Busy Bees in Ayr praised in Care Inspectorate report

Busy Bees sits in the grounds of Ayr Hospital, and is in partnership with South Ayrshire Council to provide commissioned places for children aged between three and five years and eligible two year olds.

The service can accommodate a maximum of 72 children not yet attending primary school at any one time. The accommodation consists of four playrooms and a separate space for mealtimes for older children.

Children have access to outdoor play spaces with some rooms having direct access to their outdoor play environment.

There is changing and toilet facilities for children and office, catering and staff facilities. The service is close to schools, transport routes, shops and community services.

The unannounced inspection from October 8-9, and was carried out by two inspectors from the Care Inspectorate.

The day care facility received four 'good ratings' for care, play and learning, setting, leadership and staff team.

The report said: "Staff used kind and nurturing approaches which contributed to children feeling welcome, safe and secure and contributed to positive relationships. Lunch was a relaxed, unhurried and sociable experience for children in the service. Children attending had fun and were happy indoors and outdoors.

"The service had made improvements to their outdoor play space. Children benefited from a staff team who supported each other and worked well together."

However, some areas for improvement were also noted by inspectors.

The report added: "The availability and accessibility of handwashing facilities for younger children needed to be improved. The provider should ensure management and staff record and update all paperwork associated with child protection."

A previous inspection in August 2021 noted that children should be supported to "shape and design their own play". 

During this inspection, officials found that this requirement had been met, saying that "resources in all playrooms were accessible to children of all age groups". 

Centre Director Alison Noble was happy to celebrate the achievement with her colleagues, saying: “We are happy to receive a ‘Good’ rating across all four areas - this is thanks to our wonderful team who work so hard to create a nurturing environment so that every child is given the best start in life.

“We are especially pleased that the inspector noted that our staff are warm and caring towards children and their interactions were responsive and engaging.

"Our partnership with parents and carers was also given a mention which is something we are really proud of.

"We are looking forward to building on our success, ensuring we continue to provide high-quality care to children in the area."