Childminder in Norfolk

Inspection report for early years provision

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256394 Unique Reference Number 07 November 2006 Inspection date Lindsey Ann Cullum 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 1993. She lives with her husband and adult son, in Hellesdon on the outskirts of Norwich. All areas of the downstairs of the property only, are registered for use by minded children. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside activities. Local amenities are within walking distance of the home. The family have two dogs as pets.

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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. Overnight care is not provided. The childminder is currently caring for nine children on a part-time basis, four of whom are over the age of eight years.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder holds a NNEB qualification and is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 benefit from a range of activities which contribute to their physical development and promote a healthy lifestyle. They regularly walk to and from school, play in the garden or visit the park, promoting a positive attitude to exercise. Indoors, children enjoy music and dancing sessions, developing their co-ordination skills. Young babies have space to move around safely and develop skills in crawling and walking. Children's health is further promoted as the daily routine offers a balance of active play and quiet time for rests, for example, whilst listening to a story. Children are able to sleep according to their needs and individual routines, promoting their well-being.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are adequately nourished. Most parent's provide food for their children which caters for their dietary needs and parent's wishes are respected by the childminder. Children enjoy selecting from the variety of fruits available for snacks. Discussion with the childminder during mealtimes introduces children to the principles of healthy eating. Children are provided with regular drinks, helping to maintain their good health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are cared for in a clean, homely environment. They are encouraged to become independent at washing their own hands after using the toilet as soap dispensers and their own towels are accessible in the bathroom. Effective practices minimise the risk of cross infection whilst nappy changing. Clear sickness procedures are in place and a list of infectious diseases is available so that the risk of infection is reduced. Pets are kept clean and well looked after, to ensure children are protected when coming into contact with them. Children's health and medical needs are met as these are discussed with parents and relevant information recorded. The childminder holds a current first aid certificate and has a first aid box to hand, ensuring children's well-being should an accident occur.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a safe, homely environment where they feel comfortable and secure. Effective use is made of space within the home, enabling children to move around freely and access a range of stimulating activities, contributing to their learning and development. The childminder uses her lounge, dining room and conservatory, which she has made into a playroom for the children. They are free to use any area as they wish throughout the day, for example, they glue pictures at the dining table and young children play on the carpeted floor in the lounge. The childminder has given some thought to ensuring a comfortable temperature is maintained in all areas used by the children, for example, by heating the conservatory before use by children during colder weather. Children are able to access a range of suitably maintained toys and resources from storage trays or boxes, fostering their independence. The childminder

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

carefully monitors the children's choice, ensuring toys are appropriate for their age of development. Clear explanations from the childminder help children to develop an awareness of their own and other children's safety.

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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 safeguarded by the childminder's understanding of the risks for children and appropriate levels of supervision. Hazards such as those presented by low glass, electrical sockets and dangerous household substances have been identified and suitable safety measures put into place. A stairgate is fitted across the bottom of the stairs, ensuring children cannot gain access to unregistered areas of the premises. Fire fighting equipment is available. The childminder has a written emergency evacuation plan which she regularly practises with the children, to ensure they are familiar with procedures in the event of a fire. Written procedures covering emergencies, outings or uncollected children are available to parents which detail the practices in place to protect their children. Children enjoy regular outings with the childminder

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

who has clear strategies in place to maintain their safety, for example, holding onto the buggy or using appropriate child car seats. Children's safety is fostered as the childminder assesses the suitability of any places visited. All the required documentation is in place to promote children's welfare.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected as the childminder understands her responsibilities in child protection. However, her knowledge of local child protection guidelines and the referral procedure is not up to date. Contact numbers in case there is a need to make a child protection referral are not readily available, which compromises children's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and confident in the childminder's care. They settle well as the childminder involves herself in their activities, is caring and supportive. The childminder provides children with a good range of learning and play opportunities which develop their emotional, intellectual and social skills. They regularly visit the Toddler group or another childminder's home where they play alongside other children, learning to share and play co-operatively. Children enjoy outings which are used as additional learning opportunities, for example, collecting items for the autumn display. The childminder is led by children's interests, for example, making a jungle picture so children can use the animal stickers. She offers ideas to extend the children's activities and asks questions to seek out children's ideas or encourage them think. Longer projects, for example, the current topic of autumn, enable children to explore the natural environment to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

