03/08/2009 - Childcare safety records inadequate
A review of the security procedures put in place by childminders and nurseries found a third were not good enough at keeping children safe, inspectors have warned.
About 842 were rated "inadequate" at protecting youngsters in their care over the last year, while a further 6,057 were found to be simply "satisfactory", according to figures from Ofsted.
The data show that 32.5% (6,899) of the 21,212 childminders and nurseries inspected in the 12 months were found to be not good enough at safeguarding people`s children.
Nurseries and childminders are required to prove their premises are secure, that children do not leave unsupervised and that adults cannot enter unchallenged.
Inspectors also require that childcare providers show children are properly supervised and that all is being done to prevent injury. All adults working with youngsters must be aware of child protection and safeguarding measures and the institutions must know what to do if an allegation is made against them or a member of staff.
Andrew Fletcher, joint chief executive of the National Childminding Association, said: "These figures suggest that the economic conditions for many providers are proving challenging, with a decline in the number of nurseries and childminding settings."
Copyright © Press Association 2009
Related links
|
