were “kind and warm” in their approach, while they had also developed positive relationships with children and families.

However, the report found that staff were not always effectively deployed and that the approach to play and learning needed improvement.

The report stated: “Quality assurance processes and self-evaluation were not yet effective in promoting continuous improvement. As a result, children did not experience consistently positive outcomes.”

The inspection also identified the need to continue planned refurbishments to the building.

The service, provided by Duns Community Children CIC, was rated ‘adequate’ for its care, play and learning and for its setting, and ‘weak’ for both leadership and its staff team.

Manager Rachel Burnett said the report was being taken “very seriously” and pledged robust actions to address the concerns raised, saying the nursery was “on a journey”.

She said: “At Duns Community Nursery we provide a positive and caring environment for children to play and learn which has been acknowledged and praised by the Care Inspectorate.

“With the support of the local community and parents of youngsters who attend our nursery, we have an ambitious plan to become one of the area’s top childcare providers, and are on a journey of development to achieve our goals.

“We have taken the findings of the Care Inspectorate report very seriously and fully understand why we have been graded lower then we would like. We are a young nursery that acknowledges we have improvements to make as we grow. However, we also have confidence in our own development plan.”

Ms Burnett said the nursery had very recently secured a long-term lease agreement on the premises they currently let, meaning they can press ahead with plans to carry out a high-quality refurbishment of the children’s toilet area and make improvements to the nursery’s kitchen.

They are also set to begin the redevelopment of the nursery’s outdoor space. This includes knocking two windows into doors, so that the children can have free-flow access at all times.

She said: “Prior to the Care Inspectorate visit we had already purchased not just new toys and furniture, but garden equipment which has now arrived, and we have enjoyed involving the children in our design plans, seeking their ideas and relishing their enthusiasm and creativity.

“Outdoor play is a huge part of our daily curriculum for all ages – whether in our own garden area or taking the children on community trips.”

Ms Burnett said the nursery welcomed the Care Inspectorate’s assessment that staff at the nursery were found to be kind and warm in their approach to youngsters in their care – and that the children were always spoken to in a way that left them feeling valued and that their opinions mattered.

She said all the nursery’s highly trained staff had developed positive relationships with the children and their families, and were dedicated to ensuring every child was being aided to reach their full potential through a well-planned programme of play and learning.

A recruitment drive for additional staff members was currently underway, and the nursery is soon set to benefit from having a former Early Years Officer – with over 35 years experience in the role – joining their team as a staff development and child learning mentor.

She added: “We have robust procedures in place when it comes to ensuring the safety and welfare of the children in our care, including those that oversee staff recruitment and the safe administration of medication.

“Our staff were deeply disappointed to be criticised for a handwritten date written on the label of a medicine bottle, as this was how the bottle was received from the pharmacist by a parent – but in the future we will ensure that only medications with fully printed labels are accepted by our staff.”

The nursery manager also thanked parents who praised Duns Community Nursery for the care shown to their children, highlighting everything from the fun and learning the youngsters experience outdoors, to their acute allergy awareness.