The nursery at Golders Green Synagogue which was shut last month did not follow safeguarding procedures and put children at risk of harm, according to Ofsted.
Little Goldies was suspended a few days after the inspector’s visit on January 10 and permanently closed by the United Synagogue early in February.
Now a report published by the inspectorate, which downgraded the nursery from good to inadequate, has laid out its concerns.
The nursery provider lacked “adequate understanding of the roles and responsibilities that they are accountable for. This places children at risk of harm.”
Appropriate action had not been taken to address safeguarding concerns and procedures were not followed which “seriously compromises the welfare and safety of children” Ofsted said.
“For example, on occasion, staff leave the door to the main room of the setting ajar. This places children at risk of leaving the room unaccompanied and being near the stairs unsupervised.”
Leaders did not have “an effective system for recording accidents, injuries or incidents of sickness” and did not consistently report these to parents. “This means that parents cannot monitor their children's wellbeing after any incidents. This puts children at risk of harm.”
Ofsted also found some hygiene practices to be poor. “For example, the beds and bedding that children use are left out all day. As a result, children are able to access their own and other children's beds as they play. This means there is a risk to children of cross-contamination.”
Leaders did not follow their own policies to protect children, for example using their personal mobiles within the nursery setting.
Safety and welfare were also compromised because leaders “fail to act quickly to notify statutory agencies of any allegations”.
Staff were unable “to clearly explain processes to follow if allegations are made”. While they understood the signs and symptoms of abuse and the processes to follow if they had concerns about a child, they were “unable to apply this knowledge to scenarios”.
While some parents spoke warmly about staff, others expressed concerns about “some aspects of communication within the nursery. Leaders do not make sure that parents know how to report any complaints or concerns.”
The Metropolitan Police said an investigation into concerns over the "conduct of staff towards children" were ongoing.
