Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY338007 Unique Reference Number 22 March 2007 Inspection date Helen Blackburn 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 2006. She lives with her husband and two children aged 13 years and 15 months in the Mirfield area. There are schools, shops, parks and access to public transport in the local area. The whole ground floor and first floor bathroom of the childminder's house is used for childminding. 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. She is currently minding four children under eight years, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

She attends local carer and toddler groups and a childminder support group. She 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. The children are cared for in an environment where standards of cleanliness and hygiene are good. The childminder regularly cleans the home and equipment to ensure she minimises the risk of spreading infection for children. This includes her thoroughly sterilising the equipment used by the younger children. The childminder is currently only caring for babies and young children and she fully understands they need to develop an understanding of good personal hygiene practices. Through everyday routines, she regularly washes their hands and faces at appropriate times throughout the day, such as after meals. This contributes to children becoming aware of good health and hygiene routines as they grow and develop. When children are ill, the childminder considers the health needs of everyone to minimise cross-infection or cross-contamination. For example, a written health policy outlines that any ill children should

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Helping children to be healthy

remain at home. Detailed information on infectious illnesses and incubation periods supports the childminder in making decisions about managing children’s health effectively.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children have good opportunities to be active and take part in activities that encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle. The children play in the garden, go on walks and visit local parks, soft play centres and toddler groups on a regular basis. Between the home, groups and outings, the children access a good range of resources to support their physical development. The younger children enjoy climbing slides, riding bikes and playing with balls, and the babies have space to roll and crawl as they move around the home.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder actively promotes healthy eating to support children’s healthy growth and development. She provides children with a broad, varied and nutritious diet, which incorporates any specific dietary needs. The children enjoy snacks and meals that include pineapples, melon, grapes, banana, chopped vegetables, fish and pasta dishes. The children sit together at meal times, which creates a positive, relaxing and social experience for them. The younger children are encouraged to feed themselves and this effectively supports them in developing their self-help skills and independence.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The environment for children is safe and secure. There are good safety precautions in place to ensure children play safely and to minimise accidents. For example, safety gates make stairs inaccessible and socket covers protect electrical points. The childminder ensures she supervises children and understands she must remain vigilant in maintaining a safe place for children to play. This includes her monitoring the safety precautions in place as babies become more mobile and begin to explore their environment. There are written health and safety policies to support the good safety measures in place. Through evacuation practices, discussions on playing safely within the home and on outings, the children are developing an understanding of keeping themselves safe.

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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 children access a varied range of resources suitable for their age and stage of development. They are safe, maintained in good condition and regularly checked to ensure children play without hazard. The resources continue to extend as the childminding service builds up and the developmental needs of the children change.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a sound understanding of child protection issues to enable her to protect children from harm. She has attended basic child protection training to raise her awareness of her responsibilities in safeguarding children. Further training is planned to update her knowledge on the changes regarding the Local Safeguarding Children Board. She has written policies that briefly outline the procedures she follows if she is concerned about a child. Although, these lack some detail and do not fully reflect the Local Safeguarding Children Board policies.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The friendly approach of the childminder provides a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere, which results in children being happy. The childminder has recently started caring for the children and, through the effective settling in visits, the children have settled quickly and feel secure in her care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The settling in visits contributes to the positive and trusting relationships developed between the childminder and children. The childminder interacts with the children, becomes involved in their play, supports, and encourages their development. The children respond well to this. For example, whilst looking at picture books with the babies, the childminder introduces new language and points out pictures in the book. This results in the babies babbling, laughing and smiling with enjoyment. The childminder uses her time spent with the children to get to know them. This enables her to effectively build into the day children individual routines, such as sleep and feeding patterns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children access a good range of resources and exciting experiences to support their development needs, between the home and the groups they attend, such as, books, construction, imaginative play and creative activities. The children enjoy what they do. For example, babies enthusiastically roll the balls down the tubes on a toy to make the lights flash and music play. This results in them laughing and moving to the music with pleasure. The childminder understands how children develop and uses guidance, such as the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework and childcare publications to enable her to provide challenging activities as children develop. She ensures she plans play around the children, building on their individual needs and interests.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The children’s behaviour is appropriate for their age and stage of development. The childminder is aware of the importance of promoting positive behaviour and encourages children to share and take turns. She praises their achievements and this contributes to children having positive self-esteem. The children develop an understanding of what is expected of them through the

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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 clear boundaries and established routines in place. For example, the childminder clearly explains why certain behaviour is unacceptable so children begin to understand right from wrong. A written policy briefly outlines the behaviour management strategies in place.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children are developing some awareness of diversity and the world in which they live. The children access a varied range of resources that provide some positive images of others, such as books, and these resources continue to extend. As the children become older, they take part in activities to raise their awareness of the religious and cultural celebrations of others. The childminder is respectful of children’s individuality and takes into account any beliefs or wishes of the parents when meeting children’s needs. A written equal opportunity policy supports some aspects of how the childminder promotes equality.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has sound relationships with the parents, which continue to develop as new children settle and everyone gets to know each other. They work well together to promote children’s welfare and care. They regularly share and exchange information to promote continuity of care for children. A parent’s file includes written policies and procedures to outline some aspects of the service provided for children. The childminder developed these prior to commencing childminding and some lack detail and up to date information to fully reflect the practice she know has in place. Parents receive written information regarding their child’s day, for example, sleep times and activities their children have enjoyed. The planned introduction of children’s progress records will enhance the information available to parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder utilises her home and space well to promote the welfare of children. She uses each area of her home for different purposes, for example, the living room for sleep and the dining room for general play. She organises resources in her dining room to create a child-orientated environment for children to explore and learn. The children move freely around the space and develop their independence skills as they select resources, and make choices in play. The childminder organises her time effectively to meet children’s individual needs to provide continuity for them.

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Organisation

The childminder understands the benefits of further training and has a good commitment to develop the service she provides for children. She attends training to develop her skills and knowledge. She uses ideas gained from the training to evaluate her service and to enhance the opportunities she provides for children. She has a training programme in place to support her personal development, which includes child protection training. She is open to ideas and welcomes suggestions from experienced childminders. She uses childcare publications to explore what she can offer children to promote positive outcomes for them and to keep up to date with good practice.

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Organisation

Detailed documentation is in place to promote the safe management of the setting and the welfare of children. Children’s record details contain accurate and relevant information to enable the childminder to effectively meet children’s needs. The childminder has policies in place across many of the standards to outline some aspects of the service she provides for children. Although, she has not devised any systems for reviewing her policies to ensure they reflect her current

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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 practice. The storage of the documents is organised and ensures confidentiality. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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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.

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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): • review all policies and procedures to ensure they contain up to date information and fully reflect the childminding service.

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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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