Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY224946 Unique Reference Number 11 September 2006 Inspection date Michelle Julie Gutcher 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 October 2002. She is registered to care for four children under the age of eight at any one time and is currently minding three children, all of whom attend on a part-time basis.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder lives with her family in a house in Ashford, Middlesex. The whole of the property is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The childminder walks to the local school to take and collect children. She attends parent/toddler groups, takes children to the library and local parks.

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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 begin to learn about good hygiene as part of the daily routine. They wash their hands after using the potty and toilet. Their faces and hands are cleaned with baby wipes after eating. Children have their own towel to dry their hands and separate changing mats are used to change individual children's nappies. These actions minimise the potential for cross infection and help to keep all children healthy. The childminder’s home is clean and well maintained. Effective procedures are in place to protect children from illness and infection. The childminder ensures parents are fully aware of her policy with regard to this. The childminder holds a current first aid certificate, this means that children receive appropriate care if there is an accident. Parents have not given permission for the childminder to seek emergency treatment from medical staff.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children drink regularly. The childminder understands the importance of encouraging them to drink and she monitors their intake to ensure they do not become dehydrated or go thirsty. Parents provide all meal items for the children currently in the childminder's care, whilst she provides snacks. These are of a healthy nature. The childminder is aware of the need to have regard for children's specific dietary needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children spend time outside in the fresh air. They have opportunities to be active and develop their physical skills as they play in the childminder's garden where they can explore a range of outdoor play equipment. Children enjoy balancing on the rocker boat and crawling through the play tunnel. This offers challenge and scope for skill progression. The childminder regularly takes children to different parks and soft play centres as these offer different types of apparatus and thus enable children to enjoy varied experiences and they do not become bored.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety receives good attention from a childminder who is aware of her responsibility to safeguard them at all times. She displays good understanding of safety related issues. Within the home, her use of appropriate safety measures enables children to move around freely and independently. She supervises young children well. The childminder remains very close by, ready to step in and help if necessary but allows young children the freedom to experiment and develop their skills. Good fire safety precautions contribute positively to children's safety. Older children know what to do in the event of a fire as they take part in fire drills on a regular basis.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn how to keep themselves safe through the input of the childminder. For example, she teaches them about road safety when they are out and about. They have access to a suitable range of age appropriate play equipment which is clean, of good condition and checked regularly to ensure it is safe and ready for their use. The childminder minimises potential risk to young children by ensuring that they cannot reach any toys with small pieces.

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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 The childminder is aware of possible signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect and the procedures to follow if she has concerns about a child. She also ensures that she informs parents of her responsibility with regard to this. Children stay safe when in the presence of unvetted persons because the childminder takes suitable precautions to ensure this.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. There is a warm, friendly atmosphere at this childminder's home, which is characterised by good relationships. Good quality interaction from an interested and supportive minder enables children to feel settled and secure. She sits on the floor and plays alongside young children and helps them to spend their time purposefully. They are becoming competent learners as they investigate the toys available to them and are developing communication skills. The childminder talks to them, responds to their gestures and sounds, and acknowledges their efforts to communicate. Children receive lots of cuddles and enjoy being with adults they are familiar with and whom they trust. Children concentrate well as they look for the pieces of jig saw puzzle on the floor. They listen hard to the childminder as she encourages and helps them to turn the pieces around to fit the pieces together. Both children and childminder clap together

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and smile with joy as the puzzle is completed. The childminder talks with the children about the objects they create. They enjoy naming the tea cup and imitate drinking hot tea from the picture of the cup.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children experience a variety of activities, inside and outside the home. They make decisions about what they wish to do and become independent as they can access a very good variety of age appropriate play materials that cater for all areas of development. The childminder rotates these to keep play provision fresh and appealing. She provides older children with opportunities to play in a well equipped and spacious play room in the upstairs of the property. Young children benefit from being able to independently help themselves to a selection of toys. These are stored in boxes and baskets at floor level, so they are within easy reach. Children regularly attend local childminding groups where they can mix with children of different ages to themselves and begin to develop their social skills. They explore different toys and learn to share these.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children gain understanding of appropriate ways to behave as the childminder explains and guides them. She encourages them to respect each other, her home, the resources they play with and the wider environment. Meaningful praise and encouragement, both verbal and by gesture, for example clapping a young child, ensures that children's developing self confidence and esteem are well fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children receive good levels of support from the childminder because she is sensitive to the way they feel. For example, she talks openly about the baby who is going to visit that afternoon and involves the children in searching for the first stage toys. She provides lots of reassurance and allows the children to explore and investigate the baby toys. Older children can play

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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 independently upstairs in the playroom. This encourages their sense of belonging within the childminder's home and allows them some responsibility.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have easy and independent access to resources that reflect different aspects of diversity and positive images to help them gain awareness of the world in which we live. Children dress up in role play outfits and act out the role of fire fighters, princesses, police officers and Chinese people. They have opportunities to explore both their local community and further afield as they visit different parks, activity soft play centres, the local library and go on trips.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the positive relationships the childminder enjoys with their parents. She seeks useful and relevant information from them about their children's individual needs and ensures that they are well informed about the way she organises her childminding service. This exchange of information continues through daily discussions about how children spend their day. This is supplemented, for young children, by means of a daily diary sheets. Weekly written plans of activities are devised, this helps the childminder to focus on the individual children and ensures their development is encouraged through well planned activities. Parents are very positive about the care their children receive. Questionnaires completed by parents include the comments "I am more than happy with the care offered by the childminder for my child. Records and paperwork are always up to date."

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides care. Her home offers a warm and welcoming environment and has a child friendly, inviting feel because of the range of play materials and other resources that are so easily accessible. This means that children can make their own decisions about what they wish to do and develop their independence. They have space to sit and play in comfort and they can move around freely.

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Organisation

Regulatory requirements are met and all documentation relating to the safety, welfare, and health of children is generally in place. Although the childminder has an awareness of the new addendums to the National Standards, relevant information to record complaints made by parents is not in place and parents have not been informed of Oftsed's new contact details. All paperwork is well organised. Written policies and procedures underpin existing practices. Parents receive their own copy of the polices to ensure that they are well informed of the way the childminder organises her provision and helps them to know how their children are cared for.

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Organisation

The childminder displays a positive attitude to evaluating her service and looking for ways in which she can improve this. She takes advantage of training opportunities. She has completed the Birth to three framework training and is using this to develop her practice effectively. Weekly plans of activities and outings are devised according to the children's individual needs and the children's developmental records are kept up to date. Parents have access to the planning and development records. They are kept well informed of their child's progress and they can see how their children are learning in different areas.

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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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection it was noted that the childminder needed to develop the range of resources for older children, and to consider the inclusion of materials which reflect positive images of social diversity. This has been appropriately addressed. The childminder has extended her play materials in general and includes resources for older children, for example construction sets, books, board games and a selection of creative materials. The resources also include items which reflect positive images of diversity, for example, educational reference books are readily available in the play room. Some reference books include information about religions and explains how people live in other countries. Children can choose to dress up in a variety of role play outfits. Story books, different skin tones dolls and small figures are also included in the play provision to portray positive images of diversity.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 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 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 the necessary information is recorded in the complaints log and inform all parents of Ofsted's new contact details • ensure parents give permission to seek emergency treatment

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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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