Childminder in Leicester

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 226799 Inspection date 21 April 2006 Inspector Sharon Waterfall

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Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Childminding

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This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder has been registered since 1999. He is registered to provide care for four children under 8 years. Currently he is caring for 7 children on a part time basis throughout the week, with some children being over 8 years of age. He lives with his wife and two young sons in a five bedroomed semi-detached house in the Knighton area of Leicester. The whole of the ground floor area of the property is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. He attends the local parent and toddler group regularly as well as the childminding

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 support group, Kids and Co. He is an accredited childminder of the Leicester City Childminding Network and has a qualified teacher status. He is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through the consistent daily practices and routines. They are cared for in a warm, clean home and procedures such as the children washing hands when cooking and before eating promotes hygiene and helps to prevent the spread of infection. Written policies and procedures are also effective in supporting children’s health and welfare. Children are adequately nourished during the day and receive adequate quantities of food for their needs. They enjoy a variety of vegetarian meals, which comply with children's dietary requirements and their own preferences. They are encouraged to be involved with food preparation through interesting cooking activities. Children partake of outdoor play on a regular basis and this has helped them to develop their gross motor skills. Activities such as climbing, football and walking in the locality give children plenty of physical exercise and help them to develop good

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in rooms which have been adapted to provide spacious areas for play, where most risks have been identified and minimised. The children are able to move around the home safely and do so with confidence, accessing toys and resources independently. The outside environment is also organised well and provides a delightful area for play. Children use a sufficient range of safe, good quality, developmentally appropriate resources. They have independent access and the childminder ensures their choices are safe and supervises their play. Good relationships are evident through the humour used between the childminder and children; this enables the children to be secure and confident in their surroundings. Children's welfare is protected through the childminder's secure knowledge of child protection issues. He is confident of the procedures to follow in the event of concerns

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children engage in a range of interesting and stimulating activities that enable them to develop in all aspects of play and learning. They are motivated to probe, think and discuss their ideas and wants. Their language skills are developed through constant discussion about their activities and through the knowledge that what they say is important and listened to. For example, whilst engaged in a cooking activity the children talk about what they are doing and what they think happens next. Through this activity the children are also learning about mathematical concepts such as counting, measure and the concept of time. The children learn new skills and practise developed ones through the activities, such as, reading a recipe from the cookery book and counting cake papers on to the tray.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Their hand to eye co-ordination develops through many of the activities such as manipulating craft materials and putting together complex train tracks. Children are able to use their own imaginations to create pictures and art work with a variety of mediums. Regular outings to places of interest enable the children to have first hand experiences of the world around them. They also provide extra learning activities such as learning about the environment and the living world through visits to an environmentally friendly outdoor park. The park also gives them opportunities to develop their large physical skills as they climb, balance, slide and jump on large play equipment. Children's abilities are challenged as they grow by a childminder who grows and develops his knowledge too. Children’s confidence and self-esteem develop as they realise that their contributions and ideas are valued and they are included in all

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. The children are very much respected as individuals. Their needs are well met as all issues of care are thoroughly discussed with their parents. The children are empowered to make decisions and choices for themselves and are learning to accept that all children’s interests are included within the activities at some point. Through the open discussions and importance shown for their opinions, children learn that they are a valued member of the community and this raises their self-esteem and confidence. The children co-operate extremely well, they are well behaved and considerate towards each other. The atmosphere is warm and they have good relationships with the childminder, who sets an excellent example. Positive behaviour strategies such as constant praise, discussion and firm boundaries help the children to identify right from wrong for themselves. They respond well to the childminder’s requests and feel

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Helping children make a positive contribution

secure in the consistency shown in rules and routines. The childminder works conscientiously with parents to meet the children's individual needs and ensures that they are included within the life of the children. This is brought about by continuous discussion and the childminder seeking parent’s

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 opinions on activities available to the children. The children benefit from this consistency in their welfare.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The children are secure in the well organised and warm environment. They use the space confidently and have effective adult support, which aids their abilities to initiate and extend play and learning. Children are fostering good relationships with each other and the childminder, aiding their sense of security and belonging. The childminders commitment to regular training and his sound knowledge of child development effectively promotes children’s development, care and learning. Written policies and procedures meet the National Standards and support children’s welfare. The provision, overall meets the needs of the range of children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection one recommendation was made to improve children's care and welfare, that was to develop a registration system that records the time of arrival and departure of children. Although the childminder has tried other means, he now uses the National Childminding Association attendance register, which clearly records children's accurate attendance, meeting the recommendation made.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since 1 April 2004. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • minimise hazards to the fire identified in the risk assessment.

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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