Kingfisher Club - Magpie House
Day Care of Children
Torphichen Community Centre
Bowyett
Torphichen
Bathgate
EH48 4LZ
Telephone: 01506 846915
Type of inspection: Unannounced
Inspection completed on: 29 March 2017
Service provided by:
Kingfisher Club
Care service number:
CS2009232932
Service provider number:
SP2003003097
Inspection report
About the service
Kingfisher club - Magpie House registered with the Care Inspectorate on 1 April 2011. The service provides day
care of children to a maximum of 40 children at any one time aged between 4 and 16 years of whom a
maximum of five children will be four years old.
The service operates within Torphichen Community Centre. Children have access to two play rooms, a large gym
hall and toilets. A kitchen area is available for the preparation of snacks. A large outside play area is situated to
the side of the building. Children also have regular access to the nearby primary school playground.
Written aims of the service include: 'To contribute to the development of school aged children up to sixteen,
attending local schools, by providing a quality out of school child care service'.
We check services are meeting the principles of Getting it right for every child (also known as GIRFEC). This is
Scotland's national approach to improving outcomes and wellbeing for children by offering the right help at the
right time from the right people. It supports them and their parent(s) to work with the services that can help
them. There are eight wellbeing indicators at the heart of GIRFEC. They are: safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured,
active, respected, responsible and included. They are often referred to as the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators.
From April 2016, we will carry out a quality audit, to gather information relating to 'How Good Is Our School Aged
Childcare'. The audit will focus on the quality of children and young people's play experiences and how their
rights to play and have fun are promoted and protected. The Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) framework
- SHANARRI, Playwork Principles and Article 31 will underpin a list of outcome-focused questions developed for
inspectors to work from when inspecting. The information gathered will form the basis of an end of year report
2017, along with information on service demand for school aged childcare throughout Scotland. Further
information can be found at The Hub at www.careinspectorate.com
What people told us
We saw and spoke 16 children who were present during the inspection visits. The children were happy as they
engaged in a variety of activities and play experiences. Throughout the inspection could be heard laughing as
they played and had fun with friends.
The children were confident in their interactions with staff and each other, this demonstrated their feeling of
security in the service.
Children told us they staff were kind and treated them fairly. The older children liked being able to spend time
on their own with their friends in the quiet room. Children made positive comments about the toys, games and
activities available. The children were complimentary about the snacks provided and confirmed they were offered
healthy choices.
We sent ten care standards questionnaires to parents of children who attended the. We received five completed
questionnaires before the inspection took place. All five parents strongly agreed that overall they were happy
with the quality of care their child received in the service. The parents comments included:
'Magpie House is an excellent facility. My children love attending and have very positive relationships with the
staff who care a lot about the children'.
'I admire the level of security. Kingfisher always know my daughters whereabouts and are very careful'
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Inspection report
One parent commented positively how staff had specifically supported them and their child.
Self assessment
The Care Inspectorate received a fully completed self-assessment from the service.
The provider identified what it thought the service did well and gave examples of improvements that could be
made. The provider told us how the people who used the care service had taken part in the self-assessment
process and how their feedback directed the development of their plans for improving the service.
From this inspection we graded this service as:
Quality of care and support
Quality of environment
Quality of staffing
Quality of management and leadership
5 - Very Good
not assessed
5 - Very Good
not assessed
What the service does well
Children were cared for in respectful environment. Throughout the inspection all children naturally chatted to
staff demonstrating their feeling of ease and belonging in the service.
A particular strength was staff giving children the freedom to move around the premises choosing where they
wanted play. 0lder children were given space where they could relax, read, spend time on their own with friends
or confidently chat to staff. The children enjoyed this space and were proud that staff trusted them to be
responsible.
An additional 'cosy space' within the playroom was available for all children to rest, relax and enjoy quiet time.
This area was used well as children sat on bean bags and cushions reading and chatting to staff.
Staff knew the children well and were able to quickly identify where additional support may be needed. Staff
worked effectively with children and families to create individual support plans, demonstrating their commitment
to ensuring the children's continued well-being. Responsive activity planning supported the children's continued
enjoyment as they were able to choose from activities which were of interest to them, supportive of their current
needs and personal preferences.
Children's voice remained strong in the service with staff empowering them to express their views and make
decisions. For example developing snack menus and activity plans. Involving children in this way showed them
their views mattered and gave them responsibility for their time spent in the service. Children told us they liked
the snacks and were encouraged to choose healthy options.
An ethos of respect and inclusion flowed throughout the service with older children supporting the younger
children in games and activities. Staff supported children to be mindful of the feelings of others, encouraging a
kind and caring play environment where all children could feel happy and safe. Promoting children's
individuality supported their inclusion and enjoyment.
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Staffs dedication contributed to high level care and support for the children and their families. They remained
reflective of their practice and recognised the children's right to be cared for by a professional and skilled team
who could provide the right level of care and support to meet their individual needs.
What the service could do better
Although children were offered positive outside play experiences, this is an aspect of the service which could be
improved. Offering more opportunities to engage in risky play will support the children's understanding of their
own skills and encourage them to further explore their abilities as they build confidence and learn important life
skills. More information about the benefits of outdoor play and engaging in risky play can be found in the
current professional document 'My World Outdoors'. This can be accessed in the 'HUB section of the Care
Inspectorate website.
The successful provision of the quieter room for older children could now be enhanced. For
example softer seating and resources could be used to create a more relaxing and homely
environment. Consideration could be given to enabling children to design this space, supporting their continued
feeling of ownership.
Children could be given more responsibilities at snack time. For example preparing foods, serving and selfselecting. This will promote their independence as they learn important life skills.
Staff were working with children to promote their understanding of their rights. This included informing them of
the eight well-being indicators linked with 'GIRFEC'. This project could be taken further. Staff should consider
other activities such as floor books, researching information with children and sharing their learning of their
rights with each other. This will promote a feeling of self-identity and empower children.
The positive relationship between staff and children encouraged open discussions. Staff should build on this
strength by further empowering children. For example setting up a 'children's council' will give children a
designated role and responsibility for making key decisions about their club. This will also further promote
inclusion and demonstrate respect for children's views.
Monitoring staff practice was an area the service was working on to improve. We gave some suggestions how
this could be achieved. This included peer reviews and taking time to observe specific aspects of practice and
children's experiences. This will support improvement agendas and enhance quality assurance.
Requirements
Number of requirements: 0
Recommendations
Number of recommendations: 0
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Complaints
There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are
published at www.careinspectorate.com.
Inspection and grading history
Date
Type
Gradings
29 Nov 2012
Unannounced
Care and support
Environment
Staffing
Management and leadership
5 - Very good
4 - Good
5 - Very good
5 - Very good
16 May 2012
Unannounced
Care and support
Environment
Staffing
Management and leadership
3 - Adequate
3 - Adequate
4 - Good
3 - Adequate
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To find out more
This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our
website.
Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award
grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action
when things aren't good enough.
Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service.
You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com
Contact us
Care Inspectorate
Compass House
11 Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY
[email protected]
0345 600 9527
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Twitter: @careinspect
Other languages and formats
This report is available in other languages and formats on request.
Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas.
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