Tadley after school club breaches Ofsted legal requirements on children's safety

A TADLEY after-school club breached several legal requirements on children’s safety, Ofsted inspectors found.

Inspectors graded the Bishopswood After School Club ‘inadequate’ in the report published on August 15, following a June 26 inspection at the club, situated at Bishopswood Infant School, Barlows Road,Tadley.

Inspectors said the club had breached safeguarding and welfare requirements as it had 38 children aged between four to 11 on the roll and a total 30 places, with a staff of five.

Not all committee members had been checked to ensure their suitability to have contact with children.

This put the children’s health and safety at risk, as committee members often worked in the club whilst children were in attendance.

Ofsted had not been notified of changes to committee members – a breach of legal requirements according to the report.

The club had no mobile telephone or camera policy, because the committee and staff were unaware of their responsibility to have this.

“These are breaches of safeguarding and welfare requirements which have a negative impact on the safety of children at the club,” stated the Ofsted report.

In addition, the club had no systems in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of care, with a lack of regular staff supervisions and appraisals – also breaches in legal requirements, according to the report.

The club lacked a suitably trained manager, with no named suitable deputy to take over in the manager’s absence.

Therefore the leadership failed Ofsted requirements, with no evidence of background checks carried out on new staff, or committee members.

Children’s health was jeopardised due to poor health and hygiene procedures, such as children and staff failing to wash their hands prior to eating tea and biscuits outside.

Ofsted enforcement action included staff training, updating safeguarding policy and procedures in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board, ensuring required legal checks on all committee members and that a manager was in place with current qualifications.

Three years ago in October 2011, at the last Ofsted, inspectors gave the club, which began in 1997, a ‘requires improvement’ marking.

Open five days a week during term time, the club is open from 7.30am-8.45pm and 3.30pm-5.50pm.

Bishopswood After School Club has declined to comment on the latest Ofsted report.