Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY290326 Unique Reference Number 02 November 2006 Inspection date Jane Elizabeth O'Callaghan 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 outstanding. 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 2004. She lives with her husband, who is a registered assistant and two children aged nine and three-years-old, on the outskirts of Thirsk. The whole of the ground floor, including a downstairs toilet and the upstairs front bedroom and bathroom are used for childminding purposes. 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 five children under eight years, when working with an assistant or co-childminder, she may care for a maximum of six children. The childminder currently has six children on roll.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder takes and collects from local schools. The childminder attends local parent support childminding groups and visits local parks, libraries and places of interest.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder does provide overnight care.

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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 outstanding. The children are provided with an excellent range of activities, both in the home and outside, that promote their well-being. There are daily activities that support and develop the children's physical needs. For example, the children have access to an excellent outdoor area and regular opportunities to visit the local swimming pool.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children are made aware of positive hygiene practices, through the extremely effective hygiene routines and facilities provided. The childminder has a downstairs toilet, where the children access their own individual towels. The children can easily recognise these as they have a picture of themselves on the peg. The childminder also has notices made by the children, reminding them to wash their hands and pictures of germs displayed in the toilet. The childminder also encourages the children who have breakfast to clean their teeth, again with their own individual brushes, mugs and toothpaste, all known to the children by another picture of themselves. The childminder also makes sure that when children help themselves to fruit, they wash it thoroughly to prevent any germs being left on. This makes children aware of hygiene procedures as well as a healthy diet.

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Helping children to be healthy

The family have a young tortoise as a pet, however this is kept out of reach of children and the childminder has an animal policy in how she treats animals, in relation to when she is caring for children. This she shows to parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

There is ongoing monitoring of equipment and toys to ensure that they are kept clean, especially with the younger children. There are clear details in the care and exclusion of sick and ill children, through a well written policy available to parents. All these procedures help to prevent cross-infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children have regular drinks and are aware of the importance of drinking, and have access to their own cups throughout their day. The childminder offers a variety of regular healthy and nutritious meals and snacks for the children. All meals are home cooked and the childminder ensures that children have fresh vegetable, meat and also daily helpings of fruit. This ensures that individual children's likes, dislikes, dietary needs and parents requests are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder has attended 'Birth to three matters' training and has the relevant information displayed for parents. She also includes this in the profiles that she does for the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. The children are cared for in an environment which offers excellent well planned areas, with good facilities to actively meet the children's needs in a positive manner. The childminder has a very good understanding of safety both in the home and outside. For example, the childminder has safety gates, she regularly practises fire evacuation plans and tests smoke alarms weekly. She takes all positive steps with the children to promote safety and prevent accidents in their

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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 play, through safe access to the resources. The children have a good awareness of the safety limits, which ensure that they have freedom to take risks whilst learning effectively of dangers and ways to protect themselves. On outings by foot or in the car, the childminder assesses the trip and all children are seated in correctly fitted car seats and also wear a wrist band with contact details on. This ensures that children's safety is priority to the childminder at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children are encouraged to develop their independence through accessing the toys, activities and exploring their surroundings. Risks are carefully assessed to reduce potential hazards and the childminder has written risk assessments which are evaluated and recorded daily. The quality and range of toys and equipment are extremely good and appropriate to the ages and levels of children's development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are extremely well protected by the childminder who has a good understanding of child protection. She has attended all relevant training and has written policies in place. There are detailed procedures in place, which parents are made aware of and this ensures that children's welfare is paramount at all times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. The children are extremely happy and relaxed and they thoroughly enjoy their time with the childminder and her family. The children relate well to each other and they are able to extend their social, physical and learning skills, through regular visits to groups in the community and further afield. For example, they visit the local swimming pool, parks, childminding groups and local museums. These provide the children with an excellent range of experiences and challenges in interesting settings.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are eager to participate. The childminder is sensitive to their individual needs and offers a flexible child-led approach to the activities and resources that they want to access. She skilfully adapts what she offers to ensure that all the children take part. This enables the younger children to be involved in a variety of creative resources, such as water, sand, paints, play-dough and they experience tactile and sensory materials. The children sit with the childminder and talk about what they have done during the day, relating it to the topic of Halloween. This fosters children's listening skills and helps them to recognise things that are familiar to them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are positive caring relationships established, which promotes children's confidence and communication skills. The children develop a strong sense of self, which is particularly evident with the toddlers.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. The childminder offers the children a range of meaningful resources and activities that promote a positive insight of the wider world, and an awareness of differences. For example, the children celebrate a wide selection of festivals and access a range of resources available, depicting all areas of equal opportunities. The children have regular access to the community which supports

