“CHILDREN’s welfare is compromised” and safety “is not assured” at a south Essex nursery which has been ordered to make urgent improvements by Ofsted.

The Rochford Day Nursery, in Ashingdon Road, has been rated inadequate in all areas following an inspection on November 15.

The report, which was published on January 20, found the safeguarding arrangements are “not effective”.

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It stated: “Children’s welfare is compromised. The management team does not make sure that the key-person system and staff deployment keeps children safe and meets their individual needs.

“Staff on outings do not hold a relevant first-aid qualification to help protect children in the event of an emergency.

“The management team also do not ensure that staff supervise children when they are eating to keep them safe.

“This poses a risk of choking.

“Babies sit on the floor to eat their snacks, and staff do no notice when babies drop their fruit on the floor, and then pick it up and eat it. This does not protect children’s physical health.”

At the time of the inspection there were 97 children at the day care, all aged under five.

The nursery’s previous rating by Ofsted was good back in 2018.

Inspectors were also shocked at the disorganisation causing children’s needs not to be met.

The report stated: “Children’s safety and well-being are not assured.

“The management team has not considered all the potential risks that children could be exposed to, particularly on nursery outings.

“They were also unable to demonstrate that staff held current paediatric first-aid certificates, which does not help keep children safe in the event of an emergency.

“The deployment of staff is disorganised, and this fails to ensure that all children’s needs are met.

“The quality of teaching is also poor, and children do not receive the level of good-quality education to which they are entitled.”

The Rochford Day Nursery was contacted for comment by the Echo, but failed to respond.