Rizos Susan

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number EY271510 Inspection date 23 November 2005 Inspector Linda Cook

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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 was registered in 2003. She is registered to care for five children and is presently caring for 6 children under 8 years of age. The childminder lives with her husband and two children, in a detached house in a small village, close to Ripon, in North Yorkshire. Minded children have access to the ground floor of the property and there is an enclosed garden, which is used for outdoor play. The childminder uses a car in connection with her childminding business and children travel with the written consent of parents. She is willing to take and collect children from the local school

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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 and nursery.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. The children thrive because they are cared for in a warm clean environment where exceptionally high priority is given to their health and safety. The carefully planned routines and procedures are very effective in preventing cross infection. The children are encouraged to manage their own personal hygiene and the childminder reminds them how to carefully wash and dry their hands. The childminder is attentive to the children when they appear unwell and is thorough in her communications to parents about her concerns. The children enjoy the freshly cooked nutritious meals. The childminder provides a broad varied range of good quality meals. These include good daily portions of fresh fruit and vegetables. The children learn about healthy eating as the childminder talks to them about food which is good for them. They also enjoy fresh fruit when snacking. The children develop a very positive approach to being active outdoors. They delight

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Helping children to be healthy

in the regular opportunities to visit the local play park and make regular trips to feed the ducks at the village pond. The space indoors is well organised and allows children freedom to enjoy dancing, moving to music and complete a children's fitness video.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are cared for in a safe environment. Risks of accidental injury are minimised because the childminder is extremely vigilant and provides good supervision. The childminder puts a high emphasis on risk assessments to reduce potential hazards. She teaches children about keeping themselves safe using cause and effect explanations. Security is very good; the door is kept locked while minding. She is vigilant when taking the children away on outings. Children benefit from the childminders excellent understanding of the importance of allowing children to develop their independence. She does this while ensuring their safety by setting appropriate boundaries, which take account of their age and stage of development. The children use high quality equipment which meets their developmental needs. This is checked for safety regularly. The childminder has all the necessary documentation; promoting the safety and protection of children, including a current

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

first aid certificate. The childminder has a very good understanding of child protection procedures and gives high priority to ensuring children's welfare.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy the wide range of activities provided by the childminder both indoors and outdoors. The children are relaxed and settled in the childminders care and are interested and eager to learn. They are confident and able to initiate their own play, independently selecting from the wide range of stimulating and age appropriate resources. Younger children can be active or rest according to their needs, they enjoy spending time with the childminder watching a children's video when they are tired. The children benefit from the positive interaction with the childminder as she supports their play and learning. The children listen carefully and respond positively as the they talk about what they are doing. This helps in increasing their imagination and language skills. They enjoy regular trips out to places of interest; further extending their opportunities to explore and investigate. Older children particularly enjoy their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

trips to a wildlife park, where they hide to look for birds. They make a list of birds they might see before they go and tick off the ones they actually see. The children benefit from the childminder's sound knowledge and experience of caring for young children. However, as identified in her own development plan, she has not cared for a baby for sometime and feels she would benefit from refreshing her knowledge in this area.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children learn about cultural diversity through the range of resources provided. Their knowledge is further extended through the books they choose on their weekly visits to the library. The children become aware of their local community on their walks out and trips to places of interest. The children's individual needs are met well. The childminder maintains an effective ongoing dialogue with parents to ensure she is aware of each child's likes, dislikes and preferences and that the children benefit from continuity of care. Parents are kept very well informed of their child's achievements; verbal information is exchanged each day at delivery and collection. A daily diary is kept for each child. Children are settled and relaxed in the childminders company. The children learn to play co-operatively together. They are encouraged to share, take turns and show respect for each other and the immediate surroundings. The children are well

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Helping children make a positive contribution

behaved, respond well to the childminder's clear guidance and praise. They are developing good manners with gentle reminders from the childminder if they forget a please or thank you.

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The organisation is good. The children feel at home in the well organised environment. As a result, they are settled and confident to initiate their own play and make choices. The childminder organises her time well to provide individual support for all the children according to their needs. The space and resources are well organised to allow children to move freely and safely; independently accessing toys and attending to personal care needs. All requirements for documentation and record keeping are met to promote the welfare, care and learning of the children and are stored appropriately to maintain confidentiality. The childminder discusses all issues with parents before minding starts and uses contracts which are reviewed. Verbal information is exchanged with parents at delivery and collection. A daily diary is kept for each child; ensuring the

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Organisation

individual needs of children are recognised and met on an ongoing basis. 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 provide positive images of disability; ensuring that smoke alarms were fitted at every level of the house and that the emergency evacuation procedure is practised with the children. Smoke alarms have been fitted and the children practise the emergency evacuation procedure. The childminder uses the local library on a regular basis, choosing appropriate books that reflect positive images of disability.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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. There are no complaints to report on.

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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 MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

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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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): • extend knowledge of caring and providing activities for babies, for example by attending Birth to Three Matters training.

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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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