A DAMNING report into a Newport nursery found a crying child was left unattended by minders for 25 minutes.

Staff at Archway Court Day Nursery had failed to pick up on signs that the baby was “looking withdrawn” and walked past while they set up lunch, according to a report from Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW).

Inspectors say that during their visit, many of the younger babies were “disengaged and at times visibly distressed”.

The overall standard of care provided in the baby areas of the nursery was also described as “poor” in the report published on April 21.

Chloe Yates, one of the nursery managers, stated that the centre still disputed some of the issues put in the report but said: “I know that we have made mistakes and didn’t get it all right at the time but we’ve made major steps to address the concerns that were brought up by the CSSIW.”

In the initial report, inconsistencies were also noted in the wellbeing of the children and the children’s engagement and enjoyment.

The report goes on to say that attempts from babies to get staff attention were “overlooked and valuable opportunities to develop their skills were missed”.

An example provided by the inspector mentions a baby sitting in a low chair trying to reach out with a beaker of water towards a member of staff who failed to notice.

The report reads: “The baby then began to blow bubbles with the water from their beaker and was enjoying the feeling and noise they were making.

“The staff member saw the child at this point and took the beaker off the baby saying in an abrupt manner ‘No thank you, you’re spitting it’.”

The inspectorate issued three non-compliance notices for the providers failing to make proper provisions for the welfare of children, failing to manage risks and hazards and failing to carry out their duty of care.

It also found that the nursery was not compliant with notifying CSSIW of significant incidents or ensuring that a child’s privacy and dignity is protected. The inspectorate’s report states that the nursery had explained a number of improvements had been made to ensure all issues were addressed.

It reads: “This included staff training, staff restructure in some areas, purchase of resources and toys for toddler and baby area, installation of radiator covers, installation of privacy door on toilets throughout nursery and structural alteration to enhance free flow in the toddler area.”

Chloe Yates added: “The health and welfare of our children is the highest propriety and we strive to achieve the highest care possible. We’ve been in regular contact with the CSSIW inspectors having made major improvements and they are very happy with our progress.”