The service provides care and support to children - from birth to the age of 14 – and families at a number of sites in the area.
Play programmes offered include crèche facilities, play schemes and family learning opportunities.
The Care Inspectorate, who are the national regulator for care services in Scotland, graded the service’s ‘Quality of Care’ and ‘Support and Quality of Staffing’ as ‘Very Good’. They carried out an unannounced inspection on September 25.
Their report stated: “The individualised, responsive and respectful care routines which children experienced in the crèche meant they settled quickly and built positive and trusting relationships with staff.
“These relationships were further supported by the nurturing and caring interactions staff had with children, recognising each child's needs, wishes and choices and respecting families as experts in their own experiences.
“Staff worked hard to understand each child and their unique circumstances to ensure the care they offered was tailored to support each child to achieve their potential and help families get the most out of life.
“As a result of this practice, children and families were building confidence and self-esteem and parents were highly satisfied and very appreciative of the support the service offered them.”
Inspectors added that the service worked well with other organisations, ensuring consistency and continuity in the care and support of children and families, and they also praised the effectiveness of the newly-formed staff team in delivering changes in the service.
Susan West, Team Leader for Early Years and Early Intervention, said: “As a service with a strong ethos of play in all aspects of our work, we aspire to ensure children receive a high-quality service which is tailored to each child’s unique needs and circumstances and supports them to feel nurtured and secure within the play environments we provide.
“We are delighted that this was highlighted during our inspection and in the subsequent report with the acknowledgement of our clear focus on tackling health and social inequalities and in providing inclusive practice delivery.
“We welcome the acknowledgement of the improvements we have made as a staff team and appreciate the ideas suggested to support continuous improvement and excellence in the service.”
The Care Inspectorate also received positive feedback on the service and staff from children and families.
Councillor Susan McGill, Convener of Children and Young People Committee, said: “A huge congratulations to everyone in the Creche and Play programmes on this fantastic report from the Care Inspectorate.
“By creating a secure and welcoming environment where everyone feels safe, supported and nurtured, the service is delivering positive outcomes for children and families in the area.”
Councillor Margaret Brisley, Vice Convener of the Children and Young People Committee, said: “This is a terrific report which identifies a wide range of high performing areas in the service, along with how staff are continuing to strive for improvement. Well done to all involved.”
Picture shows children participating in Stirling Council’s Creche and Play Programmes