Gilsenan, Sara Louise

Inspection report for early years provision

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503914 Unique Reference Number 31 October 2006 Inspection date Jean Evelyn Thomas 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 2001. She lives with her husband and two children aged nine and sixteen in Wavertree, Liverpool. The whole ground floor of the childminder’s house is used for childminding. The toilet facilities are situated on the first floor. 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 five children at any one time and is currently minding three children under five all day. The childminder walks to local schools to collect children. The childminder attends the local toddler group and children centres. The family have a pet cat and rabbit.

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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. The children are cared for in a clean setting where they learn the importance of personal care, for example, washing hands before eating, after toileting and after touching the pets. Children are kept safe from the spread of infection. They have their own drinking beaker identifiable through its colour, their own flannels and towels and a sick child policy is in place. Children are protected because the childminder is aware of the procedure to follow in the event of children contracting a communicable illness. The childminder is trained to administer first aid to ensure appropriate procedures are followed for children's well-being.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is promoted by a nutritious and balanced diet. Most of the meals are home prepared using fresh ingredients. Vegetables and fruit are incorporated into the children's daily diet. Regular drinks are provided. The childminder is aware of children's individual dietary needs and ensures these are met. Children's dietary preferences are respected. The childminder removed the carrots from the homemade shepard's pie for the children who did not like this vegetable.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's physical development is well promoted because the childminder ensures they have access to range of resources and opportunities either home based or when out and about. They regularly visit local parks to use larger equipment and use a variety of sit and ride toys at the toddler groups they visit. Children have fresh air each day. The daily commitment of walking to school helps to develop their understanding of a healthy life style.

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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 welcoming environment. Play mainly takes place in the conservatory. The front lounge is used as a quiet area for children to sleep or for older children to pursue play undisturbed. The kitchen is used for messy activities. Toys are visible to encourage children to play. The child sized table and benches allow children to play at their own height with minimal risk. Children benefit from a varied range of toys because the childminder uses the lending toy scheme to extend the stock available. Equipment is available to meet the care needs of children including a travel cot, car seats and high chair.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are cared for in a safe setting. The childminder has assessed any potential risks and put procedures in place to minimise these at all times. There are clear procedures to ensure children are collected only by authorised people. Children learn to protect themselves through the regular practising of the evacuation procedure and following the road crossing procedures. Children do not leave the premises unsupervised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is protected through the childminder's secure knowledge of child protection issues and of her role and responsibility to protect children in her care.

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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. The children are relaxed and settled. The caring relationship between the childminder and children is evident. The childminder shows interest in what children say and involves herself in what they are doing. For example, she sits floor level whilst the children play with the animals. Together they make animal sounds and talk about the different animal features. The childminder encourages children to think by asking them to compare the different sizes of the animals. She incorporates numbers into her language to help their learning. Children have access to a variety of play and learning opportunities which help them to make progress in their development. The childminder has written daily plans, however, she has a flexible approach to implementing these to meet the interest and wishes of the children. The children select toys of their choice. They use their imagination when playing with the dolls, prams and play vacuum cleaner. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

learn through using their senses in messy play activities including sand and water. They can express their ideas in art, craft and with musical instruments. Children enjoy books as they share stories with the childminder. The children have opportunity to develop their social skills through attending toddler groups and visiting other childminders to play with other children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are valued and respected as individuals and the childminder meets their needs well through daily routines, which are discussed and agreed with parents, for example sleeping, eating and outing arrangements. The children have equal access to the toys, consequently they benefit from all the play opportunities and experiences. Children develop their understanding about the diversity of society through discussion with the childminder and resources which promote positive images of culture, gender and disability.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are learning to share and take turns with guidance from the childminder. Children's behaviour is promoted through the childminder using positive strategies, such as praise and encouragement. The childminders procedure for managing children's behaviour is shared with the parents.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are cared for according to their parents' wishes because the childminder has effective systems in place to work in partnership with parents. The childminder talks to parents on a daily basis to ensure children benefit from a two-way sharing of information. This helps ensure children are settled and secure. An information manual is shared with parents which gives details about the menus, plans of activities and polices and procedures. The parents are given their own set of procedures for reference.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The childminder ensures ratios are met to allow children to receive individual attention. Children benefit from well established routines which have a regard for their individual routines. The regular visits outside the home contribute to their learning and enjoyment of the local

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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 environment. The childminder shows commitment towards her own personal development and improves her knowledge by attending relevant courses and workshops including food hygiene, child protection and special needs training. Children are safeguarded as the childminder ensures persons who have not been vetted do not have unsupervised access to the children.

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Organisation

Systems are in place to maintain confidentiality to protect children's privacy and dignity, for example, personal documentation is securely stored in individual children's folders. The childminder has well documented records which are kept up to date. However, there is not a system to keep a log of complaints. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection the childminder has obtained written consents from parents to seek emergency medical advice and treatment to ensure the appropriate care is offered to children. The childminder has developed her knowledge of equal opportunities through attending training regarding special needs. The childminder has given consideration to the evacuation of sleeping babies from the first floor although currently the sleeping area is ground floor level. The procedure would be to use the upstairs telephone to contact the emergency services and raise the alarm with persons passing by.

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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. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaint 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): • develop knowledge of the 'Birth to three matters' framework to further enhance the children's learning and development • devise a system to maintain a log of complaints.

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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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