Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY101683 Unique Reference Number 03 July 2006 Inspection date Jannet Mary Richards 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 has been registered since 2002. She lives with her husband and two teenage sons in a detached house in the Middleton area of Rochdale. All of the ground floor areas of the house are used for childminding, including a designated play room. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is currently caring for a total of four children under the age of eight years. She also cares for children over eight years after school each day. The childminder takes children out to parks, toddler groups and the local library.

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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 health is promoted well because the childminder has effective procedures in place for reducing the spread of infection. She uses disposable gloves for changing nappies, for example, and keeps her home in a clean and hygienic state. Through the daily routines the children are developing a very good awareness of good hygiene practices. They help to clean the tables before they eat their snack, for example, and they understand why it is important to wash their hands.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children benefit from a healthy and nutritious diet. They enjoy healthy snacks, such as, fresh fruit and yogurts each day. They are encouraged to eat healthy options such as vegetables. Through discussion they are developing a good awareness of which foods are good for them. The children are offered drinks frequently during the day to ensure that they do not become dehydrated, older children can help themselves to drinks from a water dispenser. This encourages them to recognise when they are thirsty and promotes their independence.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing a healthy lifestyle whilst in the care of the childminder. They take walks in the local area, visit the park often and spend time playing in the garden, to develop their physical skills and benefit from fresh air and exercise.

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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 child-centred and safe environment. They benefit from being able to play in a room which is designated and organised purely for play. The playroom is a very welcoming environment for the children, their art work is displayed on the walls along with interesting and informative displays and posters.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety is given high priority in the childminder's home. Safety measures, such as, gates and socket covers are in place, and the childminder supervises the children well to keep them safe. Clear procedures, such as, hazard checks and regular risk assessments are carried out by the childminder in order to maintain a safe environment for the children. Through organised activities and day-to-day routines the children are developing a very good awareness of how to keep themselves safe. They know the procedures for emergencies as they practise fire drills often. During a week of activities centred around road safety they learn how to cross roads safely. This is reinforced by the childminder when they are out and about walking in the area.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded by the childminder as she has a good awareness of child protection procedures and issues.

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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 are settled and enjoy the time they spend with the childminder. They benefit from experiencing a wide range of play activities which are developmentally appropriate and fun. They go out hunting for mini-beasts with microscopes, for example, visit the library and park often, and play with a good range of imaginative toys in the playroom. Babies benefit from exploring different objects and using their senses to scrunch paper or explore the properties of wet spaghetti or shredded paper, for example. They develop good communication skills as they look at books together and sing often. As the children play the childminder talks to them and asks them simple questions to encourage the children to think and learn. As they play with collage materials, for example, they name the shapes and count the objects they are using to make their picture.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children can access a good range of toys and resources so that they have choices about what they do. Some toys are stored out of their reach, however, which reduces the amount of choice they have.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children behave well when they are cared for by the childminder because she has a positive approach, praising children often, and has a good awareness of effective behaviour management strategies. The children develop a good awareness of their own and other cultures as they play with a wide range of toys which reflect different cultures, race, gender and disability, in addition to posters around the walls which reflect the world and it's people. They take part in activities linked to different cultural festivals, such as, Chinese New Year and Saint George's day to increase their interest and understanding.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's individual needs are well met because the childminder consults with parents and follows children's familiar routines from home to help them feel secure and settled. The childminder has experience of caring for children with specific needs and understands how to support children and meet their individual needs. The childminder and parents share information about the children on a daily basis; the childminder provides a daily written account of what children have been doing, which ensues that parents are well informed.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from the effective organisation of the childminder. Her home is well organised to care for children and she plans and prepares activities in advance, ensuring that children always have access to age-appropriate and interesting play activities.

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Organisation

The childminder is enthusiastic and keen to develop her child care service. She attends training events often to ensure that she has an up to date knowledge of current child care issues. She uses this information to influence how she cares for children. For example, she has recently

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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 begun to use the Birth to three matters framework to develop the activities for the younger children in her care.

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Organisation

Documentation relating to the care of the children is well maintained and organised. In addition, the childminder has written policies and procedures which she shares with parents to ensure that they are well informed about the service she offers to children.

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Organisation

Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the time of the last inspection the childminder was caring for more children than her registration allowed. She was asked to improve her knowledge of the childminding regulations, maintain appropriate registers of attendance and ensure that children are not exposed to hazards.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the inspection the childminder has made very good progress on the actions raised. She now ensures that she cares for the appropriate numbers of children within her registration conditions. She maintains registers of attendance which indicate clearly the times when children attend. By addressing these issues successfully the childminder now ensures that children are cared for with sufficient adult support, within the regulations for childminding. The childminder has significantly improved the systems to ensure that children are cared for in a safe environment. She has attended health and safety training, effectively raising her awareness of safety issues. She has also introduced thorough daily hazard checks and clear risk assessments which ensure that the home environment is safe for children.

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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.

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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 • review the organisation of toys and resources to offer the children increased choices about what they do.

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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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