Childminder in Worcestershire

Inspection report for early years provision

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204441 Unique Reference Number 11 September 2006 Inspection date Ann Doreen Burford Inspector

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Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

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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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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 was registered in 1997. She lives with her partner and son aged 14 years. They live in a house in the Sidemoor area of Bromsgrove close to local schools, shops and parks. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time and is currently minding two children aged under five and five children aged over five before and after school. Children aged over eight years may also attend. The family has two dogs. The childminder is not currently working with an assistant although she is registered to do so.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle is promoted through their participation in regular exercise and access to fresh air. They freely move between the indoors and outdoors. The patio doors off the dining area are kept open allowing children to go out to play as often as they wish. They also regularly help to take the dogs for a walk to the local parks. There is a variety of toys to help children develop their coordination and physical skills.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children’s personal care needs are well met. They are well cared for if they have an accident or become ill and the effective procedures ensure children are protected from illness and infection. For example, children wash their hands after touching the dog and using the toilet. The dogs are regularly wormed and inoculations are all up to date. The dogs are well trained to use an area of the garden as a toilet which is inaccessible to children. This means children's health is protected from the risk of infection from the pets.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from regular drinks and nutritious meals and snacks which include a variety of fresh fruit. Fresh, chilled, filtered water is made available at all times for the children because the childminder has a water dispenser. Information is regularly shared and discussed with parents to ensure that each child's individual dietary needs and personal preferences are respected. Packed lunches provided by parents are safely stored and there is a strategy in place to ensure all high risk foods are stored at the correct temperature to prevent contamination.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a secure, welcoming and safe home. A child-friendly environment is created by the childminder because she displays the children's art work and colourful posters on the wall in the dining area. The childminder only uses the ground floor of her home. Children's access to the stairs and first floor is restricted by a stair gate. They mainly play in the dining area where they can access many of the toys for themselves. Any resources needing close supervision, for example scissors, are kept locked away and their use restricted until the childminder is sitting with the child. The children also have use of the lounge for quieter activities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Most safety measures are in place, however there are times when some hazards are not identified and therefore appropriate action is not always taken. For example, when using the high chair safety restraints are not always used. This compromises children's safety. Children's awareness of safety issues is developed through every day activities within the home and during outings. They are aware of the need for simple rules to keep them safe such as not climbing on the furniture.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is a good range of toys in place which children are able to use safely due to the childminder's vigilance and the procedures she has implemented to regularly check them. All

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 fire equipment such as smoke alarms are in place and regularly checked. The premises are secure and there are effective procedures in place for the safe arrival and collection of children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected because the childminder understands her role and responsibilities in child protection and is able to put appropriate procedures into practice when necessary. She has a copy of the local guidance available for reference so she knows who to contact should she have any concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy, confident and interact positively both with the childminder and each other. They are developing independence by choosing activities they wish to participate in and the childminder takes time to find out each child's interests by talking to parents and through discussion with the children. Child can self-select many of the resources and freely move around the house and garden so they can initiate their own play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young children's language development is well supported by the childminder. She uses a range of resources to help toddlers learn new words and develop their understanding of the spoken language which enables them to follow simple instructions. This means children are becoming good communicators, which in turn helps them develop their social skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children participate in many different forms of art and craft. The emphasis is on the tactile experience as children feel different textures and mediums in their art work. For example, when painting, the paper may become very wet but this does not deter the children from completing their masterpieces with total absorption. The childminder supports this and is very patient making sure the child is provided with appropriate resources so the activity is fulfilling.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued and respected as individuals. Their art work is proudly displayed on the wall which makes children feel welcome and develops their sense of belonging. The children receive appropriate support because of the way the childminder organises her home and maintains close supervision without impeding the children's natural curiosity and spontaneity. They have some opportunities to explore issues of diversity through play and use some toys that promote positive images of other cultures.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder's knowledge and understanding of disabilities and learning difficulties ensures that all children’s needs are fully met. She actively supports parents with appointments to see health professionals to ensure the future needs of the child are identified to help them to achieve their full potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children respond to clear behaviour management policy and strategies such as reinforcing positive behaviour, clear and consistent boundaries and explanations. Strategies are shared with and understood by parents, which ensures consistency between home and minding environments.

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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 Children’s individual needs are well met. The regular two way exchange of information between parents and the childminder enables there to be consistency of care. This close working partnership with parents means that children are well settled with a familiar and trusted adult, separate happily from the parent, and are gaining self-assurance and confidence with others. Parents are kept informed of their child's progress and ideas are shared to make sure all the children are fully included in the childminding day.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children feel at home in the organised family home. They have plenty of play space and are well supervised. They quickly settle because of the relaxed atmosphere and are confident to initiate and extend their own play and learning. The children benefit because the childminder is organised and informally plans days so that there are a variety of activities for the children both indoors and outdoors.

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Organisation

Children's individual welfare, care and learning needs are met through the supporting documentation kept. All the required documentation is readily available. Most of the record keeping is accurate and made available to parents, however parents' signatures are not always completed on the medication forms. This means parents' wishes are not fully identified which potentially compromises children's well-being.

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Organisation

The childminder ensures children are protected from persons who are not vetted. All adults living on the premises have been checked and cleared as suitable to be in contact with children. The childminder has high regard for the well-being of all children and improves her knowledge and understanding of child care and education by reading relevant journals. She is also in the process of familiarising herself with the 'Birth to three matters' framework and the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the childminder was asked to improve the record keeping. Some progress has been made. The times of arrival and departure are now recorded. There is a procedure to obtain parents written permission for the administration of medicines, but this is still not completed for all children. Consequently, there is a small improvement to ensure children's welfare is safeguarded.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder was also asked to improve the range of activities and resources to promote equal opportunities. She has improved her knowledge and understanding of other cultures by discussions with friends and family members. A few new items have been purchased to enable children to learn about the diverse community.

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Improvements since the last inspection

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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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by the 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): • ensure written signed permission from parents for the administration of medicines is recorded for all children • complete risk assessments to identify hazards and take appropriate action keep children safe.

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The quality and standards of the care

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) 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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