Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY331806 Unique Reference Number 08 January 2007 Inspection date Carol Patricia Willett 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 satisfactory. 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 registered in 2006. She lives with her partner and their baby son and her adult daughter. The family live on a housing estate in Wokingham. The property is close to local shops, schools and amenities. Children have access to the whole of the ground floor of the property which includes a dedicated playroom and toilet facilities. They sleep downstairs in the sitting room. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The family have three pet cats.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to provide care for up to five children at any one time. She is currently caring for five children of which two are under five years on a part-time basis. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She holds a current first aid certificate.

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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 satisfactory. Children's health is suitably promoted and they are cared for in a well maintained, child friendly home where the childminder has mostly effective hygiene routines and procedures. This ensures the areas where the children play and sleep are comfortable, clean and safe. The childminder follows good nappy changing procedures wiping the mat after every use and washing hers and the children's hands to develop their awareness of personal hygiene. Procedures are not fully effective as the childminder places nappies into the kitchen bin and this increases the risk of infection. Children wash their hands before eating lunch but this procedure is not consistent as they do not always wash their hands before eating their midmorning snack.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder protects children's health as she limits access to the cats to ensure the risk of infection to the children is minimised. She has undertaken an appropriate first aid course and has a well stocked first aid box which ensures she is able to deal effectively with any accidents the children may have in her care.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is well promoted as they enjoy the wide range of activities provided to develop their physical skills. These include regular visits to the park, garden play on the slide and swings and daily walk to the local school.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children eat plenty to satisfy their appetites. Parents currently provide lunch boxes for their children with the childminder providing drinks and snacks. The childminder ensures food supplied by parents is stored appropriately to promote the children's good health. Meal times are social occasions where all the children sit together and chatter. Children have free access to drinks throughout the day as their cups are readily available.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder provides a warm, welcoming, child friendly home where children are mostly safe and secure. Displays of the children's art work on the playroom wall develops their sense of belonging and self esteem. The childminder has a satisfactory understanding of all safety-related issues and has in place most of the relevant documentation, policies and procedures to ensure children's safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children enjoy their play in a safe environment where the childminder takes positive measures to minimises risks, for example, sockets are covered and a safety gate is in place on the stairs. However, the catch on the cupboard doors where cleaning materials are stored in the kitchen is no longer working and this could pose a potential hazard to the children's safety. Children play with a suitable range of age-appropriate toys which they can easily access in order to initiate their own play. The toys and resources are checked regularly by the childminder to ensure they are clean and there are no broken parts that could harm the children.

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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 safety conscious and uses every day experiences to develop children's awareness of safety, for example, she picks up the toys from the floor when children have finished playing with them explaining they could trip and hurt themselves. She ensures children know why they need to stay close when on outings. When out walking the children hold the buggy and learn about road safety. This helps them to develop an awareness of keeping themselves safe. Evacuation procedures have not been discussed or practised with the children in order to develop their understanding and confidence in an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a sound understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and feels confident that she would recognise these. She understands her role in the protection of children. These measures contribute to the safety and welfare of the children. She has appropriate insurance cover in place.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are settled and comfortable in the childminder's house. They enjoy a suitable variety of activities that are appropriate to their ages. They are happy and confidently choose toys and resources for themselves. The childminder provides a varied range of activities and outings which help children develop across all areas, for example, she encourages children's knowledge of shapes numbers and colours whilst reading stories and using the toys. They learn about the community in which they live as they walk to school and to the local park. The childminder reads to the children which they enjoy. She asks questions and involves children in the book which develops their language skills. They enjoy feeling the different materials contained in the book and they use their senses to describe how the sheep and the jumper feel. Children's creative and imaginative development is encouraged through activities such as playdough,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder is warm and affectionate making children feel comfortable and valued. She manages the different ages well, knowing what children need to support them in their play. For example, the children like to play with the playdough in different ways with the older children making models of monsters. The younger ones like exploring the tools, such as knives and cutters and machines to push out the playdough shapes. The childminder develops good relationships with the children and knows them well. She spends a lot of time talking and playing with them, consequently, children are well supported in their play and are making good progress in all areas of development. Children go out most days and enjoy walks in the local community, visits to the local parks and meetings with friends met through antenatal classes. This provides them with opportunities to socialise with a wider group of children and adults.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy, secure and settled as the childminder is aware of and values children's needs and personalities and provides support and resources to meet their needs. The childminder develops sound relationships with parents and discusses useful information with them at the initial visit. There is an informal verbal exchange of information on a daily basis to ensure

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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 developing needs are known. The childminder does not record information about the children to ensure she is fully aware of all their needs in order to safeguard their welfare. She shows parents her folder to keep them informed of her practices, policies and procedures. The childminder does not have any written consents in place to ensure she is aware of and follows parents requirements if emergency treatment is required in the event of an accident. She has not obtained written consent to use transport or take the children out.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has a sound understanding of issues relating to equal opportunities. She ensures all children freely access the resources and she has sufficient information to meet their individual needs. The childminder ensures some of the children's play materials reflect diversity although there are no resources yet to provide positive images and support their awareness of disability. They go out on walks to the local parks and meet with other adults and children which develops their awareness of others and the community in which they live.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well and care about each other as the childminder uses good behaviour management strategies which are appropriate to children's stage of development. She uses distraction well for younger children and shows skill at diverting tantrums. Children are developing good self esteem as the childminder uses positive language and meaningful praise and encouragement, for example, when children are playing with the activity centre. She acts as a good role model using please and thank-you when talking to the children. She provides structure to the day so children are secure and know the routine.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children receive satisfactory care as the childminder organises the environment and resources well to enable children's needs to be effectively met. They receive good support from the childminder. She enjoys their company and provides a good variety of experiences and activities. Consequently the children are happy, comfortable, settled and secure.

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Organisation

The childminder has good procedures in place to ensure children are protected from un-vetted persons. She is very attentive and closely supervises children. She operates within correct ratios at all times. The childminder does not realise the importance of maintaining appropriate documentation and this could impact on the children's safety and welfare. She does not maintain an accurate record of children's attendance and has not obtained written consent from parents if their children need emergency treatment or aid. She shows parents her registration certificate but this is not consistently displayed when minded children are present.

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Organisation

The childminder has some written polices which are shared with parents. However, there are some details that are missing, for example, the complaints policy does not provide contact details of the regulator and the child protection policy does not give contact details of relevant bodies. Parents are kept informed of their child's achievements as the childminder discusses all aspects of the children's care with them. Overall, the childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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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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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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 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 satisfactory. 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): • further promote children's health by improving hygiene procedures regarding nappy disposal and consistency with hand-washing • ensure cleaning materials in the kitchen are inaccessible to children • develop children's awareness and confidence of fire evacuation procedures • obtain written consent from parents so their wishes are known: if their children require emergency treatment or aid; for taking the children out and using transport • further develop the child protection policy to include contact details of relevant bodies and ensure the complaints policy has contact details of the regulator • ensure an accurate record is kept of the hours children are on the premises.

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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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