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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 her approach. The childminder takes account of all the children's individual needs and this is shared with parents to ensure that they are continually met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Behaviour is managed in a caring and sensitive way, which ensures that the children have an excellent awareness of the boundaries in place, as the childminder is consistent in her approach. The children learn to negotiate and take responsibility for their behaviour. Children share and take turns and care for each other by ensuring that the toys they play with are safe and suitable. The children are encouraged to make choices in their play and develop their independence.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder does not care for any children at present with learning difficulties or disabilities. However, she has had a wealth of experience and training in this area. She also has a meticulously detailed policy and procedure that she shares with parents. The childminder would always talk to and work with both parents and outside agencies if she had any concerns with children in her care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Relationships with parents is constantly high which contributes to the children's well-being. Parents views are valued and they are encouraged to visit the childminder before the child starts, so that they can make an informed choice in the care offered. The childminder gives parents regular questionnaires, where they can give their own point of view regarding the care of their children. The childminder also encouraged parents to put in writing their comments in preparation for her forthcoming inspection. All replies from the parents are outstanding, complementing on what the childminder offers individual children, how they are progressing in their development in an exemplary and caring way. For example, parent's comments related to how the childminder offered the children a vast range of activities. Daily diaries are used with parents to share information regularly and effectively and yearly scrap books containing

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Helping children make a positive contribution

photographs of activities that the children have participated in. There are policies and procedures in place which extend the information on the support and care provided. Contracts of agreements are used effectively and reviewed regularly. The childminder also has an area in the kitchen where she displays the registration certificate and insurance certificate.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder offers overnight care for some children on rare occasions. She ensures that all of the parents and children's requirements and needs are fully met. For example, she has separate details with child's emergency contact numbers, if the child has a comforter and its bedtime routine. This ensures that children cared for overnight are in a safe and caring environment and all needs of children and parents are met.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The childminder is extremely well organised and efficient in all aspects of her provision. The children are welcomed into a safe and well resourced environment that benefits their well-being. This enables the children to be confident and happy, to initiate their play, learning and to develop accordingly.

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Organisation

There are highly comprehensive policies and procedures in place that support the quality of the childminding offered and cover all the national standard requirements. All documents and records are kept and stored securely and maintain confidentiality.

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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 childminder has consistently attended training to enhance her skills and knowledge in all areas of childcare. For example, 'Birth to three matters', Foundation Stage, first aid, drug and alcohol, food hygiene, child protection and continues to access through the local support group. She has received a lot of advice and support from other childminders, which she has accepted. She maintains a professional approach to her role as a childminder. She is active in her community as a representative of early years childcare provision.

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Organisation

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

At the last inspection the childminder was asked to improve information for parents, implement her own development plan by providing parents with a prospectus for their continued reference.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder now has a leaflet, which she gives to prospective parents telling them all about her family and the childminding services she provides. The childminder also has extensive policies and procedures which she gives to parents to read annually. She also gives parents questionnaires regularly to complete, along with children's daily diaries and also scrap books of the children's work. This ensures that children are in a caring environment and both parents and children's needs are met.

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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 any 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 outstanding. 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

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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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 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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