Ofsted finds babies at Liverpool nursery ate lotion in messy play
- Published
A nursery which gave babies lotion to explore during messy play, which they subsequently ate, has been ordered to improve following an Ofsted inspection.
Inspectors found learning at Barton's Day Nursery, on Liverpool's Lower Lane, was "inconsistent" and "not focused" and rated it inadequate.
The June inspection also highlighted a need to improve risk assessments and staff training.
Owner Christine Barton said changes had been made following the inspection.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she was "confident that our next inspection will paint a truer picture of our setting as a whole".
The Ofsted report said the centre, which cares for children under the age of four, did not "properly risk assess or consider the age of children when choosing the materials used during messy play activities".
It said that led to children under one year old being given baby lotion to explore, which was "subsequently eaten".
'Most unexpected'
The report also said that while staff received "supervision meetings and some feedback on their performance", what they were told was "not specific enough to improve their knowledge and skills further".
"This means there are inconsistencies in the quality of care and education that children receive," it said.
They said that while toddlers and two-year-old children had "a lovely experience" and accessed "interesting activities" that were tailored to meet their individual needs", for babies and pre-school children, learning was "much more inconsistent".
"Not all activities are tailored to support their existing skills," the report said.
"Learning is not focused and does not help children to extend their knowledge further.
"Consequently, some babies wander around not engaged in play or learning."
Rating all areas of the nursery as either inadequate or requiring improvement, the report said it needed to "implement thorough risk assessments... with particular regard to messy play materials" and "implement effective coaching, mentoring and training".
Ms Barton said the report was "most unexpected", but the nursery had "reviewed our processes and put robust procedures in place to ensure that baby lotion or any substance deemed inappropriate is not used in messy play and sensory activities".
She added that the nursery has traded for almost 30 years and had "worked hard to support parents and carers by creating a safe, stimulating and happy place for their children to learn and thrive".
