SOME staff at a Southampton nursery school had not gone through the necessary police safety checks, it has been revealed.

Ofsted had found that not all staff members at The Trees Day Care Nursery in Regents Park Road in Shirley had the required Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check - a document which contains an individual’s criminal record.

Following an “unannounced” inspection at the nursery watchdogs found that “on occasions” staff members without DBS checks had “unsupervised access to children”.

Now nursery chiefs have taken action following the discovery by inspectors.

Last year they found that the school required improvements.

But after a follow up inspection in May the nursery has been rated inadequate.

According to the report which followed the inspection in May children’s need were not met “effectively” and staff had “insufficient understanding of safeguarding procedures”.

The report also reads: “Some staff have worked at the nursery for over a year and do not have a DBS check. In addition, leaders do not complete thorough checks on staff’s previous employment history or ensure that sufficient information is gathered on staff’s needs for medicines, to assess their suitability to care for children. On the day of the inspection, unchecked staff were observing changing children’s nappies unsupervised.”

Inspectors also slammed the quality of teaching and in their report added: “Staff do not interact purposefully with children and children wander aimlessly around the room. On occasions, older children’s behaviour becomes boisterous and they run around the room, due to the lack of challenge for their learning.”

But watchdogs said “children are happy in the nursery and staff demonstrate a caring nature towards the children2.

It added: “Children benefit from a healthy range of meals and snacks. Staff promote children’s independence at mealtimes, such as supporting children to serve food for themselves. “

Following the inspection held in May watchdogs urged the school to take some measures by June 4, 2019.

These included obtaining enhanced DBS checks for staff and apprentices and ensuring unchecked staff are not left unsupervised with children.

They must also ensure staff understand the safeguarding procedures; implement effective recruitment procedures to ensure staff’s suitability and ensuring that effective risk assessment procedures are implemented.

Following another visit to the nursery held on June 5, 2019 inspectors said: “We found that the provider had taken appropriate action to address the weaknesses previously identified.

“The provider is still registered with Ofsted.”

The nursery said it has since been reassessed by Ofsted but the new rating is yet to be announced. They did not comment any further.