A NURSERY which was criticised for leaving a child unattended for several minutes and for not following a child’s dietary needs is on the mend, an education watchdog has said.

Banana Moon, in St Helen’s Lane, Colchester, was visited by Ofsted inspectors in September.

During the unannounced check, inspectors also found the premises was not secure and there was evidence of poor practice and staff were not aware of their roles and responsibilities.

Inspectors also said the support and supervision in place for staff, including the manager, was “poor”.

In a report which outlined the problems, it states: “We found the provider had failed to ensure children were kept safe.

“Staff had failed to follow procedures in relation to children’s dietary requirements and health needs which resulted in them placing a child at risk of harm.

“They had also left a child unsupervised in a room for several minutes.

“We found the premises was not secure.

“The provider had not taken appropriate steps to ensure intruders cannot access the premises.”

As a result of the visit, Ofsted issued a “welfare requirement notice” which outlined immediate improvements which had to be made.

Inspectors returned last month and found the nursery “had taken all appropriate action to address the notice”, including ensuring all doors which lead to areas where children are present remain locked to prevent unauthorised persons accessing the premises.

A report added regular supervision is now in place for staff while effective systems have been introduced to record children’s dietary and care needs.

Children are also safe in the nursery.

The nursery was rated “good” earlier this year and remains at that rating.