Out of school service hailed as a class act

A Renfrewshire out-of-school service has received high praise by a watchdog following an inspection looking at children’s safety, wellbeing and engagement.

- EMYLIE HOWIE

Two members of the Care Inspectorate made an unannounced visit over two days in July to Johnstone Out of School Service which operates in Auchenlodment Primary School.

Based on a scale of one to six where one is unsatisfactory and six is excellent, it was rated as five - meaning ‘very good’ - for three out of the four categories in which it was assessed: how good it’s care, play and learning is, its setting, and for its staff team.

It was rated as a four, meaning ‘good’ for it's leadership.

Among the key messages included in the report, was staff at the Aspen Place facility “treated children with kindness, respect and compassion”.

It added that: “Children who accessed the service on the day of inspection were happy, confident, and having fun.

“Children’s wellbeing was supported through regular opportunities to play outdoors and children’s voices were valued, and they were empowered to influence decisions”