Annual Duty of Candour Report – March 2021

Hanover Street School Nursery – Duty of Candour Report March 2020 – March 2021

Please find attached above, our annual duty of Candour report.

It is also available on this page: https://hanover.aberdeen.sch.uk/our-school/nursery-policies/

I have also copied and pasted it below, so that the Google Translate tool can be used if required.

Many thanks,

Gillian Forbes, DHT


 

Hanover Street School Nursery

 

Annual Duty of Candour Report

 

(March 2020 – March 2021)

 

 

Care Inspectorate Registration Number: CS2003014434

 

Name of Manager: Mr Alan Markey

 

Report written by: Miss Gillian Forbes, Depute Head Teacher

 

Type of care service: Day Care of Children

 

 

 

Service Provider:

Aberdeen City Council

Marischal College

Business Hub 12

Broad Street

Aberdeen

AB10 1AB

 

 

 

 

 

Care Service:

Hanover Street School Nursery

Hanover Street School

Beach Boulevard

Aberdeen

AB24 5HN

 

01224 569880

hanover@aberdeencity.gov.uk

https://hanover.aberdeen.sch.uk/

 

 

All health and social care services in Scotland have a duty of candour. This is a legal requirement which means that when things go wrong and mistakes happen, the people affected understand what has happened, receive an apology, and that organisations learn how to improve for the future.

An important part of this duty is that we provide an annual report about the duty of candour in our services.  This short report describes how Hanover Street School Nursery has operated the duty of candour during the time between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021.

 

We hope you find this report useful.

  1. About Hanover Street School Nursery

Hanover Street School Nursery is a children’s day-care service in Aberdeen.  It is situated within the main school building at first floor level. The setting comprises one morning and one afternoon class. It is registered for no more than 40 children, aged 3-5 years old, at any one time.

The setting is situated in a spacious, open plan room on the first floor of the building. Children have access to an outdoor area within the school playground.

Children attending the setting represent over 14 different cultures.

We aspire to be a safe, fun, happy setting, that is full of warmth, smiles, loves and laughter. Our vision and aims are fully detailed below.

 

Our School Vision and Charter

Designed around the GIRFEC SHANARRI indicators, our vision is based on the rights of the child, UNCRC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Early Learner Aims

On reflection of current guidance and best practice, we review our aims each year. Below are our current aims, with recent changes/additions highlighted:


 

 

  1. How many incidents happened to which the duty of candour applies?

In the last year, there have been no incidents to which the duty of candour applied.

These are where types of incident have happened which are unintended or unexpected, and do not relate directly to the natural course of someone’s illness or underlying condition.

 

Type of unexpected or unintended incident Number of times this happened
Someone has died 0
Someone has permanently less bodily, sensory, motor, physiological or intellectual functions 0
Someone’s treatment has increased because of harm 0
The structure of someone’s body changes because of harm 0
Someone’s life expectancy becomes shorter because of harm 0
Someone’s sensory, motor or intellectual functions is impaired for 28 days or more 0
Someone experienced pain or psychological harm for 28 days or more 0
A person needed health treatment in order to prevent them dying 0
A person needing health treatment in order to prevent other injuries 0

 

  1. To what extent did Hanover Street School Nursery follow the duty of candour procedure?

The following procedures have been developed and embedded at Hanover Street School Nursery, to ensure the duty of candour procedure is followed:

 

Summary of Procedures:

 

Where something has happened that triggers the duty of candour:

·       our staff report this to the nursery manager (Gillian Forbes, Depute Head Teacher) who has responsibility for ensuring that the duty of candour procedure is followed;

·       the manager records the incident and reports as necessary to the Care Inspectorate;

·       when an incident has happened, the manager and staff set up a learning review. This allows everyone involved to review what happened and identify changes for the future;

·       we know that serious mistakes can be distressing for staff as well as people who use care and their families. We have debriefing sessions and/or support and supervision meetings in place for our staff if they have been affected by a duty of candour incident;

·       where parents or children are affected by the duty of candour, we have arrangements in place to provide welfare support as necessary.

 

 

Various processes have been put in place to ensure this continues:

Systems and processes:

·       When Duty of Candour was introduced in April 2018, the Depute Head Teacher undertook online training on its purpose, procedure, and other guidance.  She supervised any incidents and advised as necessary.

·       Thereafter, in February 2020, the nursery team undertook the online module training provided by NHS: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/

·       This training has been added to our core training records and staff induction ensuring all are aware of this duty.

·       A clear “Compliments, Concerns and Complaints” Policy is in place. This is available to view here. It is also on our nursery policy annual review calendar.

·       Our First Aid records sheets have been altered; adding a column asking staff whether this triggers a) the duty of candour and/or b) a different Care Inspectorate notification.  This was done to keep the requirements fresh in staff’s minds.

·       Following National and Local Authority Guidance, enhanced risk assessments and practices are in place, to ensure safety and purpose during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

 

With these processes in place, if any events listed above had happened, we feel confident that the correct procedure could be followed.

 

 

  1. Information about our policies and procedures

At Hanover Street School Nursery, our open ethos meant that if/when something negative happened (small incidents, as well as any serious adverse events detailed above), we inform the parents affected, apologise to them, and offer to meet with them. We review what happened and what went wrong to try and learn for the future.  We have a clear policy in place to ensure consistency of approach (see above).

 

 

  1. What has changed as a result?

As part of our annual policy update calendar, and as identified through staff continuous review and development procedures (February 2021), staff are engaging more with the regular review of risk/benefit assessments for continuous provision in nursery; for example, risk assessments (staff and pupil friendly) for the sand, water, tinker table areas, etc.

 

  1. Other information

This is now the third year of the duty of candour being in operation.

It continues to provide us with a further opportunity for reflection, planning and improvement. It continues to help us to remember that people who use care have the right to know when things go badly, as well as when they go well.

 

As required, we have submitted this report to the Care Inspectorate but in the spirit of openness we have placed in on our website and shared it with our parents too.

 

If you would like more information about our nursery, please contact us using these details: hanover@aberdeencity.gov.uk