DIRECTORS MOVE FAST TO IMPROVE SITUATION

Cambuslang Out Of School Care bosses insist that they have taken immediate action to resolve the serious issues highlighted in the shock report. The facility’s board of directors issued a statement demonstrating that the Care Inspectorate’s key criticisms are being tackled. They also confirmed that the manager left the business on July 31 this year - 15 days after the report was published - and a“vigorous process”was carried out to find a replacement. The new woman in charge began her role earlier this month, and the directors stressed that she is not linked to any of the points raised in the report. The COSC listed six key action steps that have been implemented three months on: A new manager has commenced post and began work with us earlier this month. The leadership and management aspect of the service will now strengthen and be operational to the standards expected in a day care facility for children. We have conducted a full audit of our safer recruitment processes. All current staff have had the appropriate employment checks carried out. All staff are registered with the SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council), and new staff are currently going through the application process. All staff have been PVG (protecting vulnerable groups) checked to ensure that the safety of the children is kept paramount at all times. Every child has a care plan. We have consulted with parents and children to have child friendly care plans put into place. Further work has begun to expand and develop these in partnership with the children themselves and their parents/carers. All staff have now undertaken child protection training. The new manager is currently conducting a full staff training analysis which will then form detailed training plans/development sessions for all staff to ensure they are kept abreast with child protection policy and local and national policy surrounding childcare practice. ●The environment is currently being reviewed as part of the service improvement/development plan. This is being carried out in partnership with the children and the parents/carers. We are currently seeking volunteers to form focus‘committee’groups in order to look at specific areas for improvement. The main office now promotes a confidential space for dialogue to take place away from the main playrooms. The office is kept locked when not in use to protect confidential materials placed within. Children are not permitted in the office. The COSC board statement continued: “A service development plan is currently being written, this will have a timed action plan as part of this with regular reviews taking place in order to effectively measure performance and progression. “This will ensure that the service is regularly monitored and the impact of changes are recorded. “The new manager is currently undertaking a full audit of all health and safety areas within the service.The findings will be written into the service improvement plan as appropriate. “The Care Inspectorate has agreed that they will be coming out shortly to re-score us due to the significant amount of work carried out for the recommendations.”