A COUNCIL has been forced to pull funding from a nursery after inspectors declared it inadequate.

Children’s welfare was compromised significantly by breaches in safeguarding requirements at Middlesbrough’s Top Corner Day Care, an Ofsted report said.

The nursery’s inadequate rating represents a drop from the year before, when it was deemed to require improvements.

An inspection carried out in May found standards had fallen, with the resulting report saying there was a lack of appropriate management and that children were not making “the progress of which they are capable.”

It said: “The provider has failed to ensure there is a capable and qualified person in charge of the nursery when children are attending.

“The new manager works half-day shifts and at the time of inspection, the provider failed to ensure there was a named deputy manager appointed to take charge in her absences.

This seriously compromises children’s safety and well-being. “Safeguarding is ineffective.”

The report went on to say that the manager was not familiar with local safeguarding procedures and did not know what action to take if allegations were made against staff members.

Ofsted has taken enforcement action and ordered the nursery to make a series of improvements in relation to concerns highlighted during the inspection.

In accordance with Department of Education guidelines, Middlesbrough Council can no longer fund places at the Brambles Farm facility, being required to secure alternative provision and withdraw funding from providers subject to an inadequate rating.

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: “The council will no longer fund places for children taking up Achieving Two Year Old and Nursery Education Grant entitlements at the nursery.

“Parents have been contacted and informed of developments and offered guidance on providers currently offering funded childcare in Middlesbrough.”

Although the council’s decision was a statutory one, the nursery’s management team said they felt “extremely let down” and claimed they had been adhering to council issued advice and guidance.

Their statement said there were “large inconsistencies” in the Ofsted report, adding: “We are extremely disappointed with the content of the report...

Ofsted has revisited the setting since the inspection and the welfare concerns raised have been met to Ofsted requirements.”

  • Top Corner Day Care is situated in the Top Corner Sports UK Complex, which was launched by ex-Boro footballer Jamie Pollock and is now in liquidation.
  • The Northern Echo understands that the nursery is unaffected by the complex’s position.