Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY308741 Unique Reference Number 12 March 2007 Inspection date Jannet Mary Richards 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 offers care from her home in the Queens Park area of Blackburn. The home is close to all local amenities. She has been registered since October 2005 and is a member of the National Childminding Association

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children have use of the whole of the ground floor which includes toilet facilities. They are taken to a local park to play outdoors as the setting has no outdoor play area. All areas of the home are adapted to accept wheelchairs.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Care is available from 08.00 until 17.00 each weekday. The childminder lives with her husband, one adult daughter and two children.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

At the time of the inspection the childminder is caring for a total of seven children on a part-time basis, two of whom are over five years of age.

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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 are cared for in a clean home environment which generally promotes their good health. The childminder encourages the children to wipe their own noses and place tissues in a bin, for example, to reduce the spread of infection. The procedures for children to wash their hands, however, are not as effective since the children do not always use soap or individual towels.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are provided with a healthy balanced diet whilst in the care of the childminder, which contributes to their health. Each day they enjoy healthy snacks, such as cheese and fresh fruit. The childminder has prepared menus and provides the children with nutritious meals, such as pasta, rice and mild curry. She is aware of the children's dietary needs and allergies which ensures their individual dietary needs are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Each day the children spend some time outdoors which provides them with opportunities for fresh air and exercise. They enjoy playing on the equipment in the local park or taking a walk to feed the ducks.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are made to feel welcome in the childminder's home. They have ample space to play and move around. They can play, sleep and eat in comfortable surroundings. The children have access to a suitable range of toys and books which are appropriate for their stage of development. The childminder also loans some toys from the local toy library. However, at the present time they do not have a wide range of toys to enable them to develop their own play ideas further.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder's home is safe for the children. She has appropriate safety measures in place, such as kitchen cupboard locks. The children are well supervised so that they can play safely. The childminder has also carried out and recorded risk assessments, giving consideration to the different aspects of safety within her home. She has a suitable awareness of child protection issues and procedures to safeguard the welfare of any children she may care for.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy in the care of the childminder. She makes them feel very welcome in her home. She develops positive relationships with them since she spends much of her time talking to them, getting involved in their play and having fun together. As they play the childminder talks to the children, encouraging their learning by talking about the colours of the toys and asking them questions, such as 'how many?'. She has begun to take photographs of the children as they play to make a record of their progress which she shares with their parents.

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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 The children enjoy a suitable range of play activities which promotes their development. They go for walks to toddler groups and enjoy playing in the childminder's home. They share books together, sing nursery rhymes and talk about what they are doing, which helps the children to become skilful communicators. The children enjoy some exploratory play opportunities, such as feeling the texture of the chapatti flour and water when they help to make chapattis. They occasionally paint and play with water, though these opportunities are limited at the present time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are valued as individuals by the childminder who is positive in her approach. The children learn about acceptable behaviour as they follow some simple rules, such as taking turns and being polite to each other. The rules are displayed on a wall to remind the older children who are able to read. Younger children respond well to the praise and encouragement they receive from the childminder. The children learn to respect each other, they talk about and value differences. The childminder has experience of caring for children with a disability and fully understands the importance of meeting each child's individual needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the effective partnership between the childminder, parents and carers. Each day they exchange information about the children in relation to meals, snacks and how long they have slept. The childminder shares written documents and photographs with parents to ensure they are well informed.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The satisfactory organisation of the childminder allows her to provide suitable care for the children. Her home, equipment and toys are suitably organised and are safe for the children. The childminder is keen to develop her childminding practice in order to improve the quality of care she provides. She attends training courses regularly and takes advice from development workers. She then implements her knowledge into practice for the benefit of the children.

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Organisation

The documentation relating to the care of children is of a suitable standard and supports their care. The childminder has well organised systems for recording information about individual children. She has developed written procedures about her childminding practice which are shared with parents to ensure they are well informed.

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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 time of the last inspection the childminder was asked to address three issues relating to her childcare practice. The childminder has taken appropriate action on each of the issues. She has improved the safety measures by fitting child locks to her kitchen cupboards and placing large cushions around the edges of the hearth. She has also attended safeguarding children training, which has improved her awareness of child protection issues. The childminder

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 has also spent considerable time developing her recording systems. She now has all relevant written parental consents in place. By addressing these issues the childminder has improved the safety and welfare of the children she cares for.

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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 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): • develop more effective procedures for children to wash their hands, to reduce the risk of the spread of infection • increase the opportunities for younger children to engage in exploratory play with a range of materials, such as sand, water and paint • increase the range of toys and resources in order for children to have more choices about what they do.

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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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