A Dunfermline childminder who had an explicit poster on the wall of her home and “very limited understanding” of child protection has been given a scathing report by inspectors.
The Care Inspectorate found Elise Easton put youngsters in her care at risk of harm.
Inspectors also said Ms Easton had failed to consistently show “openness, honesty and transparency” when officials visited her home – where she runs her childminding service – last month.
The report branded all four areas of Ms Easton’s childminding service “unsatisfactory” – the lowest possible rating.
Findings after Dunfermline childminder inspection
Inspectors’ findings included that:
- Ms Easton “did not have full registration information for children to take with them on trips and outings so that families could be contacted in the event of an emergency”
- One unspecified outing “was not appropriate for children” and “had the potential to compromise (their) wellbeing”
- Children were sometimes provided with meals and snacks that were not nutritionally balanced
- Adequate sleep provision was not always available with some children allowed to sleep in buggies, putting them at risk
- While the house was clean and well-presented, the playroom offered only a limited selection of resources and at times, children only had limited space to play due to overcrowding
- Some items on display in the home were not appropriate for children, for example, a framed poster in the kitchen which contained explicit language
Dunfermline childminder ‘had very limited understanding of role in child protection’
The report said: “The childminder had a very limited understanding of their role in child protection and safeguarding which had the potential to put children at increased risk of harm.
“They were not confident about what to do, including contacting other professionals, if child protection or wellbeing concerns arose.
“They had also not completed relevant checks for people living in the home, in line with child protection guidance.
“In addition, a serious incident had the potential to compromise children’s health, safety and welfare, showing a lack of understanding in protecting children from harm.”
Inspectors order Dunfermline childminder to make improvements
While the Care Inspectorate said children experienced “a few warm interactions” which “supported positive relationships”, it was “very concerned… and found that their health, safety and welfare had been compromised as a result”.
Ms Easton – a registered childminder since 2002 with a history of good reports – has been ordered to make a series of improvements.
The report said since the visit on October 23, Ms Easton claimed to have replaced a buggy that was in “poor” condition, removed the explicit poster and completed child protection training – all of which will be checked at the next inspection.
Ms Easton has been contacted for comment.
The Courier’s latest care round-up includes a Perth worker who has been struck off and concerns over unattended medication in a Kirkcaldy home.
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