MOST children at a pre-school nursery in Carmarthenshire are happy and feel a sense of belonging, Welsh Government inspectors have said, but safeguarding concerns have been raised.

Estyn inspectors visited Cylch Meithrin Drefach Felindre in October and said people working there weren’t sufficiently aware of the setting’s child protection policy and hadn’t received relevant training.

The Estyn report said that not all of the “essential checks” were completed before people started working, and that the person in charge of this area did not ensure that disclosure and barring checks were updated in a timely manner.

“The setting’s arrangements for safeguarding children do not meet requirements and are a cause for concern,” said the report.

Supply staff work at the facility with the person in charge, although a permanent assistant’s post has been advertised.

The report said staff ensured that nearly all the children settled quickly and that adequate play opportunities were provided. Staff, it said, have forged appropriate relationships with children and knew them well.

A majority of the two to four-year-olds were beginning to become confident and independent, interacting well with their peers and completing tasks alongside each other.

The report said nearly all staff promoted positive behaviour among the children, and gathered plenty of information about their preferences, needs and other relevant information before they started to attend.

Inspectors also said staff expanded children’s understanding by questioning them skilfully during play.

The nursery environment was secure, clean and homely, the outdoor area has had some investment, and staff checked the site daily for unnecessary risks – but the risks, said inspectors, weren’t recorded consistently.

The pre-school setting has had a new management committee since May this year, and the shortcomings identified by the Estyn inspectors – which led to a priority action notice being issued – will be addressed via an action plan.