Childminder in Wirral

Inspection report for early years provision

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306156 Unique Reference Number 28 September 2006 Inspection date June Cotton 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 1999. She lives with her husband and two teenage children in Greasby, Wirral. The whole ground floor of the childminder’s house with the exception of the front lounge is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden 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 five children under five during the day, and six children over five before and after school and in the school holidays. The childminder collects children from local schools and she attends the local parent-toddler groups. The family has two cats.

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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 are cared for in a warm, clean home where they learn the importance of good personal hygiene, for example, they know to wash their hands to be clean and healthy. This is promoted because the childminder talks to them about being clean and washing their hands when she reads them associated books. The childminder also promotes good hygiene practices in the setting by ensuring toys and the environment are clean. As a result, children are cared for in a well maintained setting which reduces the risk of cross infection. The childminder's clear sickness policy is shared with parents and helps protect the children from the spread of infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children begin to understand the benefits of a healthy diet. The childminder takes into account the dietary requirements of children and works in partnership with parents to ensure children have healthy nutritious foods. Meals are well balanced and offered in line with home routines. Children enjoy physical activity which promotes good health. Daily outings and planned activities such as walks and visits to toddler groups with more space to move around improve children's physical skills. They gain confidence and learn to use their bodies in different ways as they play on slides or learn to pedal a bicycle. Fine motor skills are encouraged and developed in activities such as drawing and construction. They become increasingly aware of the way activity affects their bodies and know when they need rest. Children have the opportunity to relax on the settee and babies can sleep comfortably in the travel cot.

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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 safe, welcoming and comfortable environment where there is space for them to move around freely and suitable facilities for them to relax and rest. The childminder maintains close supervision of children at all times and has implemented effective procedures to safeguard children on outings. Children's awareness of road safety issues is promoted during frequent walks around the local area. They learn how to keep themselves safe through the childminder talking to them to increase their awareness of dangers. She uses books to point out why we do not touch sharp knives and the children point to the dangerous things in the story. The childminder has appropriate fire safety equipment in place, such as smoke alarms and a fire blanket in the kitchen and the children have opportunities to develop their awareness of fire procedures within the home by practising the emergency evacuation drill.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A range of toys are attractively set out to encourage children to explore and play, for example, the kitchen play area is fully equipped with play food and utensils as well as a play kettle, toaster and microwave. The roadway set has a selection of cars and the airport has aeroplanes and play people. In the garden, a further kitchen as well as sit and ride toys and rockers are set out to help children develop their play ideas. Children are able to access books easily from the open shelving however large floor level storage containers make it difficult for children to access alternative toys easily. The rooms used for childminding are well lit and warm, to enable children to play in comfort.

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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 Children are well protected because the childminder has a good understanding of child protection policies and procedures, this actively contributes to children's safety and well-being. Access to information, training in this area and a written policy which she shares with parents and carers ensures children's welfare is given a high priority.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy, settled and confident in the childminder's home. They enjoy participating in a broad and stimulating range of activities which engage their interest and meet their individual developmental needs. Children enjoy activities that sustain their interest and promote their learning as they draw, read books and play imaginative games with the airport. They have good opportunities to develop their social skills as they go to toddler groups and play alongside other children. Children are able to initiate their own activities and freely select from a good range of toys and play equipment. They eagerly interact with the childminder, who listens to them and takes an active interest in what they are doing, fully involving herself in their play. Communication and language is encouraged and enriched by the childminder as she listens and responds and asks questions that extend their experiences and learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use their time purposely and enthusiastically. They participate in a wide range of activities for a sustained length of time. Concepts of number, colour and shape are introduced as they look at books together. Children use a range of activities which help to promote their learning in different areas. For example, a wide range of materials are provided to encourage children's creativity and use of imagination such as junk modelling, painting and dressing up. She knows individual children well so is able to provide a suitable range of experiences to meet their needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled and are valued and respected as individuals. All children are treated with equal regard, their differing needs are met well and they have good opportunities to learn about themselves and the wider world. They have access to resources that reflect positive images of society like books, jigsaws, dressing up clothes and dolls. The childminder ensures that she gathers information from parents to enable her to provide appropriate care and to fully meet their individual needs. Children are able to learn about the local community by going on familiar walks and visiting the local urban farm. The childminder is aware of the information she would need to obtain to ensure appropriate care could be provided for children with special needs and has attended courses to increase her knowledge in this area.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well due to the childminder's good awareness of effective behaviour management strategies which are appropriate to the differing ages and stages of development of the child. The childminder is calm and positive with the children, using positive reinforcement to promote good behaviour and develop their self-esteem.

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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 are cared for consistently and according to their usual routines as the childminder fosters positive relationships with parents and regularly exchanges information with them. A complaints policy is in place and shared with parents, however, the childminder has not yet devised a system for recording complaints. Parents receive comprehensive written and verbal information, keeping them well informed about the childminder's service and practices. Written diaries are used well to share daily information with the parents of younger children.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from good levels of support and supervision, which enables them to feel safe and secure in the setting. Consequently, children are confident to make their own choices, selecting toys and initiating play. Space is organised well to ensure children are able to move freely between different play areas.

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Organisation

Documentation is well-organised and held securely, ensuring confidentiality for children and parents. All required documentation is in place and is shared with parents. Children benefit from information being shared on a daily basis between the childminder and parents, ensuring their individual needs are met.

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Organisation

The childminder has developed her awareness of childcare issues through attending some professional courses, such as first aid, equal opportunities and child protection. The childminder uses this knowledge well to provide good quality care. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Two recommendations were made at the last inspection regarding child protection and documentation. The childminder has updated her training in child protection in order to further protect the children. She now keeps children's personal information in separate folders to ensure confidentiality.

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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. Since the last inspection 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

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

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 that toys and equipment are well organised to give children easier choices in the resources they choose • improve record keeping devising a system for making a written record of complaints.

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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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