find items, such as leaves and chestnuts. They proudly add these to the autumn display set out in the home for all parents and children to see. These activities promote children's understanding and knowledge of the natural world. Some creative activities are also linked to the display, for example, making a tree and sticking on the collected leaves. Children's independence is encouraged as they select items they wish to play with. They are learning about numbers, size and colour as they talk to the childminder during activities. Children receive regular praise and encouragement from the childminder, promoting their confidence and self-esteem. The childminder enables children to take part in activities after school, for example, attending Brownies or dancing classes so they may pursue their own interests.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young children are provided with suitable resources, such as musical toys or soft toys made from textured materials. These promote children's sensory development and encourage them to explore toys by shaking them or pushing buttons to trigger the sounds. The childminder ensures babies are able to reach resources and sits on the floor whilst playing with them, to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 promote their learning. The childminder is aware of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and has referred to some of the aspects when considering activities for younger children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children receive a warm welcome and are encouraged to become independent and confident through the childminder's caring approach. All children have access to appropriate toys and resources which promote their development. Their self-esteem is fostered as they are able to make choices in their play and follow their own interests, for example, making a jungle picture with coloured tissue paper. The childminder has not recently worked with children who have specific needs but would seek advice, if necessary, so that she could meet their needs. Resources, activities and discussion help children to become aware of the wider world and develop a positive and caring attitude to others.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are happy and well behaved. They settle quickly as the childminder provides stimulating activities which engage children's interest. Children are learning to distinguish right from wrong and to respect each other as the childminder offers explanations as to why behaviour is inappropriate. She uses positive strategies to manage children's behaviour which she discusses with parents to provide consistency.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the positive relationships which have developed between the childminder and their parents. Some children have been cared for by the childminder over many years, demonstrating parent's satisfaction in the care she provides. The childminder liaises closely with parents to make sure she is familiar with their wishes and children's needs, enabling appropriate care to be provided. Valuable daily discussions as children arrive or leave help promote children's well-being. Clear written policies are available to parents outlining the care practices used to promote children's welfare and learning. Systems are in place to receive comments or complaints from parents, enabling them to raise concerns if they are unhappy with any element of their child's care.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are well cared for and supported during their time with the childminder as she provides a homely, welcoming environment for children and organises her time to play with them, promoting their confidence and learning. Effective organisation of space and resources enhances children's independence as they are able to easily access play materials, use different areas within the home to play and independently use toilet and washing facilities. A range of written policies are discussed with parents to inform them of the service provided and the care their child receives. Parent's wishes are sought and respected, enabling appropriate care to be provided.

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Organisation

Children are cared for by a suitably qualified and experienced childminder, contributing to their learning and development. The childminder has a good understanding of the requirements of the National Standards which is reflected in the care she provides. Appropriate records are kept

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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 to ensure the childminder carries out her work effectively. The register is accurate and shows when children are present on the premises to keep them safe and ensure ratios are maintained. Records which promote the welfare and care of children are in good order and filed confidentially. Overall, the needs of the children who attend are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

As a result of the last inspection the childminder agreed to improve the range of resources available which promote children's understanding of the wider world and seek appropriate information on local child protection guidelines and procedures.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder has purchased additional resources and plans activities in order to raise children's awareness of the wider world, contributing to their learning. She has relevant child protection literature available for reference, however her knowledge of the referrals procedure has not been updated and the local contact numbers are not easily accessible should she have concerns about a child. This has been carried forward as a recommendation from this inspection.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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

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): • update knowledge of child protection procedures and guidelines and obtain the relevant local child protection referral contact numbers.

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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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