Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY336230 Unique Reference Number 26 January 2007 Inspection date Susan Elizabeth Tovey 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 registered in 2006. She lives with her husband, two adult children and one child aged 13 years. They live in Harmondsworth in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The whole ground floor of the childminders house is used for childminding purposes and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder has a dog, rabbit and fish. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time and is currently caring for one child part time.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are happy in the warm, friendly and clean home. The childminder has good hygiene procedures in place that enable children to be cared for in an environment that reduces the

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 risk of infection. Children are protected from unnecessary illness and do not attend if they are contagious.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a range of healthy snacks, which they eat sitting comfortably at the table and enjoy sociable meal times with each other. The childminder takes into account parents' wishes and children's choices so that she can meet individual dietary needs. Children's independence is promoted as they have the opportunity to select their own snacks. They are able to access drinks regularly throughout the day.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have good opportunities to either play outdoors or go for trips to benefit from fresh air and daily exercise. Children are developing a healthy life style and have a positive attitude towards exercise. This is because the childminder teaches the children the importance of being active with daily exercise.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety receives good attention because the childminder understands her responsibility to protect them from potential risk. She adapts her home, practice, and use of safety measures as necessary to take account of the changing developmental stages of the children in her care, for instance as babies become mobile. Children are well supervised and cannot leave the premises unattended. There are mostly good fire safety precautions in place. The childminder has devised a written fire evacuation procedure and there is a fire blanket easily accessible in the kitchen although this has not yet been wall-mounted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Older children learn the rules for their own safety and that of others through the setting of clear boundaries and the input of the childminder. For example, she talks to children about the need to pick up toys that they have finished playing with and explains why it is unacceptable for children to open the front door themselves. Children play with toys that are safe, clean and of good quality.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has all required documentation and appropriate procedures in place to ensure children's welfare is fully safeguarded. She is secure in her knowledge of issues relating to child protection and has put together a written statement relating to this, which she shares with parents. This ensures parents have a clear understanding of the childminder's responsibility.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy a variety of worthwhile activities, inside and outside the home. They have access to an interesting range of age appropriate play materials that cater for all areas of development and include items that reflect positive images. Effective organisation of resources allows children to see what is available and enables young children to help themselves to toys that are stored at low level. Items more suited to older children are kept out of their reach. Thus, all children are able to make their own decisions about what they do and develop independence, whilst remaining safe. They gain in confidence and build on their social skills as the childminder provides opportunities for them to meet with other children and experience different

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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 environments, for example, at local groups. The childminder is aware of the Birth to three framework of good practice as a means of extending the range of experiences and learning opportunities she is able to offer young children. She is developing her knowledge of this.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making good progress in all areas of their development as the childminder has a very good understanding of how children learn and develop in a supportive and stimulating environment, as she spends much of her time, sitting playing and talking with them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are settled and confident because the childminder values and respects their individuality. Children are good at taking turns and sharing. They are very well behaved as the childminder provides consistent boundaries and offers a lot of praise and encouragement. Children enjoy close relationships with the childminder and they learn to respect and be caring and considerate towards each other. Children make themselves at home, they select toys independently and help themselves to drinks.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

A range of resources reflecting cultures, gender and disability enables children to gain a positive image and to learn about the world they live in. The childminder understands the importance of helping children to develop a strong identity and feel good about themselves, their family and others. She is a good role model and has a positive attitude towards inclusion.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children feel comfortable within the childminder's home environment. She organises the day to include a good variety of indoor and outdoor play activities. This helps to ensure the progress of children's individual development and learning. They receive lots of warm, individual attention to promote their emotional wellbeing.

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Organisation

Documentation, to ensure the welfare and care of the children, is stored securely and made available for inspection. However the complaints procedure lacks the current address of the regulator. The childminder regularly shares these documents with parents, which keeps them well informed about the care that is provided.

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Organisation

Children enjoy the time they spend with the childminder as she has a sound knowledge and understanding of caring for children and she meets their welfare and care needs effectively. Children receive continuity of care as their routines and achievements are shared between parents and the childminder. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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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

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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): • update complaints procedure to show the current address of the regulator • ensure that the fire blanket is fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions.

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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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