CARE KIDS HOOVER TO PAY OFF SWEETIE DEBTS

After-school club is threatened with closure

Vulnerable kids at an after- school club were given credit to buy sweets, fizzy drinks and crisps – and urged to work off their “debt” by doing chores.

These are the findings of a scathing report on Ferguslie Park’s CARING organisation.

The team at CARING – Children at Risk in Need of Guidance – now have until November 27 to make improvements or it will be shut down.

Around 30 pupils from primary and secondary schools

in the Paisley area attend the club.

But findings from the Care Inspectorate rated it “unsatisfactory” on three measures - the standard of care, staffing and management, while the environment was rated “weak.”

The watchdog found that fizzy drinks, sweets and crisps were for sale in a tuck shop, contrary to regulations which state that children must have access to healthy snacks.

And children were said to feel “uneasiness” about a system of credit, whereby they could buy sweets and then pay off the ‘credit’ by carrying out chores such as hoovering.

The report said: “We observed children accessing a tuck shop provided by the service. Children regularly had the option to purchase sweets, fizzy drinks and crisps at a cost.

“Children told us that if they did not have sufficient money, they would be allowed to obtain ‘credit’ for the purchase of sweets.

“They also told us that if this was not paid they would work this off by completing extra chores such as hoovering and cleaning.

“Children told us that if they did not pay the ‘credit’ that their parents maybe contacted in relation to monies owed. .

“We observed that this process of ‘credit’ created uneasiness when talking it through with children. We asked that this practice stop.”

During a two- day visit on September 26, the care watchdog found that the manager did not know how many children attended the service, as the only register was handwritten on a laminated sheet, which was wiped clean each day.

Kids were said to have eaten meals and carried out most activities in a cold gym hall.

Three fire exits serving it and three playrooms were locked, and shutters closed.

The report expressed concern that meals offered were not meeting children’s nutritional needs, while staff lacked elementary food hygiene certificates and food preparation measures were not sufficient to prevent infection.

Inspectors found staff lacked training and some had been recruited without proper vetting procedures, and in some cases without even taking up references.

The report said there was little evidence of support for the children or any therapeutic work with those who had difficult family circumstances or other worries.

When inspectors visited in September, the 14 children present were unable to even play outside out as there were not enough staff to supervise them.

The report notes: “Children told us they wanted to go out and play.”

It adds: “Opportunities were missed to use areas of the environment to support children who may have been having a bad day or needed time and space to themselves.”

Following a return visit inspectors issued CARING with an extension, after hearing staff had received child protection training.

It now has until November 27 to address the outstanding concerns.

A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: “A recent inspection of this service found the quality of care experienced by children to be unacceptable.

“We issued an enforcement notice which details the areas which need to improve.”

CARING refused to comment when the Express contacted them.