Building work at a Dundee nursery caused a “significant risk of harm” to children after a door to a demolition site was left unlocked.
An inspection at Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS) in Fintry found young pupils were allowed access to areas of the building during construction work.
FCSS, which took over the former Fintry Nursery building in 2020, was rated weak in all areas by the Care Inspectorate following a surprise visit in May.
The charity provides a flexible day care service for up to 68 children, including those under two years old.
But a new report by the Care Inspectorate says it has “significant concerns” about works being carried out as the historic building is upgraded.
In response to the report, FCSS said it was “extremely disappointed” with the findings – and accused a construction worker of forgetting to lock the door on the day of the inspection.
Despite blaming the contractor, a spokesperson refused to tell The Courier which company was carrying out the work to allow them to respond.
What did inspectors say about the Dundee nursery?
The report says building work on the premises “posed a significant risk of harm” as children, staff and families could potentially access unsafe areas where demolition was taking place.
It went on to explain the work directly impacted two rooms within the nursery’s hallway – the family room and an office.
But despite work having begun to remove the ceiling, inspectors found the door to the family room was unlocked and could be easily pushed open by children.
The report said: “Whilst we recognised children were not usually left unattended in this space, signage was not sufficient to alert people to the significant dangers and prevent them from mistakenly entering the rooms.
“One parent shared their concern with regards to the building work taking place.”
FCSS says builder forgot to lock door
But FCSS has hit back at the findings, claiming the unlocked door was an “isolated incident” and that “no children were at risk”.
A spokesperson said: “We are extremely disappointed with the recent Care Inspectorate grading, especially in relation to the safety of the building.
“Initially, on the day of inspection, the Care Inspectorate didn’t raise any concerns about the safety of the building and had reviewed all the work plans prior to any activity starting.
“Unfortunately, the inspectors found that a door had been left unlocked by one of the builders.
“This was an isolated incident and no children were at risk.
“We do have robust risk assessments in place and the safety of the children in the setting is our primary concern.”
After visiting the site, The Courier discovered Forfar-based Andrew Shepherd Construction is currently carrying out the construction project.
A spokesperson said: “We can confirm that this was indeed an isolated incident whereby the door was accidently left unlocked.
“We can also confirm that we have taken steps to ensure that there is no repeat of a situation such as this .
“Health and safety matters are considered of the utmost importance and as such always given due attention by our staff and operatives with our procedures being continually reviewed and updated “
The Care Inspectorate ordered FCSS to ensure the area was made safe and secure by June 30 – a requirement the care provider says has now been met.
Inspectors raised numerous other concerns, including a lack of food and drink for some children, as well as poor leadership.
However it noted that various improvements had been made since the previous inspection, including to the management of medication.
Since the most recent inspection, the FCSS says it has also appointed a new manager, Sarah Byres, who has more than 20 years of childcare experience.
The spokesperson said: “We are pleased that the Care Inspectors noted an improvement from the previous inspection, and we are confident that our new manager will be able to make the necessary changes to improve our grades further.”
